《Nightmare Realm Summoner》


 Chapter 1: Celebrating the end of the world

    The System told the world it was coming a week in advance. It was a cruel joke. Humans couldn''t stop killing each other for a single day, much less unite to face an apocalypse. If anything, the warning just made things worse.Governments tried to reach out and assure everyone that everything would be alright ¨C that all people had to do was fall in line and they would be protected. The police and armies came out in force to control the riots that sprung up in just about every city.


    That didn''t last long. When people got a magical message in their head telling them that the world as they knew it was going to end, threats from talking heads hardly held the weight they once did.


    By the time the week came to its end, the world was on fire. It was chaos. Supply chains collapsed. Soldiers deserted. Communities divided. Everyone was desperate to find a way to survive for just a moment longer.


    And, as the world collapsed, Alex had a pizza party with his best friend.


    "To us." Alex laughed as he raised a red plastic cup full of flat soda to the air. The smell of burnt rubber and ash filtered through their window from the distant fires on the street below. "It''s been shit, but sometimes it was slightly less so."


    "As eloquent as always." Teddy pushed his glasses back up his nose, then matched Alex''s grin and raised his own glass. "I rather liked it myself."


    "That''s because you were actually good at school." Alex downed his soda. He considered throwing his cup behind him but opted to set it down by his side, next to the go-bag he''d prepared. The end of the world didn''t mean he had to start littering.


    Teddy tossed his cup over his shoulder. He brushed his long, blonde hair away from his face, tying it back behind his head in a bun. Despite the impending apocalypse, it was still somehow perfectly taken care of. While everyone else had rushed to the stores to steal food and other necessities, Teddy had bought every last bottle of shampoo he could get his hands on and stuffed them into an old blue knapsack that now rested behind him.


    Alex''s own backpack was stuffed full of food, an old med-kit his late mom had forced him to bring to college that he''d been fortunate enough to keep purely because he couldn''t bring himself to part with it, and a few crumpled up old exams that had snuck their way in.


    "So, what do you think is going to happen?" Teddy asked, finishing his work and letting his hands drop.


    Alex shrugged. The smell of smoke grew stronger. A restaurant had completely been engulfed in flame and thick black clouds were rising up from it in a pillar that aimed to claw its way into the heavens. "Aliens?"


    "I''m hoping it''s more demons and wizards and the like. If I die, I''d rather die to a cool orc than a tentacle monster."


    "Neither will make you any less dead. I''d rather live through this whole thing myself." Alex took a bite of frozen pizza. It tasted like wet cardboard that someone had slapped with a sausage. The electricity to their college dorm was long gone, but he''d let the pizza sit out in the sun for a day to warm it. It wasn''t exactly cooked, but food poisoning was the least of his worries.


    "Like that''s going to happen."


    "Says the guy that constantly carries around four sets of his glasses in case one of them breaks."


    "And look how it paid off." Teddy shot Alex a smug look. "I''m a genius. Twilight Zone had a message in it, man."


    "If I was the last guy alive, I think I''d just kill myself. That sounds awful."


    Teddy tilted his head slightly askew, then inclined it in agreement. "Fair point, man."


    A twinge of nervous excitement swirled in Alex''s stomach, but he didn''t let it show on his face. He''d never tell Teddy ¨C or anyone else for that matter ¨C but the day he''d gotten the message from the System had been one of the most exciting ones he''d had in years.


    Life is a waste. Wake up, go to school, take shitty exams for a subject that I don''t care about, and then go to bed. Rinse and repeat until I get a job and then spend the rest of my life slaving away for something that doesn''t even matter.


    That''s not how things should be. In just a few minutes, everyone gets screwed. No more work. Just a fight for survival ¨C and that means we''re all on even ground. The System wouldn''t warn us it was happening if we didn''t have a way to survive. That means we''re going to get challenged, but there should be a way through.


    A challenge that isn''t ripping my hair out trying to make a piece of code run correctly¡­ I think I''m actually looking forward to the end of the world.


    A bulky watch on Teddy''s wrist let out a shrill beep. He''d sworn by the thing for years, claiming it was the greatest watch ever made. He claimed it was somehow hooked up to the true clocks that were always perfectly accurate. Alex was convinced the damn thing was slow by a few seconds, but he didn''t have the heart to tell Teddy. They both fell silent, looking down at the piece of plastic as it went off, its shrill scream breaking their calm. Teddy reached down and turned it off.


    "One minute until the end." Some of Teddy''s bravado faded away and he set his droopy pizza down, swallowing. "What are the chances that this whole thing is just a really elaborate prank and the apocalypse never happens?"


    Alex looked out the window. The street was littered with shattered barricades and broken glass from protests and fights between the campus police and students. Cars sat abandoned, most of them demolished. Distant sirens rang, but most of them had already run out of battery or had their electricity cut.


    "I think it already did."


    "In that case, I''ve changed my mind. I hope I get magic. It would be badass to start slinging fireballs around."


    "You''d probably blow yourself up."


    "Probably," Teddy agreed.


    The two of them fell silent. Seconds ticked by on the watch.


    10.


    9.


    8.


    "Alex?"


    "Yeah?" Alex raised his eyes from the watch. Staring at it wouldn''t change anything.


    "It''s been¨C"


    The rest of Teddy''s sentence vanished in an earth-shattering roar. Brilliant blue light lit up the day with such intensity that it momentarily blinded Alex. He threw his hands up, crying out in surprise.


    I knew his goddamn watch was off.


    A booming roar slammed into Alex''s mind, echoing through his very being. Golden letters scrawled through the air before him.


    Welcome, Planet 274-50, colloquially known as Earth.


    Your warning period has ended. Earth will now begin to be assimilated into the Infinium. Please sit or lie down for the first stage of Initialization to avoid being injured.


    Initialization will take place over 3 stages to minimize critical damage during integration.


    Alex blinked the letters away as a rumble shook the building. Blood rushed in his ears as his spine tingled and his hair stood on end. He and Teddy exchanged a wild-eyed look, but they didn''t have time to say anything.


    As quickly as the first message had faded, a new one appeared before Alex.


    Initialization has begun.


    Welcome, Alex Vaya. Please remain still while your information is processed. You are number 2,105,294,612 in the queue.


    The smell of ozone bit at Alex''s nostrils. Energy crackled through the room, tiny arcs of blue light dancing along the walls and racing around their feet.


    Alex''s hair stood on end. More and more energy gathered around them. Out of the corner of his eye, Alex saw a flash of dark energy through his window. A black beam carved through the air, ripping through the ground. A pillar of black crystal erupted where the energy had struck and a car that had been unfortunate enough to be in its path warped in on itself before getting sucked into an obelisk. Rings of blue light flickered around the rippling black object, humming a shrill whistle.


    It was the very same energy that was filling the room.


    Oh, shit.


    "We need to move!" Alex yelled.


    Teddy didn''t need to be told twice. He and Alex lurched to their feet. The energy gathering around them grew even stronger. It screamed in Alex''s ears like a raging siren. Flashes of blue light swirled around him, forcing him to squint.


    A sliver of black light sliced through the air in the center of the room, directly in front of Teddy''s path. It carved through the ground like a knife and expanded outward. It split through splitting apart everything in its path.


    Alex lunged and shoved Teddy out of the way just as the darkness roared out between them, forming into a crackling obelisk of energy. He hit the ground with a grunt, rolling to the side an instant before the black crystal finished taking form.


    A flicker of blue energy arced past Alex''s arms and the smell of burnt hair filled the room. He let out a hiss of pain and shook his arm off.


    "Alex!" Teddy yelled. "Are you okay?"


    "I''m fine," Alex yelled back, stepping around the obelisk. His heart slammed violently in his chest. Dark swirls of smoke twisted and shimmered within the strange object that had materialized in their room. It was oddly mesmerizing ¨C but not nearly enough to get Alex to stand around for a second longer.


    Teddy scrambled to his feet and darted around the obelisk. Alex felt energy crackle at his back and jumped forward, just barely managing to avoid another obelisk as it slammed into place in their room, roaring with violent energy.


    "Holy shit," Alex breathed. "That was a close call. We need to get out of here."


    "Yeah," Teddy agreed, steadying Alex. For a moment, it looked like he wanted to say something. Teddy''s mouth opened for just an instant before he closed it, pressing his lips together as his features darkened.


    Then Teddy shoved him.


    Alex''s back hit the churning energy and a roar filled his mind, the words stolen from his mouth as it opened in shock. The determined look in Teddy''s eyes was the last thing Alex saw before the darkness took him.


    ***


    Alex was surprised to find his eyes open. He was sprawled across cold, clammy floor, his body intact and somehow entirely unsevered.


    It was silent. The sirens had vanished and the crackle of energy and flame was gone. It was so silent that he could hear the thump of his heart like a metronome. Alex groaned and pushed himself upright, the taste of iron stinging his clammy tongue. For a moment, it looked like he was still in his dorm room, but something was deeply wrong with all of it.


    The same ratty walls rose up around him, and he could see the door to his room in the far wall, but that was where the similarities ended. The knitted Shrek rug he''d found in a thrift store had been replaced by warped, glittering stone. None of the furniture was quite where it should have been and all of it was just slightly wrong. A cabinet twisted like a spiral staircase, a desk with three legs that sat askew and partially lodged in the wall ¡ª a mirror that definitely hadn''t been there before, its reflection nothing but a black void.


    What the hell was that? Did Teddy just try to kill me?


    Did he succeed?


    I don''t feel dead.


    Alex swallowed as the dim light revealed shadows that were just long enough to be noticeably out of place. His skin prickled. The feeling of being watched gripped at him and he turned in a slow circle, but the room seemed to be empty. It certainly didn''t feel empty, though. Alex was denied the opportunity to look around for any longer when a flash of blocky golden lettering appeared before him.


    [Trial Assigned: The Mirrorlands]


    Objective: Escape.


    No sooner than Alex had read the words did they vanish, replaced by new, considerably fancier ones.


    Alex Vaya. It is now your turn in queue. Please select your class.


    You may choose ¨C


    ERROR.


    All living beings must obtain a class before departing their origin area. You may not leave Planet 274-50 until you have selected a class.


    ERROR. Current location is [FORBIDDEN]. Dimension mismatch.


    Attempting to manually assign class¡­


    ERROR. No available classes are available to select from location [FORBIDDEN]. Dimension mismatch.


    Anomaly detected.


    Alex stared at the golden letters, then swallowed heavily. He''d had a week to process that the apocalypse was coming. There was no room to wonder if he was hallucinating or somehow asleep.


    Of course, he hadn''t expected his best friend to shove him through a portal into hell, but no plan ever held up through first contact. Panic wouldn''t help him now.


    This was real life. He''d mentally prepared himself to fight. He''d prepared himself to die. Teddy could be dealt with later. Right now, his concern was survival and getting angry wasn''t going to help anything.


    I''m punching that asshole in the face if I ever see him again, though.


    The System wasn''t satisfied with leaving Alex to his thoughts. The floating messages disappeared as a new one replaced them.


    Title Acquired.


    Anomaly (FORBIDDEN): You were successfully marked as an Anomaly by the System. This Title cannot be removed.


    ERROR. [Alex Vaya] has not finished the first stage of Initialization and cannot earn Titles. Removing Title¡­


    ERROR. Title [Anomaly] cannot be removed.


    Setting origin for [Alex Vaya] to [Mirrorlands].


    Title Fragment Acquired.


    Mirrorlander: Granted to all native Mirrorlanders, however few of them there may be.


    Alex squinted, the sudden glare of flashing letters in the darkness stinging his eyes. It felt simultaneously burning hot and freezing cold. His internal organs lurched and he stumbled, catching himself on the wall as the world swam before him.


    As quickly as the sensation had started, it vanished. A loud ding echoed through Alex''s mind ¨C the very same noise that had heralded the beginning of the nightmare that the world had been plunged into for the past week.


    You have access to [4] new Classes.


    Please select your class. Your choice will unlock the power latent within you and allow it to take shape according to your soul''s desires. Though many classes start with the same name, no two ever remain identical.


    You may choose from the following options:


    Berserker [Mirrorlands]


    Hunter [Mirrorlands]


    Mancer [Mirrorlands]


    Evoker [Mirrorlands]


    This time, the glowing letters didn''t float away on their own. It finally looked like the System had figured itself out and was running properly again ¨C for what good that was. As far as Alex could tell, the black obelisk had somehow sucked him into a location that wasn''t on Earth before he''d had a chance to select his class, which had thrown the System for a loop. Despite everything that had happened, he let out a snort of amusement. It was funny, in a bleak way.


    At least I actually get to choose a class. For a good few seconds there, I thought I was going to end up with nothing.


    Alex turned his attention toward the four class names floating in the air before him. As soon as his mind brushed over them, the writing shifted and new information shimmered to life beneath each of them.


    Berserker [Mirrorlands]: A close-range fighter with an aggressive combat style. The Berserker focuses on draining energy from their opponents and thrives in the chaos of battle. Class Modification: Gain an appropriate, randomly selected Mirrorlands Weapon upon selecting this Class. The weapon will scale and grow together with you.


    Hunter [Mirrorlands]: A long range fighter with a stealth-based fighting style. Hunters possess abilities that allow them to conceal themselves, setting up traps and striking from the darkness. Class Modification: Gain an appropriate, randomly selected Mirrorlands Weapon upon selecting this Class. The weapon will scale and grow together with you.


    Mancer [Mirrorlands]: A versatile Class that calls on the Way to wield powerful magic at the cost of their defenses. Mancers have immense destructive force and can specialize into many different branches but are vulnerable to most types of attacks. Class Modification: The Core & first Auxiliary Skill granted by this class will both be improved.


    Evoker [Mirrorlands]: A versatile Class that draws power from monsters, summoning and commanding them at will. Evokers can wield enormous power but are limited by their ability to capture and control monsters. Class Modification: Gain a randomly selected Mirrorlands Inhabitant of increased rarity. The first Auxiliary Skill granted by this class will be improved.


    Alex''s eyes raced over the words, drinking them all in. He re-read each of the classes several times. The System didn''t seem to have a time limit on anything, but he didn''t want to sit around for long enough to find out if it did.


    These hardly seem like proper starting classes. There''s no way these were what I was supposed to get as my first class. I guess I''ve got the Anomaly Title to thank for that. I bet I didn''t get access to any normal classes because I got yanked off Earth before the System initialized, or whatever it was talking about.


    And, if Alex hadn''t gotten the title¡­ he shuddered. The System would have still been stuck spamming him with errors, and he never would have gotten any sort of class.


    The first two classes give a scaling weapon. That basically sounds like the equivalent of a legendary weapon or something once I get strong enough, but it didn''t say anything about the weapons other than they would be appropriate, which means they could initially suck or just not be something I can use.


    Berserker¡­ well, I''ve never swung any kind of real melee weapon before. It sounds like it could be really strong, but it would also force me to take every single fight up close. It probably wouldn''t offer much in the way of range. I''d like to have some way to fight from afar when the time calls for it. It also sounds squishy. I''d probably get killed the first time I got hit by anything.


    Going with a bow seems like an overcorrection though. I''m a terrible shot and I don''t fancy not being able to have good options for fighting someone when they get right on top of me. I''ll probably cross off both Hunter and Berserker, then.


    The shadows at the corner of Alex''s vision shifted. He stiffened, jerking his head toward them, but nothing was there. He turned his gaze back to the shimmering letters, clenching his fists.


    That left Mancer and Evoker. A squishy mage and a summoner. It only took a few moments for Alex to make his decision.


    Magic is tempting, but I don''t relish the idea of having to worry about dying in a single blow. Mancers sound like they need a frontline to do anything, especially when they''re weak and don''t have much power to work with yet.


    It feels like Evokers are kind of mages as well, but they''re more like some weird mix between a warlock and a Pok¨¦mon Trainer. That seems pretty damn cool, and I also get a free summon right off the bat so I won''t be wandering around completely defenseless.


    That doesn''t even get into how much of an advantage I''ll get when I have more numbers on my side than my opponents do. Even one extra body on my side will heavily tilt pretty much any even fight in my direction. Rolling up to a fight with a horde behind me also just sounds badass.


    A grin tugged at Alex''s lips and he focused on his chosen class. Cool wasn''t really the best criteria with which to base his decision, but the world had ended a few minutes ago. Having at least a little fun as everything burned around him felt like the least he could aim for.


    The words floating in the air didn''t react in the slightest under Alex''s gaze. He frowned and reached out, expecting his finger to pass clean through them. Instead, it made contact, a faint static energy pushing back against his skin.


    You have selected Evoker [Mirrorlands].


    The prickling feeling covering Alex''s body intensified a hundred-fold. He scrambled back on all fours, batting at himself and letting out a startled curse as what felt like thousands of spiders suddenly crawled beneath his skin and along the insides of his organs.


    As quickly as the awful sensation arrived, it vanished. The golden lettering faded away as new messages took the previous one''s place.


    Soul Manifestation Unlocked: [Spatial Mirrors] (Novice 1) ¨C Spatial Mirrors contain the Evoker''s bonded creatures. They can only contain bonded creatures that originate from the Mirrorlands. The creatures stored within Spatial Mirrors can be summoned at will. Upon death, the creature''s energy will return to the Spatial Mirror until it recovers. Each Spatial Mirror can bond to a single creature.


    Only contain monsters that come from the Mirrorlands -- son of a bitch. It never said that in the description!


    Sounds like I just got an unintentional trial upgrade. Not only do I have to get out of here, but I''ve got to make sure I can get back as well. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That said, if I can pull it off... the monsters in this creepy place have to be stronger than the ones back on Earth, right? I''ll have a huge advantage if I survive.


    Just a tiny little caveat. I have to actually survive.


    An invisible band coiled around Alex''s chest even as the System''s message shimmered, locking in place almost as if it had frozen. For an instant, his lungs refused to draw breath. Then his teeth clenched and he forced himself to inhale. There was a sharp pop as the pressure in his ears changed.


    The Improved Auxiliary Skill has insufficient strength to overwrite Singularity Core. Your innate skill has taken priority.


    Auxiliary Skill Unlocked: [Requiem to the King] (Novice 1) ¨C Even in death, all must serve. When a bonded creature is slain in battle, a portion of their energy and abilities will empower their summoner. This effect will remain until the bonded creature reforms in their Spatial Mirror.


    Alex took in the messages, not sure if he was supposed to be excited or terrified. He had absolutely no idea what a Singularity Core was or what it did, but it seemed that it had somehow provided a skill stronger than what the System had been planning on giving him.


    And then there was Soul Manifestation. It certainly seemed like a skill, but it clearly had more relevance to it than just a random ability if it got a whole unique title. Whatever they were, he got the feeling he wasn''t going to find answers just sitting around like a duck. He needed to get moving.


    Where''s my free summon? I thought I got¡ª


    A pebble clattered across the floor behind Alex. He spun, his hand waving through the gold letters and blowing them away. A jolt of ice raced through his veins and shot straight into his heart.


    Staring at him from the shadows of a doorway, burning with hunger, were two slanted red eyes. Alex took a step back, raising his hands in what he hoped was a soothing motion. The eyes bored into him, and the world was utterly silent.


    He almost wished that the monster would do something ¨C make noise, attack ¨C anything. Instead, it just watched him silently, as if it were reveling in his growing fear. The darkness was split apart as a new message from the System arrived before him.


    Congratulations on acquiring your new class. Would you like to view the Class Guide? They will aid you in summoning your first [Mirrorlands] inhabitant.


    WARNING: The Class Guide will remove you from your current location until it has concluded. Ensure you are prepared before proceeding. Are you prepared to proceed? [Yes/No]


    Alex mashed his finger against yes without a second of hesitation.


    Anything that gets me the hell out of here for even a few minutes.


    The world shattered, falling apart around him like planes of broken glass.

 Chapter 2: All that Glimmers

    Fractals of shimmering mirrors glittered around Alex, piecing themselves into place one by one like a jigsaw puzzle. He floated in their midst, unable to move so much as an eyebrow. His reflection peered back at him from every direction, frozen in horror in a sea of black.Color washed across the mirrors, splitting the darkness. The mirrors disappeared, melting into the background as a plain stone room took form around Alex. Solid ground formed beneath Alex''s feet. Control returned to him as the last of the mirrors vanished.


    Alex glanced over his shoulder. The room had no door. It didn''t even have furniture. Aside from him, it was completely empty.


    "Hello?" Alex called.


    His voice didn''t even echo. There was no response, and there certainly wasn''t any sign of the promised Class Guide. A harrowing thought struck Alex and he swore under his breath.


    I got scammed out of the Class Guide because I''m stuck in the Mirrorlands, didn''t I?


    He waited for a few more seconds, the hope that he was wrong and that someone would show up to tell him what in the world was going on dwindling quickly. Finally, he sighed.


    Always look on the bright side. Challenge is a good thing.


    "Forget it. I''ll just do this myself. It does kind of take the fun out of something when someone tells you how to do it." Alex rubbed his hands together. "How do I access my Spatial Mirror things? That seems to be what everything for my Class is tied up to."


    Alex tried picturing the messages that the System had been sending him, but nothing happened. He waved his hand in the air, trying to picture a large mirror appearing before him, half expecting that to meet equal success.


    To his surprise, his fingers pressed against something cold. Alex latched onto it, pulling a silvery metal box the size of a deck of playing cards out from nothingness. Alex''s reflection looked back at him from it. The harder he focused on it, the less of himself he actually saw.


    Tiny letters flashed across the back of the box, nearly making Alex drop it in surprise.


    Alex Vaya [Human]


    Class: Evoker [Mirrorlands]


    Stage: Novice 1


    Title Fragments:


    [Mirrorlander]


    Active Titles:


    [Anomaly]


    [1/5]


    Soul Manifestation:


    [Spatial Mirrors] (Novice 1)


    Auxiliary Skills:


    [Requiem to the King] (Novice 1)


    Alex spent a minute looking through the letters on the box.


    When he turned his attention to any of the skills, the descriptions expanded to the full ones that he''d seen when he''d first chosen the Class. There wasn''t a single mention of the Singularity Core that had gotten him his Auxiliary Skill anywhere in his status page. He wasn''t sure if that was a good thing or not, but he couldn''t dwell on it.


    The only thing that really surprised him in his status page was a lack of any actual stats. He''d been expecting a list of dungeons and dragons style values such as dexterity or constitution, but nothing of the sort seemed to be present.


    That stuff doesn''t matter right now. I just need to figure out how to summon my first monster. I can figure out the other things later, assuming I don''t get my throat ripped out the moment I get booted out of this Class Guide thing.


    Alex ran his finger along the box, searching for a seam. As if waiting for that very thought, the back of it popped open. He turned the box around, pushing the top up to reveal a single, glittering mirror in its center. A thin trim of purple metal ran around the edge of the mirror, and a swirl of dark energy spun at the mirror''s center, almost as if he were looking through a window into another dimension.


    Gotcha.


    Alex pulled the mirror free with two fingers and examined it closer. As soon as it was free of the box, letters shimmered to life across its surface. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Spatial Mirror


    Stored Energy: System Gift ¨C 1


    Bonded Creature: None


    "Well," Alex said to himself, "There''s the free monster. I just need to figure out how to actually get it."


    He turned the mirror left and right, trying to get a better look at the swirling darkness in its center. No matter how he turned the mirror, it always seemed to peer back at him like some emotionless eye.


    Alex grimaced, then brushed his fingers against the surface of the mirror. It rippled in response, sending a faint tingle down his wrist. Alex yanked his hand back. Tiny waves passed over the surface of the mirror like a lake before going still again.


    Narrowing his eyes, Alex touched the mirror again. Cool energy pressed back against his hand, gently pulling it in. This time, Alex didn''t resist.


    Even though his hand was far too large to fit into the card-sized mirror, it still somehow plunged into it. Ice raced up Alex''s veins and through his shoulder, coiling around his heart. His fist closed around a crackling ball of static electricity.


    It bucked, trying to slip free. Alex didn''t let it. He tightened his grip as the freezing sensation intensified.


    The energy doesn''t do anything for me when it''s inside the mirror, which means my best bet is to pull it out.


    The cold wound deeper into Alex''s body. His fingers felt like they were about to freeze off, but the energy finally stopped fighting against him and he felt it settle comfortably into his palm.


    Alex yanked his hand back. For a moment, the mirror resisted him. Then, with a pop, it pulled free. As soon as the energy left the confines of the mirror, the freezing cold was banished.


    What took its place was shooting pain. Alex let out a slew of curses and yanked his hand back. A mote of black and purple flame rose into the air, floating at eye level as it pulsated. Faint waves of force rolled off it, pushing Alex back.


    It began to shimmer, motes of white light appearing around the energy and orbiting it at increasing speeds. The light intensified and Alex took a step back, raising a hand to cover his eyes and squinting.


    Colors flashed at a rapid pace, moving through every color of the rainbow and then some. They grew brighter and brighter as they cycled past before finally snapping to a halt, frozen a dark blue.


    A rush of wind swirled past him and buffeted his hair. There was a brilliant flash and a wave of heat slammed into Alex, nearly bowling him over. He managed to keep his footing under him and forced his eyes open, blinking furiously to see past the dots floating in his vision.


    Standing before him, in a sea of fading purple and black dots, was a gaunt humanoid. It was just a little over four feet tall, with gangly limbs covered with stretched grey skin and a large maw. Shards of shimmering silver jutted out of it at odd angles, forming rough spikes along its back and claws at its fingertips.


    The monster''s teeth, just like its claws, were rows of mismatching shards that had been shoved into a long, lipless mouth. Two motes of yellow light marked its eyes, which had no real shape beyond their glow.


    Alex didn''t even dare to move. He''d been promised a monster, but he''d been expecting something like a giant fluffy dog with big teeth or something, not¡­ whatever this demon was. But the longer he looked at it, the more excited Alex got.


    Glass ground against itself as the monster worked its jaw, staring expectantly at him. One of its claws hung low enough that it actually touched the ground. It was sharp enough that it cut straight into the stone, passing through it like nothing.


    The mirror in Alex''s hand warmed. It took a force of will just to tear his eyes away from the monster and look down. The writing upon its surface had changed.


    Spatial Mirror


    Stored Energy: None


    Bonded Creature: Shardwalker (Novice 1)


    That''s interesting. So this ugly little creature is my improved summon? It certainly looks scary. But¡­ does that mean this creepy little guy is stronger than average? He''s just a Novice, same as me. Maybe he''s just rare. Rare is good.


    Alex cleared his throat and looked back to the Shardwalker watching him expectantly. "Hello?"


    The monster didn''t respond. Its claws twitched slightly, carving through the ground again.


    "I''m Alex."


    The monster continued to stare.


    Not much of a conversationalist, huh? For that matter, does this thing even have any thoughts?


    "Can you do something if you understand me?"


    As he was starting to get used to, the monster remained in place. Alex chewed his lower lip, then changed his strategy.


    "Raise your hand."


    The monster lifted a hand into the air in a blur. Alex jumped back before he realized that the Shardwalker was just following his orders, not attacking him. He suddenly found himself glad that nobody else was there to see him stumble around.


    It follows my orders, then. Doesn''t seem like it''s intelligent. Not yet, at least. That''s honestly a relief. I''m not sure how I''d feel about forcing an intelligent creature to do my bidding.


    Alex held the card-sized mirror up and sent it a pointed look. "Can¡­ you get back in this? Or are you just stuck walking around outside?"


    No sooner than he had finished speaking did the Shardwalker vanish in a shimmer of light. The surface of the mirror in his hand changed, his reflection disappearing as the monster appeared in its place.


    The Shardwalker stared out of the mirror at Alex, then sat down on the nothingness surrounding it. Alex carefully slid the card back into the box and snapped it shut. A loud crack echoed through the still room and Alex spun around, raising his hands defensively.


    A gap ran along one of the walls, revealing an endless expanse of darkness outside his room ¨C one that didn''t seem all that dissimilar from the one that the Shardwalker currently sat in. The room was falling apart.


    Shit. I''m going to get pulled back to the Mirrorlands really soon. I need to get a hold of the rest of my Class. I''ve got my monster, so I just have to figure out how to summon it.


    Alex snapped the box open and pulled the mirror back out of it. He held it before him, flipping the card so that the Shardwalker faced away from him. If the summoning just had the Shardwalker jump out of the card, he didn''t want it cutting him to ribbons on the way out.


    "I''m going to call you Glint," Alex proclaimed. "And I''d like a little help. Can you get out here?"


    Not like it''ll actually work that way. I''ll probably have to do something special to summon Glint ¡ª


    With the sound of shattering glass, a claw carved through the air in front of Alex. Glint pulled itself out from a tear in space, dropping to the ground. Light shimmered across the pieces of glass covering its body.


    Despite his situation, a slight grin flickered across Alex''s face. He held the card up.


    "I think you''re going to be a dude. Do you mind, Glint?"


    Glint turned toward Alex and watched him mutely. He seemed to enjoy doing that, and that was just fine with Alex. Silence was the same as approval, after all.


    "Looking forward to working with you then. I think we''re going to have quite a bit of fun together. Can you get back into the card?"


    Glint vanished in a flash, reappearing within the Spatial Mirror. Alex studied it for a second, then tightened his grip. Maybe ¨C just maybe ¨C he actually had a chance of surviving this nightmare and making it back to the surface.


    Another crack tore through the room, this time above him. Alex looked up at the crack. He stretched his arms above his head, then rolled his neck.


    "Okay. Let''s do this, Glint."


    The thing that was watching me might have moved. I need to be ready the moment I get out of here.


    Golden letters flashed through the air before Alex.


    You have requested to leave the Class Guide. Are you prepared to return to the location you were at before it initiated? [Yes/No]


    Alex reached out with his free hand and selected yes, keeping the other tightly wrapped around Glint''s card.


    For the second time that day, the world shattered around him.


    But, this time, Alex was ready for it.

 Chapter 3: Filled with determination (and a dead monster)

    Alex''s feet hit solid ground as the warped version of his dorm materialized, painted in the unsettlingly long shadows. Even though Alex was expecting it, his heart lurched into his throat as he saw a pair of eyes waiting for him.Instead of watching him from the darkness, they were now just a few feet away from him in the doorway leading over to the next room. A ghostly black form floated in the air, its body twisted like a rope. Parts of it were solid while others were completely translucent, and a long, jagged sword hung loosely in one of its hands.


    Purple letters shimmered above the monster''s head.


    Shaded Hauntling (Novice 2)


    The Hauntling''s red eyes smoldered and its mouth split apart as it let out a low, keening wail. Alex thrust his card forward. Before he could even say Glint''s name, the monster seemed to sense his desires.


    Glass tinkled across the ground as Glint''s claws ripped a portal through the air and the monster stepped out and stood between Alex and the apparition. The Hauntling''s wail turned to a scream and it lurched toward him. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Defend me!" Alex yelled.


    Glint leapt into motion. The Hauntling''s sword flashed down toward the glass monster, but Glint made no move to dodge it. A loud clang echoed through the dark, warped room as claws collided against blade.


    Even though Glint''s claws had carved clean through stone with no difficulty, whatever the Hauntling''s blade was made from was strong enough to withstand them. The Hauntling pulled back, and Alex noted that even though the blade had survived the attack, there were several large notches in its metal.


    "Go for the sword again!" Alex commanded. The Hauntling''s eyes latched onto him and it flew forward, trying to run him through.


    Alex threw himself into a roll, and Glint snarled behind him. Another clang echoed through the room, followed by a third. This one was accompanied by a loud crash. Alex turned just in time to see the top of the Hauntling''s sword bounce off the stone ground, severed.


    "Now finish it." Adrenaline pumped through Alex''s veins. "Cut its head off!"


    Glint leapt ¨C and the Hauntling turned fully translucent. The Shardwalker hurtled straight through the other monster, passing it harmlessly. As soon as Glint was behind the Hauntling, the ghostly creature spun and slammed what remained of its sword into the back of the smaller creature''s neck.


    Glass shattered as the sword bit home, and Glint slumped like a puppet with its strings cut. Alex''s stomach clenched and he swore. He didn''t even bother hoping that Glint would get back up ¨C the monster was limp and lifeless.


    Shit. What am I doing? I don''t know what I''m up against, and I just threw my only weapon''s life away because I was too impatient to feel things out better.


    The Hauntling turned its eyes toward Alex, flicking Glint from the end of its broken sword. It started to howl, not giving him time to lament his mistake any longer.


    Glint''s body shimmered as it flew through the air, then turned into a streamer of shimmering silver energy a moment before it hit the ground. The energy flew past the Hauntling and sank into Alex''s body.


    A river of prickling cold coursed across Alex''s skin. Still screaming, the Hauntling charged him, rearing back to plunge its damaged weapon into his neck.


    Alex grabbed the monster''s arm as it slammed into him. His muscles screamed as he pushed with all his might, keeping the blade from plunging down into his skin. The Hauntling drove its other hand into his stomach, knocking the air from his lungs and sending him stumbling back into the wall.


    Brick rippled behind Alex and gave way like a net. He shoved himself away from the wall and it reformed, but not before he caught a glimpse of a dim red sky outside. His heart slammed in his chest. His dorm was six stories up. If he''d completely fallen through the wall ¡ª


    The hauntling''s sword flashed. Alex''s eyes widened and he drove his hands up with all the strength he could muster, grabbing the weapon by its hilt. His arms trembled with exertion as the monster slowly brought the sword closer to his neck. He was losing.


    He thrust his hands to the side and twisted his body to the left, letting the sword flash right past his arm. In the same motion, Alex grabbed onto the solid parts of the Hauntling''s throat. It might have been strong, but it had no legs to keep him from tossing it. He drove his shoulder into the wall behind him.


    Brick burst out and flew back, scattering through the air like dozens of pool balls. Alex put all his weight into his shoulder as he let out a scream of defiance and twisted his body, flinging the Hauntling into the open air.


    Its free hand shot out as it fell and snagged Alex by the ankle. There was a sharp tug, and then the world spun above him. His back slammed into the ground and the air drove from his lungs for the second time as the Hauntling dragged him toward his death.


    Alex''s hands scrabbled against the ground as he struggled to find purchase on the rug. He slipped over the edge, but his fingers found a lip in the wall a moment before he pitched down to his death. He held on for dear life as he dangled in the open air, wind howling around him. The Hauntling let out a screech. Its hand dug into the back of his pants as it started to pull itself up. The monster''s sword slammed into the building just beside Alex''s head, digging into the stone and acting as a handhold as the Hauntling extended a hand over him to reach for solid ground.


    "I don''t think so," Alex snarled, grabbing the hilt of the sword and flinging his body to the side. The Hauntling kept its grip on the blade, but it wasn''t anywhere near as heavy as it was strong. It flailed through the air and momentarily lost its balance.


    Alex twisted himself, locking eyes with the Hauntling. The monster screamed in his face. He drove his free hand forward with a snarl, striking the monster in the chest and pushing with everything he had.


    There was a loud snik.


    The Haunting''s screech cut off abruptly. Alex stared at the monster, his heart hammering violently in his chest. It looked equally as surprised as it pitched back, sliding off his hand and plummeting through the air toward a mess of odd, twisted buildings far below.


    A glittering mirror fragment had burst free from the center of his palm and driven straight through the monster''s chest. The mirror shattered, falling to the ground in a rain of shimmering silver.


    Alex didn''t question his luck or stick around to properly take a look at the scenery. He grabbed the sword with both hands and braced his legs against the side of the building. With a heave, he pulled himself back into the room and pushed himself away from the wall. He rolled across the ground and laid flat, his heart slamming so hard in his chest that it threatened to break a bone. He drew in deep, shaky breaths as he steadied himself.


    A rush of cool energy entered his chest, wound around his heart, and sent a shiver down his spine. It felt like he''d just downed the strongest, freshest energy drink of his life ¡ª but infinitely more satisfying. He didn''t just feel energized. He felt stronger.


    Swallowing to try and get some moisture back in his mouth, he pushed himself upright. A small mote of greenish flame floated just beside the edge of the wall, which had already reformed as if nothing had happened.


    He looked from it to his palm.


    There was no trace of where the blade had emerged from on Alex''s skin, but a simple thought brought another glistening blade to bear at the tip of one of his fingers. Alex dismissed it with another, staring at his body in disbelief.


    So that''s what it means to take on Glint''s abilities? I suppose I should be happy I didn''t grow spikes out of my entire body and destroy my clothes.


    His hands shook as he clenched and unclenched them a few times, hardly able to believe that he was still alive.


    It wasn''t fear that made him tremble, though. It was excitement. A laugh slipped from Alex''s lips, intensifying as the adrenaline drove his frayed nerves to the max. He was alive. And, more importantly, that fight had been fun.


    "Oh, yeah. This is it," Alex murmured to himself as his laughter finally petered out. He drew in a deep breath to steady himself and let it out slowly. "That was exhilarating. I''m going to enjoy this."


    He glanced around for his Spatial Mirror, only to find that it was back in the metal box. Alex had lost track of it during the fight after the Hauntling attacked him, but he knew for a fact that he hadn''t returned it to the box.


    It must return automatically. Convenient.


    Alex pulled the mirror out and glanced over it. From the description of his abilities, he was pretty sure that Glint wasn''t dead, but he wanted to make sure.


    Spatial Mirror


    Stored Energy: None


    Bonded Creature: Shardwalker (Regenerating)


    Alex breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn''t completely wasted his companion''s life. There wasn''t much point in being a summoner if all his summons got killed in the first few seconds of a fight.


    His gaze lowered to the floating mote of black light that the Hauntling had left behind. It looked remarkably similar to the energy that had been floating in his mirror ¨C aside from the color, that was.


    He extended a hand and let a finger brush across the flame. A faint shiver ran down his arm. It wasn''t anything near as intense as the energy that had summoned Glint, but it was definitely of the same variant.


    Alex grabbed the mote and brought it over to the mirror. It had a spot to hold energy, so he was pretty sure that¡ª


    Before he could even bring the flame all the way up to the mirror''s face, it was sucked from his fingers and drawn into its silvery surface. The card rippled before returning to a plain, dark background, but the words at the top changed.


    Spatial Mirror


    Stored Energy:


    Low Novice Grade (Shaded Hauntling) ¨C 1


    Bonded Creature: Shardwalker (Regenerating)


    "Well then," Alex said, lowering the mirror and scooting up to lean against one of the warped walls. "I guess it''s time to sit around and wait for Glint to come back. And, once he does, I''m going to check out where the hell we''re stuck. That Trial message I got right when I arrived here said I had to escape, and that means there''s a way out. And, if there''s a way out, we''re going to find it."

 Chapter 4: Structural integrity

    It took just about an hour for Glint''s status on the Spatial Mirror to return to normal. At the exact same time, Alex''s ability to create mirror shards vanished. That was far from a surprise, but at least it confirmed that the System was working properly.That was a relief. After all the ERRORS and the Anomaly Title ¨C whatever that meant ¨C Alex wasn''t all that confident in the System''s structural integrity.


    "Glint, come help me," Alex requested. The card in his hand rippled and a claw cut through the air beside him. Glass tinkled to the ground to announce Glint''s arrival and the monster stared at Alex, a blank expression in his eyes.


    He set the card down and it vanished into a stream of black smoke, flowing into the box at his hip. Alex glanced down at it and blinked. He drew the mirror out once more, then let go of it again.


    It streamed back into the box.


    "At least I know you can''t be lost," Alex informed Glint. The monster, unsurprisingly, didn''t respond. Alex jerked his head toward the door. "Let''s go. Stay by my side, please. If you see any monsters, try to quietly alert me by pointing before doing anything else. I''d prefer stealth to attacking everything like an idiot. Nod if you are capable of following those orders."


    Glint nodded and they started off. It looked like Glint was more than capable of understanding long orders, so the monster was far from dumb. Perhaps it was more a question of intent rather than just words.


    He''d have time to test it later. Right now, he needed to find out about where in the world ¨C or more accurately, off it ¨C he was. Alex and Glint headed down the warped hall, both moving as silently as they could.


    Part of him wondered if the shitshow leading up to the apocalypse had been better or worse because he''d been in Texas. They''d certainly gone out with a bang ¡ª but it was a moot point now.


    It was a strange feeling, heading down a place Alex should have known like the back of his hand. He''d spent months in this shitty old building and had walked down its beige walled paths more times than he could count. He probably could have drawn the uninspired pattern on the rug at his feet from memory. Even the smell of the musty walls had etched itself into his mind.


    The only real signs of color had been the half-assed drawings on the whiteboards that hung from some of the other students'' doors, with the occasional one by an artist that actually looked half decent. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Now, doors twisted like spiraling breadsticks. Parts of some were entirely missing, leaving pieces floating inexplicably in the air, while others were slanted in a myriad of directions other than the one they were actually meant to. Strips of carpet had torn themselves up and stretched up the walls like climbing vines and the entire hallway smelled like absolutely nothing. There was no dust. No faint chemical stench from where people had drawn on the whiteboards with sharpies instead of erasable pens. Not even mold. There was just nothing.


    The silence bore down on Alex like a twenty-pound blanket. Every step he took, no matter how silent it was, felt like its echoes had echoes. He had to alternate from looking around the funhouse-mirror hallway and watching his every move to make sure he didn''t stumble over a piece of randomly slanted ground or slip and fall.


    His awkward gait slowly brought him to the stairs at the end of the hall. They were fortunately still where he recalled them to be. Sure, the door leading to them was now embedded in the wall and covered with twisting wood growth, but at least it was there. Pieces of it floated in the air, shifting back and forth gently in the air and blocking his way.


    Alex grimaced. Even though the door was broken to pieces, there was no way to get past it without touching its remains. He carefully braced a hand against the largest of the fragments and pushed. It resisted him for a moment before slowly shifting back through the air. Alex grabbed another piece and shoved it out of the way before hurriedly stepping through.


    The pieces of the door floated back to their places, as if he''d never been there. A shiver ran down Alex''s spine as he turned to look down the stairwell. The stairs, like everything else in the building, were a shitshow. Jagged black roots ran throughout the stairwell and jutted out from the walls in random spots. Some of the stairs had been ripped free and hung suspended in the air, held in place only by a few measly roots running through them.


    Fortunately, there were still enough of them left to actually use to get down. That was all he could really ask for.


    Alex and Glint headed down the stairwell, avoiding the other rooms on the way down to the first floor. He did his best to avoid the roots and Glint did the same. They just looked like wood, but there was no reason to take any chances. Risk was fun when it had a reward. He wasn''t trying to get himself killed.


    The stairs reached their conclusion. Normally, they should have led out into a wide-open lobby that connected to some of the other dorm buildings in the cluster. Instead, Alex found a massive tree sitting dead center in the middle of the lobby.


    It rose straight up through the building, ripping through the floors and sending roots and branches out in every direction. There wasn''t a single leaf to be seen upon its surface, but the tree had decided to compensate for that particular failing by covering itself with howling visages of human faces pressed up against its bark as if just mere instants from breaking free.


    Alex froze in place, his heart jumping in his chest. He half expected the tree to come alive and start screaming as it ripped the building down around him.


    No such thing happened. It just¡­ sat there. Watching.


    He remained still for a few more seconds before swallowing and starting off once more. Alex crept out of the stairwell, gladder than ever that he''d avoided touching any of the wood. Beyond the tree, at the far end of the room, he could see the door leading out onto the street. It hung askew as if beckoning him over.


    "Don''t touch the wood," Alex said a hushed whisper as he started to creep toward the door. He didn''t try rushing anything. The tree wasn''t moving, but its roots were practically everywhere. Slow and steady movement was his friend.


    He crept past a thick branch, crouching to avoid a pair of roots that ran parallel to each other. Every movement sent thrills of adrenaline pumping through his veins. He didn''t even know if touching the tree would do anything, but he had absolutely no plan of finding out.


    Step by step, he approached the door. A glance back at Glint showed that the monster was having a considerably easier time than he was. Glint just hopped past the roots without a second glance, moving through them with casual ease.


    At least I don''t have to worry about him.


    Alex finally drew up to the exit. A delighted grin crossed his lips and he finally got his first look outside through the roots obscuring the top of the doorframe.


    Dull purple-red light shone down on the street, which was so badly changed that it took Alex several moments to even realize he was in the same city. Enormous crevices ran throughout the street, dark energy glowing from somewhere deep within them.


    There was a sharp, acrid smell in the air that Alex couldn''t quite place. It was almost electric, but like nothing he''d ever experienced before. He barely even paid it attention ¡ª all of his senses were nearly completely overwhelmed as he stared in disbelief.


    Entire buildings had been lifted into the air and were in various stages of what he could only describe as disassembly. One of his favorite restaurants, a dingy wooden building by the name of the Dixie Chicken, hung hundreds of feet in the air. Every plank of wood that had made it up had separated and floated ominously beside one another. It was almost as if an explosion had gone off on the inside of the building, but something had locked it in both space and time just milliseconds afterward.


    The other buildings along the street weren''t in much better shape. The ones that had actually managed to remain on the ground had been squished and warped like taffy. He barely recognized the glass windows of the physics building across the street from him. It had been elongated and stretched into a massive arch that cast a long shadow over the street.


    "Holy shit," Alex breathed despite himself. It looked like his old dorm had gotten lucky. It definitely hadn''t been this close to any of these buildings back in the real world, but a short jaunt through space seemed to be a relatively fortunate hand to be dealt given the alternative.


    The buildings weren''t the only changes. In the near distance, where there had once been only flat land, was a jagged mountain. It rose far into the sky, its sharp peak just below where the clouds should have been. Purple crackled at its top like a miniature lightning storm and rocks swirled up from the mountain, frozen in space as they reached up toward it.


    A shadow passed overhead. Alex instinctually craned his neck back. He froze in place as his blood went cold. A huge, apartment-sized plate of chitin had blocked out the sky. Not just one, but dozens. Hundreds of massive legs, each one the size of a towering tree, swirled through the air. It was an enormous centipede.


    City-Eater Centipede (???)


    Alex swallowed and remained locked in place, not daring to make a noise. A rippling purple portal sprang open before the City-Eater Centipede, which swam into it. The portal snapped shut behind the monster, leaving the sky empty once more.


    City-Eater seems like an apt name. Holy shit. Where the hell did Teddy send me? There''s absolutely no way I''m supposed to be here.


    A moment later, a second thought struck him.


    If a bug can get that powerful in this world¡­ then I can too.


    A flicker of excitement swirled in his stomach, but Alex crushed it. He couldn''t afford to start fantasizing about the future yet. That could be something he''d worry about once he managed to find a way out of the Mirrorlands ¡ª assuming such a thing was actually possible. The idea of being stuck here for the rest of his life sent a spike of ice down Alex''s spine.


    He shook his head. There was no reason to panic. Panic wasn''t going to help him. What he needed was a plan. And, for a plan, he was going to need information. Alex glanced left and right to check for monsters, then crept out into the street with Glint in his wake.


    They kept to the shadows of the buildings, moving slowly but confidently. Alex did his best to stay out from under the sky. Flickers of purple occasionally flashed as other centipedes, not quite as large as the first but still far bigger than a building, swam above him.


    Alex couldn''t shake how eerily silent everything was. Even though there were monsters larger than city blocks above him, their arrivals and departures through the purple portals didn''t make a single noise. The only noise in the city seemed to be him.


    His only saving grace was that it didn''t seem like they were all that concerned with the city below them ¡ª but that was a theory he had absolutely no desire to test. Alex continued along the streets, scanning them for literally anything he could use.


    He wasn''t sure what that would actually be. A flashing neon ''exit'' sign certainly wouldn''t have gone amiss, but he was more than willing to settle for just a clue as to where he could go.


    The back of Alex''s spine prickled. He couldn''t place quite what it was, but something felt off. That sentiment should have been laughable considering literally everything was off, but he couldn''t shake it.


    Alex pressed himself against the twisted wall of the building beside him as he tried to figure out what was nipping at his subconscious. He re-scanned the street, adrenaline pumping in his veins and causing his heart to beat so loudly that he feared the City-Eater Centipedes might hear it.


    Am I just deluding myself? I don''t see ¡ª


    There was a flicker of movement across the street. Alex''s eyes snapped over to the window of a building just a short way in front of him and his breath caught in his chest. Within the darkness behind the glass were two yellowed eyes ¡ª and they were staring right at him.

 Chapter 5: What lurks in the dark

    The eyes vanished from the window. Alex tensed and Glint flexed his claws, ready to jump into battle at a moment''s notice. He couldn''t help but notice that there hadn''t been any sort of identification as to what the creature within the house was.Maybe spotting the eyes isn''t enough to actually reveal it and I need to see a certain amount of the monster''s body or something like that?


    It was a moot point. The pressing matter was twofold. First, there was a monster that had spotted him. It was small enough to fit into a house, which was good. That led to the second part of the problem. If he got into a fight in the middle of the street, it wasn''t going to be quiet.


    I need to kill it without making any noise or somehow bring the fight somewhere where nothing can overhear us.


    Alex''s fingers twitched as his mind raced, but his opponent made their move before he did. The door to the building swung open. He couldn''t make out anything in the darkness beyond, but it was a clear invitation.


    It''s intelligent. Does it also want to avoid the street? It wouldn''t surprise me if monsters ate other monsters. Maybe it wants this fight to be just as quiet as I do. Well, I can oblige. If something wants to challenge me and is scared of the other monsters, then we''re likely to be at least a bit closer in strength ¡ª and I''m not backing down from a challenge.


    The idea of continuing on without investigating the house didn''t so much as pass his mind. Leaving a monster behind that knew of his presence was the same as leaving his back wide open and painting a target on it. It was better to take the fight when he knew the general area from where his opponent would strike.


    "Glint, you first," Alex whispered. "Prioritize surviving and scope out what we''re up against. If it attacks or makes any aggressive moves, do your best to avoid the attack and then go for the kill. If it does look like they''re going to kill you, make sure you die in front of the doorway or where I can see it."


    Glint crossed the street and Alex followed after his monster, only pausing to scoop a rock off the ground. He wasn''t going to be very useful until Glint was dead, but he got the feeling nothing would enjoy getting pelted with a stone.


    They reached the opened door and Alex hung back, letting Glint take the lead and leaving enough space for himself to reposition or flee if he had to. He didn''t know what he was up against. And, until he did, he couldn''t let himself overcommit. Alex''s grip tightened around the rock and he raised his hand, preparing to throw it at a moment''s notice.


    Glint stepped into the darkness. The spined monster managed two whole steps before it spun to the right and lunged, letting out a grating snarl. He vanished from view for a brief instant before there was a loud thunk. Glint went flying back past the doorway and disappeared into the darkness on the far side.


    Alex tensed.


    Something made an aggressive move toward Glint if he attacked first.


    Glass scraped as the protrusions jutting from Glint''s skin dug into the floor and he flashed past the doorway once more. Alex gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to charge into the darkness. He needed to bide his time for the right moment.


    A metal blade carved down toward Glint and the small monster leapt out of the way before lunging forward once more. There was a wet squelch and a hiss of pain. Blood splattered across the ground.


    An instant later, Glint slammed into the ground. Blood covered the end of one of the blades along his arm. He''d landed a hit. Glint rolled over and shot to his feet square in the center of the doorway.


    Before he could move again, the blade flashed once more. It drove straight into Glint''s chest as a humanoid form stepped out of the darkness to finish him off. And, in doing so, they moved into Alex''s line of sight. He could just barely make their form out in the darkness, but it was enough.


    Now!


    Alex hurled his rock. He''d never been a particularly athletic student, but it flew true and sailed through the air, striking the figure in the side of the head even as they ripped their sword out of Glint''s limp body, which turned into a streak of blue light and flooded into Alex.


    A blade of mirrored glass erupted from his palm and he took a step forward, preparing to drive it into the heavily obscured figure''s neck as they staggered, a hand flying up to their head.


    "Ow!" the figure cursed.


    Alex skidded to a stop a moment before lunging for their neck. "What the hell?"


    The figure spun toward him. "You speak common?"


    They stared at each other in mute shock for nearly a second. Alex took a step back, keeping the blade protruding from his hand at the ready. "What''s common? And who are you? One sudden move and I''m running you through."


    Despite his words, he''d lost the element of surprise. Out of all the things he''d been expecting to fight, another person wasn''t one of them.


    Oh, shit. Could it be some sort of monster with a trick to sound human? Damn it. I didn''t even think of that.


    The shaded figure raised their sword slowly, then slid it into a sheathe and lifted their hands, palms forward. "I didn''t think there was anyone else in this cursed shithole. I thought you were a monster."


    Now that Alex was paying attention to it, the person''s voice was a little high pitched. It sounded like a woman ¡ª but that didn''t mean it was one.


    Alex''s eyes narrowed. "I thought you were a monster. Step out into the light."


    "Are you kidding me? With all the damn spookies out there?" the figure shook their head vehemently. "You come in here. It''s safe. Or, about as safe as the Mirorlands are ever going to get."


    "Into the darkness?" Alex snorted. "That''s not happening. You can clearly see in it."


    "Oh, bleed it," the figure muttered. "Look, give me a second. I''ve got a torch here somewhere. I hate the idea of wasting it, but I can''t pass up on the chance to talk to another person. Just don''t run me through when I reach for my pocket or I''m going to be right pissed."


    Alex blinked, then nodded. "Go ahead."


    The figure slowly lifted a hand to their side. There was a moment of silence, followed by a faint scratching noise. Light bloomed from a matchstick, pushing back the cloak of darkness to reveal a young woman.


    Alex tensed. A woman she may have been, but a human she was not. Two small fangs jutted down from the corners of her pitch-black mouth and her skin was a shade of gray that should have been reserved for brick, not living flesh. The woman''s hair, as black as her lips, had been tied into a ponytail and revealed two ears as pointed as daggers, one of which had a tiny silver stud earing within its lobe. Blood streamed down her upper arm from the cut that Glint had left on her.


    No glowing letters appeared to identify the woman. Alex wasn''t sure if that was exactly a good thing, but it seemed like it might have been a point in her favor. Thus far, the only things he''d seen information on had been monsters.


    "See?" she asked. "Not a monster."


    I''m not so sure I''d go that far.


    "What are you?" Alex asked warily. He shifted from foot to foot, still ready to lunge at a moment''s notice. He''d be damned if a pretty face was the reason he died this early into the most interesting event in his life.


    "I''d like to ask you the same damn question, but please close that bleeding door before something sees this light and rips us both apart from the asshole out."


    Alex bit back a laugh. He caught the door with his foot and slowly shut it behind him, not taking his eyes off the woman. She did have a point ¡ª the biggest threat was attracting the attention of a monster too big to fight.


    But, just in case, he didn''t close the door all the way and kept his foot in the doorway. It would only take him an instant to fling it open and throw himself into the street if she made any moves toward him.


    "Door''s closed as much as I''m going to close it," Alex said. "You first. What are you? Are you a native to the Mirrorlands?"


    "A native?" the woman let out a muted snort. "I''d thank you not to associate me with the hideous¡­ things down here. I''m from Ayrin."


    Alex stared at her blankly.


    "Ayrin. You know?"


    "No."


    "The planet Ayrin?" she tried. "We got pulled into the System a week ago."


    Alex shook his head. "That means nothing to me. How''d you end up here?"


    "I was midway through a dungeon when I fell into a trapdoor and onto a giant bleeding obelisk. The next thing I knew, I was in this shithole. If you''re not from Ayrin¡­ please tell me you know something about how to get out of here."


    Oh, shit. She might be telling the truth.


    "What color was the obelisk?"


    "Black. Why?" A flicker of excitement passed through her features. "Do you know a way out of here?"


    Alex blew out a breath. "We might be in a bit of a pickle. I fell into one of those just an hour ago. I''m from Earth. I don''t suppose I''d be wrong in guessing that means nothing to you?"


    "Nothing," she confirmed, her excitement snuffed like a candle. She blew out a defeated breath. "Is Earth another planet? How long has it been part of the System?"


    "Er¡­ about an hour, I think."


    The woman stared at him, matchlight dancing as it illuminated her features. Then she groaned and lowered herself into a seated position. "Bleed it all. You fell in right as the System arrived?"


    No. I got pushed in.


    "Yep." Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "And here I thought I was unlucky. Guess I''ve met my match." The woman blew out a huff. "What to do. My name''s Claire."


    "I''m Alex. Why is it that you don''t have any golden letters illuminating you? Is there a way to hide them?"


    "Oh, that''s because of this." Claire held her wrist up, revealing a metal bracelet. "It conceals my information. They''re pretty common. This one is shit, so it doesn''t work against anyone of a higher Stage. Not like it matters anymore."


    Claire pulled the band off her wrist. The air above her head rippled and golden words scrawled themselves into existence.


    Claire - Dhampir Warrior (Novice 3)


    An actual name rather than just a generic monster title. She''s also stronger than me. How big is the difference between Novice 1 and Novice 3? Either way¡­ it seems like she might be trustworthy. Not enough to let my guard down, but I''m a summoner. If she actually is friendly, an ally would go a long way in keeping me alive.


    Claire put the band back onto her wrist and the writing above her head vanished. She kept the flickering match held in the air with one hand as she dug through her pocket with the other, her features pressed thin in pain.


    "Mind taking this?" Claire asked, holding the match to him. "I need to find my bandages."


    He wasn''t going to say no to that. It was clear he needed the light more than she did. Alex crept closer, watching her movements with narrowed eyes as he took the candle. Claire released it and he took a step back to keep some space between them.


    "You''re a cautious one, aren''t you?" Claire asked through a wince as she found the bandages she was searching for and started to try and wrap her wound. "Can''t blame you if the System really just showed up on your planet. That''s rough. I''m, uh, sorry about your spiky rat."


    "It''s fine," Alex said. "He doesn''t stay dead long."


    "Doesn''t stay dead? You didn''t hit your head, did you?" Claire fumbled with her bandages, then let out a curse. "Damn it. Hold on. I need to concentrate on this for a second."


    Alex went to nod ¡ª and a flicker moved through the darkness behind Claire, toward the back of the room. He stiffened. "Claire? Get up."


    She glanced up at his tone, then hurriedly rose to her feet and turned to follow his gaze. "What is it?"


    Alex shifted the match to pinch it between his thumb and the bed of his hand, then ripped a portion of his t-shirt away and held it to the match until the flame caught. He then threw the burning scrap over her shoulder and toward the center of the room.


    The light was so dim that it was barely worth noting at all, but it was just enough to reveal another flicker of movement ¡ª and this time, for long enough for gold letters to shimmer through the air.


    Shade (Novice 4)


    A shadowy form lurched back from the light with a pained hiss, retreating into the corner of the room and cringing back. The small strip didn''t buy them much time. It burned away to embers with frightening speed. The glowing letters went with it, swallowed by the tiny curl of smoke that rose into the darkness ¡ª and without them or the light, the Shade was invisible once more.


    "Oh shit," Claire breathed, taking a step back and drawing her sword with a pained wince. "That''s not good."

 Chapter 6: Patterns in the sky

    Alex backed up until his shoulders pressed up against the wall behind him. It was too dark in the room for him to cover every angle, so cutting off one of them would go a long way.Claire followed him ¡ª and their dim light source ¡ª back. She held her sword in a tight grip, but it was clear that she wasn''t in the best shape to fight. The wound Glint had left on her was still bleeding pretty badly and she''d just been smacked in the head with a pretty large rock. On top of that, now that they were closer, Alex picked up on a fair amount of dirt and marred spots on her clothes.


    It looked like she''d been traveling for quite some time. While that lent quite a bit of credence to her claims of being from a different planet, it also meant she was probably quite tired.


    "Why isn''t it attacking us?" Claire asked, waving her sword through the darkness. "Maybe we should head back out onto the street. It''s giving us a way out."


    Alex resisted the urge to glance at the door. It wasn''t too far from them¡­ but he wasn''t so sure he believed that the Shade was just going to let them go. And, somewhere deep inside himself, he had to admit that wasn''t so sure he himself wanted to leave.


    Fighting a City-Eating Centipede was impossible¡­ but he''d beaten a Novice 2 Shaded Hauntling when he''d completely butchered the fight. If there was any realistic chance that he could come out on top against the Shade, he was going to take it.


    "How much stronger is a Novice 4 than a Novice 1?" Alex asked.


    "A good bit," Claire muttered. She edged toward the door then jerked back with a hiss. Something flashed through the darkness, but she managed to pull herself out of the way just in time. She hurriedly backed up into the faint light cast by the match. "Shit. Okay. It might not be willing to let us go easily."


    Hardly a surprise. I haven''t met much here yet, but I''d be willing to take a bet that everything in the Mirrorlands wants to kill us.


    "Can''t you see in the dark?" Alex asked. "Where''s the monster?"


    "I can''t see in the dark. I can pick up strong heat signatures ¡ª and that bleeding thing doesn''t have one." sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They both scanned the shadows, but the Shade wasn''t making any more moves. Alex''s eyes flicked to the match. It was already halfway burned through. The monster was probably waiting for it to go out completely.


    "How much stronger is a Novice 4 than a Novice 1 and a Novice 3 working together?"


    "When the Novice 3 is half-dead? My money''s on the spook."


    I wish I still had Glint to work with. I need to get myself more summons as soon as possible.


    "Great. I hate sides with good odds. The payout is always worse," Alex said. "The Shade is scared of the fire. It can also put it out, but it''s not getting close enough to us to actually do that."


    "I''m a big believer of talking things out, but are you going anywhere with this?" Claire asked tersely. "Because that little match isn''t going to last much longer and I don''t have another one. You''d best get to the point."


    "I don''t have one! I''m just trying to list everything we know. Do you know if the monsters can understand us?"


    "Never tried talking to them myself. I''ve got no bleeding idea. Probably not? Most of the ones back in my world couldn''t."


    "Great. Then it can''t figure out what we''re planning."


    "We don''t have a plan."


    "I just came up with one. You''re going to stab it."


    Claire snorted. "Great plan. And how are we going to do that?"


    "I''m going to go for the door with my match. When it tries to stab me, I''ll duck out of the way ¡ª and you take that moment to cut at it."


    "And if it doesn''t try to go for you?"


    "Then we just walk right on out of here," Alex replied, starting to edge toward the door. He really wished that Claire had invested in some slightly higher quality matches. This one was already almost burned all the way through. He couldn''t complain, though ¡ª it wasn''t like he''d brought matches of his own.


    The shadows shifted. Alex threw himself to the ground and something whooshed over his head. Claire swung her sword and a loud, otherworldly hiss of pain split the air in the room marking that her blow had been successful.


    Alex scrambled back to his feet and tore off another piece of his shirt. Beside him, Claire ducked as a dark appendage whipped through the air where her head had been. The Shade was done waiting around.


    I don''t know if the monster can actually hear us or not, but no reason to say everything I''m going to do out loud.


    Alex pressed the remains of the match to the edge of the cloth scrap he''d torn off. Claire still had the monster''s attention, but she was losing ground quickly. Fortunately, the flame caught to his shirt quickly. Fire engulphed the makeshift rag in seconds.


    Golden letters shimmered through the air as he stepped forward and thrust the flaming rag forward, revealing a flicker of the Shade. It was really more of an amorphous blob than a being with actual form, but it shrank back from the light with a hiss.


    Claire pressed the brief advantage, diving forward and driving her sword into the Shade''s rippling black body. It bit deep into the shadows that made up the creature and it screamed in pain.


    And, in the brief moment that it was pinned in place, Alex lunged. He slammed the flaming rag right into the center of the monster''s body. The fire caught instantly, as if the Shade was made of tar. Alex pushed away from the monster, shaking his hand off as the fire singed it. A wave of heat washed over his face and he felt an arm snake around his neck, yanking him back an instant before the Shade erupted in a ball of flame.


    He and Claire both staggered several steps back as fire roiled across the room and washed over the ceiling like a grease fire gone mad. It burned as quickly as it had started, and the room was plunged into darkness just seconds later.


    A rush of cool energy flowed into Alex''s body and he drew in a sharp breath, stiffening in surprise and delight. It was the same sensation he''d gotten after killing the Shaded Haunting, and nothing quite compared to it. He couldn''t quite find a way to describe it other than the feeling he got when he looked in a mirror after going to the gym for a few months and realizing that he''d started to show a little muscle ¡ª but magnified by a thousandfold.


    The darkness was broken by a tiny flicker of light. A purple-black flame curled up from where the monster had died at their feet.


    Claire flopped to the ground behind Alex, letting out a groan. "Too close."


    She''d pulled him out of the way of the fire. If she''d been planning to betray him, that would have been the time to do it. It looked like she''d been honest.


    Alex scooped the tiny flame off the ground and pulled Glint''s Spatial Mirror out, pressing the fire to it. With a tingle and a pop, the energy shot into it.


    Spatial Mirror


    Stored Energy:


    Low Novice Grade (Shaded Hauntling) ¨C 1


    Low-Mid Novice Grade (Shade) - 1


    Bonded Creature: Shardwalker (Regenerating)


    Alex released the mirror and it transformed into a streamer of dark energy that shot back into the box at his side. He then edged over to the door and pulled it open a crack, allowing purple-red light to spill into the room.


    "What are you doing?" Claire whispered. She''d gone back to trying to wrap her wound with the bandages.


    "I can''t see," Alex whispered back. "And as long as we''re quiet, we won''t draw anything''s attention. Do you need help with that?"


    Claire glanced down, then grimaced. "Yeah. That might be nice. Thanks. If you could just hold the bleeding thing in place at the top of my shoulder I can do the rest."


    Alex walked over to her and crouched, doing as she''d asked. Claire wrapped the bandage around herself several times, then tucked it in on itself and let out a mixture between a sigh and a groan. "Thanks."


    "No problem. My monster was the one that cut you in the first place, so I''m partially responsible."


    Claire winced. "Ah. Yeah. Sorry again about your gopher."


    "I told you, it''s fine. He''ll be back soon enough."


    She sent him a doubtful look but didn''t press the matter. "You''re a summoner, then?"


    "An Evoker," Alex corrected, but it didn''t look like the difference meant anything to her. Now that he knew Claire wasn''t moments from betraying him, she was the best source of information he had. "Do you know anything about this place at all? How long have you been down here?"


    "I''m not sure. A few days at least. It''s hard to keep track," Claire admitted. She shifted onto her knees and then rose up to her feet. "You''ll see soon enough."


    "We''ll find a way out," Alex said with more confidence than he felt. "Have you been down here alone this whole time? There isn''t anyone else?"


    Claire''s expression tightened and she looked to the side. "Not anymore. I ¡ª it doesn''t matter, actually. There was someone else down here, but they died. It''s just me now. You''re the first new person I''ve seen."


    That wasn''t good news, but Alex didn''t let it hold him up. Information was just information. It was what they did with it that mattered. He clung to the trial that the System had given to him like a raft in a violent storm.


    There was no point giving a trial if it was impossible to accomplish. He just had to find out where the escape was. And, in the meantime, he had to learn everything about the System that he could.


    "Do you have a class?" Alex asked.


    "Yeah. Everyone does," Claire said with a sigh. "Mine is just kind of useless."


    "How so?"


    "I''m a Dhampir Warrior," Claire said dryly. "You saw when I took my bracelet off, didn''t you?"


    Alex nodded. "Yeah. What about it? I''ve never heard of it. What can you do? If we''re going to find a way out of here, it would help to know."


    "Here? Nothing. Literally nothing. Dhampirs are energy vampires." Claire rubbed at her teeth and let out a huff. "The problem is I can''t eat any of the energy down here. Energy is stored in blood, and nothing down here has blood. I might as well not even have a class."


    "Wait. You''re telling me you were a vampire before the System showed up?"


    "Dhampir," Claire corrected, an affronted note in her voice. "And yes. Why? What''s wrong with that?"


    "Er¡­ nothing, I suppose. We just didn''t have anything like that on Earth." He scratched at his chin. It wasn''t really all that much of a surprise if he thought about it. If there was magic in the universe, then it was perfectly realistic for there to be a world where both vampires ¡ª or Dhampirs ¡ª and matches existed. "No matter. Well¡­ what can you tell me about the System? Anything useful?"


    "Kill stuff," Claire replied immediately. "It makes you stronger. Any challenge related to what you''re aiming for does, really. I''m far from an expert on it."


    That caught Alex''s attention. "Any challenge? What do you mean?"


    "The System is a sadist or something," Claire said with a snort. "The harder something you''re doing is, the better the reward. We figured that out pretty quickly when the easy monsters stopped giving us energy when we killed them."


    "So it''s measured by relative difficulty?" Alex asked, tilting his head to the side. He''d definitely gotten more energy from killing the Shade than he had from the Hauntling.


    Claire nodded. "Yup. As far as I know, at least. The first few days of the System''s arrival were mostly a panicked blur. I really don''t have that much time on you. Honestly, I''m surprised you''re not a gibbering mess right now."


    "I''ll save that for once we''re out of here." Alex chewed his lower lip and looked over his shoulder at the street behind them. "If it''s relative challenge¡­ what would happen if you made a fight harder for yourself?"


    "I don''t know. That sounds like a good way to get yourself killed. I don''t know if you''ve noticed, but we aren''t exactly in the right place to test that. The monsters here are nothing like they''re supposed to be. There''s something really bleeding wrong with them."


    "Yeah," Alex muttered. "I''ve gathered that much."


    His thoughts were still on her answer to his question. If the only thing that mattered was challenge, then it would make logical sense that making a fight harder would result in better rewards. A grin pulled at the corner of his lips.


    I can''t just not test this out.


    "We should get moving," Alex said. He poked his head out of the doorway and glanced around the street to check for monsters.


    "To where?" Claire asked. "It''s screwed everywhere¡­ unless you happen to have an idea as to how we can get out of this hellhole?"


    Alex''s eyes caught on the mountain in the distance once more. It towered over the city, crackles of purple energy dancing at its peak ¡ªthe exact same color as the portals that the City-Eater Centipedes had been going through.


    "You know, I might just have an inkling."

 Chapter 7: ???

    Alex and Claire remained in the house to rest for a little longer before leaving. Claire looked exhausted and definitely needed the breather, and Alex wasn''t eager to press further without Glint to back him up."So what does killing monsters actually get me?" Alex whispered from where he sat beside the Dhampir. "More abilities? Or is it more like levels?"


    "Just raw energy. It enters your soul and floats around in it until you refine it."


    Alex tilted his head to the side. "And how do I do that? I take it that refining the energy will somehow let me use it or the like?"


    "Yeah. You refine it by meditating, and it''ll let you improve your soul''s strength, gaining levels and eventually going up Stages. That''s how I''m a Novice 3. Then you can use that refined energy to get or improve your Auxiliary Skills. You''re Novice 1, so you have one of them, right?"


    "Yeah. Do I get one every level or something?"


    "You get one at Novice 2 and 3," Claire replied. "The strongest person I knew reached Novice 5, and he said that he got to upgrade them at 4 and 5. Apparently the upgrades were really useful, but I don''t know much more than that. I guess we''ll find out soon enough."


    "Good to know. And I can only refine energy when I meditate?"


    "Yep. It takes a while. At least it did for me. The System guided me through it my first time, so I''m sure it''ll do the same for you as well."


    I''m not so sure. It hasn''t given me much of anything other than errors so far.


    "Yeah, probably. I guess we''ll see," Alex said. He felt a faint tingle at his side from his deck. He pulled Glint''s card free to take a look at it.


    Spatial Mirror


    Stored Energy:


    Low Novice Grade (Shaded Hauntling) ¨C 1


    Low-Mid Novice Grade (Shade) - 1


    Bonded Creature: Shardwalker


    "Ah. There we go," Alex said. He stretched his arms over his head, then rose to his feet and held a hand out to Claire. She took it, letting him pull her to her feet.


    "Thanks," she said. "We didn''t really rest that long. You sure you''re ready?"


    "I think it might be better if I''m the one asking you that question." Alex glanced at the bandages wrapping her arm. "I''m not the one that was injured."


    Claire touched the wound gingerly. "I''ll make it. This should be healed soon enough. I just don''t want the weight of everything suddenly slamming down on you all at once, you know? It took me a little while to really register that my life was over and everything had gone to shit."


    Alex didn''t respond immediately. He still wasn''t sure how he was meant to feel about the apocalypse. He''d nearly died more times in the last two hours than he had in the entirety of his life leading up to them¡­ and he''d never felt more alive.


    Not like I''m going to mention that. I don''t need Claire thinking I''m completely insane.


    "Did you have computers in your world?" Alex asked abruptly.


    Claire blinked, then shook her head. "I haven''t heard that word before."


    "What about university? Jobs?"


    "We had jobs. I don''t know university either."


    "School."


    "Oh, yeah. We had academies," Claire said. "What''s that got to do with anything?"


    "Did you have a job?"


    She shook her head and her eyes went distant as she slipped into memory. "I was in my last year of academy training. I was going to join the guard for my city."


    "I take it you were looking forward to that."


    "More than I can describe. I worked so bleeding hard for it. I never thought my whole life could just¡­ evaporate. Poof." Claire flicked her fingers and shook her head as her shoulders slumped. "Nothing to do about it now. I can''t complain as long as I''m still kicking. What about you?"


    "I was in school. Had no damn idea what I wanted to do."


    "You were going to school for something without knowing if you wanted to do it?"


    Alex gave her a wry grin and shrugged. "My world was a bit weird. Like you said, it doesn''t matter much now. I''m ready to get moving again if you are."


    "Sure. It beats sitting around and waiting for the next spooky freak of nature to rock up and turn me into a fillet."


    Alex flicked Glint''s card. It transformed into a streamer of black smoke, returning to its deck, and small claws raked through the air beside him, leaving a thin rend in reality. Glint stepped out from within it and the portal snapped shut behind him.


    "Bleeding hell." Claire''s hand darted to the hilt of her sword and she took a surprised step back before catching herself. "Your hedgehog is back. I thought you were off your rocker. It actually can''t die?"


    "His name is Glint," Alex said. "And yes. I''d be in dire straits if he didn''t. Is that not common for Evokers?"


    "Hell if I know," Claire said, releasing her sword and rubbing the back of her neck. "I''ve never worked personally with one. I know about as much about it as I do about your backside."


    Alex raised an eyebrow. "That''s certainly an¡­ odd turn of phrase. It''s interesting, actually. You''re from a whole different world, but we speak the same language."


    "I assume the System must be automatically translating our words or something. I guess that doesn''t carry through to idioms and the like," Claire said.


    He nodded. That seemed like the most reasonable conclusion. It was surprisingly hard to keep in mind that Claire wasn''t from Earth. Despite her appearance, her friendly demeanor made it easy to forget that she was, at the very least, a strong relative of a literal vampire.


    "What to do. We might as well get moving," Alex said with a nod to the street. "I''ll have Glint take up the front and find the monsters before we do. We''ll follow a bit behind him and figure out if we''re going to take fights or not. It might not be the fastest way to handle things, but I don''t think we''re in a rush."


    "I''m not so sure I''d say that. I don''t know about you, but I need to eat," Claire said.


    Alex paused. "I¡­ kind of thought that hunger and thirst paused here or something."


    Claire shook her head. "Nope. I had some rations, but they''re gone. Have been for a day. I''d gut someone for a drink of water. You don''t have any, do you?"


    That complicates things. Even if there''s water anywhere in the area, I''ve got no clue if we can actually drink it. Then again, doesn''t that mean the challenge of surviving is even harder? According to Claire, that means the reward should be way better too.


    "I don''t have anything other than Glint and the clothes on my back," Alex said apologetically. "But I suppose that means we should get moving faster rather than slower."


    Claire nodded and they stepped out onto the street. Glint took the lead as they started toward the mountain looming over them, keeping to the shadows of the buildings to avoid the enormous monsters in the air.


    They didn''t make good time, but they moved along, nonetheless. Minutes ground by at an agonizingly slow speed. Every errant noise and gust of wind set Alex''s hair on end. The adrenaline pumping through his veins mixed with fear and excitement in a cocktail that definitely wasn''t good for his heart.


    A purple ripple of energy washed over the street just a few dozen feet above them. Alex and Claire pressed themselves to the wall of a cracked building and hid beneath a thick, twisting root as an enormous City-Eater Centipede spiraled out from the disk of energy. Its legs swam as it passed through the sky.


    Alex stared up at it in mute awe. Even though he was seeing it with his own eyes, the monster was unbelievably large. It was difficult to register just how large the City-Eaters could get until one was passing just above the tops of the buildings overhead.


    He didn''t so much as dare to to draw in a breath. There was no way something as huge as a City-Eater Centipede would even want to eat him, but he wasn''t about to tempt fate. There was challenge and there was suicide ¡ª and the massive bugs were undoubtedly the latter. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A portal yawned open before the City-Eater Centipede and it swam in its direction ¡ª but it didn''t quite make it. Pink light lit the street as another portal carved open above the centipede. An enormous, three fingered hand stretched out from it and wrapped around the centipede.


    ??? (???)


    Then the towering monster vanished, yanked through the portal like a piece of popcorn plucked from a bucket during a movie. The centipede didn''t even get a chance to struggle. Loud cracks rang out as its body shattered under the force of the hand and it was pulled into the rippling pink energy.


    The portal snapped shut behind it, leaving the street in silence once more. The golden letters that had "identified" the hand disappeared as well. Alex and Claire exchanged a wide-eyed look.


    The Centipedes aren''t at the top of the food chain?


    A shiver ran down Alex''s spine as a thought, equal parts horrifying and electrifying, ran through his head.


    What if they''re actually just centipedes? Are those massive things literally nothing but bugs in the grand scheme of things? And if they are¡­ what does that make us?


    "That made a lot of noise," Claire whispered. "We should get moving before something comes to check it out and finds us."


    "Good idea," Alex muttered back. They set back off, moving a little faster than they had before.


    They made it all the way down the street and turned the corner, only to find that their luck had run out. A humanoid figure knelt by a warped house, scooping large handfuls of a torn-up root into its mouth. Curls of shadow rolled off its body, wafting away from brownish-grey flesh. It was difficult to tell exactly where the shadows ended and body began.


    The monster''s gaze, two motes of dull red, snapped over to them and it rose to its feet in a smooth motion.


    Wight (Novice 3)


    Claire drew her sword. "I''ve got this one. I''ve fought them before. Just stay back. It won''t be too hard to take out."


    "Hold on," Alex said, catching Claire by the shoulder before she could step forward. "You''re injured. I''ll take it myself."


    "You''re a Novice 1," Claire pointed out, keeping her eyes on the Wight as it sized them up. "It''s dangerous."


    "Exactly," Alex said. A smile pulled across his lips and Glint flexed his talons. "Which means I''m going to get a better reward if I take this out myself. It''s not as strong as the Shade, so I should be able to handle it."


    "You''re a bit insane, aren''t you?"


    "If we want to get strong enough to survive this place, then I think a little insanity isn''t misplaced," Alex replied.


    The Wight groaned and took a hesitant step toward them. It seemed confused by their lack of action, but Alex didn''t mind. If it was going to let them set the terms of the fight, he certainly wouldn''t complain.


    "If you''re sure," Claire said doubtfully. "Just be careful. The System isn''t going to register as much of a challenge if it knows I''m sitting around to back you up, so I''ll actually have to stay away if you want to handle it without help. Just be careful."


    "Thanks." Alex nodded his appreciation, then nodded to the Wight. "Glint, come on. Let''s go kill this thing."

 Chapter 8: What lurks within

    Glint darted into motion. The small Shardwalker sprinted up to the Wight, which lurched out of its spot and reached out with grasping hands."Dodge!" Alex hissed. "Prioritize avoiding attacks over landing them!"


    Glint skipped to the side, then brought a jagged claw raking down over the Wight''s arm. The humanoid monster let out a hiss of pain. Its fingers extended into tendrils that reached out for Glint, attempting to wrap him up.


    Alex edged around the side of the fight as Glint leapt over the tendrils and brought his claws down across the Wight''s chest. The monster staggered back, then whipped its other hand into Glint''s chest.


    The Shardwalker flew back and slammed into a building with enough force to crack several of the spikes on his back and leave a small dent in the stone. Glint fell to the ground amidst tinkling mirror fragments.


    Alex''s hands tightened. Glint was still a Novice 1 monster. No matter how clever or fast he was, the Wight outclassed him. The smartest way to handle the fight would have been to work together with Claire ¡ª but smart didn''t mean beneficial.


    He couldn''t afford to play things safe and he couldn''t constantly hide behind Claire. If he did, they''d both die the moment they ran into a monster she couldn''t properly handle.


    I need to take all the damn challenge I can whenever we''re up against a monster I have even a sliver of a chance to take out.


    Glint staggered upright and the Wight reached for him again. He dodged back, then raked his mirrored claws across the extended hand. They cut deep into the monster''s body, but it didn''t bleed.


    The Shardwalker was forced to jump back as the Wight swung at it again. Glint just barely managed to avoid the attack. The previous one had clearly shaken him pretty badly. Even if Glint didn''t seem to have emotions or desires, the monster was still a living being. He couldn''t just take blows and keep going.


    He''s going to lose if I don''t back him up, and I don''t fancy my chances against that thing alone.


    Alex flexed his fingers. Adrenaline pumped through his veins and he shifted from foot to foot. Glint jumped at the Wight again, only to find a grasping hand in his path. The Wight grabbed him out of the air and tendrils tightened around his body, starting to squeeze.


    Now or never.


    Throwing caution to the wind, Alex burst into motion. He threw himself forward, driving his shoulder into the Wight''s back. The shadowy creature let out a pained grunt as he drove into it with all the force he could muster.


    Its grip on Glint loosened for a brief instant and the Shardwalker took the opportunity to rip into the Wight''s body, raking jagged claws down its face and torso. Alex shoved himself away, but he only made it a step before long fingers wrapped around his foot and yanked him off his feet.


    All the air exploded from his lungs in a pained grunt as he hit the ground. The Wight grabbed Glint with its other hand, ripping him away from its face and pulling Alex closer. Its mouth opened in a hissing wail and its grip on his leg tightened until the bone groaned beneath it.


    There was no way to break the monster''s grip. It was too strong ¡ª and so Alex didn''t try to escape. Instead, he gathered all the energy he could muster and shoved himself toward. He shoved himself off his free leg and slammed his fingers into the Wight''s left eye.


    Freezing cold washed over his hand as it let out a hiss of surprised pain. Alex dug around its head and found purchase on a chilly orb the size of his palm suspended in something liquid. He wrapped his fingers around the orb and braced his good leg against the monster''s chest, ripping it free with a snarl.


    Blue matter splattered across the ground. The Wight released his leg with a pained cry and he staggered back. Before it could try to attack him again, Glint jumped onto the shadowy monster''s neck and dug into its throat with reckless abandon.


    The Wight''s final wail was lost in a gargle as it crumpled to the ground. The shadows swirled away from its body and left behind a gaunt, mostly featureless form. Glint continued ripping it apart even as they hit the street, not stopping until it was nothing but a shredded pile of flesh.


    A wisp of black energy rose up from the Wight''s mouth and pushed through the ravaged remains of its lips to float above its head. Adrenaline thumped in Alex''s body with such intensity that his feet shook beneath him with every step he took.


    Energy flooded into his body and he stiffened as it ran its course through him. It was several seconds before the rush came to a stop.


    That definitely confirms what Claire said. I got more energy for that fight than I did for any of the others. Challenge is the way to go.


    He summoned Glint''s card to his hand and scooped the black flame off the ground, pushing it into the mirror.


    Spatial Mirror


    Stored Energy:


    Low Novice Grade (Shaded Hauntling) ¨C 1


    Low Novice Grade (Wight) - 1


    Low-Mid Novice Grade (Shade) - 1


    Bonded Creature: Shardwalker (Novice 1)


    Alex blew out a breath, doing his best to gather himself before turning back to Claire with a grin. "See? Had it handled."


    "You''re definitely insane," Claire said. "Aren''t you an Evoker?"


    "Yeah. And?"


    "I nearly bleeding choked when you threw yourself at the Wight. What''s wrong with you? You realize you''re not meant to get close to your enemies, right?" Claire kept her voice to a muted hiss to avoid drawing too much attention to them.


    "We can''t play things safe," Alex replied. He straightened his clothes and brushed himself off. "And I''m not strong enough to just let Glint do all the work for me. You can''t get strong without a few risks, right?"


    Claire shook her head, letting a smile play across her lips. "I guess I can''t argue with you there. You weren''t pulling my leg about Earth being new to the System, were you? I''m going to be pissed if you were."


    "Swear on my heart," Alex said, pressing his hand to his chest. He nodded over his shoulder to the mountain. "And I''m more than happy to talk more on our way, but we should really get out of here before something finds us."


    Claire paled and gave him a hurried nod, suddenly reminded that there could be more than one monster on a street. The two of them set back off toward the mountain at a brisk pace with Glint as their guide.


    Minutes stretched on. Alex lost track of time, though he was pretty sure it hadn''t been more than an hour. Several times they slowed and ducked to the shadows to avoid a monster as it flew overhead.


    The skies weren''t the only thing they had to be wary of. Alex and Claire both froze in place as they turned a corner to find a massive, shambling mound of limbs and mouths covering the street before them.


    ??? (???)


    Mutely, Alex beckoned Glint back and they crept over to the next street over. It quickly became apparent that there were a whole lot more threats than just the ones in the sky, and the vast majority of them were just masses of question marks in the eyes of the System.


    Their only saving grace was that the enormous ??? monsters didn''t appear to have any real interest in them. They didn''t get close enough to one to test his theory out, nor did he have any plans to.


    He and Claire managed to make their way through the town streets without getting into another fight over the course of another hour or two. They both slowed as they drew up to the end of the buildings.


    A large, gaping canyon had split the ground at the edge of the town. Thick bridges of curling roots connected the two halves of the ground. Beyond the canyon, leading all the way up to the base of the mountain was a forest of sparse, towering trees.


    They were the same ones that had ripped apart Alex''s old apartment. Huge trunks of black wood laden with screaming visages that definitely hadn''t been put there by any natural means. The trees were taller than some of the buildings behind them and some were easily as wide.


    "That gives me the creeps," Claire muttered, her grip tightening on the hilt of her sword. "Whoever made those things has to be messed in the head."


    Alex nodded in mute agreement. He glanced up at the sky. They''d be fully exposed while they were running across the roots and into the trees. There weren''t as many centipedes in this area as there had been near the center of town, but it only took one.


    I still don''t know if they''d even bother trying to kill us, but I really don''t want to try and take the risk.


    The idea of having to run made his body groan in displeasure. Weariness had already started to wrap itself around him like a cloak. It had been a long day, and adrenaline could only keep him going for so long.


    "I think our best shot here is speed," Alex said, shaking his head to clear it. "We''ll have to run across the roots and get to the trees for cover as fast as possible. How are you doing on energy?"


    "Not the best," Claire said, giving him a small smile that quickly faltered. "I''m eating fumes here. I haven''t eaten or drank anything in a long time, and I''ve been up for longer than I care to remember."


    "It might be best to try and take cover for the night, or at least for a few hours," Alex said. "We could try to search a house for food."


    "I tried doing that before we ran into each other. There isn''t a single edible thing in this town, but I wouldn''t oppose to sitting down for a bit," Claire said.


    They peered into the window of the nearest house. Its door had been somehow plastered into the wall, leaving behind an open walkway into a tiny room of what had probably once been a dingy bar.


    It was dark, but it looked empty. Alex sent Glint in just in case. The Shardwalker walked a circuit around the room before returning to him.


    "I think it''s relatively safe," Alex said. He and Claire slipped inside and headed over to the far corner, putting as much distance between themselves and the entrance as possible. They did a quick check through the room, but Claire had been right ¡ª there wasn''t anything edible.


    "You really need to refine all the energy you''ve gathered," Claire whispered. "Just sit down and meditate over here. I''ll keep watch."


    "Don''t you need to rest too?"


    "I need a lot of things," Claire said with a weak grin. "I don''t think I can get any of them here. Getting you a bit stronger is the best thing we can do."


    Alex sat down against the wall, then looked back up at her as a thought struck him. "Wait. What kind of thing can you draw energy out of? You''re a vampire, aren''t you?"


    "Dhampir," Claire corrected automatically. "And yes, but my class made it so I can only drink from monsters a lower level than me."


    "Oh, that''s it? I fought something called a Shaded Hauntling that was Novice 2. You¡ª"


    "The problem is, they still need blood," Claire finished with a sigh. She rubbed her forehead with the back of a hand and slumped down beside him. Her eyes looked distant and glassy. "I can''t drink normal blood unless it''s got energy in it, but nothing in this bleeding place actually has blood."


    Alex glanced over to Glint. She was right. Even the Shardwalker was bloodless. "What about me?"


    Claire swallowed. "It probably wouldn''t work. The System imposed limits on what I can consume and I''m currently limited to monsters due to how low of a level I am."


    "Well, how much longer can you go without food?"


    "Not much," Claire admitted. "You''d let me try to drink from you?"


    "Depends on if that means you''re going to literally drain my life."


    "Nothing like that," she said hurriedly. "It would definitely make you tired, though."


    She looks an inch from passing out. I''d rather be tired than lose an ally.


    "Then go ahead. Just¡­ don''t take too much."


    Claire swallowed again. Hunger swirled in her eyes and she moved toward him, then caught herself and clenched her jaw. "Not yet. You should meditate first. If you don''t refine your energy, I''ll end up taking a lot of it from you. I draw out unrefined energy, but I can''t remove the stuff that''s permanently part of your soul."


    "Wouldn''t that leave you with nothing to eat?"


    "There''s never going to be perfect conversion. There should be at least a little bit left over, and that''ll be enough," Claire said. She ran her tongue over her lips, then realized what she was doing and turned away, her gray skin reddening. "Sorry. That was rude. I can wait. Just meditate already."


    "Watch over us," Alex told Glint. He was starting to trust Claire, but he wasn''t about to leave himself defenseless. Besides, having backup with her if something went wrong couldn''t hurt.


    He then put his hands on his lap and let out a slow breath. The System definitely wasn''t giving him any guidance as to how he was meant to meditate, but he knew the gist of things from a class he''d attended in college for a kinesiology credit.


    Alex closed his eyes and steadied his breathing, trying to focus on every breath and sink into himself. The world stilled around him and he dove into his mind, searching for the power that would let him advance to Novice 2 and hopefully give him a better way to survive the Mirrorlands. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And, deep within the reaches of his own mind, he found it.

 Chapter 9: The Black Lake

    Color traced through the nothingness and a ripple passed out from beneath Alex''s feet. He stood on the surface of a dark lake. It stretched out in every direction, just barely visible. An old stone basin rested just before him, covered with dust and cracks. It rose up to his chest in height and was about three times as wide as it was tall. Above it was a huge ball of glittering blue mist. It spun like a globe, sending shimmers of light dancing as they reflected off the surface of the dark water.Alex stared up in mute awe. Despite everything he''d already seen today, his mouth fell agape.


    "Where am I?" he breathed.


    It was a supremely strange feeling. Cold stone pressed into his back from where he sat back in the Mirrorlands, and yet all his other senses told him he was standing in a lake. Alex knelt and touched the chilly water.


    He rubbed his fingers together. There was no doubt that it was wet. His mind was completely convinced that this place was real. As far as he could tell, it was. He was just simultaneously existing in a spot in his own mind as well as the Mirrorlands.


    Given everything that had happened today, it really wasn''t that much of a stretch.


    "I''m meant to condense this swirly blue stuff somehow?" Alex asked himself, looking up at the churning orb of cyan energy. A faint pressure roiled off it like a gentle sea breeze. He reached up and brushed a hand through the wispy smoke.


    A cool chill ran down his arm. It carried a sharp spike of energy along with it, like the world''s strongest shot of coffee. He drew in a breath and pulled his hand back, flexing his fingers and shaking his hand off.


    Alex hesitated for a second, then stuck his hand back into the energy. He scooped a small portion of it free and it pooled in his palm. Electrifying lines coursed down his arm and into his body.


    He pressed the pool of mist between his palms, trying to squeeze it down. It squelched out and swirled up into the air.


    "Okay. Maybe it isn''t that simple," Alex muttered as the wisps of blue light rose back to rejoin the teeming mass of power above the basin.


    "What an astute observation."


    Unfamiliar words rang through Alex''s mind and he spun toward their source. A dour-faced man wearing a tailored velvet suit stood across from him. He was as thin as a rake and his face was creased with the first lines of aging. His full head of sleek black hair had been combed back to reveal slightly pointed ears.


    Alex barely even registered all of those features. His gaze was instantly drawn to the man''s eyes ¡ª or rather, the lack of them. Two pitch black voids had taken their place, swallowing all the light that dared grow near the man''s face.


    "Who are you? What are you doing in my mind?" Alex demanded, taking a step back and searching for some kind of weapon.


    "Our very short relationship is going to go poorly if you''re always this pushy," the man said, adjusting the gloves on his hands before letting his arms drop back to his sides.


    "You need to have a relationship in the first place for it to go poorly," Alex said, watching the man through narrowed eyes. "And I think it''s pretty fair to ask why someone''s strolling around in my head. Did the System put you here?"


    The man''s lips pursed in distaste and he ignored Alex''s question completely. "Your complete lack of a Mind Palace and stark incompetence would imply that you are either the most useless creature to be graced by the System or were only recently inducted into its loving embrace."


    Something about the way the man spoke told Alex that, despite his words, he didn''t care for the System in the slightest.


    "The latter," Alex said. "What are you? The Class Guide I didn''t get?"


    "You seem to misunderstand," the man said. "I will not be answering random questions."


    "Then get out of my head."


    "No."


    They stared at each other.


    "Why¡ª"


    "I am not here to answer random questions," the man repeated. He snapped his fingers, then nodded to the swirling ball of blue illuminating them both. "I am here to aid you in dealing with this. Nothing more. Nothing less. I will not interfere in your life. I will not answer your questions, nor will I hinder or aid you in any way, shape, or form. We will complete this task and then I will leave. That is all."


    Alex reached for the sensation of the stone pressed against his back and focused on it. The world around him shuddered, then collapsed in on itself as his eyes snapped back open.


    Claire blinked in surprise. "You''re back early. Really early."


    "There was a creepy guy in my head," Alex said. "Why the hell is there someone in there? Is it normal?"


    "Oh, your guide?" Claire asked. "I have no bleeding clue what they are, but mine never led me astray. Didn''t lead me much of anywhere if I''m being completely honest. Just demonstrated how to do a few basic things and then vanished. The System told me their memories would shatter, so you don''t have to worry about revealing anything to them. Everything you say will disappear when they do. Mine wasn''t creepy, though. That''s on you."


    "Ah. Thanks," Alex said.


    He closed his eyes and sank back into his mind once more. The dour faced man was still standing by the basin where he''d been before, a scowl on his features.


    "I''ll thank you not to drag this on any more than it needs to be," the man said.


    "If anyone just sits around and listens to what random people popping up in their head tell them to do, they''re an idiot," Alex said. "I was just checking to see what you were on about. So what is it that you are here to do?"


    The man''s lip curled up in what might have been a smile. He splayed his fingers out before him. "First, you must properly refine the energy you have into the basin of your Mind Palace. Then¡ª" Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That''s the second time you''ve said Mind Palace," Alex said. "What is that?"


    A flicker of emotion passed over the man''s face. It might have been surprised, or it might have been annoyance. It was impossible to tell which. "Disregard that. Simply condense your energy."


    "How?"


    "If you cannot follow the instructions left by the System, then you are completely hopeless. Figure it out so I can be done with this."


    Be done with this? He''s stuck here? Is it some kind of weird punishment by the System? And is it for him or me?


    "I''d be thrilled to. Unfortunately, I haven''t gotten shit for instructions." Alex matched the man''s glare. "I''d gratefully accept any suggestions you have, though. I want you in my head even less than you want to be here. I can assure you of that."


    The man''s head tilted to the side. "You did not receive instructions?"


    "The only thing I''ve gotten is you, and I''m hoping the System has a good refund policy. We''re going to be here a really long time if you aren''t answering questions."


    "Your state of mind is what compresses the energy," the man said after a long pause. "Use your breathing to control your consciousness. You are not enlightened enough to do it with mere intent alone. Will the energy together and into the basin."


    I guess the meditation bit was more literal than I initially thought.


    Alex inclined his head in appreciation and sat down. It was a bit odd to be sitting in the exact same way in two different places, but his mind quickly forgot about it as he directed his attention to his breathing.


    The empty-eyed man didn''t say a word as Alex sank into his second layer of meditation. He focused on the rise and fall of his chest. And, as time started to slip by, he became increasingly aware of the tingling energy floating in the air above him.


    It was surprisingly easy for him to will the energy to move. It transformed into a streamer and swirled through his mind at his command before returning to its original spot.


    "Don''t play with it. Form it," the dour-faced man said.


    Alex''s eye twitched and he nearly lost his sense of peace. Fortunately, meditation seemed far easier than it ever had before the System had arrived. It wasn''t like he had all that much experience doing it back in school.


    I bet it helps a lot that I''m literally already in my mind. A lot of meditation is supposed to be connecting the mind and body. That bit''s done.


    He increased his attention on the mist, trying to wrap it up with his mind. He felt it tremble and start to condense, but large swathes of mist swirled out from his mental hands and curled into the air.


    Alex focused on the bits of smoke that he had gathered and didn''t waste any attention on the bits that swirled back to rejoin the sphere. His lips pressed thin as he pushed the energy in on itself like he was wringing the life out of a lemon.


    A single droplet of brilliant blue energy dropped from the sky and splashed into the bottom of the basin. A shiver of energy raced through Alex and he drew in a sharp breath. His eyes snapped open.


    He rose to his feet. The droplet rested in the basin, just like he knew it would have ¡ª and yet, his eyes had been closed.


    How did I see anything?


    "You are inside your own mind," the man said dryly. "Anything that happens in this space is known to you, should you have the awareness to perceive it."


    "Don''t tell me you can read my mind."


    "Only what you physically show me." The guide gestured to the empty black lake around them. "Which is nothing. Now complete your task so that I may finish mine."


    Alex looked up at the ball of energy. He''d barely put a dent into it. A grimace crossed his lips and he sat back down, refocusing himself.


    This is going to take a while.


    ***


    Alex didn''t actually know how much time had passed when he finally squeezed the last droplet of energy into his basin. He''d lost count of the droplets as well, but when he rose to check on what his labors had reaped him, he found that the basin had barely been filled. The amount of energy within it felt pitiful at best.


    "Okay. I did it."


    "So you did," the eyeless man said. "Now use it."


    "I''d be thrilled to if I actually knew how," Alex said, a note of exasperation entering his tone. "Trust me, I don''t want to be wasting time here. I''m sitting around surrounded by a bunch of creepy monsters waiting to rip my throat out. I need power."


    "Your attempt to wring information from me that the System did not give you is clever, but I was not born yesterday," the man said with a sigh. "I will not humor you any further. I will grant no inspiration."


    "What, you think I''m lying? Why would I lie?" Alex asked, throwing his hands up. "Just tell me exactly what the System told you, then. That wouldn''t give me any inspiration or whatever. I just want to get the shit that everyone else got."


    The man''s eyes narrowed. "You are committed to this. Did you truly not get guidance from the System?"


    "Be honest with yourself. Does it look like I''m enjoying this? I want to get to the fun bit, and you''re in the way."


    To his surprise, a smirk passed over the man''s face. "That is quite apparent. Very well. Perhaps you are an apt liar, but you have my curiosity. I will retract my words and oblige this request. Drink from the well and let the energy in your mind merge with your body. You are Novice 1, so you have yet to reveal all of your Auxiliary Skills yet. You have two more."


    "Which I get at 2 and 3."


    "I am in the presence of an untold genius."


    Alex bit back a snarky remark. "So I only ever get three Auxiliary Skills?"


    "And a human only ever gets 5 senses." The man tilted his head from side to side. "It would be apt to say you get three pathways, and each one is endlessly versatile. Can a sword do nothing but cut? There are an endless number of movements and blade techniques that can be learned and mastered. Your abilities are no different. The initial Auxiliary Skills are nothing but a single step onto a path. A hint at the power that lies beyond. I would advise you to look to the future when choosing and envision what may be, not what is. Their potential is limitless, but only if you can advance far enough to grasp it."


    "What about my Soul Manifestation?" Alex pressed his luck with just one more question.


    The worst that could happen was that he would be told to get lost. It didn''t seem like he could leave, after all. A flicker of irritation passed over the eyeless man''s features, but he blew out a sigh.


    "It is the core of both you and your class. Your Soul Manifestation advances every full Stage you complete, though its true strength depends on your Mind Palace. If you make it to the Third stage, your Manifestation will evolve into a domain. And before you ask ¡ª the first six stages are Novice, Initiate, Adept, Expert, Master and Grandmaster. You can figure the upper ranks out if you make it that far. Now¡ª"


    "Wait. Just one more. Please."


    The man''s empty eye sockets bored into Alex. His lips pressed thin, but his head inclined slightly. "Ask."


    I lied. I''ve got a whole lot more than just one more. My Soul Manifestation depends on both my Stage and my Mind Palace? What does that mean? And how does it work? I want to know so much ¡ª but I''m running this guy''s patience thin. I need to prioritize.


    "What''s the point of all of this? The System. What does it want? Why is it doing this?"


    The man''s mouth curled up into a smile. "That is a very good question. Not many enjoy the answer."


    "You know it, then?"


    "I know a portion of it. There are few who can claim to truly understand the System. It seeks to grow, and to grow those within its reach. The System expands endlessly throughout the universes and changes all in its wake. I have heard it called a virus and a blessing alike. It is a subject of great debate as to what its ultimate purpose is. Many have come to simply view it as a natural law."


    "Is that how you view it?"


    His lips pulled apart even further. Whether it was a smile or a sneer was entirely up to interpretation. "You are inquisitive. That will serve you well. The System encourages the ambitious. I will not be answering that question. If you seek to discover the System''s purpose, then seek it yourself. Now, I believe you were doing something."


    Alex had more questions than he could possibly fit into an hour, much less a few minutes, but he pushed them to the side. He''d already gotten some useful information and it was abundantly clear that pressing the man further would take him nowhere. Alex walked up to the basin and lowered his head into it, drinking the blue liquid within.


    It flowed into his mouth, seemingly of its own volition. Icy chills raced through Alex''s chest and extended their tendrils throughout the rest of his body. Violent prickles bit at his insides and he took a step back from the basin, his entire body buzzing.


    He doubled over, heaving, as the liquid pushed its way out of his mouth and back into the basin. It crackled as it splashed against the sides of the stone. But, this time, instead of remaining pooled within it, the blue energy sank into the stone.


    The cracks sealed and knitted themselves shut as the stone itself lightened. Years of age washed away until the old basin looked new. It was still plain, but it looked refreshed and whole.


    "What was that about?" Alex demanded, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.


    "A hammer in the hands of a monkey is nothing but a stick," the man replied. "If you wish to grow strong, you must act with understanding. Intent is just as important as power."


    Alex looked back down to the basin. A small amount of the blue energy still twinkled in its base, but far less than there had been before. The man was clearly waiting for him to say something.


    And, more importantly, there was an unspoken challenge in his words. The man was telling Alex to try and figure out what the point of drinking the liquid was. Alex chewed his lower lip and drummed his fingers on the edge of the basin.


    "Is it about the way I think of the magic? This is all kind of meditation, so was it some form of body-soul connection you were trying to make me think of?"


    A flicker of surprise passed over the man''s features. "That¡­ is not an inept guess. It is far from the whole, but you are correct. You and your class are one and the same. Your soul is an extension of you. When you look around your soul, what do you see?"


    "A lake and a basin."


    The irritation on the eyeless man''s face told Alex that he hadn''t gotten the right answer this time around.


    "Think," the man ordered. "I have given you all the information you need. Use it. If you cannot, then dip your hand into the water that remains in your basin and will yourself to advance."


    If the man had been trying to make sure Alex refused to so much as budge a step from where he stood, he''d succeeded. There was already a hint in his last answer. He''d said something accidentally.


    He mentioned a Mind Palace. What is that, though?


    Alex cast his gaze around his soul. It really was empty. The only thing in it was the basin that was before him. Confusion knit his brows and he dug deeper. It wasn''t like there were a lot of options. This had to have something to do with the basin.


    He''d drank the liquid and the basin had repaired itself and grown¡­ more whole, for lack of a better word. It was stronger and more resilient. Alex''s eyes narrowed.


    Is the basin literally the palace? Or part of it? If I filled it up before it was whole, the magic water stuff probably would have started leaking through the cracks. By drinking it, I guess I patched the damage.


    "Is it the Mind Palace that I''m missing?" Alex tried. "I need to build it so I can contain the energy¡­ or something like that."


    "If nothing else, you have proven the System indeed did not tell you anything," the eyeless man said. "That was the first piece of information it should have told you, and I refuse to believe a lesser being would be able to lie this well. You are mostly correct. A Mind Palace is the foundation of your soul."


    "So drinking the water helped me visualize a connection between myself and my soul and also¡­ what, reinforced my soul a bit at the cost of my power?"


    "Very good." There was a note of genuine approval in the eyeless man''s eyes. "You are correct. Congratulations. You now know what every other sentient being in the System knows. It is my turn for a question."


    Alex blinked in surprise. "What is it?"


    "How is it that you came to have no knowledge of this? The System does not allow any free of its grasp."


    Claire did say that anything I tell this guy will vanish forever when he fulfills his purpose. Getting more information out of him is worth the risk.


    "I fell between the cracks in the world and landed in a place called the Mirrorlands before the System Initialization completed in my world," Alex said. "You don''t happen know how to get out of here, do you?"


    The eyeless man let out a burst of laughter. "Truly? You begain Intialization on your homeworld and finished it in the Mirrorlands? Now that is quite interesting. Perhaps you will become someone of worth. Perhaps not. Should we ever meet, call me by the name Meiderly. I will be curious to hear of what you have learned."


    "Didn''t we just meet?"


    "I meant my true form, not this mere fragment of energy. I do not know how long I laid dormant in the Mirrorlands, but I will return to my true self once you have finished here. No memory of our conversation will remain. I would suggest you keep record of my name and utilize it if the time comes. Should we meet unnanounced, I would be likely to kill you."


    Alex blinked. "What? Why?"


    "Because you are not the only Anomaly." Meiderly''s lips parted in a toothy smile. He lifted a hand and twisted it to the side, his fingers closing into his palm as he grasped the air. A mote of white light dropped from Meiderly''s palm and fell into the water at their feet. A ripple passed through the darkness before sinking into its depth and fading from view.


    "What was that?" Alex asked.


    "The price of my curiosity. A sliver of intent," Meiderly replied. "Seek entrance to the Empty Court. Should you grow near one of their passageways, my gift will help guide you for a short period of time. Do not let it go to waste."


    Alex opened his mouth to ask a question, but the eyeless man lifted a finger before it could form. "No more. I will give you a final gift of knowledge, one that the System does not distribute freely. Your Mind Palace is not merely a basin to hold power. It is you. Do not allow your Soul Manifestation to advance until you have grown your Mind Palace until you can push no farther. It is far more than what it appears. Now drink. My energy grows thin and I will speak no more."


    Alex squinted at the eyeless man, then lowered his hand into the thin pool of energy rippling at the bottom of the basin. Cold blades pierced into his fingertips and he stiffened in surprise. A spike of ice drove through his heart and the liquid drained away, flowing into his palm and vanishing.


    Gold letters traced through the darkness before Alex.


    Your Stage has advanced to Novice 2.


    Please select your second Auxiliary Skill from the following options.


    [Mirrormancy] ¡ª Gain limited control over the medium in which you bind your monsters. This ability can influence any materials with the properties of glass or mirrors.


    [Monster Medley] ¡ª Combine an existing monster with the energy gathered in your Spatial Mirrors. The results of this combination are variable and depend on the quality of the monster and energy as well as their synergy.


    [Shimmering Shadows] ¡ª Gain limited understanding illusion and the reflective properties of the Mirrorlands to the point where you can manifest images entirely from your will.

 Chapter 10: Evolution

    Goddamn. Those are some awesome skills. Controlling Mirrors? Combining my monsters with energy to make them stronger? The illusions ¡ª eh. Not sold on that, but the other two sound incredible.Alex swallowed. From what Meiderly had told him, he only got a total of three Auxiliary skills, and his choice would be with him for the rest of his life. This wasn''t just choosing a skill for now. It was picking something that would be shaping his future.


    Think about which one has the best scaling in the long term as well as the short term. All of these are relatively weak right now. The point is what they can become, not what they currently are. I wonder if I''ll get a chance to pick one of the two abilities I don''t take this time around.


    He looked over to Meiderly, but the eyeless man was gone. His soul was devoid of any presence aside from his own once more.


    Figures. Fine. I''ll just operate off the assumption that I''ll never see these again. No point getting too invested in something that isn''t already in my hands. I''ll just focus on the current choice.


    His options boiled down to being able to use glass and mirror magic, illusions, or upgrade his monsters. He drummed his fingers against his thigh as he pondered the skills. They were all pretty easy to grasp right now but extrapolating them far into the future was far from a simple task.


    I don''t know what my power limits are. If I can get as strong as the City-Eater Centipedes, much less the thing that was snacking on them, then what would Mirrormancy let me do? Control a sea of glass? Summon it, maybe? Probably both.


    The image of bringing down a literal tsunami of mirror shards on top of something was as appealing as it was gruesome. It was basically controlling an element¡­ just only glass and mirrors instead.


    Thank God nobody was around to hear that particular comparison. Definitely far from my finest work.


    He moved on to another option. Illusion was a little harder to conceptualize. Perhaps it would just let him make his illusions take physical form, or he could blanket massive areas with his power to the point where they were indistinguishable from reality.


    Illusion felt like one of the abilities that was impossible to properly judge unless he knew where the line in the sand got drawn. A child with illusion magic could just claim their illusions were completely impenetrable and anything they made turned into reality.


    That was no different from just pretending to be a god and hardly even classified as illusion anymore. There was no way the system would be letting him alter reality with illusions, but they had to get stronger somehow.


    Not something I''m willing to risk. I''ve always been shit at sleight of hand anyway. I remember trying to do a magic show for my folks when I was eight or nine. Dropped all the stupid cards and broke my nose when I tripped over my shoelace trying to catch them.


    It may have been sightly unfair to place that burden on the shoulders of a whole branch of magic, but Alex had already decided that he was going to live through the apocalypse in a way that befitted him.


    I don''t like it, so I''m not taking it. If it was better, then I''d like it. Simple as that, really.


    That left Monster Medley. It was pretty easy to tell where that path was leading. It would focus on upgrading and combining monsters that he found, much like a twisted version of Pok¨¦mon.


    The upper reaches of the skill weren''t hard to see either. He''d already seen the City-Eater Centipedes. If they existed, then he could control them once he got strong enough. Not just that ¡ª he''d be able to improve them as well. Any monster that he ran into became a potential building block as long as he managed to harvest its energy.


    This''ll also let me power Glint up right now. I''ve got some Energy sitting around in his card that I don''t know how to use. That''s clearly a core part of my class. Something tells me I''d be able to use that energy for something else, probably a skill I''ll get offered down the line if I don''t take this one.


    The more Alex thought about it, the more Monster Medley appealed to him. He''d chosen Evoker to be a summoner, and any upgrades he made to Glint would also indirectly make him stronger as well whenever the monster died.


    It was the ability that best fit with his class, not just in the future, but right now. He needed enough strength to get out of the Mirrorlands ¡ª if he didn''t, all the challenges in the world wouldn''t save him when there was literally nothing to drink and he just died of dehydration.


    He took a moment longer to turn his attention back to Mirrormancy, just to make absolutely sure he was making the right decision. It only took a few moments for him to determine that he had.


    There would be other ways for him to get control over mirrors, and that included literally just killing Glint to take the monster''s powers. He was already only a step away from throwing mirror shards around whenever Glint died.


    When the monster got stronger, his own powers would too. It wasn''t unrealistic for Glint to get some sort of mirror control skill himself.


    Actually, do monsters get skills? I have no idea. I suppose I''ll find out. They definitely get something. Either way, choosing Monster Medley gets me the most strength and potential in every stage.


    "I choose Monster Medley," Alex said.


    The other skill options flickered and vanished, and new words scrawled out.


    Alex Vaya [Human]


    Class: Evoker [Mirrorlands]


    Stage: Novice 2


    Title Fragments:


    [Mirrorlander]


    Active Titles:


    [Anomaly]


    [1/5]


    Soul Manifestation:


    [Spatial Mirrors] (Novice 1)


    Auxiliary Skills:


    [Requiem to the King] (Novice 1)


    [Monster Medley] (Novice 1)


    Alex blew out a breath and waved the floating words away. He felt a little odd. It was difficult to place exactly what it was, but his motions felt smoother and his body more defined. The change was subtle enough to be nearly unnoticeable but present enough to keep him from dismissing it as mere confusion.


    Now that I think about it, this makes sense. If the soul and the body are linked, then improving the soul would logically improve the body as well. But if that''s true¡­ the inverse applies as well. I guess it''s time to start working out more seriously. I''m just glad that my head feels the same as it did before.


    That was definitely for the best. Alex wasn''t sure how he felt about the skills he took actually changing how he saw the world or filling his mind with information about how they worked. If it had stuffed a bunch of knowledge into his head, it would have made him question how much of himself was actually him.


    That line of thought had fortunately been avoided. For better or for worse, he''d reached Novice 2 and had a new skill to show for it. There was only one last thing left to do. He didn''t know if he could summon his cards inside his soul, but ¡ª


    Glint''s card snapped into his hands like it had always been there. Alex nearly dropped it in surprise.


    "Well, I suppose that answers that question," he said with a chuckle. There were currently three different forms of energy stored within the card ¡ª two Low Grades and one Low-Mid Grade.


    "Now, how do I combine you with Glint?" Alex muttered to himself. He focused his attention on the new skill, trying to draw its powers out. In response, a tingling sensation erupted along the fingertips of his right hand and he felt them sink slightly into the card.


    He hurriedly swapped the mirror over to his left hand before his arm could sink into it completely. When nothing happened, he brushed his tingling fingers across its surface. Ripples passed through the card''s silver surface and the prickling sensation grew stronger.


    "Glint, can you come out in here?"


    Glass shattered and claws raked through the darkness beside Alex as Glint took form inside his mind. Alex gave his mute companion an impressed glance. He''d been a bit optimistic hoping the monster would be able to enter his literal soul, but evidently that was fair game.


    "Which one of these energy flames do you want?" Alex asked, turning the card toward Glint. "Is there one that suits you better?"


    Glint studied the mirror but made no move to do anything.


    "Is that too complex of a request?" A frown crossed Alex''s face. "Can you point out which one would work with you, regardless of desire?"


    Still, Glint was still. Alex blew out a huff and turned the mirror back to himself. It didn''t look like his monsters were going to be able to give him much help with his decisions. If that was the case, then all he could do was experiment.


    Alex pressed his fingertips into the mirror. It rippled, then gave way. His arm sank into what felt like a freezing cold pool. Alex focused his thoughts on the Low-Grade Novice belonging to the Shaded Hauntling and his hand wrapped around a mote of warm energy. He pulled it free, revealing a dark ball of fire as he unfurled his fingers.


    "Well, that worked."


    He held the mote of flame up before his face. Rather than warmth, it gave off a faint pressure.


    I wonder which aspect Glint will take on if I give him this. It''s not like you can boil a monster down to a single thing. Will he just consume the energy and get stronger?


    Alex studied the heatless fire, but he wasn''t getting any answers by looking at it. The only way to learn was to do. He crouched down before Glint and held the flame out.


    "Here. Merge with this," Alex said.


    Glint extended his clawed hands, taking the flame from Alex. He lifted it to his mouth and swallowed the fire whole. Alex''s fingers tingled, but the sensation soon passed. Glint stared at him expectantly.


    Not enough, huh?


    Alex took out the second Low-Grade Novice flame and fed it to Glint, achieving the same result as the first. His eyes narrowed and he pulled out the Low-Mid-Grade flame, nearly stumbling over the length of the thought, and extended his hand for the third time.


    Glint plucked it from his fingers and devoured it whole.


    This time, the tingling sensation running down Alex''s fingers intensified as something pulled at his chest. His stomach clenched and his breath caught in his throat as energy rushed out of his body, leaving behind a sudden wave of weariness. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It passed as quickly as it had come. He shook his head off and squinted through his disorientation. A dozen cracks rang out and Alex drew in a surprised breath. A tremor shook the shards of glass along Glint''s back. The Shardwalker hunched over with a hiss and ripples passed over his grey skin.


    Glint was changing.

 Chapter 11: Mountains

    The tips of the mirror shards jutting out of Glint''s body darkened. They jerked and twisted like worms were running beneath his flesh. The jagged glass that had been Glint''s claws sharpened and lengthened, turning to honed, crescent-shaped blades.His eyes brightened, the yellow within them intensifying as his jaw shifted to accommodate for the extra mirrored teeth pushing out from within his mouth. His arms and legs lengthened, his back hunched.


    Three grating screeches rang within his body, muted by layers of gaunt flesh, as blades of glass, curved like the fins of a shark, sliced free his back. His flesh sealed around them as the new permanent additions found their home on his increasingly intimidating body.


    All the noise finally faded away and left Glint standing before Alex expectantly.


    Glint - Shardwalker (Novice 2)


    "Well, look at you." A smile split Alex''s mouth. Glint was looking positively terrifying ¡ª and this wasn''t even a proper change yet. Monster Medley had strongly implied he''d actually be able to make concrete changes to Glint, not just make him stronger. He didn''t know what something like Glint would evolve into, but he was eager to find out. Alex just had to make sure he lived long enough to do so. "Caught up with me already? I hope you aren''t abandoning the whole mind-body bit that Meiderly just told us about. I don''t suppose you understand me more now?"


    Glint stared at him mutely.


    A second passed before Alex let out a sigh and shook his head. "Okay, fair enough. I can''t say I''m surprised. We''ll just have to see how you hold up in a fight. You can head back."


    Glint rippled, then transformed into a streamer of smoke that flew back into the card in Alex''s left hand. He released the card and it vanished, disappearing from his mind as if it had never been there.


    I wonder if the key to fully evolving Glint would be getting better soul flames to feed him. I''ll have to try again when I''ve got something more worthwhile to feed him.


    Alex cast his gaze around his soul once more. Aside from the faint basin in its center, there was nothing. A small frown flickered across his face as his eyes caught on something that he''d missed before.


    Carved into the top of the basin were designs, so faint that he could barely make them out. Alex approached it and ran his fingers over them in an attempt to see if he could make them out.


    From what he could tell, it was just three circles. A large one, with two slightly smaller ones just below it. Further studies revealed nothing.


    I don''t want to just start randomly reaching for things, but I''d imagine they represent something in my soul. Doesn''t take a huge stretch to guess that might be my Soul Manifestation and the two Auxiliary Skills I''ve got. Not sure what that means yet, but I imagine I''ll find out as I get stronger.


    Meiderly put a lot of emphasis on making my Mind Palace stronger. It sounded like the System might not have let on about its importance to everyone else. I should keep that knowledge to myself for now until I learn a little more about what the System told everyone else.


    Alex let himself slip out of his meditation. He wasn''t sure how long he''d been in it and didn''t want to waste any more time than he had to. Sensation trickled back as his attention returned to the real world.


    Claire sat beside him, her eyes fluttering in attempt to keep herself awake. Her face was pale and she started slightly as Alex moved.


    "Oh, huh. You did it," Claire said in a strained tone. "I forgot how long the first level takes. Did everything turn out okay?"


    "Pretty well, yeah. How long has it been?" Alex asked.


    "Five hours, maybe?" Claire''s shoulder twitched in what might have been meant to be a shrug. "Kind of lost count. Not that long."


    She did her best to keep the exhaustion from showing in her voice and tone, but her best wasn''t nearly enough. Her words had started to slur and it looked like a light breeze would be enough to knock her over.


    "Do you want to try eating? I''ve got no idea if it''ll work, but it''ll be a lot easier than having to sling you over my shoulder and carry you out of here," Alex said.


    The smallest corner of her mouth quirked up for an instant. "You mean you wouldn''t just ditch me back here?"


    Of course not. Imagine the challenge reward I''d get if I lugged an unconscious person out of the Mirrorlands. Then again, we''d probably both just end up dead.


    Claire shifted to lean against the wall and dragged herself over to Alex, who scooted closer to save what little remained of her energy.


    "How does this work?" Alex asked. "And if you can drink my blood, make sure you leave enough for me to operate normally. I''m not letting you turn me into a shriveled husk."


    "Noted," Claire said wearily. She took his arm and turned it over, bringing his wrist up to her lips. An involuntary shiver ran down Alex''s spine as her mouth opened to reveal the rest of her fangs.


    There was something deeply ingrained into his mind that screamed in protest against letting anything with long fangs get anywhere near him. Before he could get any second thoughts, Claire bit down on his wrist.


    It felt like getting two shots at once, and not small ones. Alex suppressed a pained hiss. He hadn''t consumed all that much vampire media before the apocalypse, but the things he had seen had all implied getting bitten would feel good or pleasurable.


    That most certainly wasn''t the case. Claire''s wet lips pressed against his skin and she swallowed greedily as his blood ran into her mouth.


    If I ever get blood drawn again, I''m giving whoever does it a written apology about all the complaints I used to give my mom about getting bloodwork done. That was a thousand times better than this.


    Just as Alex was preparing to pull his hand back out of fear that Claire had no plans of stopping, her fangs slipped out of his arm. She pressed her hand over the wound as she lifted her head and ran her tongue along her lips, swallowing once more before letting out a relieved sigh.


    "Bleeding hell," Claire said through a poorly repressed groan. "That was incredible. Thank you."


    Alex glanced down at his hand. He could still feel the two puncture wounds throbbing. They weren''t really all that big, but they were still there.


    "That''s not going to close or something, is it?"


    "I mean¡­ it will eventually?" Claire offered, giving him a weak grin. "I can''t heal you if that''s what you''re asking."


    "Everything I read about vampires said that was supposed to feel good," Alex grumbled. "And usually you''ve got some kind of magical stuff in your fangs that makes the wound seal up after."


    Claire scrunched her nose. "I''m going to forgive that because you probably just saved my life, but I''m serious about not being a vampire. I''m a Dhampir. Very different. And you were getting bit. What did you expect? Sunshine and rainbows?"


    "Point taken," Alex said. Claire released his hand and pulled her bandages out, wrapping the bite for him.


    "I wonder¡­" Claire muttered as she worked. "You''re human, right?"


    "I certainly hope so."


    "Your blood has a lot of energy. It didn''t taste great ¡ª no offense ¡ª but it was actually pretty good. More than what I''ve ever felt in a human. I wonder if it''s because you aren''t from my world? Maybe you don''t count as human." Claire finished wrapping his arm. "And if it helps, you won''t get infected. My saliva is poisonous. Nothing that''ll affect a human, but it kills any germs that try to live in my mouth." Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Lovely," Alex said. He pushed himself to his feet and a small wave of dizziness passed over him. It passed quickly and he shook his head. "Bleh. Never liked the feeling of losing blood."


    "Sorry," Claire said sheepishly. "I won''t need to feed again for a few days. You must have really had a lot of energy left over after you ranked up. Everything went well, right?"


    Alex''s brow furrowed. Unless he''d somehow missed it, reaching Novice 2 had drained every single scrap of energy that he had. There was no blue mist or water left anywhere in his soul.


    "Yeah. It went well. I got my second Auxiliary Skill. Just one more and I can start upgrading them."


    "I''m looking forward to that bit myself," Claire muttered. "I just don''t have enough energy to make it yet. Oh ¡ª I don''t think I ever told you what I could actually do. Should probably do that properly before we run into our next spook. It''s not all that useful down here, but my Soul Manifestation is Siphon. It lets me drain power from a monster and strengthen myself in the process."


    "What about your Auxiliaries?"


    "Two of them are self-buffs. The first lets me take on minor traits from monsters I drain while the second just lets me evolve my own body temporarily when I drink enough blood," Claire replied. "The third one is a blood manipulation skill. It doesn''t do much now, and it doesn''t work when the blood is still inside someone''s body. I already tried."


    Alex nodded. "And you''ve seen just about everything I can do myself."


    "Didn''t you just get a new skill?"


    In response, Alex pulled Glint''s card from his deck. Sensing his mental call, Glint''s claws carved through the air and he stepped into the cave. The mirrors on his back rippling slightly as he shook himself off and waited for a command.


    "Bleed me. He got even creepier," Claire said. "You took something that makes him stronger?"


    "A skill that lets me combine him with the energy that dead monsters leave behind," Alex said with a nod. There was no reason not to share information ¡ª the more they knew about what the other could do, the more they''d be able to rely on each other in a fight. "Anything else? You don''t know about Titles or the like, do you?"


    "Unfortunately not. I don''t have any. Do you?"


    That''s interesting. She didn''t get the Anomaly Title, then. So the only people who get it are the ones that actually get a class inside the Mirrorlands.


    Given what I could see of Claire, the only thing she can see about me is my name and that I''m a human. That means she has no way to tell if I''ve got titles or not.


    He wasn''t keen on straight out lying, but he wasn''t so sure he wanted to give any information that wasn''t related to fighting out either. Not yet. He hadn''t known Claire for that long. The best way to handle it was to give some of the truth, but not all. "I got one for being stupid enough to fall into the Mirrorlands less than a day into the apocalypse. It isn''t really doing anything, though."


    Claire let out a snort. "At least you got something out of it. Well, we''ve got some more time to find a way out of here now."


    "Not really," Alex said with a shake of his head. "You might be good, but I''m not. There''s no water here that you saw, right?"


    "None. Nothing that looks potable, at least."


    "Then I''ve got two more days and a bit, max. Humans don''t live for longer than that without being able to drink water, and blood isn''t going to do it for me."


    "Oh, shit. That slipped right past my mind," Claire said, her eyes widening slightly. "Is there anything else you can drink? I don''t know human physiology very well."


    I don''t care how bad things get. I am not about to pull a Bear Grylls.


    "Lots of things, but nothing I suspect you''ve got on or in you ¡ª or at least nothing that I''m willing to try drinking," Alex said dryly. "As long as we make it out, it doesn''t matter. If you think about it, I''m actually lucky."


    "Seriously? How?"


    "When we make it out of here, my reward is going to be better than yours because the challenge was harder."


    Claire stared at him. Then she shook her head. "Yeah. You''re off your rocker¡­ but you won''t see me complaining. I''m in good shape again thanks to you, so if we''ve only got two days, we don''t have time to waste standing around."


    "Agreed." Alex directed his gaze out of the house they''d sheltered in and out over to the mountain beyond the forest of face-barked trees. The storm of crackling purple energy churned on at its peak, uncaring.


    That''s a fair bit to get through in just two days. Some challenge, huh?


    A grin pulled across Alex''s lips. He''d be damned if he died of something as lame as dehydration in the midst of an apocalypse. The System wasn''t going to get rid of him that easily.


    "Let''s get to it. We have a mountain to climb."

 Chapter 12: Interesting

    Before Alex and Claire could think about scaling the mountain, they had to actually get to it. Between them and their best guess at freedom was a forest of trees stuffed chock-full of human faces.The two of them peered out of the doorway of their temporary shelter and studied the pathways of roots spanning the chasm over to the forest. Luckily, there didn''t seem to be any monsters in the immediate area.


    "How are you with balance?" Claire asked. "Those roots are big, but they aren''t huge."


    "The less you talk about it, the less I think I''ll worry about it," Alex replied. "Some things are best done without thinking. This is one of them. It''s not like we don''t walk in straight lines all the time. It''s just that now we''re going tohave to."


    "The roots aren''t straight."


    "My point remains the same," Alex grumbled. "I say we just sprint. Sneaking isn''t going to do us any good when we''re in the middle of the open, and the sooner we can get across the better."


    Claire nodded. "Yeah. I''m with that. Just be ready for there to be a whole bunch of ugly little shits waiting around on the far side. That forest is way too creepy to be empty."


    "Who knows. Maybe they''ll be just as creeped out as we are," Alex said with a smirk. "Come on. The coast is clear right now."


    They stepped out of the house and took a second to scan the sky to confirm it was clear before making for the chasm. Adrenaline started to pump through Alex''s veins. At this point, he was surprised his body had any left to make.


    "You realize there''s a good chance the forest is alive and will try to kill us, right?" Claire asked.


    "There are faces in the trees. If it doesn''t, I''m going to be disappointed. That means we just have to be faster than the forest. We can see the whole base of the mountain, and the forest surrounds the entire thing. There''s no other way up there. If I''m going to die, I''m going to do it doing something, not just sitting around. Besides, maybe we''ll get lucky and the faces will just be decorative."


    Neither of them believed that, but there was nothing to be done. They couldn''t just stick around and wait until Alex died of dehydration. With him gone, it wasn''t like Claire would last much longer on her own.


    Alex broke into a jog, then a sprint. Glint ran in front of him. Alex wasn''t so sure running across the wood would actually be safer than walking it, but the less time he spent suspended with nowhere to dodge, the better.


    His foot landed on the trunk of the tree and he was off. Fortunately, it had good purchase and the branch was still as wide as two people laying side by side. There was enough room for him to run relatively normally ¡ª and that was what he did.


    If the trees really were aware, he needed to get to land before they started moving their roots around.


    I just hope it doesn''t wake the whole forest up. If it does, we''re going to be sprinting for quite ¡ª


    The roots shuddered. Alex''s footing slipped.


    "Glint! Arm!"


    The monster spun, digging one claw into the wood to increase the speed of his turn as he stuck his hand out to ward Alex. He grabbed onto the monster''s grey flesh and Glint yanked him up, tossing him onto the branch.


    It continued to tremble beneath Alex, but he didn''t wait around to see what else would happen. He lurched to his feet and scrambled the rest of the way across the gap before diving onto the ground.


    Claire was just a few steps behind him and Glint. She pulled him to his feet, panic in her eyes as loud creaks echoed out from the forest around them.


    "The trees!" Claire hissed. "They''re¡ª"


    Alex grabbed her by the arm and took off. "Stop wasting time talking and run! Are you really surprised? We already covered this!"


    She didn''t bother wasting words on a response. Their feet slammed into the packed dirt as the trees cracked and groaned. The faces in the bark worked and blinked, low moans picking up like howling wind.


    Roots twisted through the ground in their path and rose up before them. Alex ducked and weaved past them, not letting himself slow for long enough to take a proper look at what the forest had to offer.


    The faces went from moans to howls, and it quickly became quite apparent why there weren''t any other monsters there. They''d been correct. The forest was the monster. There wasn''t even any form of identification to reveal what kind of monster it was, but Alex didn''t care.


    A root whistled past his head and he dropped to the ground, skidding a foot on his knees before launching back to his feet and breaking back into a sprint.


    "Cut anything in front of us!" Alex yelled. Glint accelerated, bounding past Alex despite his shorter legs, and tore into a root as it lifted to bind the monster''s legs.


    Unfortunately, the small monster wasn''t anywhere near enough to actually take on the entire forest on his own. There were hundreds of trees in their path, and every single one of them seemed to have woken up at the same time.


    Roots reached for Alex and Claire from every direction. Their only saving grace was that their enemies, no matter how numerous, were still trees. The roots moved slowly and the trees weren''t close enough to each other to completely wall off his path.


    With Glint tearing up the path before them, it was manageable. Alex bounded over an extending root and twisted out of the way of a brittle, leafless branch that reached for his neck. His breath came out in short bursts as he pressed himself, moving as fast as his body would allow him to.


    Trees whipped by. Blood pumped, more adrenaline than oxygen, and the edge of the forest drew closer with every step. Alex pushed himself even harder, unable to keep a grin from starting to form on his lips.


    There was no doubt in his mind that if even a single tree managed to trip him up, he was dead. The roots would have him bound completely in seconds. But, despite that, racing through the forest was fun.


    Alex let out an involuntary cackle. He dove forward, clearing a branch and hitting the ground in a roll. Roots rose in his path and he launched himself forward in a slide. He slipped just beneath them and Glint carved the path ahead open as he leapt back to his feet.


    Claire''s footsteps marked her presence behind Alex as he broke back into a run. The edge of the forest drew closer and closer ¡ª and then he was upon it. The trees gave one last desperate attempt to hold him back, but Glint carved a path through them.


    He launched himself through the thin hole and landed on the other side of the forest, rolling across barren dirt and scrambling until he was at the base of the mountain. Alex turned back as Claire skidded to a stop beside him. The forest continued to creak and in moan in fury ¡ª but the trees didn''t seem like they could actually rip themselves free of the ground. They slowly fell silent and the forest returned to its former state.


    "Goddamn," Alex breathed, as flopping back on the dirt and pressing a hand to his hammering chest. "What a rush."


    Claire dropped down beside him with a disbelieving huff. "That''s not the word I''d use, but it sure did get my heart beating."


    A grin pulled across Alex''s face. "I almost want to do that again."


    "You''re insane," Claire said, but she couldn''t keep a small laugh from slipping out from her lips.


    Alex took a moment to catch his breath before he rolled over and pushed himself to his feet. Glint stood beside them, waiting mutely for more orders.


    I wonder if I could have him just go kill some of those trees. Would that count as challenge? There are a whole lot of them¡­ but given how they were acting, would killing a single tree even count? It seemed more like a hive mind.


    If that''s the case, I''d probably have to kill all of them to get the reward. No point getting Glint killed here and wasting a ton of time waiting for him to come back when there''s more than enough challenge still waiting for us. I''ll eat my socks if this mountain is any less riddled with monsters than the rest of the Mirrorlands.


    Alex brushed the dirt off his clothes and blew out a breath to steady himself as he squinted up at the mountain before them. The storm crackled in the distance. They were fortunate that the mountain wasn''t restrictively steep, but it still looked like it would be at least a day of climbing before they reached the top.


    "Well, might as well get going," Alex said, adjusting his ruffled shirt and blowing out a breath. "That mountain isn''t going to climb itself."


    "Why do I get the feeling you''re somehow already bored?" Claire asked.


    "I haven''t the faintest idea." Alex grinned. "You aren''t telling me you want to sit around here longer, are you?"


    Claire started to shake her head, but they both froze as a loud crack split the air. Alex spun back to the forest as a branchy hand wrapped around a trunk and pushed, causing the wood to creak and groan until it let out a crunch and ripped in two.


    A crouched, wooden humanoid stepped out from the forest. It straightened, gnarled body unfurling to easily eight or nine feet tall. It had long, spindly fingers and jagged growths protruding from all over its chest. The monster had no eyes and its mouth was nothing but a rough hole in the center of its face full of jagged spines.


    Ent Harvester (Novice 4)


    A low moan escaped the monster''s mouth hole and it started stumbling in their direction. Claire let out a curse and lowered into a fighting stance. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I knew that was too easy. Shit. Get ready."


    "Hold on," Alex said, squinting at the monster as it lumbered closer. It was a relatively high level, but it wasn''t all that fast ¡ª which was made apparent by the fact that it had only shown up after they''d gotten out of the forest.


    "What? Do you want to run?"


    "Run? Hell no." Alex kept his eyes on the monster. "Glint, get closer to that thing, but focus avoiding getting hit."


    Glint scampered to follow his commands. As soon as the Shardwalker grew near the Ent, the tall monster swung a spindly arm. Glint hopped back, easily avoiding the strike. The wooden fingers raked through the ground and cut through it like butter.


    "It''s pretty slow, isn''t it?" Alex observed.


    "Yeah. It does look like Glint is perfectly matched against a monster like this. Just have him finish it off. It''ll be easy energy for you."


    "That would be a waste, wouldn''t it? Back on my world, the apocalypse only just started ¡ª that means that every scrap of energy now is way more valuable than normal. Getting ahead early means you can stay ahead."


    "We''re not on your world," Claire pointed out.


    "No, but I plan to get back. I''m not going to plan for failure. That does nothing. I''m going for success, and this is a way to get some extra energy. If we''re faster than it is, then we have a huge advantage as long as we don''t get hit. That means we can try something."


    "Try what?" Claire''s eyes narrowed in suspicion.


    A grin stretched across Alex''s lips. "Making the fight a little more interesting."

 Chapter 13: Harder, Faster, Stronger

    "If you even try to suggest stabbing yourself, I''m leaving you right bleeding here," Claire said flatly."I''m not completely insane," Alex said. The Ent swung at Glint again, but the Shardwalker dodged out of the way once more. "But don''t you think we''d get a better reward if we won this with some sort of handicap? I''m not going to do this forever, but while the apocalypse is still fresh¡­"


    "Yeah, yeah. Extra energy can make a huge difference when everyone still only has scraps to work with. I know," Claire admitted. "But what kind of hairbrained idiot makes a fight harder for themselves, though? You do realize that your life is the thing you''re betting here, right?"


    "We''re in an apocalypse. It''s getting bet anyway," Alex replied, his gaze focused on the Ent Harvester. "Might as well up the ante. It''s not like I can lose anything more, so why not make the rewards better? Even if this fight isn''t necessarily the biggest threat, not getting all the power we can could lead to us finding something too strong to defeat in the future. It''s about more than the present."


    Glint avoided another series of strikes from the Ent, keeping just out of range. Claire blew out a breath. "Well, shit. I can''t believe you''re making me admit this, but you''ve got a point. A stupid one. I don''t think we should both do it, though. We need a way to make sure we can actually win this fight if things go wrong."


    Alex looked to the sky. There weren''t any City-Eaters in the area. As far as he could tell, aside from the Ent, the base of the mountain was actually rather empty of monsters. There was one thing he could do that immediately came to mind.


    "Do you think you could kill that if you had to?" Alex asked.


    "With how fast it is? Probably. It wouldn''t be easy. Why?"


    Alex steadied his nerves and flexed his fingers. His heart started to thump in anticipation of the upcoming fight. "I''ve got an idea. I''ll probably need you to back me up, though. I might not be able to handle this on my own."


    "Right. Whenever you''re ready," Claire said, drawing her sword and lowering into a fighting stance. "And for the record, if this gets us killed, I''m haunting you."


    "Glint, stand still."


    The Shardwalker froze in place. An instant later, the Ent''s claws carved straight through Glint. Claire let out a series of curses as Glint disintegrated, blowing away into energy that swirled into Alex.


    "You got him killed on purpose?" Claire asked in disbelief. "That''s a bit more than a tiny handicap, don''t you think?"


    "It''s slow," Alex replied. He raised a hand and a spike of glass jutted out of his palm, glistening in the dull purple light that permeated the Mirrorlands. "Now get ready. I''ll try to avoid its first attack. If we sandwich it, we''ll have the best chance of taking it down. Two versus 1 is worse odds than 3 versus 1, so we should get better rewards for this."


    The Ent lumbered in their direction. It let out a creaking groan as it drew closer. Claire shifted to the side and Alex took a step forward, drawing the monster''s attention to himself.


    It barely even acknowledged Claire as she looped around behind it. The monster''s attention was fully focused on Alex. He grinned and waved to it.


    "Come on, then. Let''s¡ª"


    The Ent swung. Alex flung himself back, hitting the ground in a roll and springing back to his feet as a wave of adrenaline slammed into him. It was a whole lot easier to watch something else dodge the monster''s attack than doing it himself.


    More groans escaped the Ent''s mouth as it lurched toward him, swinging again. Alex jumped back, making sure to leave enough space to keep out of the way of the monster''s gangly arms.


    Claire dashed at it from behind and brought her sword down on its back, carving through the wood with crunch. She leapt away as the Ent howled and spun in her direction. Alex took the opportunity to dart forward and drive his palm into its back, extending a mirror shard from his palm in the process.


    The blade pierced deep into the monster and he snapped it off, already flinging himself away. No matter how slow the Ent Harvester was, its arms were still incredibly long. He wasn''t a moment too soon. Thin fingers tore up the ground behind Alex, just barely missing his back.


    He and Claire wove in and out, effectively nipping at the towering monster. None of their attacks were all that effective with the short amount of time they had to execute them, but striking it over and over again in the same area was having an effect remarkably reminiscent of chopping down a tree. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Ent''s body creaked dangerously with every step it took. It didn''t seem even slightly concerned with its own health. It just kept swinging away, desperately trying to catch one of them off guard.


    Alex''s mirror blade carved across the Ent''s already damaged side. It dug deep through the wood. Even as the Ent turned toward him, Claire thrust her blade into its other side. Alex worked his blade even deeper, wedging it into the Ent as hard as he could.


    A loud snap split the air. The upper half of the Ent''s body pitched back. Alex and Claire scrambled away as the huge piece of living lumber hit the ground with a resounding crash. For a brief second, the only sound was the sound of their labored breathing.


    Cold energy drove into Alex''s chest like a spike. He inhaled sharply as he felt power course through his body and gather in his soul. A wisp of smoldering brown fire rose up from the dead Ent''s body and a grin stretched across his lips.


    "See?" he asked, wiping his face with the back of a sleeve. "Tell me that wasn''t a lot of energy. There''s no way we would have gotten that much if we''d just had Glint handle it himself."


    Claire let out a disbelieving laugh and shook her head. "You are a menace. What kind of psychopathic Evoker kills his own summoned creature?"


    "This one," Alex replied. "Don''t worry. I checked to make sure Glint wasn''t intelligent. As far as I can tell, he doesn''t have any thoughts of his own and dying doesn''t seem to really affect him that much. I''m not just going around killing a sentient creature for fun."


    He pulled Glint''s Spatial Mirror from the box at his side and scooped the brown flame up, pressing it into the mirror.


    Spatial Mirror


    Stored Energy:


    Low-Mid Novice Grade (Ent Harvester) - 1


    Bonded Creature: Shardwalker (Regenerating)


    "It''ll be about an hour before Glint is back. We should probably wait for him to return before we continue," Alex said as released the mirror and let it flow back to the box at his side.


    "What happened to being in a rush?" Claire asked as they headed over take shelter by a large rock at the base of the mountain.


    "I''ve got two days. It''s about finding a balance. If we just sprint ahead the whole time, we''re probably going to run into something we can''t fight. You can''t tell me that the energy we just got isn''t useful."


    Claire blew out a breath and inclined her head in defeat. "I don''t understand how you''re simultaneously insane and yet still somehow have a point. That energy might actually be enough for me to make it to Novice 4. You probably got a lot more than I did because you shouldered half the challenge yourself, but the System definitely registered that as a decent fight."


    "Probably means we would have been completely dead if we ever got hit," Alex said. "I bet that thing would have been absolutely devastating if it had caught us while we were in the forest. Getting tripped up by a root while fighting it definitely wouldn''t have gone well."


    "I wouldn''t be surprised if the System was counting that mad dash through the forest as part of our challenge rewards," Claire admitted. "Can you watch over me until Glint is back? I think I should be able to do this pretty quickly."


    Alex nodded. Claire sat down in the boulder''s shadow and let her eyes shut as she started to meditate. Her breathing stilled and her features relaxed as she sank deeper into herself. Alex studied her for a few moments.


    Maybe I''m just paranoid after my best friend shoved me into hell, but she really seems to trust people easily. Maybe that''s just because she doesn''t have much of a choice. I had Glint to keep an eye on me, but she has nothing like that in her class.


    The Mirrorlands seemed like the absolute worst place that Claire could have landed. She was so limited by having to fight enemies with actual blood that her abilities didn''t even work here.


    I''ll need to make sure to avoid specializing into something so badly that a certain type of opponent makes me completely helpless.


    Alex ran his tongue along his lips. They were parched. He''d had a little to drink before he''d fallen into the Mirrorlands, but not nearly enough. With any luck they''d make it to the mountain sooner than his deadline of two days.


    He settled in to wait. It would have been stupid to push ahead without Glint and if Claire could get a useful upgrade from reaching Novice 4, the detour would have been worth it.


    Minutes ticked by. Alex kept his eyes moving to make sure he didn''t get lazy and miss something sneaking up on them. Fortunately, the base of the mountain continued to be as abandoned as it appeared.


    Aside from him and Claire, there was nothing. Eventually, a full hour passed. Alex resummoned Glint as soon as he was able to and had the monster stand guard beside him.


    It was a short while longer before Claire stirred. Her eyes fluttered open and she blinked, squinting up at him. "How long was I?"


    "Pretty much on time. Just a bit over an hour. Did you make it?"


    A grin crossed over her lips and she nodded, rising to her feet. "Yeah. I''m a bit stronger now. I¡­ uh, still don''t have anything new that''s going to make all that much of a difference here, though. Not in most cases, at least. I upgraded the skill that lets me grow a lot stronger when I drink blood."


    "By most cases, do you mean no cases?" Alex asked dryly. "No monsters here have blood."


    Claire shot him a pointed look. Her cheeks colored slightly, and Alex realized what she was thinking.


    "You''re going to power up by drinking my blood?"


    "Well, if it''s an emergency¡­ it''s better than nothing, right?" Claire asked sheepishly. "Sorry. I was hoping I''d get a more suitable option, but there wasn''t one. Everything I''ve got is just too blood related. It was that or getting better at controlling blood, and I think that would have been even worse. I won''t drink your blood if you don''t let me."


    Alex blew out a huff and shook his head. "I mean, you''re right. A powerup is a powerup. If we''re in a pinch, it might come in use."


    "And hey, if I drink enough of your blood, you might be dizzy enough for the challenge of whatever we''re doing to go up," Claire said with a smirk that quickly faded as she saw Alex''s eyes light up. "That was a joke!"


    "One that I have noted." Alex wet his lips again.


    "Are you thirsty?" Claire asked with a worried frown.


    "A bit," Alex admitted. "Nothing to do about it."


    "Are you sure you don''t want to try¡ª"


    "Unless whatever you''re about to offer me is water or something completely equivalent to it, then the answer is no. I''m not nearly that desperate," Alex said with a shake of his head. He looked up to the mountain rising over them. "That''s one challenge I think I''m going to push off to later. If you''re ready, let''s just get moving and try to get up this mountain before night falls¡­ if that even happens here."


    "If you''re sure. And it doesn''t. Not from what I''ve seen so far, at least."


    With that, they started back up the mountain toward the storm crackling in the distance and ¡ª hopefully ¡ª a way out of the Mirrorlands.

 Chapter 14: Those who live in glass houses

    It didn''t take long for Alex and Claire to realize something might have been wrong, and it took a few hours to prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt.There wasn''t a single monster on the mountainside. It was completely barren ¡ª but that wasn''t to say it hadn''t been warped. The mountain was every bit as twisted as the rest of the Mirrorlands.


    Trees curved in odd paths, forming around the sloping path that led up to the peak of the mountain. Rocks had been arranged and packed down in a way that resembled a road, many of them floating mid-air or merged unnaturally with a tree trunk.


    Islands large enough to house several trees cast shadows over Alex and Claire as they passed beneath them, but despite it all, there wasn''t a single sign of hostile life. That should have been reassuring.


    Instead, all it did was set Alex''s hair on end to the point where he almost completely forgot about just how thirsty he was getting. There weren''t even any City-Eaters in the air above them.


    There was only the path ¡ª and the storm in the distance.


    "You reckon there''s a reason this place is abandoned? If even the monsters are smart enough to avoid it, I get the inkling that there might be," Claire muttered to Alex, keeping her voice low as if speaking louder than a whisper would bring the sky crashing down on top of them.


    "I think we''re going to find out soon enough," Alex whispered back. "At this point, there''s no path but forward ¡ª unless you''ve got a better idea as to how we''re going to get out of here?"


    Claire shook her head, and so they pressed on. It wasn''t long before the exact time of how long they''d been walking was lost to Alex. His legs burned and his throat turned so dry that it hurt.


    It had definitely been hours. Exactly how many, Alex wasn''t sure. His body definitely wasn''t pleased with him, but the mere idea of stopping made him grimace. If the way out of the Mirrorlands really was so close, then he refused to rest until it was within his grasp.


    The walk was the first time he''d had to properly think since the apocalypse had formerly started, and Alex found his thoughts drifting to exactly how the System worked ¡ª and how he could best take advantage of it to continue growing.


    Challenge was an abstract concept. It had to be constrained by something. If it wasn''t, the optimal way to grow would probably be crippling oneself and then fighting a bunch of miserably weak monsters.


    Sure, the fights would eventually get easier as someone grew used to fighting the monsters and figured out their styles, but then they could just move onto a different kind of weak monster.


    Alex doubted the System would have overseen that. If he had to guess, the challenge was some sort of percentage multiplier. The System still had to follow the laws of physics to some degree ¡ª and energy didn''t come from nowhere. That meant it was probably coming from the monsters he killed.


    But I''m obviously not getting every single level that something has when I kill it. So my best guess is that I get a percentage of a monster''s power when it dies, and that percentage is based off how difficult the fight was. It almost certainly caps out at a certain point and the System takes the rest of the energy to do¡­ well, whatever it is the System does.


    In the end, intentionally making fights more difficult against weaker monsters would give him a boost for the future, but it was a terrible long-term strategy. The optimal strategy would be to be seeking out the strongest monsters, which would have the highest amounts of potential energy to take from in the first place.


    So if there''s the possibility, it''s always better to look for a difficult fight rather than make a difficult fight. Anyone can get killed at any point. Intentionally weakening myself will inevitably catch up to me and fuck me over if I keep at it forever.


    But right now, that risk is worth it. I need every extra scrap of power I can get to give myself a lead, and I can only work with the monsters I''m up against. I can stop and focus on finding real threats once I''ve got that lead solidified.


    Alex was still lost in thought when a shadow passed overhead.


    A City-Eater Centipede?


    His eyes jerked up as fear gripped his chest ¡ª but it was not a centipede that he found.


    It was an enormous silver ship ¡ª or possibly a squid. Huge tendrils trailed through the air behind it, their tips ending in spaded points. The massive vessel came to a needlelike point at its tip, where glistening coils of purple and red smoke broke and curled past its sides. Sections of pulsing purple flesh were exposed between gaps of the ship''s metallic exterior. Ripples ran through it, causing it to inflate and deflate like a lung.


    For the briefest of instants, a name shimmered to life above the ship.


    Disruptor [Starfallen Family]


    Then the ship vanished as if it had never been there.


    Alex gaped up at the sky.


    "Did you see that?"


    "For a moment," Claire replied. "Did you?"


    "Just a glimpse," Alex replied, rubbing at his eyes. "Do you know what the Starfallen family is?"


    "No. Never heard of them. You think it''s going to come back?"


    Alex looked back up to the sky, then shook his head. "No idea. I don''t think I want to stick around to find out. That thing did not look friendly."


    They picked up their pace. As they walked, Alex ran his thoughts on the System''s energy distribution methods by Claire, who seemed agreeable to the direction he was taking them. There was no way to actually verify his theories at the moment, so they slipped into silence.


    Neither of them said a word over the next few hours as they drew closer to the peak of the mountain. With their increased proximity to it, Alex could actually make out the peak itself.


    There was a large outcropping just beneath the churning storm, surrounded by a ring of jutting, spiked rocks that almost resembled a crown at the top of the mountain. He couldn''t tell what was beyond them, but it was so high up that it literally brushed the crackling purple energy.


    If there''s any way out of the Mirrorlands, then it''s got to be this. The only question is if we can actually pass through it.


    The winding path wrapped around the peak of the mountain, then finally arrived at its final bend. A knot clenched Alex''s stomach as they rounded it and stepped onto a straight stretch that led up to the crown.


    The smell of electricity had grown a hundred times stronger, joined by something in between honey and cinnamon that seemed to be coming from a large patch of brilliant blue grass covering the top of the mountain.


    Dark purple cracks shimmered in the air at the far side of the rock formation, arcs of energy crackling around them. There was no doubt about it. It was the exact same color as the portal that had sucked him into the Mirrorlands in the first place.


    There was just one problem.


    Sitting between him and the way out of the Mirrorlands was a towering, red skinned demon. It was humanoid and easily ten feet tall, even with its legs crossed in a yogi pose beneath it.


    A wide menacing grin of straight teeth stretched across its face and two curved tusks protruding from the corners of its mouth. The skin on its face was smooth and glossy, almost reminiscent of an Oni mask. That comparison was only made stronger by a pair of huge horns that jutted out of the top of its head. Flowing hair like pure white gossamer rose to frame its face, suspended in the air by an intangible wind.


    ??? (???)


    The nameless demon sat before the crackling storm, but it wasn''t a guardian.


    It was a prisoner.


    Enormous shackles bound the monster from almost every direction. Each link was several feet wide and covered in flowing designs and patterns that burned with faint white light. They were secured to the ground by massive white stones that were scattered throughout the mountain''s crown.


    Alex and Claire both froze in place. The demon''s glowing eyes were staring straight at them, but it made no move to so much as acknowledge their presence.


    "You know what?" Claire whispered. "I think I figured out why the rest of the mountain is empty."


    "It''s bound," Alex muttered back. "We can get around it."


    "Can we?" Claire asked. "It''s right in the middle of the way and those chains aren''t all completely tight. It could definitely reach us if we try to sneak past."


    She was right. Alex shifted from foot to foot, ready to throw himself to the side and avoid an attack at a moment''s notice ¡ª not that he suspected he had even the slightest chance of avoiding any form of blow made by the huge monster. It was such a high level that he couldn''t even see what it was.


    Those chains are definitely some kind of magic. Are they enough to keep the demon from attacking us? I can''t tell if it just doesn''t give a shit that we''re here or if it''s biding its time until we get closer.


    Someone definitely bound that thing here on purpose. That doesn''t speak well for the chances of it being willing to let us stroll right past.


    "If you drink enough of my blood, do you grow wings?"


    Claire let out a muted snort. "I wish. No."


    "Damn," Alex muttered. He studied the jutting rocks that made up the sides of the crown. The wind around them howled, but there was a chance they could try to make their way around the demon by climbing onto the rocks.


    Claire followed his gaze and immediately shook her head. "Those winds are being cut by the rocks right now. If we climb that, we''ll get blown right off. You think we can use the forest strategy again?"


    Alex squinted at the demon. It still hadn''t moved once. If it hadn''t been identified by the system as a living being, he might have started to suspect that it was just an incredibly realistic statue.


    "Only one way to find out," Alex said. "Glint, walk over to the spatial cracks but stay as close to the rocks at the edges as you can. Be cautious and attempt to avoid making too much noise."


    Glint set off without an instant of hesitation. His summoned companion edged his way along the very corner of the stones, slipping one foot in front of the other like a dancer, pressing his side to the jagged rocks and making his way toward the beckoning energy across the platform.


    Now that I think about it, this isn''t the most effective test. The only thing this might actually prove is that the demon doesn''t kill literally everything that passes it. If it''s intelligent, it could let Glint by and then just wait for us to follow to kill us.


    That would be a whole lot of effort to kill something that it shouldn''t see as anything more than a bug. It''s probably more likely that it''ll either be completely passive or ¡ª


    A ripple passed through the chains and a crack split the air in its wake, and only once both had passed did Alex realize that Glint was dead. The Shardwalker''s remains disintegrated into a stream of energy that flowed back over to the box resting at Alex''s side.


    Alex dove behind a rock and Claire hit the ground beside him a second later. When nothing happened, he poked his head out to look at the demon once more.


    It hadn''t budged from its spot. It remained in place, staring at them with its glowing eyes, a mocking grin stretched across its lips. If it wasn''t for the faint sway in the chains holding the monster down, it would have been impossible to tell that it had even moved.


    "Bleeding hell," Claire breathed. "Okay. I don''t think we can stroll past it normally. Is Glint okay?"


    "No. He''s dead, but he''ll get over it," Alex said. He swallowed. "It actively chose to do that. No clue if it was a warning or it just likes killing things, but we might have to turn to alternative measures."


    "That sounds great. What are those?" Claire asked. "Because I''m flat out of ideas. The thing is right in the middle of the way."


    "Maybe the wind isn''t that bad?" Alex approached the edge of the spiked rocks. Claire watched with concern as he pulled himself up, then stuck his hand out between the spines and into the open air to feel how strong the wind was.


    A violent gale slammed into his arm almost instantly, nearly slamming it straight into the wall. Alex just barely managed to yank his hand back before it was impaled on one of the many jutting stones, but he still got a small cut for his troubles.


    He cursed and shook his hand off. "Okay. You were right about that. We''re not climbing around it. We''d get ripped to shreds."


    They fell silent and looked back to the demon. It matched their gaze ¡ª or rather, it just stared. Alex wasn''t sure if it was looking at them or past them. There was no reason for them to even register on its radar other than a mild form of amusement. It was probably pretty boring being chained up on the top of a desolate mountain.


    Huh. That''s a thought.


    Alex''s head tilted askew and Claire sent him a curious glance. "What is it?"


    "I was just thinking. There are probably two possible reasons this thing would have killed Glint. Either it''s somehow bound to defend the storm, or it''s just bored and has nothing else to do. It''s not like any of us would pose a challenge to it no matter how chained it is."


    "That''s true," Claire allowed. "Are you thinking we can just¡­ give it something else to do?"


    "It couldn''t hurt."


    "Right. Treat the massive terrifying demon like it''s a stupid baby that won''t stop bothering its parents," Claire said with a dry laugh. "Couldn''t possibly go wrong. It seems like a sound enough idea. What in the bleeding hell do we give it, though? I don''t see a toy anywhere."


    That was definitely the crux of the matter. A few minutes ago, he would have suggested Glint. It was pretty clear that wouldn''t work. It had taken the demon less than a second to kill the Shardwalker.


    "I have an idea," Claire said.


    Alex looked to her. "What is it?"


    "What if we somehow lured a City-Eater over here? Something big enough that this guy is actually distracted."


    "Now that''s an idea," Alex said with a grin. "But how are we going to outrun it? They can teleport and move pretty quickly for something their size. If we actually managed to get their attention, I don''t think we''d even get a chance to lure it anywhere."


    "Damn it. Good point." Claire''s nose scrunched and she pursed her lips, blowing out a breath. Her eyes flicked down to his cut arm. "Are you going to eat that? You''re distracting me."


    It was Alex''s turn to sigh. At least one of them could eat. He held his arm out to her.


    "Thanks," Claire said once she''d finished. She definitely eyed the cut for a moment longer than she had to, but didn''t try to drink any more. "Unfortunately, I am not feeling enlightened."


    "Unless drinking more of my blood is going to make your brain bigger, I''m keeping the rest of it."


    "Fair enough."


    They joined the demon in its silence. There was always the option of giving up and heading back down the mountain, but that was the equivalent of giving up and dying. The spatial rift behind the monster was their best chance of getting out of the Mirrorlands.


    Alex nudged a rock with his foot. Then he paused.


    "Did you get a good idea?" Claire asked.


    Alex picked the rock up and tossed it in his palm. "I''m not sure it qualifies as good, but I got an idea." sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Claire looked from the rock to the demon. Her eyes widened. "You can''t be¡ª"


    Alex threw his rock.

 Chapter 15: Berith

    The stone sailed through the air and thunked into the demon''s head, dropped to the ground, and laid at its feet. It didn''t so much as flinch.Alex picked up another rock.


    "Is this a plan or are you just bored?"


    "Yes," Alex replied, tossing the second stone. It bounced off the demon''s chest and landed beside the first stone. "It can''t move and it killed Glint. I think I''m justified in doing this. It helps me think."


    He picked up another stone. Claire hesitated for a second, then picked up her own rock. She shrugged to him and they both flung their projectiles. It was a good way to jog the brain juices. It increased blood flow ¡ª or something like that.


    The Demon remained in place as they pelted it with stones. They were well out of reach of its chains and it couldn''t move even if it wanted to. He was surprised to find that assaulting the monster with a hail of stones was actually somewhat therapeutic.


    He wasn''t sure how long he and Claire threw stones, but they soon cleared the front of the mountain pass out from every single loose stone and relocated them to piles around the demon.


    "We''re running out," Claire observed.


    "It''s fine. It''s a big mountain. There are more stones. I think I might figure something out pretty soon."


    "Really?"


    "No, but I don''t have a better idea right now. I''m kind of banking on the mounting dread building up until the point where I have no choice but to figure a way out of this. Until then, I''m throwing rocks."


    Alex turned to walk down the slope a bit and pick up another rock ¡ª and from behind him, he heard a heavy groan and a gravelly voice.


    "If I were not chained here, I would pitch the pair of you off this mountain and memorize your screams."


    He spun back toward the demon, then shot a wide-eyed look at Claire.


    "You heard that, right?" Alex asked.


    "Yeah," Claire said, swallowing. "It moved."


    "More than moved. It said something!"


    "What are you talking about?" Claire''s brow furrowed. "It didn''t say anything, but I definitely heard its grunting."


    "No, it spoke," Alex insisted. He locked eyes with the demon. "I am not nearly insane enough to start hallucinating that badly. You said something, didn''t you?"


    The demon''s head slowly tilted to the side, an unnatural movement that somehow froze the rest of its body perfectly in place until its neck was at a perfect ninety-degree angle.


    "You¡­ heard me?"


    "There!" Alex exclaimed. He thrust a finger in the demon''s direction and sent a wild look at Claire. "You heard it, right?"


    She shook her head. "I ¡ª no. It''s just grunting and growling, Alex. Is it using some form of telepathy?"


    "Impossible," the demon said. It leaned forward and the chains went taut, preventing it from moving any farther. "You understand me?"


    "Yes, I understand you," Alex said. "What the hell gives? You could speak this whole time? Why haven''t you said anything? We wasted so much time flinging shit at your head!"


    "A human that knows Wayspeak. Curious." the demon asked, his head tilting to the side in apparent curiosity. The chains creaked and it leaned back, returning to its relaxed position, resting its palms on its knees, and studying Alex with its burning eyes.


    Alex''s brow furrowed. He sent another glance at Claire, who shook her head helplessly. He looked back to the demon. "I have no clue what you''re talking about. Aren''t you speaking English?"


    "No," the demon replied. "You speak in common, but I reply in Wayspeak."


    "What is Wayspeak?" Alex asked hesitantly. If the demon could talk, then it could reason. There was a chance they could convince it to let them use the portal behind it.


    "The language of the Mirrorlands. One known only by its inhabitants. So how would you have come to learn it?" Chains creaked as the demon shifted its position to observe Alex better. "You could not have made it here through the normal routes. I smell the weakness on your breath like carrion. You don''t belong here, boy. But what gave you comprehension? A rare class, perhaps? A Title?"


    Holy shit. He figured it out fast.


    "Does it matter?" Alex asked, choosing his words carefully. He had absolutely no idea if anything he''d come to learn about demons back on Earth was true, but any information was better than nothing.


    I think demons were supposed to be sly. Arrogant too. Really self-important, and possibly big fans of contracts. I don''t think they usually straight up lie, though. I might be able to trust the demon''s word if it actually gives it to me ¡ª or was it devils that liked contracts and didn''t outright lie? Is there even a difference? Gah. Either way, I should be careful with what I agree to and what information I give up.


    A low chuckle slipped from the demons lips. "No. It does not. A human child that knows Wayspeak arriving to be a bothersome pest ¡ª you are an Anomaly."


    "You say that in a way that makes me think it means more than I understand."


    "Most things do," the demon said. It leaned forward once more. "How refreshing. I haven''t had a conversation in years. If only you had chosen a better opener. Tell me, Anomaly, why is it that you have come to bother me? Do you long for early death so badly? Step closer and I can grant it."


    "Actually, I''d much prefer if you just got out of the way," Alex said. He nodded to the spatial rift humming behind the demon. "I''m trying to get over there, and given what you did to my summoned companion, I''m not keen on getting anywhere near you."


    "You are in no position to make demands of me."


    Alex walked back over to the edge of the path, picked up a rock, and returned to stand where he had been before. He sent it a pointed look.


    "A threat?" The demon''s voice was incredulous. "You threaten me with a rock? Did you not see how effective the last hundred you threw were?"


    "I can''t hurt you," Alex agreed. "But I can stand here and fling shit at your head for hours on end."


    "Is that so? You are dry. Not long for this world, I suspect." The demon''s glassy lips curled up in a smirk. "A few hours would be nothing more than a blip in my memory."


    "Eh. Fair enough." Alex shrugged and tossed his rock to the side. He turned to Claire and nodded back in the direction that they''d come. "Oh well. Let''s get going. He''s not going to let us pass."


    It looked like Claire wanted to ask a thousand questions, but they died on her lips as she inclined her head and fell in step behind Alex.


    "It won''t work," the demon said, its voice rushing down the mountain peak like a cold gale. "Even if you managed to survive the other inhabitants of the Mirrorlands, you would die long before you reached another portal. There are none within the shadow of the mountain."


    Alex paused to look over his shoulder at the demon. "Then I''ll find that out for myself, won''t I? If you aren''t going to let me use your portal, I''ll find another one. There''s always a different way. Why should I waste my time here? Sit and rot."


    A bark of laughter escaped the demon''s mouth. The chains groaned and shuddered as they fought to keep the enormous monster held down to the ground. "Such passion. When did I say you couldn''t use my portal? It is mine, mind you."


    "You squashed my companion. And if you''ve got a portal, why don''t you use it?"


    "Your companion was a buzzing little insect without consciousness. I have squashed a countless number of its ilk." The demon nodded down toward the crooked city beyond the forest at the base of the mountain. "The bugs provide no entertainment."


    A chill raced down the back of Alex''s neck and wrapped around his arms. The enormous City-Eater Centipedes, so powerful that he couldn''t even make out their strength, were just as worthless as Glint in the demon''s eyes. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    What kind of monster is this? How do I get that powerful?


    "Does that imply that I do?" Alex asked.


    "I will not impair your path to the portal," the demon said, his words rolling out like the purr of a cat and setting all of Alex''s hair on end. Malice positively dripped from every word he spoke. "Should you be brave enough to approach it, that is. If you wish to leave, then leave."


    Alex''s lips peeled back in something between a snarl and a smile. If that was the game the demon wanted to play, then he''d play. Something told him that the line about there being no more portals was true. He hadn''t seen any more back in the city.


    The one before them might be the only chance they had, and he''d be damned if he got scared out of taking it.


    "Wait here," Alex told Claire.


    "Hold on." Claire sent a concerned glance back at the demon. "I don''t really get what''s going on. I can only hear half a conversation. If you''re going to do something stupid, then I''m coming too. I don''t want to get stuck here alone again."


    "No, I need you to stay back. If the demon kills me, fling rocks at his head," Alex replied, setting his jaw and spinning back to the demon. He strode toward it.


    "Oh? You''re approaching me?" the demon''s laughter echoed through the mountain peak.


    There''s no way that was a ¡ª ah, fuck it.


    "I can''t use your portal unless I come closer," Alex replied, locking eyes with the demon. His heart bucked in terror, but the excitement and adrenaline pumping through his body strangled its fear. "Or are you so much of a coward that you have to lie to someone weaker than you?"


    "Come find out, boy."


    Alex stepped into the demon''s range.


    ***


    Berith watched the boy approach with an emotion that could have only been described as piddling amusement. That was an ill omen. He''d been trapped on this cursed mountaintop for so long that he''d actually gotten to the point where a whelp of an Anomaly could hold his interest for a flicker of an instant.


    Anything was better than the delirium of silence. There had been a short period of a few millennia when Berith had gotten used to it. Then he''d gotten bored. More than anything else, he wanted to find something to kill.


    Something worth killing.


    An Anomaly that had been born no more than a few days ago was far from that. The mere effort it would take Berith to kill him wasn''t worth sacrificing the entertainment ¡ª no matter how piddling or pathetic it was ¡ª that he was about to get. A grinding rattle filled the air as Berith shifted. The boy stiffened, but he didn''t miss a step as he continued his advance. Berith''s neck twisted one hundred and eighty degrees so he could continue to trace the boy as he walked right up to the rift.


    I''ll give the human one thing. He''s bolder than most. There aren''t many brave or stupid enough to stride right past me, even with my word protecting them. Oh well. Unfortunate for him. It''s been a while since I''ve seen something pop.


    "Go on," Berith said, unable to keep the grin from his tone. "Have I not kept my word? The portal is all yours."


    The boy didn''t have to be told twice. He reached up to touch the swirling magic ¡ª and a bolt of energy threw his hand back, burning his palm. He stumbled and almost tripped over his own feet, yelping in pain and shaking his hand off furiously.


    Berith roared with laughter and the boy spun toward him, cradling his burnt hand. Accusation burned in his eyes as he thrust his unhurt hand toward Berith. "You said I could use the portal!"


    "I am not stopping you," Berith replied through his mirth. "That would be your own lack of power. The portal is perfectly functional. You have nothing to blame but your weakness if you can''t use it."


    He tried not to think too much about how far he''d fallen to find something this pathetic entertaining. There was just nothing better to do in this barren wasteland. Even a droplet of moisture was an ocean to a man trapped in the desert. It was actually somewhat impressive the boy hadn''t been turned to a charred mark on the ground just from touching the rift.


    The boy looked from Berith to the portal. Then he set his jaw. A flicker of surprise passed through the demon.


    Is he an idiot? He couldn''t possibly be thinking of ¡ª


    With a cry, the boy drove his hand into the portal. A flicker of energy crackled within it. Berith blinked. A loud snap split the air and a wave of purple magic ripped out of the portal and slammed into the boy like a hammer. It picked him off his feet and launched him back, sending him tumbling across the ground in a flail of limbs until he slammed into a large stone.


    Smoke curled up from the boy''s clothes as he let out a pained cough, driving a fist into the ground and staggering back to his feet. He wiped his face with the back of a hand and strode back toward the portal.


    Did I just see the portal react to him? No, of course not. I have grown addled sitting here for so long. The boy does not have Mirrorlands blood in his veins. He''s nothing but an Anomaly. The portal will not open for him.


    The boy let out a furious cry as he drove his fist into the portal once more. Energy screamed out and drove into him, but he dug his feet into the ground and pushed even harder. A deep thrum rolled across the mountaintop. The portal started to bend. Crackles of energy raced out within the portal like a spiderweb. Berith''s eyes widened.


    Is he resistant to the rift energy?


    A second loud snap tore through the air. Energy whipped into him and picked him off his feet, sending him hurtling through the air for the second time. The Dhampir he''d come with dashed forward into Berith''s shadow, bracing her feet and catching him before he could slam into the rocks for a second time.


    They both skidded back several feet and the smell of burnt flesh and hair drifted into the air before the winds ripped it away. Smoke drifted off charred skin, but Berith was surprised to realize that the boy''s hand was fairly intact aside from some cosmetic damage.


    "Alex!" the Dhampir exclaimed, steadying him. "Are you okay? What are you¡ª"


    "I''m fine. Thanks for the catch," the boy said through a gritted jaw, pushing back to his feet. "One more time. I felt it. I almost had it that time."


    The boy strode forward once more, coming to a stop before the portal while the Dhampir watched him with a mixture of awe and concern. It was as if he''d completely forgotten the rest of them were there.


    Berith found himself leaning forward, the interest in him starting to build to something beyond just a hint of curiosity. This was not normal.


    A roar of defiance split the air. Alex drove his fist forward. It slammed into the portal for the fourth time. Power hummed and churned, dancing around him like a miniature hurricane as he pressed his hand deeper into the portal.


    The churning energy bent. Then it began to give way. It should have been impossible, but he could deny it no longer. The human was going to open the portal on his own.


    Berith''s eyes widened.


    He''s no mere Anomaly. The boy is an Incarnation.

 Chapter 16: Not running

    Alex''s right hand burned like he''d shoved it into a pot of boiling water. His nerves screamed and his flesh crackled like fried chicken that had been left in a pan for too long. His left hand clenched so tightly that his fingernails bit into his palm. He gritted his teeth, not even daring to draw in a breath and lose focus, and pushed against the portal even harder."I would suggest stopping," the demon''s voice split through Alex''s concentration. "If you continue, you will die."


    Alex''s teeth gritted. Electric power thumped against his arm, now buried nearly all the way up until his shoulder. He couldn''t even feel his fingers anymore. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I''m not giving up," Alex snarled. "I''m going to open the damn portal."


    His concentration faltered. Answering the demon had only taken a brief flicker of thought, but he didn''t have it to spare. A powerful force slammed into Alex''s chest and folded his knees like they were made of paper. His hand flew from the portal as it snapped back to a flat shape and all the air was knocked from his lungs as he was slammed into the ground.


    Alex let out a pained groan. His arm burned in agony at his side. He vaguely made Claire''s concerned features out above him as he dug his good hand into the vibrant blue grass and shoved himself upright, his breaths coming in ragged gasps as he tried not to think about the source of the fatty, fried smell lingering in the air.


    "Why?" Alex rasped.


    "You should be grateful that I warned you at all," the demon said. "Perhaps I simply should have watched."


    "Not that. Why can''t I open the damn portal? What unfair bastard puts a portal on the top of a fucking mountain and then doesn''t let anyone use it?"


    "Me," the demon said through a bark of laughter. "I told you. The portal is mine. And even if you could open it, it would lead to nowhere. Tell me. What world do you hail from?"


    "Earth," Alex rasped through his gritted teeth as he resisted the urge to clench his charred arm. He was pretty sure that would only make it worse.


    "How original. And are all those who come from your planet as arrogant as you?" Chains rattled as the demon tilted its head to the side. "Or are you unique in believing that all roads through the universe lead to your home planet?"


    Alex''s stomach sank. "I was kind of hoping to wing it. Why wouldn''t it go back to Earth? Shouldn''t a hole in reality go two ways?"


    "You slipped through the cracks between worlds," the demon said. "It was no luck that you landed in the Mirrorlands. It is the vastness of space that connects everything. It is where all that falls lands. The wastebin of existence, a catch-all for anything and everything. Those passageways are a one-way trip."


    The demon''s words rang against Alex''s ears, joining in with the wind howling beyond the crown of the mountain. His good hand tightened at his side. They''d come all the way up here just to find that there was no way forward.


    I won''t accept that. There has to be another way.


    "I refuse to believe that there isn''t a way to open the portal back up in the other direction," Alex said. For some reason, the pain in his charred arm was starting to recede. There was a good chance it might have been shock. "If there''s magic, then it has to be possible."


    "Oh, it''s possible," the demon agreed. The chains holding it rattled as the demon contorted itself to move so its whole body was facing them. "Just not for you."


    "Hold on," Alex said, flexing his stinging hand. He looked back to the portal. "I don''t know that you''re telling the truth. I could have just done something wrong."


    "You could have," the demon agreed. "Perhaps you should try again. Maybe use your other hand this time around ¡ª or better yet, toss the girl in first. See what happens."


    I swear the portal felt like it was opening. I don''t trust this monster. It could be lying¡­ but I''ve got a good way to find out.


    Alex let his head thunk back against the grass.


    "What are you doing?" Claire whispered. "What''s going on? And are you okay?"


    "Resting, I''m arguing with a demon, and no," Alex replied. "I need an hour."


    "You''re just going to lie there? In defeat? You gave up faster than I expected," the demon said, derision dripping from its words. "Perhaps I¡ª


    "I didn''t give up." Alex glanced at the monster out of the corners of his eyes. "I''m just resting."


    "Resting," the demon repeated. "Directly before me? Do you want me to crush you for your insolence?"


    "Why would you?" Alex countered. "You get nothing from it. I reckon anything I do now is more entertaining than just squishing me, and an hour is nothing to you, right?"


    The demon didn''t respond.


    Alex sank back into the grass with a groan. He had an hour to kill.


    ***


    Time dragged its heels through the mud, but Alex''s waiting finally came to an end. The pain in his hand had receded even further, but he was pretty sure it was because the nerves in it had been burnt to a crisp. He still couldn''t feel his fingers. That was a problem for later.


    That''s an hour. Glint, sorry buddy, but I need you again.


    The air beside Alex shattered as Glint''s claws raked through it, forming an entrance for him to emerge from his Spatial Mirror. The Shardwalker stepped out and looked to Alex for his orders.


    "Can you open that spatial rift?" Alex asked, pointing at the buzzing energy.


    Glint didn''t budge.


    "Open the spatial rift," Alex amended, changing his request to a command. Still, Glint did nothing.


    Could just be too complex.


    "Try cutting the spatial rift."


    Glint strode up to the swirling energy and brought his claws down. They struck the purple magic and sheared through it ¡ª or rather, the magic sheared through Glint. By the time the Shardwalker''s hand stopped moving, its claws had completely vanished, reduced to small stubs. Alex winced.


    "Okay. Uh¡­ shove yourself into the rift."


    Glint threw himself into the energy without a flicker of hesitation. There was a sharp hiss followed by the very brief smell of burnt meat. Alex summoned Glint''s card to his hand to check on the monster. It was dead.


    Was the demon telling the truth?


    "Have something you need to talk out?" Claire asked with a worried frown. "That can''t be a healthy coping mechanism."


    Alex burst into laughter. "Noted. And I was just testing something. Glint can''t feel pain, so I wouldn''t feel bad about it."


    "Are you done?" the demon asked.


    "Depends on what you''re offering," Alex replied.


    "Who said I was offering?"


    "You said it wasn''t possible for me to open the portal an hour ago. This is your portal though, right? So you can open it."


    "I could."


    "Will you?"


    "Perhaps." The demon''s head tilted to the side. "Tell me your Soul Manifestation."


    Alex hesitated. He wasn''t so sure he wanted to go about sharing the details of how his class worked with clearly malicious, chained entities. They were usually chained for a reason. That said, he''d already given away his ability to summon Glint. "It¡­ lets me summon monsters. I''m an Evoker."


    "A fool could tell that you are an Evoker," the demon said dryly. "Being an Evoker is nothing unique. Being an Anomaly is slightly unique ¡ª but your Soul Manifestation, like every other, is completely unique. Unique and remarkably uninteresting, I suspect, but I will be the judge of that. You will tell me what it is if you desire my assistance."


    Alex summoned his status and read back over everything he knew, trying to see if revealing details about his abilities could somehow come back to bite him in the ass. Nothing he found implied it.


    His ability to use Glint''s powers when the monster died was his real unique ability, and the demon wasn''t asking for that.


    "My Soul Manifestation gives me cards called Spatial Mirrors that I can use to store Mirrorlands monsters. Whenever they die, they return to the mirrors and stay there until they reform an hour later. Why does that matter?"


    The demon didn''t respond immediately. It tilted its head to the side in thought, and the chains holding its arms swayed slightly as it twitched.


    "What?" Alex asked, unnerved by the demon''s lack of response more than everything else it had done.


    "That could work," the demon mused, voice little more than a whisper. It swallowed. "Yes. You could work."


    "You''re going to have to give at least a little bit of explanation before I start agreeing to anything. I''m not joking when I say you''d have to kill me before I willingly give you control of my body or some shit like that."


    "I am not going to steal your body from you¡­ but we could help each other. Quid pro quo," the demon said. It leaned forward and the chains tightened, binding and stopping it from getting any closer. "I suspect my desires are not too difficult to discern."


    "You want to get out of here."


    "Every prisoner longs to be free. I am no exception."


    "Most prisoners also have a reason for being imprisoned," Alex said slowly. "And I''m going to be real, I don''t think there''s jack shit I''m going to be able to do to break those chains. I only have one Spatial Mirror as well and it''s got Glint, so you can''t get into one of those."


    The demon let out a derisive snort. "I have no desire to trade one prison for another. I will not be trapped within one of your cards. It is a moot point. They have no hope of containing my power, even if we had both been willing."


    "Then¡ª"


    "You are still Novice 2. You have yet to achieve your third Auxiliary skill," the demon said, cutting Alex off mid-sentence. "For that reason alone, there is something that can be done."


    "Are you going to say what it is, or are you just going to keep blue-balling me?" Alex asked.


    The demon''s lips split apart in a smile. "I asked about your Soul Manifestation because I needed to confirm that your soul would have similarities to mine. I can give you the power to unlock one of my own Auxiliary skills. It will let you travel through the Rifts at will. To sweeten the deal, I''ll even help you use it the first time around."


    Alex fought to keep the eagerness from his voice. "And what do you want in return?"


    "Far less than what I offer," the demon replied. The chains holding it rattled, which ended up being far closer to a thunderous roar due to their size. "Carry a small piece of me with you until we can find a way to break the chains binding me."


    "Let''s say I agree. What will happen when the chains get broken?"


    "I suspect I shall try to kill you." Excitement flashed in the demon''s eyes and it extended a hand toward him, only stopping when the chains jerked taut. "But by then, you should have at least grown strong enough to attempt running away."


    Alex''s eyes narrowed. "I''m not running anywhere."


    A laugh echoed from the demon''s glassy lips. "I can already feel the thrill of battle. You seem to enjoy challenges. How about it? A challenge for the ages. Just take this prisoner''s hand."


    Claire sent Alex a worried look but said nothing as he looked at the huge hand, several times larger than his head, waiting before him. She probably didn''t have the best idea of what they were speaking about, but it probably wasn''t too hard to guess.


    Alex''s jaw clenched. The demon was probably trapped there for a reason ¡ª but if he was honest, he cared more about surviving than what it had done.


    There was only one way forward. He stepped forward and pressed his burnt palm to the demon''s. Huge fingers closed around Alex''s arm, and a name burned itself into his mind like it had been branded by an iron.


    Berith.


    "Alex," Berith breathed, his name curling from the demon''s lips like twisting smoke. "This is going to be fun."

 Chapter 17: Keep me waiting

    Streamers of pain pierced Alex''s palm. They twisted, tore, carved down through his arm and into his chest to grip his heart like a fist of ice. His breath froze in his chest and he let out a choking gasp ¡ª and the world changed.Dark water swirled up from the ground and a black wave crashed overhead, muting out the light and banishing the mountain around Alex. The Mirorrlands fell away, replaced by the expanse of his Mind Palace.


    Berith released his hand as a marble pillar bearing a basin upon it rose from the depths of the water to sit between them. A miniscule amount of energy swirled above the pillar in a faint, hazy mist.


    Alex glanced at the demon out of the corners of his eyes. He hadn''t been freed from his chains. Even in Alex''s soul, they still bound him to something beneath the calm water''s depths. Berith gave his arm a slight tug, then smiled wryly.


    "It seems my bindings followed me. Unfortunate."


    "Were you planning for this to break you free?" Alex asked as the pain faded from his body.


    "Planning?" A chuckle rang out and Berith shook his head. "No. I hoped. Hope is a cheap currency."


    Berith lifted a chained hand over the basin, drawing his heavy restraints taut in the process. He clenched it into a fist. The ball of mist collapsed in an instant, raining down in faint droplets to pool at the bottom of the marble. Berith curled a claw inward and pressed it into the pad of his thumb. It pierced through his skin and a single droplet of blood rolled out, dropping into the thin layer of bright blue water below. A ripple passed through the glistening liquid as the blood dissolved within it.


    "My portion of the bargain is complete." Berith lowered his hand and settled in to sit behind the basin.


    "That''s fine with me. All I need is a way in and out of here," Alex replied, stepping up to the basin. He looked into the murky water, hesitating for a moment, then placed his hand into the water.


    The liquid drained away. Icy energy coursed through his body, clawed at his heart, bit at his mind like a dozen irate rodents. Golden letters tore into the air and carved out a message.


    Your Stage has advanced to Novice 3.


    Please select your third Auxiliary Skill from the following options.


    [Riftwalk] ¡ª Gain some control over the Rifts that connect the Mirrorlands and the rest of the Infinitum.


    [Demi-pire] ¡ª Drain energy from other creatures through drinking their blood, taking a small portion of their powers for a duration.


    [Nexomancy] ¡ª Gain limited control over the spoken word, allowing you to create verbal pacts and punish those that break them.


    Holy shit. Gain control over rifts? As in, the things that sent me into hell? An auxiliary skill like that sounds like it would get some ridiculous abilities, not to mention getting me a way out of this creepy place¡­ as well as getting back.


    Even if I leave now, I''m going to want to come back for Mirrorlands monsters to bind at some point in the future. This is incredible.


    The abilities he''d been offered were all clearly inspired by actions he''d taken in recent times. That gave more credence to Meiderly''s claim that every class was completely unique. Even though it was immediately clear to Alex that his deal with Berith had netted him Riftwalk, he still paused a moment to look over the other skills. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    One gave him what appeared to be a very similar skill to Claire''s, while the second actually looked pretty interesting. He strongly suspected that any contract he''d be able to make would be directly linked to his own power, so they wouldn''t just automatically force things to obey agreements if they were stronger than he was.


    The skills were interesting, but neither even came close to being as useful or powerful as Riftwalk.


    As soon as he came to his decision, before he could even speak it out loud, the words vanished and his status shimmered to life of its own volition.


    Alex Vaya [Human]


    Class: Evoker [Mirrorlands]


    Stage: Novice 3


    Title Fragments:


    [Mirrorlander]


    Active Titles:


    [Anomaly]


    [1/5]


    Soul Manifestation:


    [Spatial Mirrors] (Novice 1)


    Auxiliary Skills:


    [Requiem to the King] (Novice 1)


    [Monster Medley] (Novice 1)


    [Riftwalk] (Novice 1)


    By the time Alex waved the words away, he realized that his Mind Palace had faded away and he stood in the Mirrorlands once again. Berith was still chained before him. Amusement burned in the demon''s eyes as he released Alex''s hand.


    Alex stared at his palm in disbelief. Thin red lines pulsed beneath his skin before fading away. His arm had been completely healed.


    "Alex?" Claire asked, the concern in her voice even stronger than before. "You okay?"


    "Yeah." Alex flexed his hand, then grinned. Either Berith''s blood or leveling up had healed him. Either way, he had his hand back. "I guess I''ve almost caught up to you. We have a way out of here now."


    Berith leaned back and rested against his chains. "Let''s get this on with. I''m eager to see another world after all the time I''ve spent down here. Go take a look at the Rift."


    Alex approached the crackling fissures, taking care not to touch them on accident. Claire joined him, but her suspicious gaze remained on Berith. The energy didn''t look any different, but something about it had changed. It felt, for lack of a better word, more grounded.


    The power almost felt like something tangible that he could grasp. As Alex focused his attention on the new ability he''d gained from his deal with Berith, he felt power start to pump beneath his skin.


    "Go on," Berith said. "Touch it. Carefully."


    Alex looked at his hands, then back up to the rift. He reached out and brushed the back of his hand across the energy. It was warm, but it didn''t burn him.


    "Good. What skill did you get?"


    He doesn''t know?


    "Riftwalk. I thought I got your skill."


    "You got a variant of it. I don''t know exactly what it does, but I can guess. The fundamentals will start the same." Berith shrugged and his heavy chains ground against each other. "Here''s the good news. As long as you keep that skill active, you can work with and pass through a Rift."


    "And the bad news?"


    "First, not all Rifts are made the same, and you''re going to have next to no control at this level. For the time being, you''ll only be able to access the world you came from and the Mirrorlands. Second, when you pull open a pathway between worlds, you aren''t the only one that can pass through it."


    Alex''s eyes narrowed. "You''re telling me we''re going to have to fight something every time we pass through?"


    "Not every time," Berith replied. "It depends where you are and how much energy is in the area you''re trying to leave or enter. You aren''t the first Riftwalker and you won''t be the last. There are measures to keep you from breaking in."


    "Or breaking out," Alex finished. "Would you say that this mountain would count as one of those high energy areas?"


    "Use your own senses. Touch the Rift again. Feel."


    Alex focused on Riftwalk again and let his fingers brush across the hissing purple energy. When it didn''t burn him, he tightened his grip. Power hummed at his palms ¡ª and the world started to darken around him, as if someone were dimming the lights.


    A deep, frosty chill wrapped around his chest. Goosebumps prickled at the back of his neck and raced down his arms, wrapping around his body like tentacles. A deep sense of unease set in at a rapid rate. He pulled his hands back from the portal and the world snapped back to its proper self.


    "So?" Berith asked, his ever-smiling face as amused as always.


    "I get the feeling there''s quite a bit of energy here. Does that mean we''re guaranteed to summon something really interesting?"


    A laugh rolled from Berith''s chest. "Ah. Refreshing. For a moment, I thought you might have been scared. Anything in this area will be too much for you to handle. My presence has changed this location too much. No matter. Open the Rift. I will clear the way for you as the final portion of our deal. Any future rifts you deal with, so long as you do not open them in the presence of one such as myself, will be a challenge more suitable for you."


    Alex almost asked Berith how he was meant to open the portal. Before he could, he realized that he already knew how. Something deep inside him had changed with the power that the demon had traded him. It was more of an instinct than knowledge, but he knew it to be true.


    "Fill me in?" Claire asked, noting the lull in their conversation.


    "I''m going to open the portal. Something might come out of it. If it does, the demon will handle it."


    "Just like that?"


    "Just like that."


    "Just like that," Berith agreed, even though Claire couldn''t understand a word he said. Something told Alex that the demon spoke more to entertain itself than any other reason.


    "Let''s do it, then," Alex said. The faster he got out of the Mirrorlands and got a chance to drink some water and eat, the better. He still didn''t know what would be waiting for them on the other side of the Rift.


    He activated Riftwalk and grabbed onto the Rift. Energy thrummed at his palms once more and the world started to dim, but he didn''t wait. He dug his fingers into the energy, pulling it apart like he was forcing elevator doors open.


    The rift resisted him. Alex gritted his teeth and pushed his body, slowly forcing the line open into a yawning vortex. Seconds dragged on. His muscles trembled but he continued to push. Inch by inch, the energy gave way.


    Nearly two minutes later, the rift finally surrendered. It snapped open into a wide purple disk of swirling purplish-black magic with a sharp snap and Alex''s hands dropped to his sides as he drew in a relieved breath.


    The reprieve didn''t last long. A shadow passed over Alex and the pressure in his ears popped. A deep chittering groan filled the air. He stiffened and craned his neck back as his heart skipped a beat in his chest. Beside him, Claire breathed a curse.


    Riftwarped City-Eater Centipede (???)


    An enormous City-Eater Centipede emerged from a matching portal above them, curling through the air like a hurricane extending down toward the earth. It had completely cast the mountain into shadow and still hadn''t been completely revealed.


    Black energy washed off the massive monster and over the mountain. The portal took on a dark glossy sheen as the monster''s power passed over it. Alex reached for it, but his hand pressed against what felt like a pane of glass instead of passing through.


    "As I said, you aren''t the only Riftwalker," Berith reminded Alex casually. "Anything drawn by you opening a portal isn''t going to let you traipse through it. Especially not when the area is so saturated with my power."


    Alex stared up at the City-Eater. It was the biggest monster he''d ever seen bar none, and even as it raced down toward the mountaintop, he couldn''t quite comprehend just how large it was. It made the other City-Eaters look like normal insects.


    Chains creaked and groaned as Berith pressed his palms together, then turned his left hand over to point its fingers at the ground. The chains binding him shuddered and pulled taut. He looked up at the monster plummeting toward them, mandibles the size of skyscrapers open to devour the mountain whole, and smiled.


    "Soul Manifestation," Berith intoned. He pulled his hands apart and a sphere of twisting gray and blue energy swirled to life between his palms. Wind blew Alex''s hair back and whipped at his eyes as pressure rolled off Berith in a wave. "Jaunt."


    The ball of energy erupted, expanding faster so quickly that he could only make out the afterimage of the dim energy as it rolled past Alex''s face to spread out to cover the entire peak and tinge everything a faint shade of blue. Ripples passed through the air around him like oil spreading through water. Worlds shimmered within the glistening patches ¡ª an enormous forest of burning trees the size of towering buildings, a huge ocean of blood, a warped library stuffed chock full of more books than he could ever hope to count. They appeared and vanished faster than Alex could track, a vortex of realities flowing by like a rushing river.


    Alex''s ears popped as the pressure changed. Something streaked through the air, so fast that he only registered its afterimage.


    Three glowing lines burned across the City-Eater''s face. The monster peeled apart, pieces of it plummeting away as if it had been diced like a spring onion in a fine restaurant. Each chunk of the monster must have been the size of a city on its own, but massive rippling splotches of oily magic swirled up beneath each one, swallowing it whole.


    Berith''s gaze turned back to Alex.


    "I look forward to our fight, Alex" the demon said, his smile growing wider until it pressed against the edges of his face. "Try not to keep me waiting for long."


    The black sheen that had been covering the portal faded and fell away. Alex''s hand slipped into it and a violent tug nearly yanked his arm out of its socket as the Rift sucked him in.


    He felt Claire grab his other hand and then they were gone. Berith''s laughter echoed in Alex''s ears as the Mirrorlands vanished behind them. Swirls of iridescent light danced around him and his body felt like it was simultaneously getting stretched out and crushed.


    And then it was done. Alex''s mind briefly registered that he was falling a split second before he smacked face-first into cold, wet ground with enough force to knock all the breath from his lungs.


    A thunk and a groan beside him marked Claire''s arrival, but he was far more concerned with the prickly blades pressing against him.


    Grass. Beneath it, dirt. Blessed dirt.


    Alex forced his wrung-out hands to move and he shoved himself upright. A field stretched out around him. The sun rose overhead, singular and golden yellow as it was meant to be. A gentle breeze curled across his back and the smell of fresh grass welcomed him like the embrace of an old friend. There was no mistaking it. Alex couldn''t help himself. He started to laugh.


    He was back on Earth.

 Chapter 17.5: Absolution

    On an entirely different plane of existence to the Mirrorlands, upon Planet 274-50, colloquially known as Earth, a man stood above the corpse of what had once been an Initiate 5 dragon.A melon-sized hole hung in the man''s chest where his heart should have been.


    He stood in a massive cave, far beneath the surface of the earth. The smell of salt and stale water mixed with blood in the air. Plips filled the room as liquid dripped from the stalactites on the ceiling and fell like a gentle rain around the man.


    Blood joined the quiet song as it rolled down the blade of the massive scythe at the man''s side, beading and falling from its tip in a steady rhythm. Golden letters shimmered above his head, the only light in the darkness.


    Absolution - Midnight Herald (Initiate 1)


    A footfall broke through the darkness, through the gentle lullaby of dripping water.


    Absolution turned. The hole in his chest seemed to bother him no more than the towering corpse looming above him, easily ten times his height.


    "You should not be here," Absolution said.


    A tall man stepped from the darkness. His face was covered by a white cloth mask that pressed so close to his skin that the shape of his features were almost visible through it. Two vertical yellow lines were drawn across each of his eyes.


    "Neither should you," the newcomer replied. "And yet, here we are."


    "Who sent you?" Absolution flicked the blood from his scythe. It was a flowing, smooth motion, like a step in a well-practiced dance. His eyes lifted up to the air above the newcomer''s head. "Whoever it was, they should have invested in better items, Stargazer. I can see your name."


    "I hope that wasn''t meant to intimidate me," Stargazer said. The cloth mask on his face twitched as a smile pulled his lips up behind it. "And you sent me. That''s what happens when you break the Rules, Absolution. You don''t belong on this world. Not yet. The second Initialization Event has yet to happen, much less the third. You''ve arrived here early."


    "You know of the Rules." Absolution tilted his head to the side, surprise showing on his plain features. A clear note rang through the cave as Absolution drove the butt of his scythe into the ground at his feet. "Then you should know System grants power to those who are strong enough to take it. And if you have arrived in this place, then you cannot claim that you act on your own power. You are no better than I."


    "We''re both Anomalies. I never claimed to be better than you," Stargazer replied in an even tone. "But infiltrating a new world with an advantage as massive as yours tips the scales of balance. The System is fair. It is always fair. You couldn''t have expected that robbing the cradle would be easy, could you?"


    Absolution shifted his stance. Stargazer stepped to the side, and a blurred rift of black energy split through the air where he''d been standing an instant before without a second of warning. It was accompanied by a loud buzz, like the scream of a thousand bees concentrated into a single note.


    "Who sent you?" Absolution asked again. "If you are aware of the Initialization Events, then you must be another Outworlder. Seeking me out was unwise. I will not abide by any treaties established off this planet."


    "I''m not," Stargazer said, the smile beneath his mask growing wider. "And nobody sent me. I was just coming to get a look at you. Another Incarnation showing up in the world this early on¡­ things are getting a bit crowded. I wanted to see the competition."


    Absolution''s features sharpened. He flicked a finger, and the space between him and Stargazer crumpled. Where there had once been feet, there was now nothing. It was as if someone had taken the room and crushed it, compressing everything between Absolution and Stargazer.


    Within a flicker of an instant, Absolution stood mere inches away from the other man. Stargazer didn''t so much as flinch. The two of them stood in silence for a second.


    "I sacrificed a great amount for this opportunity," Absolution said, his voice a deadly whisper. "I have lost more than you can ever imagine. I will take the power this fresh world has to offer. I do not care what world or family you come from. Depart from my path, or I will be forced to end you."


    "You can''t really expect me to actually abide by that request, can you?" Stargazer asked, tilting his head to the side. "All those who seek power walk the same path. There are those who walk side-by-side with you ¡ª and you don''t have the power to remove all of them. Cheating by getting a head start will only get you so far."


    "Using information is not cheating. You possess as much knowledge as I do," Absolution said. He swiped a hand, and it passed right through Stargazer''s head as if nothing were there. "You come here as an apparition rather than in flesh. Those who fear challenge will get nowhere. If you were a true warrior, you would have been present to challenge me for the rewards of this dungeon."


    "Oh, I''m not a warrior," Stargazer said. "As a matter of a fact, I''m a coward. I hate challenge. I hate putting effort into just about everything, actually. This is a huge bother ¡ª but it had to be done. I wanted to see just how far you''ve managed to progress with all the information you''ve gotten. Honestly, I''m not impressed. You''re playing things safe."


    Emotion passed over Absolution''s face for the first time. It only lasted a mere fraction of a second, but a flicker of irritation passed through his eyes.


    "I do not have to take great risks when victory is already guaranteed. Just how much do you know?"


    "Enough to know that no threat in Subsector 735, even the hidden dungeons you''ve been clearing, is going to be anywhere near as effective as what you could have found in the Mirrorlands."


    "The Mirrorlands? How would I even get there?" Absolution''s lips curled in a hint of amusement. "And if I could, why would I? The scent of my true power would call the attention of every Riftwarped monster in the area within instants. I will take the rewards that the Mirrorlands has to offer in this location in due time. There is a difference between Challenge and suicide."


    "Have you considered being stronger?"


    Absolution ignored Stargazer. "You know enough to realize this is far from the first world I have entered, Stargazer. This is far from the first world I have survived. Far from the first Subsector I will conquer. There is no need to throw myself to the wolves. But I could use someone like you. Victory is already in my grasp. Reveal your identity, and perhaps I could find use of someone of your talents."


    Stargazer laughed and shook his head. "That''s a little na?ve, don''t you think? Victory is never assured. Not until it''s already yours. Planet 274-50 is not the same as the others you have cheated your way through, neither is Subsector 735."


    "And why is that?" Absolution asked, tilting his head to the side.


    "Because Earth is batshit insane," Stargazer replied. His body rippled like a heat haze, then started to turn translucent. "And while you cower from the Mirrorlands, there are already those who march through it."


    "No Outworlder would risk that much over a newly initiated planet, much less in a Subsector like 735. Only a fool would attempt such a thing."


    Stargazer''s smile stretched so wide that it threatened to burst free from behind his mask.


    "Oh, I am more than aware." S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then he was gone, swirls of mist that dissipated into the cave. Absolution''s gaze bore into the spot where the other man had been a moment before. Then he turned back to the dead dragon.


    This dungeon was not yet complete. There was too much at stake for him to get distracted now. Perhaps Stargazer had just done him a favor.


    This Subsector of the planet was his. His family had paid far too dearly for his entrance for him to allow someone to snatch power out from under his nose. If Stargazer wasn''t lying and if there was someone that was actually insane enough to use the Mirrorlands to grow in strength¡­


    Competition with the other Outworlders was already immense. Absolution had calculated for that, but a native able to train in the Mirrorlands without restrictions could not be permitted to exist.


    The potential such an insane risk posed was immense, but potential was only that. Potential. It was nothing in the face of absolute power ¡ª and yet, it could not be allowed to flower.


    He would find them.


    And, when he did, they would be granted absolution.

 Chapter 18: Lost in Translation

    Alex''s elation came to an abrupt halt as Claire shoved herself to her feet, gasping, her breath ragged. Her skin was even paler than it had been and her eyes had taken on a wild, hungry look that looked more in place on a rabid animal than a human.She was looking at him like a starving dog looked at a piece of meat.


    "Claire?" Alex asked. He took a step back and lowered his stance. "Glint, come out. Now."


    Tinkling glass rang out as the Shardwalker emerged from a void in the air beside him. Claire took a stumbling step toward him, then jerkily ground to a stop. Her arms twitched and she flexed her fingers, her jaw working.


    "Blood," she managed, forcing the word through stiff lips. "Please. The portal."


    Alex hesitated. This didn''t seem like the same person he''d been traveling with ¡ª but they''d gotten through the Mirrorlands together. He wasn''t about to abandon her for no reason.


    "Glint, if she tries to kill me, kill her immediately," Alex said. Claire had managed to restrain herself from attacking for long enough to ask for permission, which was probably a good sign. He stepped forward and held his hand out warily. "Go ahead. Just leave me enough to¡ª"


    Claire blurred forward, slamming into him with enough force to drive the air from his lungs. She bit down on the side of his neck, clutching his shoulders in a vice grip as she greedily drank.


    Alex stiffened with a hiss. Getting drank from was no more comfortable the second time than it had been the first. Glint took a step forward, the glistening mirror claws that made up his fingers raising as the Shardwalker stood in wait.


    Claire didn''t seem to show any signs of stopping soon. A wave of dizziness started to build at the back of his mind and he adjusted his stance, grinding his teeth as his temples thumped. "That''s enough, Claire. I won''t give a second warning."


    To his relief, she lifted her head, letting out short, heavy gasps. She supported herself against his shoulders for a few seconds before pushing away and taking a step back. When her head raised once more, her expression had returned to normal.


    "Thank you," Claire said through gasps for air. She bent over and braced her hands against her knees, groaning. "I''m sorry. I had no idea."


    "No idea about what?" Alex asked, gesturing to Glint. The monster moved over to him and stood by his side. Alex found a small patch on his back without any shards and leaned against it as he weathered the last of the dizzy spell. "What happened?"


    "That purple energy. It felt like it drained the life out of me," Claire said. She let out a coughing groan and forced herself to straighten again. She wiped her mouth with the back of a hand, spotted a fleck of blood on it, and licked it clean. Dull pink tinged her cheeks as she realized what she''d done. She cleared her throat and blew out a relieved breath. "I thought I was going to starve to death. It felt like I hadn''t eaten in weeks."


    "You''re okay now, though?" Alex confirmed. "That isn''t going to happen again?"


    "I don''t think so." A flicker of uncertainty and worry shaded her face. "I hope not. Are you okay? I didn''t mean to drain so much from you."


    He lifted his hand off Glint''s back and shifted his weight from foot to foot. The worst of the dizziness had already passed. "Yeah. I''m fine, but I''m going to need to drink and eat something soon. Half-frozen pizza isn''t really enough to sustain two people."


    "Right. We''ll get you some food right away," Claire said with a firm nod. She turned, another sentence starting to form but dying before it could leave her mouth. Her lips parted in awe. "Whoa. Where are we?"


    "Earth," Alex replied, voice dry. And, as if it had been waiting for him to finally say it out loud, the System swirled forth.


    [Trial: The Mirrorlands]


    Objective Completed. Rewards Earned.


    Alex stared at the glowing words until they faded away.


    Where are my rewards? Actually ¡ª I think know the answer to that. They''re waiting for when I meditate.


    He coughed into a fist. Their brief conversation about sustenance had been enough to remind him about just how badly he needed to get something to drink. "Have you never seen grass before?"


    "No, I''ve seen it." Claire knelt and plucked a blade of grass from the ground. She rolled it between her fingers. "But not this much. It looks like it goes on forever. Can you eat this?"


    Alex snorted. "No."


    "I thought humans eat plants."


    "Some plants," Alex said. "Not this one."


    "Seems like a bleeding waste," Claire said. She dropped the grass and straightened back up. A small frown crossed her features. "I¡­ I can''t get back to my own world, can I?"


    Alex winced. He flicked his hand, dismissing Glint. He didn''t need the monster strolling around beside them and giving away what could be an element of surprise. "Not yet. The demon implied I''d eventually be able to travel to locations other than here and the Mirrorlands, but¡­"


    He turned and looked over his shoulder. There was no sign of the rift they''d passed through. Claire followed his gaze, then steeled her features and shook her head.


    "Maybe one day. Anywhere is better than the Mirrorlands. We can deal with the other shit later. Let''s get you some food and water. Er¡­ you''ll have to show me what you can consume, though."


    "Yeah. Food sounds great. But¡­ I''m still stuck on something. You haven''t seen this much grass before?" Alex''s curiosity was too much to push down.


    Claire shook her head. "No. Why?"


    "What was your world actually like?" Alex asked. "You''ve got matches. You recognize pizza. Was it¡ª"


    "I''ve got no idea what pizza is," Claire interjected. "I just assumed it was food."


    "Ah. It is. But was your world like this one?"


    Claire looked around. "This is what all of your world is like? Grass?"


    Alex cleared his throat in embarrassment. "No. Sorry. That was a dumb question. We have ¡ª had ¡ª cities. Giant places where hundreds of thousands of people live. Sometimes millions. They''re made from stone and metal. Some stretched on for miles."


    Claire''s eyes grew progressively wider as Alex spoke. Something told him that the earlier similarities in their worlds were starting to evaporate.


    "Miles?" Claire asked. "That big?"


    "And there ¡ª you recognized miles. That''s the measurement we use in the United States, but pretty much nobody else uses it. Why do you know that?"


    "We use it too," Claire said with a shake of her head. "It''s based off a smaller unit of measurement, feet. It was made when an old king measured out the length of one of his hands."


    Alex stared at Claire. "I ¡ª what? His hands? But it''s called feet."


    Claire nodded. "Hands. Yes. It makes sense."


    A frown crossed Alex''s lips. Claire mirrored his expression.


    "The System is translating," Alex muttered. "That''s what happening, isn''t it? It''s finding the closest words to each other and swapping them so I understand and vice versa."


    "That would explain a lot," Claire said. Her head tilted to the side. "Does that mean the size of your cities was a mistranslation? How big is a mile?"


    "Huge," Alex replied. "I think base numbers are safe. Some of them had millions of people. Was that not the case in your world?"


    "No," Claire muttered. "Not at all. That''s so many people. How could you even get around with that many people?"


    "Cars, mostly. Metal vehicles powered¡­ by explosions, I guess. I don''t actually know how they work that well."


    Claire stared at him. "Explosion-powered vehicles? Incredible. We used horses. Carriages."


    Medieval level technology? No, she''s got matches. When did matches come into being? Shit. I can''t remember.


    "Did you have electricity? Energy that you could power lights with?"


    "We had lamps," Claire replied with a shake of her head. "And used Lingerwax. It comes from Lingertrees and burns for hours. Exactly one hour per gram, actually. Smelled great, too."


    Lamps and vampires¡­ somewhere in the Renaissance era, then? I should have paid more attention in history.


    "Did you wear big poofy dresses?"


    "I mean¡­ occasionally? Usually for fancier events. Oh! And for Courts. Those were fun. I miss them."


    That does seem vaguely around the Victorian or Renaissance timeframe. But they''ve got vampires¡­ and who knows what else.


    Before Alex could press with more questions, a strange sensation passed over him. A wave of prickling goosebumps rolled across his skin and gripped the back of his neck. For a moment, he thought that Claire had drank too much blood and he was about to pass out, but the feeling wasn''t one of weakness.


    It was unease.


    Claire caught his expression and followed his gaze to a nearby hill. "What is it? Did you see something?"


    "No. I just got a really odd sensation," Alex replied. He glanced over his shoulder to see if someone was watching them, but the grassy hills seemed empty. "As if someone was watching us."


    "Where?"


    Alex turned in a circle, taking in their surroundings. "I have no idea, but standing here won''t fix shit. Let''s get to higher ground and see if we can spot a river or something."


    He started off toward the tallest hill in the area. The strange sensation remained, though it receded to the back of his mind. That didn''t make him pay any less attention to it. He continued to search the grass for any sign of¡­ well, anything.


    I remember reading that when people get creeped out, it''s often because they''ve subconsciously picked up on something. Another shadow monster, maybe? Claire hasn''t noticed it.


    The answers didn''t make themselves known. They drew up to the top of the hill a few minutes later. Alex crested it, then nearly forgot about the strange feeling completely. Before them was a city.


    More accurately, there was parts of a city. A mixture of stone and brick buildings were scattered throughout an area a little bit larger than two football fields put together, their walls overgrown with thick vines.


    Some of the houses were tall towers ¡ª literal chunks of skyscrapers, Alex realized ¡ª while others were more normal family houses and stores. They were scattered haphazardly, much of their recognizability taken by the vines covering their walls.


    A few people milled about in the city, mostly gathered at its center. A line of tension that Alex hadn''t even been aware of relaxed. There were other people, and with any luck, they''d know more about what was going on.


    More importantly ¡ª


    "People!" Claire exclaimed. "They''ll have food! And water!"


    Assuming they''re willing to part with it. Most people aren''t well known for being generous when everything goes to hell.


    The sensation prickling at the back of Alex''s mind grew stronger. He squinted down at the town, trying to figure out where it was coming from. Something was wrong. He was certain of that. He just didn''t know what it was.


    "You aren''t feeling anything off, are you?" Alex asked. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Off? What do you mean? Like the feeling you mentioned?" Claire''s brow furrowed. "No. Nothing. Just a little bit hungry."


    "Seriously?" Alex paled. "How much blood do you need? I''m not made of the stuff, you know."


    "I mean¡­ you are," Claire said. She gave him a sheepish grin. "But I won''t take any more from you. I''m fine now. I''ll find something else to drain soon enough. There are things with blood now that we''re outside of the Mirrorlands. That can come after you get something to drink."


    Alex nodded, but his mind wasn''t fully present.


    What is causing this feeling? Is it possible my body got so used to the Mirrorlands that this is just some form of reaction to being in a normal place again? But if that was the case, Claire would also ¡ª


    "Ho there!"


    Alex and Claire spun. A blonde-haired man was striding up the hill from behind them, an easygoing grin on his face and his hand raised to the air in greeting.


    Jackson - Human (Novice 4)


    "Are you guys new? I didn''t see you with the other survivors," Jackson said. His eyes flicked to Claire and his eyebrows rose. "And how did you hide your stats?"


    Alex didn''t let his expression shift but shifted his weight to the tips of his toes in case he had to move suddenly. Sure, they were close to an area with other people, but Jackson''s timing wasn''t doing him any favors.


    "We''re passing through," Claire said noncommittally. "And that''s just something that came with my class."


    "Nice." Jackson drew to a stop a few feet away from them. "I dig the makeup, by the way. Did you really put that on just before the world went to shit? I mean, I respect it, but cool."


    Claire''s brow furrowed and she sent Alex a glance. Something told him she didn''t know what makeup was.


    "She figured if we were going to die, there was no point not doing it while looking badass," Alex said. He matched Jackson''s casual tone and gave the other man a grin. "How have things been out here? And would you happen to have anything to drink? I''m fucking thirsty."


    "For real? There''s a river just down that way," Jackson said. He dug through the old backpack slung over his shoulder and took out a plastic water bottle. Jackson took a swig from it, then tossed it to Alex. "Here."


    "Thanks." Alex lifted the bottle to his lips and greedily drank the rest of the water within it. He highly doubted that Jackson had gone around poisoning his own water supply just in case he ran into random people.


    "So where''d you lot come from?" Jackson asked as Alex guzzled down the water. "I''ve been wandering around but I haven''t seen any other villages in the immediate area. You must have been walking ever since the Initialization."


    "Over there," Claire said, nodding in the direction they''d come. It technically wasn''t a lie.


    "For real? Guess we''ll have to make our way in that direction if we want to contact anyone else." Jackson scratched at his chin. "Was it a big town?"


    "Big enough," Alex said. He lowered the bottle and gave Jackson an appreciative nod. "How have things been over here?"


    "Monsters, mostly. The night was real bad. Lost a lot of people." Jackson''s lips thinned and his features darkened. "I''ve never smelled that much blood before. It was¡­ I don''t even know how to describe it. Hell, I guess."


    "I''m sorry to hear that," Claire said. "It was a rough night for us as well. We got lucky to make it this far."


    "I''m glad you did. We could use all the help we can get." Jackson extended his hand to Alex, gesturing for the bottle. He returned it, and for a brief instant, their hands touched. A spike of ice shot down Alex''s arm. Judging by the look on Jackson''s face, he felt it too.


    The smile on the man''s face vanished. He dropped the bottle and his hand clamped down on Alex''s wrist. A silver blade materialized in his other palm in a split second and he lunged, driving it straight for Alex''s heart.

 Chapter 19: A fun fight

    Alex threw himself forward, bringing himself out of the sword''s path and driving his shoulder into Jackson''s stomach with enough force to knock the air from his lungs. The man''s grip slacked and he yanked his hand free, throwing himself back as the sword carved through the air where he''d been an instant before."Glint!" Alex took several steps back to put distance between himself and Jackson.


    The air shattered.


    Claire darted for Jackson''s back, but he spun and brought his sword down on nothing. A wave of gray light ripped out in a crescent and Claire was forced to dive to safety to avoid getting hit by it.


    Glint stepped out onto the grass beside Alex, but Jackson didn''t wait for the Shardwalker. He lunged for Alex, ripples of faint silver obscuring his body.


    "Block him!" Alex yelled.


    Glint dove, but Jackson held a hand toward him and liquid metal flowed out from his pouch to form a disk in the air. A loud, shrill scrape rang out as the Shardwalker''s claws dragged across rippling shield.


    The swordsman shoved Glint to the side and leapt at Alex again. Alex rolled to the side and the sword bit into the ground where his head had been.


    "The hell is your problem?" Alex yelled as Jackson bore down on him, not giving him a chance to stand back up.


    Jackson swung his blade again and Alex thrust his legs out, driving his feet into Jackson''s chest and throwing him back.


    "Kill him! Avoid his attacks," Alex ordered as he leapt back to his feet. Jackson sent two more blurred blades of silver whipping out for Claire and Glint.


    This time, they weren''t caught off guard. Claire rolled beneath his attack and shot back to her feet, only missing half a second. Glint dodged out of the way as well and leapt, aiming to latch onto his face. Jackson cursed and dove ¡ª not out of the way, but toward Alex.


    The hell is this guy''s problem?


    Alex jumped back, avoiding Jackson''s sword as it whistled through the air where his feet had been. He grinned. "Missed me, asshole."


    "Stop running!" Jackson snarled, lunging up, and sending a wave of energy at Alex.


    He flung himself to the side, toward Claire and Glint, but Jackson''s hand shot out and grabbed his foot. Alex rolled to the side and the silver sword drove into the ground, scraping past his side.


    Glint leapt at Jackson, taking advantage of what should have been an opening in his defenses. The swordsman''s blade vanished from the ground and reformed in his hand, pointed straight at the Shardwalker.


    In the air, Glint could do nothing to avoid the weapon. It drove through his chest and Jackson flicked him free, sending the monster''s corpse rolling across the ground, already transforming into a stream of energy. In the same motion, Jackson brought his sword up to defend himself from Claire.


    Her hands slammed into the blade with a loud clang.


    "Stand down, idiot girl. You''re traveling with an Anomaly¡ª"


    The rest of Jackson''s sentence was lost in a muffled, wheezing gasp. He took a step back, eyes wide, staring down to find Alex''s palm pressed to his chest.


    Alex smiled up at Jackson.


    Hot blood bubbled up from the wound and dripped down his fingers. He twisted his hand, then yanked it back, taking the jagged mirror shard sprouting from it with him. Lifeblood spurted from the weeping hole in the would-be killer''s chest.


    Jackson''s mouth worked as he pressed his hand to the weeping wound in his chest. A whistling cough slipped free from his lips and flecks of blood splattered across his shirt. He crumpled.


    Claire stepped forward and grabbed Jackson by the arms before he could hit the ground. He didn''t even get a chance to resist before she bit down on the side of his neck, fangs puncturing his skin with a wet snik. A dull red light burned behind her eyes as she seemed to inhale.


    Any last words that Jackson may have had were lost in a raspy wheeze. The wound on his chest only got a few more seconds to weep before Claire had drained every single drop of blood from his body.


    A rush of energy flooded into Alex and he drew in a deep breath, suppressing a shudder. His heart still hammered with adrenaline at the unexpected attack ¡ª but the uneasy feeling was gone. Before he could wonder what had caused it, the System''s glowing words manifested themselves in the air before him.


    Anomaly Slain.


    That was it. Two words, but with just those two words, Alex found himself with even more questions.


    Queasiness worked into Alex''s stomach as he watched Jackson''s skin wither and dry. Claire dropped the man''s drained body to the ground, where it landed with a thump.


    "Alex! Are you okay?"


    The question was an interesting one. He hadn''t been injured, but he and Claire had just killed a man. Not a monster. A man.


    For several long seconds, he stared at the corpse. Bile welled in his throat. Alex didn''t let it come up. His eyes thinned. This was life now. Jackson had come for him first. He hadn''t set out to kill someone, but he wasn''t about to lay his life down for a murderer.


    He''d long since come to terms with the fact that surviving in an apocalypse would probably involve having to fight to defend himself. He''d seen people die in the days leading up to the System''s arrival, though thankfully none of them had been his friends.


    The warning the world had gotten of the System''s approach had made sure everyone knew what was coming. He''d come to terms with the understanding that killing and survival would become one and the same, but actually doing it was different.


    Alex blew out a slow breath. Perhaps there was something seriously broken in his head, or perhaps he''d just grown resigned long before, but when he looked back at Jackson''s body, he felt nothing.


    "Yeah," Alex said with a curt nod. "I''m fine."


    His gaze raised back to Claire. He did a double take. Her eyes glowed a faint crimson. Her fangs had lengthened to twice their original length. Not to be outdone, the rest of her teeth had lengthened and grown points as well.


    Claire''s nails had sharpened into pointed claws, causing the clang that had rang out when she''d blocked Jackson''s sword to make considerably more sense.


    "What?" Claire asked. She didn''t seem particularly bothered by Jackson''s death.


    "What the hell happened to you?"


    "Transformed. I had enough blood to work with, but transforming stalled me for a little while. It''s kind of difficult." Claire''s body returned to its normal form and she shook her hands off. "I don''t want to stay like that for too long. It uses up a lot of energy and blood. Are you sure you''re okay? You''re injured."


    She jerked her chin to Alex''s side and he glanced down. A thin line of blood ran along his side and his shirt had been cut. He touched the wound gingerly. "Nah. It''s fine. Not too deep. He missed."


    "Good," Claire said. "Wasting blood is bad. You going to put it back in?"


    "Put it back ¡ª what? That''s not how it works."


    "Hey, I was just asking. I don''t know how humans work. You''re telling me you can''t even eat your own blood? It would just put it back into your body, wouldn''t it?"


    "I mean¡­ I guess. That''s not really how it works, but strictly technically speaking you aren''t wrong."


    Claire sent him a blank stare. "All I''m getting from this is that you aren''t eating it."


    Alex sighed and lifted his shirt. "Go ahead. Do you never get full?"


    She made short work of the blood before leaning back and giving him a grateful nod. "No. It also gives me some backup energy to work with if we get attacked again. But hey, at least now we know to trust when you feel weird. You''ve got a sixth sense or something."


    Alex nodded and dropped his shirt again as a breeze prickled against his chest. "I suppose we do. It''s gone now. Did you get anything from killing him?"


    "Just some energy. You? A soul for Glint?"


    Alex glanced over at Jackson''s body. He hadn''t expected to find much, but he was surprised to see a flickering flame smoldering above the drained corpse. He pulled his Spatial Mirror from its spot at his side and trudged over, grabbing the flame and putting it in before checking his stores.


    Spatial Mirror


    Stored Energy:


    Low-Mid Novice Grade (Ent Harvester) - 1


    Low-Mid Novice Grade (Human) - 1


    Bonded Creature: Shardwalker (Regenerating) Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yeah. I got something pretty good. Another Low-Mid Novice Grade energy. Glint will eat well when he comes back," Alex said. Claire hadn''t gotten a message from the System about killing Jackson, then. That meant it was probably unique to him, or more accurately, his Anomaly Title.


    There are more people that got flagged as Anomalies, then. I wish I knew if Jackson also fell into the Mirrorlands and somehow escaped or if there''s a different way to get the title.


    He rifled through Jackson''s pockets in search of anything useful. It was his first time looting a dead man, and he couldn''t say it was particularly enjoyable ¡ª though it certainly didn''t help that Jackson barely had anything worthwhile.


    There were a few crumpled dollars and a handful of coins that Alex stuffed into his pockets as well as Jackson''s old water bottle. He crushed the bottle and stuffed it into his other pocket before rising again.


    "Have you ever heard of something called an Anomaly?" Alex asked. He wasn''t certain he wanted to share every detail of his abilities or titles, but he needed information and Claire had more than proven that they were on the same side by this point ¡ª and Jackson had already blown his cover.


    "No," Claire said. "Jackson called you one right at the end there, didn''t he?"


    "The System named me an Anomaly after I fell into the Mirrorlands," Alex said. He looked down at Jackson''s body. With all the belongings he had on him, Alex found it slightly hard to believe that he''d been traveling in the same place that he had.


    "How did he bleeding know?" Claire asked, not even slightly concerned with the revelation. It probably didn''t mean much more to her than it meant to him, given she only had around six days more experience with the System than he did.


    "He was an Anomaly as well, and I think we''ve got some form of way to detect each other when we get close."


    "The weird feeling was more than a random sixth sense, then?"


    Alex nodded. "The System registered me killing an Anomaly."


    Claire''s eyes lit up. "Oh. Like getting a title or something? If there''s any effect to your soul, then it''ll show up the next time you meditate."


    Along with my rewards for clearing the trial.


    "I suppose we''ll find out," Alex said. The last of the adrenaline from the fight seeped away, leaving him empty. "I kind of want to go see what kinds of monsters are around here."


    "Seriously? Take a break. Shouldn''t we at least check out the town and get some food? You need to eat, don''t you?"


    Alex scrunched his nose. "That does sound good, but we should be careful. I don''t know much about this world anymore. I''ve got no idea where we are or if people have some way to identify us. You definitely don''t look completely human, but you can pass if you pretend you''re wearing makeup."


    "Makeup?"


    "It''s like paint you put on your face," Alex said, gesturing vaguely to her lips. "Humans don''t have black lips. Also, most of us aren''t nearly that pale."


    "Thanks."


    "That wasn''t ¡ª well, I suppose it''s fine to take it as a compliment. Explaining how you look later might be a pain since I don''t imagine there''s just makeup lying around everywhere, but we''ll be fine for today. Let''s do like you said and go check the town out. I''m going to need food sooner rather than later."


    Claire nodded in agreement. "Yeah. What kind of food do humans eat anyway? I swear I''ve seen you guys eat everything, but you aren''t eating the grass. Where do you draw the line?"


    "My preferred diet is pizza and three-dollar chicken wings, but I get the feeling that those might not be so accessible anymore," Alex muttered. "We can eat pretty much anything with nutritional value."


    "So pizza and chicken wings are things with high amounts of nutritional value for humans?"


    "Er¡­ not really. They taste good, though." Alex cleared his throat. "Actually, that''s not really true either. They''re just cheap when you buy them frozen from the grocery store."


    A loud hum ripped through the air, biting into Alex''s ears like a striking snake. He stumbled and spun in search of an attacker. Claire did the same, pressing her back to his as they tried to figure out where the sound was coming from.


    "The hell is that?" Alex hissed.


    "I don''t know," Claire replied. "I hear it as well, though."


    Before Alex could ask what she was talking about, the air before him split with golden light.


    Local Announcement for Subsector 735


    As Part [2/3] of the System''s continued initialization, a number of settlements in this subsector have been selected to face increased amounts of monster aggression. This effect will last for 24 hours and will initialize in 2 days.


    Local Leaderboards will activate at the start of this event and populate according to individual performance.


    A beam of dim white energy erupted from the center of the town in front of them and carved up into the clouds. In the distance, Alex spotted another three lights appear. Tingles raced down his back.


    "I guess that answers the question of what places got selected," Claire said dryly.


    "Yup."


    "Guess that leaves us with two options. The message implied some settlements didn''t get selected, and this is definitely going to be dangerous. We could go find one of them¡­ or we could try to stick it out here." Claire glanced over at Alex, but her tone made it clear she knew the question was pointless. "With challenge comes reward, eh?"


    Alex grinned. He didn''t even have to answer. The two of them started down the hill for the town. It looked like they were going to need some backup, and he quite liked the sound of a Leaderboard.


    After all, it''s not going to be easy to get to the top, is it? And, if that''s the case¡­ there''s a reward waiting for me.

 Chapter 20: Number game

    The town was in a mild state of panic when Alex and Claire arrived. People had formed a large crowd in its center and were talking over each other in scared, aggressive tones that only grew louder with every passing second.Alex didn''t even bother trying to push his way through the mess. Nobody in the crowd knew anything more than he did about the initiation ¡ª and, even if they did, he wasn''t going to hear it over everyone yelling. Right now there was only one thing he wanted.


    Food.


    He scanned the buildings as he passed in hopes of finding a restaurant that had survived the apocalypse. Even if the world was ending, Alex highly doubted everyone would have immediately taken to their new life and started swinging swords around. A number of people, especially older ones, would probably try to stick to their routines and avoid having to fight anything.


    And as far as old professions go, people are never going to stop wanting to be lazy and eat food made by someone better at cooking than they are. There still has to be some form of restaurant or the like around, right?


    His prediction was correct. It only took a few minutes of walking through the town before he spotted the storefront of what looked to once have been an old Italian pizza place. It was a single, run-down story with murky glass windows. Beyond them were four wooden tables covered with old plaid tablecloths.


    There was only a single man in the restaurant. He had a bushy black beard and a potbelly that fought to escape the confines of his stained white shirt and pressed against the edge of the table, bunching up the tablecloth around it. The man sat at one of the tables, head rested in the palm of his hand, as he pushed an unseasoned pancake around on a cracked plate. Something about eating pancakes in a pizza store felt sacrilegious, but Alex pushed the door open anyway.


    The man glanced up from his meal. He wiped his nose with the back of a hand and a snort, then pushed back and rose to his feet with a grunt.


    Dorriv - Human (Novice 1)


    "You want something?" Dorriv asked. He spoke in a thick accent ¡ª Alex couldn''t quite place it, but it was definitely somewhere from eastern Europe. He hadn''t paid enough attention in geography or had anywhere near enough money to travel enough to say more.


    "Food, if you''re selling," Alex replied. His stomach rumbled to punctuate his words. Even Dorriv''s half-eaten food on the table looked like a feast fit for a king. He''d forgotten how starving he was. "I''m starving, and I''d kill for something edible."


    Dorriv grunted. He ambled over to an old gas stove at the back of the restaurant. He fished a box of matches out of his back pocket and lit one before twisting the knob to the burner. The stove ignited with a whoomp.


    He wordlessly clanged a stained pan onto the stove and grabbed a bowl of beige liquid sitting on the counter beside it, pouring it into the pan. Dorriv didn''t so much look back at them once.


    A few minutes later, he slapped a plate of pancakes down in front of Alex. They were covered with small burnt bits from previous attempts and were definitely a step past overdone, but he didn''t care.


    Alex shoved the food into his mouth with his hands, barely pausing to breathe. The rest of the world didn''t matter. All that he saw was pancake. He didn''t even remember to think about offering anything to Claire until he was on his last bite. Alex paused with his hand halfway to his mouth and glanced up for the first time since having started.


    "Did you want some?"


    "No, I think I''m fine," Claire said. "I''ve got my own food."


    Alex shrugged and popped the last scrap of food into his mouth and let out a satisfied sigh. "Thank you. I can''t tell you how much I needed that."


    Dorriv grunted again. He seemed to like doing that. "You''re a fighter. Need you both to fight."


    "You mean with the monsters? I take it you aren''t planning to participate in defending the town."


    The portly man shook his head and gestured to the air above Alex''s head. "Not a chance. You got a higher number than I do. Means you''ve already been fighting. I don''t fight. I make food. I don''t want to get turned into it."


    "So you''re just hoping the others will defend the town?" Claire asked. It was clear what she thought of that particular plan.


    Dorriv shrugged in response. "Have no choice. Don''t really care. This isn''t my town. My shop, but not my town."


    "What do you mean?" Alex asked, but he got the feeling he already knew. The odd combination of buildings outside, especially with so many of them looking like they''d just been grabbed from a larger building¡­


    "I lived in the outskirts of Detroit," Dorriv said. He gestured vaguely around himself. "This isn''t Detroit."


    "Holy shit. The cities all got minced together?" Alex asked, his eyes going wide.


    "Not all," Dorriv said with a shake of his head. "Traveler came through here this morning. Came from Los Angeles. Sounds like most of it survived intact. But small places? Some got minced up."


    What else did the apocalypse cause? It''s only been a day or two since the system initiated, but I already feel like a fish out of water.


    "We were out camping when the world ended," Alex said with a nod to Claire. "Figured we''d just die in the nature, but we decided we wanted to live instead. Did we miss anything else big like that local announcement a few minutes ago? Is there something else that changed in the cities beside¡­ well, the obvious, I guess?"


    Dorriv ambled back over to his table and flopped down in his chair. It creaked dangerously under his weight as he took a bite of his pancakes. "Here? We just got tossed together like a bunch of hamsters. The traveler from Los Angeles said the big cities were a bit different, but I wasn''t interested in his story. I was busy drinking myself under the table at the time. He headed over to something he called a dungeon to the north of town."


    Okay, that''s not too bad. I''m not behind, then. It seems like some other people have already gotten close to my rank if Dorriv hasn''t mentioned anything about me being Novice 3. That means it might be difficult to get at the top of the leaderboard if I leave things as they are. I can''t waste any time.


    And a dungeon¡­ that sounds like a great place to get some challenge and get stronger before this event starts.


    "Did the traveler come back?" Alex asked. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Dorriv shook his head sadly. "Not here. Figure he got killed."


    "Probably. Oh, hold on. I have a few dollars here somewhere to pay for my meal with," Alex said. He reached for the money he''d taken from Jackson.


    Dorriv let out a bark of laughter and waved his hand. "Forget it. Just kill some of those¡­ things. My restaurant is my house now. I don''t have many ingredients left, but it''s all I''ve got. Keep it standing and I''ll consider the debt paid."


    "I''ll do what I can," Alex said ¡ª and he meant it. If he was going to get to the top of the Local Leaderboards, he had to protect as much of the ramshackle town as possible. "Come on, Claire. Let''s get going."


    She blinked, then nodded and followed after him as he headed out of the restaurant.


    "Shouldn''t we find somewhere to rest?" Claire asked. "Perhaps an inn?"


    Alex came to a stop a in the shadow of what appeared to be a chunk of a skyscraper. He glanced over his shoulder at Claire. "Rest, yes. But I''m not sure we should do it here. I don''t have a way to hide my rank like you do. I don''t know what other people are going to try to do, but someone could try to take out the strong competition before the event starts."


    Claire''s eyes widened. "That would be horrible. Nobody can handle a horde on their own. What idiot would do that?"


    "You really don''t know much about humans, do you?" Alex''s lips curled up in amusement. "Are Dhampirs just normally saints or something? There''s always someone waiting to take advantage of things in a crisis. I don''t think most people are like that, but it only takes one."


    "I ¡ª well, you''re probably right," Claire said with a sigh and a wince. "I was a little sheltered when the apocalypse hit. By the time things really got moving, all the initial fallout had ended. I must have just missed it."


    "We can come back to the town later and try to get some proper rest, but there''s still daylight left," Alex said as he started walking again, heading out of the town. He wanted to be on the move before the crowd broke. "Didn''t you say you were doing a dungeon before you fell into the Mirrorlands?"


    "Yeah," Claire said.


    "How difficult was it? Doable for two people?"


    "Depends on the dungeon, I think. I had a larger group, but we weren''t having too much trouble in the one we did. I heard some other people had it a lot harder."


    I should have expected that. It''s almost as if the System is modeled after a game ¡ª though, given that first message we got, it''s pretty clear it''s manufactured. By who or why, I don''t know, but it doesn''t matter.


    I knew I should have spent more time playing RPGs instead of studying for those damn useless classes.


    "Great. Let''s go check this one out, then. It''s a huge opportunity," Alex said, rubbing his hands together. "We can check it out and then head back to get some rest in a proper room after. How about that?"


    "If you''re sure, then fine. Did you want to meditate first? We just killed someone pretty strong. It might have netted us enough power to get to the next level in our rank. Also, is your wound healed yet?"


    "No? Why would it be¡ª" Alex cut himself off as he touched the spot on his side where Jackson had cut him. It didn''t hurt. He pulled his shirt back, blinking in surprise. The wound was gone. There wasn''t even a slight scar anymore.


    "Huh. Yeah, it is. How''d you know? Could you smell the lack of blood or something?"


    "No. The stronger you are, the harder you are to hurt and the faster you heal. Even at early Novice levels, the healing is reasonably accelerated. It gets even faster after you eat and give yourself more calories to burn while recovering."


    "Huh. Convenient."


    Claire nodded in agreement. "Yep. So you''re probably in shape to keep moving, but are you sure you don''t want to meditate first? You didn''t say."


    Alex considered her question for a moment. He very well might have gotten enough, but reaching the next level would also make him stronger. Getting stronger meant the challenge was lower.


    Not to say I don''t want to get stronger, but I need to balance it. Especially early on, I''ve got a lot of opportunity to get a lot of strength quickly by limiting my growth and increasing the challenge. As long as I don''t hold myself back so much that I just get killed, it''s better to see what I can do as I am now. Besides, I don''t know what the reward for clearing that trial will be. It might mess stuff up. I want to get as far as I can as I am now before I accept any gifts or whatever it is I got.


    "I''ll do it tonight," Alex decided. "I want to see how dangerous the dungeon is first. If it''s relatively weak, leveling up will just make it worth less."


    Claire inclined her head. "I probably should have expected that answer. You aren''t wrong, though. Doing this with just two people is going to be either a really smart move or a really dumb one."


    "Oh?" Alex raised an eyebrow. "How do we know which one it is?"


    "If we survive or not."


    "Good metric. What do you think our odds are?"


    "Considering where we came from?" Claire gave Alex a dangerous smile. "I''m not as insane as you are, but I remember how things were pretty early on. Compared to the Mirrorlands, this will be manageable. Hard for just two people, but manageable."


    They walked for a minute in silence before another thought struck Alex.


    "Say, did you ever complete a dungeon?" He asked, tilting his head to the side. "Because from my¡­ somewhat unrelated knowledge, I''m under the impression you get rewards for beating them."


    "Yeah, I did. And you do," Claire said with a nod. "Depends on the dungeon and who did it. And the System. You know how it is by now."


    "Yeah, I think I do," Alex said. Excitement built in his stomach as a plan started to piece itself together. It was still too early to act on anything ¡ª he needed more information about what they were up against first.


    Challenging himself was only useful if it was calculated challenge. He wasn''t about to fling himself to his death. But¡­ if his guess was correct, this dungeon would probably be relatively easy for a large group.


    That meant it would be difficult for two people. Difficult, but probably possible.


    And if two people can do it¡­ I wonder if one can?

 Chapter 21: Steel Crusher

    Alex and Claire found the dungeon after about thirty minutes of walking.It hadn''t been a particularly difficult endeavor. The dungeon stuck out like a sore thumb¡ª literally. A large brown cave entrance jutted out of the ground, about twice Alex''s height and wide enough for six or seven people to enter it side by side. A faint scent of flora and honey wafted from its entrance, though Alex couldn''t place what was causing it.


    The cave only went about fifteen feet deep before coming to a stop before a swirling green disk of energy. His fingertips tingled in its presence. It felt vaguely familiar to the energy in the portal they''d taken to escape the Mirrorlands. As they approached the dungeon, Alex paused.


    Beside the cave, jutting from the lush grass, was a polished white plaque just a little bit shorter than him. It glistened in the afternoon sun and was completely devoid of marring or damage.


    "It''s the dungeon history," Claire said, guessing his question before it could even form on his lips. "There''s one in front of every dungeon. They keep track of people who have completed the dungeon as well as the extent of how much was completed. I''ve never managed to get on one, so I have no idea if you get something extra for it."


    "Wow. You got both of my questions in one," Alex said.


    "Not that I don''t like compliments, but they weren''t really hard to guess. You kind of have a one-track mind."


    "Yeah, that''s a fair assessment," Alex admitted. He chewed his lower lip in thought. "I didn''t think there would be a portal to get into the dungeon. Can we leave after entering?"


    "Yeah. You could leave all the ones I entered, at least. You just have to be in contact with whoever you''re entering the dungeon with or you might get started at different locations. And don''t ask me how big dungeons are ¡ª I think it depends on the individual dungeon. I don''t know for sure. I really didn''t get that much time poking around in them before¡­ well, you know."


    "Well, only one way to find out, then. Shall we?"


    "Shouldn''t you summon Glint first?"


    "If we have to be in contact? I''ll pass. He''d cut me in half on accident. I''ll summon him when we get inside."


    Claire nodded. They approached the swirling portal and stood before it for a second. Energy prickled against Alex''s face and his eyebrows itched. It felt like standing in front of a river of electricity. Oddly enough, the portal was completely silent. He''d have expecting a faint hissing or¡­ well, anything, but there was nothing but silence.


    He shook his head and extended a hand to Claire. She took it, and the two of them stepped forward. Their skin touched the green energy and there was a loud pop. A sharp jolt shot through Alex''s body and he drew in a surprised hiss.


    By the time it had finished, his foot had fallen on solid ground ¡ª but he was no longer in the cave.


    He and Claire were surrounded by greenery. A smattering of trees were scattered around them along with a number of thick rose bushes and other heavy foliage. There wasn''t quite enough to be called a forest, but it wasn''t far from one either.


    A clear blue sky rose overhead. It would have looked just like the outside world if it weren''t for the fact that there wasn''t a single cloud in the sky, nor was there a sun. It was just blue.


    The illusion was further broken by two doorways, one to their right and one in front of them. They were pitch black and looked more like gaping holes in reality than passages. A system message scrawled across the air at the top of Alex''s vision.


    Razor Forest (Novice)


    The words faded away as quickly as they had arrived, but the message was enough to snap him out of his momentary distraction. He couldn''t afford to stand around gaping like a tourist. He pressed a hand to the deck at his waist. It had just barely been an hour since Glint had last died and he could no longer feel the monster''s powers.


    "Glint, come out."


    A crunch split the air to his side. The Shardwalker stepped out from a cracked portal that quickly knitted itself shut behind him. Glint turned to Alex, patiently awaiting his next order.


    "Defend me from anything that attacks," Alex said.


    Glint''s mirrored claws glistened in the light. He had no idea where the light was actually coming from. It just seemed to be omnipresent ¡ª but now wasn''t the time to worry about that. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There were a lot of places for something to hide. Even though it was bright, all the thick tree trunks or the dense bushes could provide a lot of cover. Claire lowered into a fighting stance beside him, drawing her sword, and the two of them scanned the room.


    "I don''t see anything," Claire muttered. "Why can''t monsters just stand around and wait for us to pop up?"


    "I''m sure they do somewhere, but you can''t blame them for hiding with all this good cover," Alex said. "And at least we know the dungeon is Novice tier. At least we aren''t going to run into some untouchable monster like the ones we were seeing in the Mirrorlands."


    "Yeah. Small victories. Why do you sound slightly disappointed about that?"


    "I plead the fifth."


    "The what?"


    A flicker of motion behind a tree a short distance in front of them caught Alex''s eye. Claire spotted it too because they both fell silent and turned as one. For a second, the only sound was the gentle rustle of leaves.


    Actually, isn''t it a bit odd for the leaves to be rustling? There''s nowhere for wind to come from or leave. We''re in a room. Is it coming from the exits? Or is the dungeon just making it?


    He shoved the idle thoughts out of his head. Novice tier was still more than enough to kill him or Claire, especially if the monsters were on the middle or upper end of the tier. He was not about to get killed because he was daydreaming.


    "Glint, can you spot anything?" Alex whispered.


    The Shardwalker didn''t respond. That really wasn''t much of a surprise. Alex''s lips thinned and he scanned the forest, subconsciously holding in a breath. There were definitely monsters with them. If there was one, it was wise to assume there were more. He just had to find out where ¡ª


    Glint leapt. Alex stumbled back as the small monster slammed into a green form, intercepting it before it could reach him, and tumbled to the ground in a cacophony of hisses and snarls.


    The fight was so short that Alex didn''t even get a chance to see the monster''s level. Glint rose, the bloodied body of a small squirrel-esque monster lying ripped to shreds at his feet. It had greenish fur and beady black eyes. Its mouth wasn''t quite large enough to contain all of the large teeth within it. A tiny green flame rose up from the monster''s body and flickered above it.


    "Not very strong, but hard as shit to see," Claire observed. "I think Glint just saved your ass from a nasty bite."


    Alex didn''t get a chance to reply. The leaves rustled and he spotted a pair of eyes staring at him from within a nearby bush.


    Razor Squirrel - (Novice 1)


    Alex spotted four more of them in rapid succession. There weren''t just a few of the small rodents in the room. It was positively chock full of them.


    "That''s a lot of squirrels," Alex muttered. He glanced around in search of some sort of a weapon. Even a loose branch would have been useful, but there wasn''t anything near them. The squirrels weren''t strong, but with numbers like this, they were still a threat.


    "I hope you don''t like cute things too much," Claire said.


    "You think these are cute?" Alex asked, momentarily taken aback. "They''re hideous."


    "They''re cute in an ugly¡ª"


    The squirrels didn''t seem to take kindly to the insult. Small green forms leapt out from all around them, charging to avenge their fallen brethren.


    Alex jumped back, narrowly avoiding a squirrel that whistled past his face. He cursed as one grabbed onto his pant leg and started clawing its way up. Glint carved another one from the air as it jumped at him.


    He grabbed the rodent on his pants and it bit into his palm. Cursing in pain, Alex pelted it into the ground. The monster hit it with a crunch, dying instantly. Claire had put down several of the rabid little creatures herself, but there were still more of them coming.


    One leapt at Alex from the trees. He reared back and swung his fist, punching it straight in the face. There was a mildly satisfying crunch and the monster flew back into a bush. A steady stream of energy ¡ª minimal, but still noticeable ¡ª flowed into him as he and Claire fought their way through the forest as it came alive.


    But, as many squirrels as there were, the monsters weren''t truly a threat. Despite the nasty bite that one had given him and a few more scratches he collected fighting the little bastards off, they were a lot less dangerous than they looked.


    It didn''t help that they had the resilience of the average household hamster. That didn''t stop the hatred in their beady little eyes when they leapt at him, but his fists certainly did.


    The assault ended as suddenly as it had begun. After just a few minutes of fighting, Alex and Claire were left panting and slightly scratched up in a once-again still forest. Razor squirrel corpses littered the ground around them.


    Glint didn''t look like he''d even gotten scratched once. Alex wasn''t sure if that was because he''d avoided the monsters or if they just hadn''t even bothered attacking him.


    "That was¡­ really annoying," Claire concluded. She dropped the body of a squirrel she''d drained of blood and wiped her mouth with the back of a hand, her lips curling in distaste. "You''re not hurt, are you? These things are gross. I don''t want to drink from them."


    "Nah. I''m fine. Just some scratches. A number of them, but nothing serious. Nothing bleeding too badly." Claire scrunched her nose. His eyes narrowed. "Are you disappointed I didn''t get injured? You''re spoiled."


    "Hey, you''d heal. I was hoping for a snack, but those scratches are already patching up. I don''t want to eat a scab. That''s just gross."


    "How is it any different from normal blood?"


    "It''s crunchy."


    Alex decided not to argue the semantics of eating blood with the literal expert. He just shrugged. "Suit yourself. Glint, collect all those little souls the squirrels left behind. No point wasting them."


    The Shardwalker didn''t hesitate to comply. He went around, grabbing the miniscule green motes of energy and popping them into his mouth like jelly beans.


    "Shall we go deeper, then?" Claire asked. "The first room wasn''t too bad. We could probably get more."


    "I don''t see why not," Alex said. "How are you holding up? Not too tired? You were in the Mirrorlands a lot longer than me."


    "I''m fine," Claire said. "The blood you gave me helped a lot. Maybe we do one more room, see how it goes?"


    "You don''t have to ask me twice."


    He stepped through the foliage along with Claire and Glint in the direction of the nearest black, doorway shaped hole in reality. The three of them kept their guard up as they walked in case more monsters were lying in wait.


    They arrived at the door uncontested.


    "Do we have to go through together?" Alex asked.


    Claire shook her head. "No. These portals should all be directly connected. They always send you to the same spot."


    "Great. Let''s go, then. Hopefully the next room is a bit more interesting."


    They all stepped through the portal. The world changed in a flash and the smell of flora hit Alex like a punch to the jaw. It had been strong before, but now it was so thick in the air that it was impossible to ignore.


    Tiny motes of yellow pollen hung in the air, held aloft by a faint wind that swirled through the room. He craned his neck back, his eyes widening, as he took in the room before him.


    Brilliant pink hues and sunset oranges intermixed in the car-sized petals of a flower that loomed over two stories above him. Its stem was as thick as a tree trunk and covered with large thorns the length of his arm.


    It wasn''t the only one. Massive flowers towered in the air, a painter''s swathe of color. Some were as tall as the first, while others were only a little taller than him. They all moved gently to and fro as the wind rustled through them. Their shadows shifted in an inscrutable dance across the ground, causing the room to flicker between light and darkness.


    Alex bit back a sneeze as the sweet pollen in the air tickled his nostrils. The awe filling him faltered as he caught a glimpse of something sharp jutting out of a nearby flower. It had been trampled, its stem snapped by something equally as huge. And, jutting from its stamen, were rows upon rows of pointed teeth.


    "The flowers are the monsters," Alex whispered. The System hadn''t identified them yet, but that didn''t change anything. Normal flowers didn''t take bites out of things. He went to take a step forward and Claire''s hand clamped down on his arm. He glanced back at her. "What is it?"


    "Blood," Claire said in a taut whisper, her eyes narrowed and tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth in concentration. "I smell it. A lot of it."


    "Where?" Alex lowered his voice as well and glanced into the forest of flowers, their shadows now far more ominous than before.


    She shook her head and squinted into the wall of towering flora swaying before them. "I don''t know. The pollen is too thick. I can''t tell for sure¡­ but it''s there. I know the smell of blood."


    Alex wasn''t about to question a Dhampir over their ability to locate food. "Let''s take it slow, then. See what we''re up against."


    Claire nodded and the two of them crept away from the portal, making their way toward the ominous flowers. As they drew closer to the huge stems, Alex caught something poking out from behind one of the large stems out of the corner of his eye.


    His breath caught in his throat. It was a human leg, and they weren''t moving. Claire spotted it a moment after he did. They exchanged a wordless glance and she lowered her stance, keeping her sword held before her as they moved to the side to get a better view of the body.


    Maybe they''re still ¡ª


    Alex''s thoughts died before they could finish forming. The leg was attached to the body of a young man, but there was no doubt that he was dead. His neck had been wrung like a washcloth. Sightless eyes stared up into the dancing petals far overhead.


    He wasn''t alone.


    Tossed across the ground amidst streaks of blood and viscera were two other brutalized corpses. Every single one of them had been¡­ wrung. There was just no other word for it. Alex''s eyes lifted from the bodies as desperate, wheezing chokes reached his ears through the rustling of the flower petals.


    A man that could only have been described as unnaturally huge loomed above the bodies. His skin was a pale white, nearly bordering on translucent. Enormous muscle bulged through the blood-splattered tank top he''d squeezed into and dripped from the thick, sausage-like fingers of his left hand. His right was wrapped around the throat of a struggling woman, though his hand was big enough to nearly cover her face entirely.


    Before Alex could even think about doing anything, a sharp crack split the air. The woman dropped to the ground, her neck broken like a toothpick, denied any final words. She laid in a crumpled, lifeless heap.


    The man''s features were completely flat and devoid of all emotion. If Alex couldn''t see anything beneath his neck, he would have assumed the man had just gone to toss out the trash.


    Then he turned, and his beady black eyes locked onto Alex.


    Diego - Steel Crusher (Novice 6)

 Chapter 22: The Wait

    The wind stilled for an instant and the rustle of the petals abated with it, leaving the only sound in the forest of flowers the delicate drip of blood as it rolled down the huge man''s fingertips and pattered to a small pool at his feet."You weren''t here before," Diego said. He spoke as if he tasted every word as it left his lips, choosing them carefully and intentionally. The scent of blood wafted so strongly from the bodies around him that even Alex''s nose could pick it up. It mixed with the sweetness of the pollen and honeyed smells in the air, nearly making him retch on the spot. Diego didn''t even seem to notice it. "You aren''t from the town."


    Alex didn''t let himself take a step back. Showing fear to a predator was as good as lifting his jaw to expose his throat and closing his eyes to wait for the inevitable end ¡ª and there was no doubt about it. Diego was a predator.


    Even if the bodies hadn''t been strewn across the ground at his feet and blood painted across the pale canvas of his body, it would still have been as obvious as the color splashed across the petals of the flowers above them. Alex could see the hunger in Diego''s beady black eyes, the desire in his taut muscles.


    "What makes you say that?" Alex asked. Claire moved behind him and hunched her shoulders, but it wasn''t out of concern. It took her time to use the blood she''d gathered to change her form. She was trying to keep out of sight as she shifted for as long as possible.


    "I memorized the faces of everyone that adapted to the new world," Diego replied. He looked down at his right hand and rubbed his fingers together, looking mildly surprised at the blood covering his hands. His gaze lifted back to Alex. "You weren''t one of them."


    Ah, yes. The actions of a very sane man without any psychological issues whatsoever. How the hell did this guy get to Novice 6 already? He''s literally twice my level!


    "I''ve been traveling," Alex said. He longed to give Glint an order to attack, but he wasn''t even sure what order to give yet. Sending Glint at the man now would just result in the small monster getting crushed to a paste. This wasn''t a fight that could be won through brute force. He needed time. "How''d you hit Novice 6 so quickly? That''s impressive."


    A gentle smile passed over Diego''s features and he wiped his hands off on his shirt, leaving long, bloody streaks across the already soaked and torn material. "Found out that killing people is just as good as killing monsters. ''Specially the strong ones. So I did both."


    I suppose there''s no point denying it when I literally saw it happen.


    "I can tell," Alex said. Claire was still shifting behind him. If Diego noticed, he didn''t care. Perhaps he didn''t think there was anything a Novice 3 and 4 could do to him. He''d probably killed a number of other people their rank already. "This isn''t your first group, then?"


    Diego didn''t stop smiling. He just nodded. "You''re different from the others."


    "Is that so?"


    "You haven''t started running or screaming yet," Diego said. He drew in a deep breath through his nose and let out with a satisfied sigh. His eyelids fluttered and his fingers twitched. "Are you like me?"


    Exactly what I want to hear when staring down a literal psychopath.


    "I don''t know if anyone''s like you," Alex said honestly. He''d managed to keep his tone even thus far, but he wasn''t sure how much longer he could keep up the act. Every fiber in his body was screaming to pick a choice. To run or to fight ¡ª but to do something. Standing here and talking felt like dragging his nails across a chalkboard.


    "Phil always said that too." Diego''s head tilted to the side and hands clenched. The grass beneath his feet, soaked through with blood, squelched as he shifted his weight. "I think he was right. I wish he didn''t break so easily. I didn''t mean to break him. He was just so¡­ fragile."


    There''s no doubt that there''s something seriously wrong with this guy. I''m not sure he''s all there in the head¡­ but you''d probably have to be if you can do this to a group of random people.


    "I''m sorry to hear that," Alex said.


    "Oh, it''s okay. I got stronger after he died, so it''s fine," Diego said. He pressed a red hand to his chest. "He''s with me, now. In here. Just like the others."


    "I¡­ I''m sure he is. You must be tired after doing so much work. Maybe you should sit down and take a nap?" Alex suggested. "The grass looks really comfortable, and the breeze is great on my skin."


    "That''s fine. I''m not tired. I''ve never gotten to be outside for this long before," Diego said. Something in his gaze shifted and his eyes refocused like those of a cat staring down its prey. "You remind me of Phil."


    Something in Diego''s voice changed. It wasn''t the tone ¡ª he sounded physically the same. It was far more primal than that. Alex didn''t know what it was, but tingles raced down his spine as something deep within him screamed a warning.


    "Glint, protect me!" Alex yelled.


    At the same instant, Diego burst into motion. Blood splattered as he drove a foot into the ground and launched into a charge. His enormous form wasn''t anywhere near as fast as Alex was, but he still moved with terrifying speed.


    Glint ran to meet the charging train of a man, his mirrored claws shimmering in the light. It was like watching a mouse challenge a gorilla.


    "Prioritize survival!" Alex called as he grabbed Claire and threw both of them to the side in a sprawl of limbs to get out of Diego''s path.


    It proved to be the right move. He had no clue if Glint managed to reach Diego, but the ground beneath Alex bucked under the force of Diego''s heel driving into it. He rolled over just in time to see the huge man skid to a stop just feet away, his enormous mitts already reaching out for them.


    Claire''s sword carved down for Diego''s arms, clasped in clawed hands. A ripple of silver passed across his skin as her sword struck him and it rebounded with a resounding clang. She staggered back and Alex leapt to his feet. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Glint descended upon Diego an instant later. The monster leapt from behind him and clawed into his back, ripping and tearing at the huge man''s shoulder. His attempts failed to do anything other than scratch the gray that washed over the huge man''s body in response to the attacks. Diego roared and spun, forcing Alex to duck down to keep his head from being separated from the rest of his body and sent spinning through the air.


    He didn''t even try punching Diego. It would be like trying to fistfight a brick wall, even without whatever magic he had that let him harden his body. Alex just jumped back, keeping out of the large man''s reach while trying to retain his attention.


    "Have you never tried fighting someone that could actually hit back?" Alex taunted as Glint leapt away from Diego''s grasp, narrowly avoiding getting crushed.


    Claire slashed at him again, but once more his skin turned a metallic gray and her weapon rang off. She bounded back with impressive speed, easily avoiding Diego''s next attack, then dashed at him again in a conjoined attack with Glint.


    Alex saw the man shift his weight a moment too late. He went to call out a warning, but the other two were already upon Diego, who hadn''t even tried to dodge out of the way. Both of his hands flitted forward like striking snakes.


    He caught Glint between them. Several loud, metallic screeches rang out, followed by a crack. A flicker of pain flashed over Diego''s face and he cried out. He yanked his hands apart and dropped Glint''s crushed body to the ground, even as it transformed into a stream of energy and raced into Alex''s body.


    Blood ran from several deep puncture wounds in Diego''s palms. By squeezing Glint, he''d accidentally impaled himself on the monster''s sharp body, and his defense had failed to protect him.


    He''s only resistant to long, thin cuts, not sharp stabs with a lot of force behind them. Good job, Glint.


    "Stab him!" Alex yelled.


    Claire drove her sword for Diego''s side without a second of hesitation. He twisted to avoid it, but the weapon''s point still managed to bite an inch into his flesh before a huge hand slammed down onto the sword and sent it spinning from her grip.


    Diego reached out for Claire and she weaved back. He barely even seemed to notice. The huge man grabbed at the wound in his side and let out a whimper. "You stabbed me!"


    Alex dashed forward and drove his palm into Diego''s back, calling on Glint''s powers as they coursed through his body. Cold metal met his hand and a mirror shard thrust into Diego. It only managed to penetrate his defenses by half an inch, but that was enough to draw a cry of pain from him.


    Diving to the side, Alex hit the ground with a grunt. Wind rushed over his head in the wake of a deadly blow. A shadow passed over his head and he threw himself out of the way.


    Diego''s foot slammed down with far more force than any man should have been able to muster, no matter his size. The ground shuddered and a rock drove into Alex''s jaw, causing his teeth to crack against each other painfully.


    Alex rolled to the side and kicked at Diego''s leg. A spike of glass jutted out of his heel and punched through the bottom of his shoe before biting into Diego''s hamstring. The large man screamed and lurched back.


    The air around the mountain of a man rippled in a haze. Alex''s hair stood on end and he backpedaled. Claire did the same. Diego barely even seemed to notice. He lifted a foot and drove it down into the ground with a furious cry.


    A deep rumble shook the ground. The earth ruptured. Spikes of jagged stone erupted in a circle around Diego in a wave, rising up to impale anything around him. Alex tripped over a protruding root as he tried to dodge out of the way and went down with a pained grunt.


    The spikes ground to a halt just a foot away from him and he scrambled back to his feet, scanning for Claire. She''d also managed to avoid the attack and had climbed over the jutting spikes.


    Diego hadn''t noticed her yet. He''d bent over, seemingly having forgotten them, and clutching his wounded leg. Claire didn''t wait for him to remember their fight. She extended a hand toward him and her eyes narrowed in concentration.


    The blood covering Diego''s body rippled. It peeled away from him like a sheet, melting together into a thin spike. That finally caught his attention and he lifted his gaze just in time for Claire to send it driving straight into his chest, aiming for his heart.


    He lurched to the side at the last second and the spike slammed home into his solar plexus, drilling a thin hole into it. The blood splattered back across him as Claire''s control over it vanished and a primal roar ripped from Diego''s lips.


    Alex shifted his footing, swallowing. There was almost nothing left about Diego that resembled a human. The man''s eyes were wide and bloodshot. His breathing came in snarling, ragged gasps. He stood hunched, his hands flexed into claws at his sides as he jerked his head left and right, looking between Alex and Claire.


    It''s like he''s feral. What was that saying about not trying to fight something backed into a corner with nothing to lose? He''s wounded badly, but that''s not enough to end the fight.


    Alex formed a long, thin mirror spike from one finger and snapped it off. He held it in one hand and reared back, preparing to throw it. He wasn''t exactly a great shot ¡ª but Diego didn''t know that.


    Claire extended a hand and the blood around the big man swirled again, rising to form spikes all around him. She held them suspended in the air, waiting to make sure she actually landed a finishing blow instead of wasting her energy again.


    And then the three of them waited. The room was so silent that Alex could hear the drip of blood against the grass and the thump of his heart in his ears.


    This wasn''t a battle between civilized people anymore. Perhaps it had never been. Their primal instincts had been laid bare and were the only thing that remained.


    Nobody spoke, but the same truth had imprinted itself into every single one of their minds. Whoever made the first wrong move would lose ¡ª and whoever moved first was the most likely to make a mistake.


    And so they waited. They waited to see whose self-control would crack first. To see who would waste their move and expose an opening.


    They waited to see who would die.

 Chapter 23: Conviction

    Alex was wrong.He''d been convinced that there had only been two outcomes to the fight.


    The first ¡ª he or Claire made the mistake.


    The second ¡ª Diego did.


    But, as it turned out, there was a third move. One that he hadn''t even considered. Diego took one look at them, the blood painted across his body now hanging above him like the sword of Damocles. His wild eyes danced around the room like the wind that had vanished at some point during their fight. He leaned onto one leg, the muscles in it bunching. Wet ground squished beneath his weight.


    Then he exploded into motion.


    Not toward Alex or Claire, but toward the exit of the dungeon. Claire yanked her hand down and Alex flung his makeshift weapon. Alex''s throw went wide while Claire''s blood only managed to scrape him, the majority of its damage blocked entirely by the metallic gray that swam up beneath his skin.


    Diego threw himself through the portal, vanishing without so much as another word. A breeze rolled through the forest and the flower petals above them. Alex and Claire stared at each other.


    "He¡­ ran?" Claire asked, stunned. Her hands lowered slightly and she took a step away from a flower that was just a little bit too close to her. Diego had taken their full attention, but neither of them had forgotten that at least one of the flowers in the room had teeth.


    "I didn''t think that was something you could do," Alex said, taking his breath back from the adrenaline gripping his system. He felt as jittery as a child overfed Adderall. After a steadying breath, he swallowed and stared at the exit. "Is it possible he''s lying in wait? Laying a trap?"


    "Could be," Claire said slowly. "How good is the human nervous system? Can you remain in a state of suspended tension for a long period of time?"


    "No. Not most people," Alex said. He just wasn''t all that certain that Diego qualified as most people. He looked down at the brutalized bodies scattered across the ground around them. The smell of death was rancid. It was blood and bodily fluid and sweat layered with sweet pollen and honey.


    Claire was still in her shifted form. Her fingers were elongated and pointed, her features sharper and more angular. But, even as Alex watched, she shook herself off like a wet dog. Her body returned to its normal form and she shuddered.


    "Staying changed that long used a lot of my reserves. I''d have tried to drain him, but¡­"


    "Yeah. You didn''t want to get close for long enough to try." Alex hadn''t forgotten what Diego had done to Glint. Claire had definitely made the right call there. "Are you going to run out soon? We could press deeper into the dungeon and try to find you something to drink from."


    "I''m fine. Don''t need more right now, or you might end up too drained to fight. And going deeper is a terrible idea," Claire said with a firm shake of her head. "Challenge is one thing, but I don''t know where Diego is or what he''s planning. If he shows up while we''re in the middle of a fight, it''s over for us."


    Alex grimaced. Claire was correct. The large Novice 6 was just too powerful. But, at the same time, he wasn''t actually displeased with how the fight had gone at all. Between the two of them, they''d forced a considerably more powerful opponent to retreat.


    I''m not so sure we actually would have been able to kill him. It''s beyond fortunate that Diego wasn''t entirely all there in the head. It all boils down to the same ironclad fact that I''ve known ever since arriving in the Mirrorlands.


    I need to get stronger.


    "What''s that look on your face?" Claire asked suspiciously. "Don''t tell me¡ª"


    "No, no. I''m not that stupid." Alex raised his hands in surrender. Pollen prickled at his nose. He grimaced and wiped it with the back of a sleeve. "Going deeper is a bad move. We should get back to the town. We need to recover."


    And I need to come back here once I''m healed up and Glint is ready again. I still haven''t given up on clearing this thing as I am. We''ve got a good grasp of how strong the monsters here are, and they''re well within reason. I can handle it. At least, I think I can. If I''m wrong, I''ll be dead. Then I won''t have to worry about it.


    "Which brings us right back to the first problem," Claire said. She chewed her lower lip in thought and shifted from foot to foot, eyeing the door at the edge of the room like it was about to grow teeth and lunge at her. "What do you think the chances are he''s just sitting there and waiting?"


    "Well, if we wait for about an hour, we can find out. I can send Glint through."


    "That¡­ might work, actually. I don''t love the idea of sitting around in a dungeon room and doing nothing for an hour. It looks like the previous group that came through here cleared it out before they got killed, but you can never know. It''s still safer than just strolling through and hoping that huge bleedin'' bastard isn''t just waiting for us to come out."


    And so it was decided. Alex and Claire sat down a healthy distance away from the flowers, keeping an eye on the door and forest alike, and waited.


    ***


    An hour later, Alex sent Glint back through the door with a simple set of instructions to return immediately if the previous room was empty. The Shardwalker stepped into the darkness, then emerged again just a few seconds later.


    It looked like Diego had left ¡ª or at the very least, he wasn''t in the first room of the dungeon. Alex and Claire took the portal, then sent Glint before them once more to the outside of the dungeon.


    There was no way to guarantee that Shardwalker would actually return to the same entry room, but he didn''t need to. Alex just gave him orders to try and kill Diego if Glint spotted him outside.


    Glint would hopefully get a little more damage off before he died if the giant were sitting around in wait for them. And, if he died, then they''d know that Diego or another threat was lying in wait.


    Several seconds ticked by after the Shardwalker headed through the portal but nothing happened. It didn''t look like he''d had any trouble. After exchanging a glance, Alex and Claire headed out of the dungeon.


    All that awaited them outside was a slight chill and a small breeze. The sun had started to make its way toward the base of the horizon and had cast the world in a yellow-orange hue. Glint stood outside the dungeon, waiting patiently beside the blank white headstone. Large footsteps led away from the entrance and off into the distance in the opposite direction of town. Several small trails of blood followed after the steps.


    "Looks like he really did just run," Claire said. She crouched beside the footstep and touched a patch of blood with a finger. "Immediately, at that. It''s dry."


    "So I take it that means you aren''t going to¡­"


    Claire''s eyes narrowed. She stood back up and brushed her hands off on her pants. "No. I''m not eating dry blood unless I''ve got no other choice. If you''re so concerned with me getting to eat, you''re welcome to rectify the situation yourself."


    "Let''s put that one on the backburner unless we''ve got no other choice." Alex''s nose scrunched in distaste and he shook his head. "Come on. Let''s head back to town and get some rest. We''ve only got two days until the system event starts."


    "You don''t have to tell me that. I''m more than happy to get some rest. I''ve definitely got enough energy to advance to the next level," Claire said with a relieved sigh. "Let''s go."


    ***


    Alex banished Glint as they crossed the last hill and drew up to the town. The sun was just minutes from setting beneath a low cover of clouds that had moved in during their walk back and it reflected off the windows from the stolen pieces of skyscrapers, illuminating the town in a sea of dancing lights.


    It''s beautiful, in an eerie way. Like watching a disco for ghosts.


    The chill had grown stronger during their trip back, and it was now a step into uncomfortable territory. Alex shivered and rubbed an arm as they headed past the outer buildings and toward the center of town.


    Unsurprisingly, the crowd from before had largely dispersed. A few people were still wandering around the center of town and speaking in hushed, scared voices, fearful to break the silence that the night had brought with it.


    The only real point of any noise was a surprisingly undamaged several-story building that looked like it had once been an apartment or an office. It didn''t have any identifying signage on it, but the door was open and light poured out from inside it along with muted conversation.


    Alex and Claire headed toward it without a word. There really didn''t seem to be much other place to go. They had to meet the residents of the town eventually. And at the very least, Alex wanted to see who his competition for the upcoming challenge would be.


    They stepped into a moderately crowded lobby of what had definitely once been an apartment. White tile, stained by dirt and scratch marks, lined the floor. Faded wallpaper curled off the drywall. Men and women had gathered around several large leather couches that probably cost as much as Alex''s college tuition near the center of the room. In stark contrast, the light came from several large lanterns that had been hung along the walls. They looked completely out of place. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Did the System put those here? Or did someone just have a lantern collection they were waiting to whip out?


    Almost instantly, Alex realized that these weren''t the same people that had been panicking just a few hours earlier. Of all the names floating before his eyes, almost everyone was at least Novice 3.


    The majority of the people were on the younger side, and they all sported weapons and armor of various sorts. If they hadn''t all been real, Alex would have thought he''d stumbled into a particularly dedicated LARPing convention.


    They only made it a few steps into the room before a rather tall, muscled man with tanned skin and a large axe strapped to his back spotted them and rose from his spot on the couch. He looked a little older than college aged and had definitely seen the inside of a gym more than his own home. He brushed his light blonde hair out of his relatively handsome face and raised a hand in greeting.


    Ben - Cleaver (Novice 3)


    "New faces?" Ben asked with a charismatic grin. "You''ve got damn good timing. Were you in the area when the system message went off?"


    "Yeah," Alex said. "I''m Alex. This is Claire. How are things looking? We were trying out the dungeon."


    Ben coughed into a fist. Several other people glanced in their direction. Everyone was concentrated in a pretty small area, so it wasn''t hard to eavesdrop.


    "Oh, really? How''d it go? I''ve been mostly sticking to roaming monsters," Ben said. "They''re way easier to deal with."


    I haven''t seen a single one of those yet. They must be way less common than monsters in dungeons. I wonder if that''s because the system hasn''t fully initiated yet.


    "It¡­ wasn''t good," Alex said with a grimace. "We found four dead people when we got there. A massive guy called Diego killed them all."


    The room went quiet. That had gotten everyone''s attention. Stares bored into Alex and Claire from every direction.


    "You''re shitting me." Ben''s smile fell away. "On your mother?"


    "Why would I lie about something like this? He damn near killed us as well. He''s Novice 6."


    Concerned murmurs ran through the room.


    "How?" one man asked.


    "Forget how. Why?" A Novice 4 woman said, driving a fist into her palm. "The world''s gone to hell and some crazed monster is fucking murdering people?"


    "If we''re being honest, it''s not really surprising," a Novice 4 man with a longsword said, identified by the System as Isaiah. His jaw clenched and he went to spit on the ground before catching himself and settling for shaking his head. "It''s disgusting. I knew some people went to the dungeon earlier today. I was wondering what was taking them so long. We can''t afford to lose anyone right now. We needed their strength. This is going to cause trouble for us."


    "Forget just trouble," Ben exclaimed. "They''re more than just numbers, Isaiah. Four people are dead!"


    "And a whole lot more are going to be dead by the time this event is done," Isaiah said with a sigh. "If you don''t understand that, you''re going to be one of them."


    Ben''s jaw clenched. Alex half expected him to start yelling, but Ben just exhaled heavily through his nose. "I hate that you''re right, but you''re right. I think we''ve all gotten enough proof of that. Can you describe this Diego character? I don''t know anyone by that name that passed through the town."


    They''re¡­ actually smarter than I thought they would be. I totally thought the people here would be completely disorganized and at each other''s throats or something, but they''re actually handling things logically. Maybe I was just a little arrogant with how stupid I expected people to be.


    That or most of the stupid ones that were in this backwater area are already dead and the others are just biding their time.


    "You can''t miss him," Claire said. "He''s giant, probably half a foot taller than you are. Maybe a bit more. More muscle than a gorilla and he''s clearly insane. He''s also got an ability that makes it really difficult to cut him. Stabbing works better. Kind of."


    "Lovely," Ben said, his voice taut. "Thanks for the information, Alex, Claire. Where''d you hail from?"


    "We were camping when the apocalypse hit," Alex said, sticking to his previous story. "Turns out, that wasn''t the smartest move."


    The corner of Ben''s mouth twitched. It was clear he wasn''t in much of a laughing mood. "No, I don''t suppose it was. You didn''t run into a bloke called Kaze, did you?"


    "No," Alex replied with a shake of his head. "Why?"


    "Ah. Figured you might have seen him. He''s a bit reclusive, but he''s damn good at killing monsters. Ran into him outside town a while ago, figured he might have been camping as well. It doesn''t matter. Well, if you''re planning to stick around for the event, we can use all the help we can get. Any more fighters are more than welcome."


    "That''s our plan," Claire said.


    "Do you happen to have an extra room or two? We''ve been fighting pretty much all day and really need to get some rest," Alex added.


    "Sure thing. I can''t blame you." Ben turned to a bearded man resting on one of the counters in the corner of the lobby. He raised his hand to get the man''s attention. "Timothy, could you grab me a key?"


    The other man nodded and rifled through a drawer before tossing a metal key over.


    "Room 221," Timothy said in a gravelly smoker''s voice.


    Ben snagged it out of the air and handed it to Alex. "Here. We don''t really have that much room and we''re trying to conserve as much space as possible. We''re lucky this apartment complex was fifty years behind the times and still used normal keys. The stairs are in the back."


    "Thanks," Alex said. "Trade what information we''ve got tomorrow?"


    "Sounds like a plan. The more we can put together, the more chance more of us survive this shitshow," Ben said as he blew out a sigh. "Does anyone want to volunteer for that guard we were discussing? It sounds like we''re going to need it."


    Alex and Claire walked off as the people in the room started to speak once more, trying to figure out how to prepare for the approaching event and deal with the new threats cropping up everywhere.


    The stairs, a small passageway that wasn''t even wide enough to fit two people side by side and smelled of mildew and dust, were where Ben had indicated. But, as they started up them, Alex''s mind wasn''t on their room.


    In a few hours, after he''d gotten a little energy back and the other people had retired to rest in preparation for the next day, his plans would finally be allowed to start.


    Today, he''d nearly died. If Diego hadn''t fled from their fight, either Alex or Claire almost certainly would have. The thought twisted his stomach. He didn''t want to die ¡ª but the early days of anything new were always the most important. This was the gold rush for power. This was the path he''d chosen. Taking the risks now to enable him to survive in the future. To thrive in the future.


    Challenge led to strength. The monsters on Earth weren''t as strong as the ones in the Mirrorlands. That meant the challenge was different. It was still there ¡ª but it wouldn''t come from facing an opponent with overwhelming strength. After all, Claire had said people had been able to clear the dungeon in groups before in her world, and she was Novice 3.


    That meant the monsters in this world were weak enough that he could fight them as he was now. The advantage Glint gave him made that fact even more true. Stopping to get even stronger before the next dungeon would mean he also made the challenge easier¡­ before he even saw if he could handle it as he was now. It could deprive him of potential strength in the future just to make a fight now easier, and there was no point surviving a fight today just to end up getting killed the next day.


    If he wanted to truly succeed in the apocalypse, he had to take risks. Those risks could come at the cost of death, but that was a cost he had no choice but to accept if he wanted to be anything more than another body in the crowd.


    Tonight, he would solo a dungeon ¡ª or die trying.

 Chapter 24: Enter the dungeon

    Room 221 was only slightly larger than a walk-in closet. A wood-framed bed sat beneath a stained window and upon a floor of ratty gray carpet. It had thin white sheets that had been yellowed by either age, stains, or a combination of the two.A single pillow had been propped up on its end. It had no pillow cover and wasn''t in much better shape than the rest of the bed. There was a small desk of matching wood to the left of the bed, wedged into the corner of the room.


    The entire room was laden with the heavy scent of dust. It covered the walls and completely obscured the surface of the desk in a thin gray blanket.


    And that was it.


    "Seriously?" Claire muttered as Alex closed the door behind them with a squeak. "I think I found another difference between our worlds. What''s the point of a desk if we don''t get a chair? Am I supposed to sit on the air?"


    "I''d say this isn''t the standard, but I don''t know what things are like anymore," Alex replied, but his attention was only half there. He fiddled with the doorknob. Despite having closed, the door hadn''t made a single noise when it had closed. Annoyance passed over his features and he jiggled the handle aggressively. It finally clicked shut, a mispositioned bolt sliding into place. He blew out a sigh and released the knob. He wiped his hand off on his pant leg and turned to look at the room again. "Man. That is rough."


    "Another question. I don''t suppose I got lucky and you don''t know what a bug is?" Claire asked hopefully.


    "Bug?" Alex tilted his head to the side and gave her a confused look.


    Claire''s eyes lit up like stars and she gave him a delighted smile. "Bleed me. That''s fantastic. Finally, some damned good news. It''s about bleeding time."


    Ah, shit. I didn''t think she''d be so happy about it. Now I feel bad.


    Alex cleared his throat. "I¡­ was kind of joking. Sorry. There were the giant centipede things in the Mirrorlands, remember?"


    The dhampir''s expression crumpled and her shoulders slumped. "Ah. Right. I got excited. I hate bugs. Especially the ones that drink blood."


    "Seriously?" Alex squinted at Claire. He couldn''t tell if she was messing with him or not. "But¡­ don''t you¡ª"


    Claire''s eyes narrowed. Alex wisely chose not to finish that particular sentence.


    "That''s exactly why I don''t like them." Claire crossed her arms with a huff. "Imagine someone yanking the food out of your stomach after you ate it."


    "Okay, I think I see where you''re coming from." Alex lifted the corner of the mattress to check for bedbugs. A tiny cloud of dust rolled off it and he coughed, waving it away and dropping the mattress again. "Should be fine. Probably."


    Claire carefully sat down on the edge of the bed, taking care not to kick up too much dust in the process. She pressed its surface with her palm. "It''s better than the ground. I can''t complain."


    They were both silent for a moment. Then Claire glanced over to Alex.


    "Can I ask more about your world? You got to pry me about mine, but it''s yours that we''re living in."


    "Sure," Alex replied. "I''m not the most educated on it, but I''ll try."


    "Who rules it? Ruled, I guess."


    "Depends on what part of it. Most places are controlled by a group of people. There are a few with dictators, but we don''t really have any kings or queens, if that''s what you''re asking."


    Claire blinked in surprise. "Really? Weird. How do you choose the strongest, then?"


    "I ¡ª hold on. You chose your ruler by who was the strongest?"


    "Of course."


    "That seems a bit¡­ bull-headed."


    "How so?" Claire tilted her head to the side. "It takes a lot of brains to win at Court. It is a very complex fight. You need to prove that you have competence, ability, and intelligence, not to mention self-control. Also, a fair bit of luck."


    "Court¡­ I think we might be using different definitions again," Alex said. "When I think court, I''m thinking judging someone for their crimes. Are you talking about¡­"


    "The King''s Court," Claire said. "Or Queen, depending on who''s in power. We needed a way to ensure our leader was competent enough to lead us. There were a lot of threats in my world. Even before the apocalypse. We''d hold Court every year to determine if the current King was strong enough to remain or not."


    "All of you?" Alex''s eyes widened.


    "Everyone over sixteen. It was a lot of fun," Claire said with an energetic nod. "Unless you were close to the top. Then you got stabbed a fair bit. Everyone else just used it as entertainment."


    God. She''s from a planet of speech & debate vampires.


    "My turn to ask a question," Claire said. "Forget governments. What about people? How do you settle disputes? I don''t want to tread on social cues. How are debts tracked?"


    "I think that might have all gone tits up," Alex said. "It used to be you could get the police involved when things went sour¡­ but now, just be, well, you. Were you good at Court?"


    "Won my league a few times."


    League? Is this Fantasy Football?


    "What exactly does Court entail?" Alex asked. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Everything that ruling requires. It''s a simulation of life and death. I don''t know if I can properly describe it with just words."


    "Then you''ll have to show me sometime," Alex said. "That sounds fascinating."


    "We''d need a few more people, but I''d love to. I think I''ll miss Court the most from Ayrin. Well, that and the people¡­ but I''d rather not think about that right now." Claire averted her gaze.


    They both fell silent.


    A minute ground by.


    "How about you meditate first?" Alex suggested, scratching at the back of his neck. "We''ve been waiting to do it for a while."


    "You''ll keep watch?"


    Alex nodded.


    And once you''re done, I can head off. It didn''t feel like anyone in the area was going to try to attack us in our sleep, but you never know. Better safe than sorry.


    "Thanks," Claire said. "I''ll try not to take too long. You''re leaving once I''m done, I take it?"


    Alex froze. He wiped the guilty expression off his face a moment later, but it was a little too late. "Am I really that obvious?"


    How good is she at reading people? I didn''t think I was this bad at misdirection.


    "Ever since we saw the dungeon," Claire said dryly. "It does help that I think I''ve got a pretty good grasp of how you think. Are you sure you don''t want help?"


    "Just think about the reward I''ll get for clearing it alone. I know there''s risk to it, but those monsters were nothing compared to the ones in the Mirrorlands. Maybe you should come with me and try to clear it on your own once I''m done. Actually, is that even possible? What happens after someone clears a dungeon?"


    "I don''t know enough to answer your question, but we never found an empty dungeon. I assume the System does something to keep them full. But there''s absolutely no way I''m going to solo that dungeon." Claire let out a snort and shook her head. "Not yet, at least. I''m not strong enough. You''re right on challenge being important¡­ but I don''t think this is doable for me. Not at my current stage. That isn''t the case for you."


    "I appreciate the confidence. I''m glad you believe so strongly in my skills."


    "It''s not your skills as much as the fact that you''ve got backup. Glint lets you check rooms and gang up on monsters, and even if he dies, you can still fight afterward. Having two bodies is an enormous advantage. I''ll stick to challenges I think I can get through ¡ª so if you want to clear the dungeon again tomorrow morning, count me in."


    "Noted," Alex said.


    "Assuming you''re still alive," Claire added, a small grin on her lips but a flicker of concern in her expression. She grabbed her sword and turned it around, holding it hilt-first toward Alex. "Here."


    He blinked in surprise. "You want me to take your sword?"


    "I''ve got other ways to defend myself. From what I know, summoner classes really don''t get much of those."


    I wonder¡­ I already have a way to do that by killing my own monsters. My class seems unique enough that there''s a chance I get some more combat abilities soon. I''ll find out once I clear the dungeon.


    "Well, if you''re sure, I won''t say no," Alex said. "Thank you."


    "Just try to bring it back if you can. I like that sword."


    Alex grinned. "We''ll see what I can do. Go ahead and meditate. I''ll keep watch until you''re done."


    Claire nodded. She scooted back onto the bed and crossed her legs, her eyes closing in concentration as she slipped into meditation.


    ***


    A little under three hours later, Alex set off. He left nearly immediately after Claire finished her work. There wasn''t a second to waste. Even if he had a chance of clearing the dungeon alone, he had no delusions about how long it would take.


    Chances were that Glint would die at least once and that meant a delay of an hour. If there were more deaths, the time it would take to clear the dungeon would grow even larger ¡ª and the trip alone took an hour itself.


    There wasn''t time to meditate and also clear the dungeon, but Alex was fine with that. The monsters on Earth were weaker than those in the Mirrorlands, and when the apocalypse was this early on, squeezing extra challenge out of the opponents he had to work with could be the difference that set him apart.


    As soon as there are some really powerful monsters to fight, I can''t intentionally hold myself back anymore. That would just slow me down. But when things are this early on, every small advantage is worth grabbing.


    There were still a few people in the apartment lobby when he left, but none of them paid him any attention.


    Moonlight bore down from a cloudless, starry sky. Alex paused at the base of the apartment as he craned his neck back and stared up in a moment of mute awe.


    He''d never seen a night like this. There weren''t just a few stars. There weren''t hundreds. There were thousands. A blanket of black, awash with shimmering eyes. Some of the stars were so large that they were getting close to challenging the moon in size.


    It was beautiful. A breeze rolled by, caressing him with its icy fingers, and Alex shivered. The temperature had lowered again. Goosebumps prickled across his arms and neck before curling down his back.


    He drew in a deep breath, taking a moment to enjoy the air. It was, for lack of a better word, crisp. Breathing almost felt like biting into a juicy apple. A small smile crossed his face.


    This is it. This is what life was meant to be. It''s just missing one thing.


    Alex strode off. It wasn''t long before he left the town behind. He broke into a jog to keep warm and cut down travel time as much as possible. The rustle of the wind and crunch of grass beneath his feet were his only companions through the night.


    When he finally arrived at the dungeon, he took a moment to glance around and make sure that he was alone. He doubted that Diego would have returned. It felt like the monstrous man liked killing people more than monsters, and Alex doubted there was anyone else in the dungeon at this hour.


    Alex drew up to the swirling green portal at the dungeon''s entrance. His skin prickled with energy as he stood before it, staring into its murky, electric depths. Then his smile grew.


    This is what the night was missing. A little excitement.


    He stepped into the portal.


    ***


    Alex''s foot hit grass at the same time that the smell of the forest hit his nose. Sweet and pungent, just as it had been in the room where he and Claire had fought Diego.


    Razor Forest (Novice)


    He''d arrived in another flower room. It wasn''t the same one ¡ª the flowers here were considerably shorter and smaller than they had been in the previous room. Vines rose up from the ground and twisted gently as if caught in the sway of an invisible ocean.


    More noticeably, those vines were covered with thorns. Alex''s eyes narrowed. He summoned Glint. The Shardwalker appeared in a rain of tinkling glass, stepping out beside him and waiting expectantly for his commands.


    "Cut that vine, then run back to me," Alex ordered, pointing to a vine beside a yellow-petaled flower. "Be aware for anything that comes up from the ground and tries to trip you. Also, the flowers themselves. They''re probably monsters."


    It was a long command, but Glint seemed to understand. He ran over to the vine, his claws flicking out. They ripped through the green foliage ¡ª and blood came spilling out. A hiss of pain filled the room.


    Glint hopped back as roots erupted all around the flower nearest to the vine he''d just cut. They rose up from the ground like the legs of a spider and dirt sloughed away as the flower lifted into the air.


    Alex''s eyes widened in surprise. The flower wasn''t the monster at all. It was just part of it. A creaking moan of pain filled the air as his true foe made itself known. The monster''s body was made out of craggy earth and formed into the shape of a massive spider. Its eyes were eight glistening black gemstones. Vines hung from its mouth ¡ª not just plants, but some sort of odd tongues. Alex was just about as tall as it was so long as he didn''t count the flower.


    Florachnid (Novice 2)


    The flower in question bobbed on its head like a fishing lure. It lurched toward Glint and swept at him with a sharp root-leg. Glint leapt into the air, clearing the attack, and raked his razor-sharp claws down the monster''s face.


    The Florachnid screamed in pain. Thorn covered vines shot out to grab Glint, only to be carved apart as his spikes shredded the plant matter like nothing. A laugh slipped from Alex''s mouth unbidden as he dashed forward and brought the sword down for a root leg.


    He''d never swung a sword before, but Claire had kept her weapon sharp. It carved straight through the limb with a snik. The root thudded to the ground and the Florachnid cried out in pain. Glint didn''t give the monster a chance to collect itself.


    The Shardwalker ripped and tore at the Florachnid''s wooden face as it desperately attempted to shake him off. It barely even remembered Alex''s presence ¡ª right up until the crunch of wood split the air as Alex drove his sword straight into the side of its neck.


    He yanked down on the blade, pulling it free with a grunt, and staggered several steps back. With one final shudder, the Florachnid crashed to the ground. Cool energy poured into Alex''s body and mixed with the adrenaline thrumming in his veins. A greenish-brown fire flickered to life above the monster''s body. If Alex''s estimate was correct, it was a low-mid grade flame based on its size.


    That confirms it. The System doesn''t reveal things that are hidden until I spot them. Good to know.


    Nothing else in the room moved. Perhaps the monsters saw what had happened to the large spider. Perhaps they were lying in wait, or perhaps it had been the only monster in the room. It didn''t matter.


    He drew in a deep breath, letting the sweet scent of the dungeon fill his lungs, and smiled as he exhaled. "Come on, Glint. Let''s root out anything hiding from us."


    The Shardwalker looked at Alex. He looked back at it.


    "Right. No more puns," Alex muttered, more than aware Glint had only failed to respond because he hadn''t actually given a proper order. He scooped the Florachnid''s energy flame off the ground and deposited it in his Spatial Mirror. Then he pointed a finger ahead. "I''ll make it simpler. Help me kill everything in our path."

 Chapter 25: Cash in

    The rest of the first room went without trouble. Alex killed another Florachnid hiding amongst the normal flowers before moving on to the second room with Glint. That one had even more of the tiny rabid squirrels ¡ª and he couldn''t have been more delighted to find them.They were an opportunity to test out the theories he''d formed back in the Mirrorlands as to how the System distributed energy as a reward for defeating challenge. Alex took note of how much energy entered his body when Glint killed the monsters.


    He then handled the last few entirely on his own, with one hand behind his back and hopping on a single leg. It really wasn''t that much of a disadvantage given the disparity in their abilities, but it did stop him from literally stomping them.


    His efforts earned him more than a few painful nips, but when he eventually won, the power he got was only marginally more than what he normally would have gotten. While it wasn''t a complete confirmation of his theory, the results definitely lent itself to it.


    Every monster had a certain amount of energy it could give. It didn''t matter how challenging a fight was. A Novice 1 monster was still a Novice 1 monster. Killing it with a lot of challenge meant he''d get a lot more of its energy, while squishing it with zero effort meant he got a lot less, but it was always a slice of the same pie.


    It was a great way to encourage people to continue striving to grow stronger while keeping them from just farming the same enemy forever, especially since the more he fought the squirrels, the easier fighting them became. He didn''t even need extra levels. Combat experience also made fights easier. The entire system was completely set up to force people to continue seeking stronger foes if they sought power.


    Alex''s quandary solved for the time being, he fed Glint all the miniscule Soul Flames that the monsters left behind. The Shardwalker didn''t have a noticeable change from the meal. That really wasn''t much of a surprise, as the squirrels had been so weak they were barely worth mentioning.


    All the other energy he had stored in his Spatial Mirror would be a different story. He nearly gave into the temptation of giving everything to Glint just to see how far he could push the Shardwalker, but he pressed the desire down.


    I haven''t had a huge challenge in this dungeon yet. I''ll level Glint up once I solo the dungeon or run into something I just can''t beat.


    And so Alex pressed on. The third room had a mixture of squirrels and Florachnids that went down after a short fight.


    His and Glint''s advance through the dungeon didn''t go without cost. A Florachnid managed to leave a rather nasty cut on Alex''s back and he bled lightly from the horde of squirrels.


    None of the wounds were enough to stop him, but they built up. He had no clue how long the dungeon was or how many monsters he still had to kill. It wasn''t hard to tell why people generally did dungeons in groups.


    If I even just had Claire with me, that Florachnid probably wouldn''t have been able to get me while I was off guard. And if I hadn''t had Glint¡­ she''s right. I don''t think I''d be able to do this solo. I''m lucky Claire gave me her sword, because I don''t think Glint could have done this alone either.


    The temptation to use his stored energy was stronger than ever ¡ª but not stronger than his willpower.


    Or my stupidity. I suppose I won''t know which one it is until this is done.


    Alex gave himself a minute to catch his breath and let the wounds stop bleeding too profusely before he continued into the fourth room.


    As soon as he and Glint passed through the black portal, his foot landed on yet even more grass. His guard rose instantly. This room was different than the previous ones he''d gone through.


    There was no smell at all beyond a faint hint of old grass. Not a single tree or bush littered the flat plain of grass between him and a large black gateway at the far side of the room. It was nearly twice as big as all the other portals he''d passed through.


    Between Alex and the large gate was a single, large flower about twice its height. Thorns covered the vine running up to a rose at its top. Thick roots pressed against the grassy soil around the base of the flower and several vines swayed in the area around it.


    His eyes narrowed in recognition.


    That''s definitely a Florachnid. If the size of its flower is proportional to its body¡­ this one is a lot bigger than the last one I fought.


    Alex adjusted his grip on Claire''s sword. The worn leather sat comfortably in his palm as he lowered his stance to prepare to burst into motion. There was only one way he would allow himself to progress.


    Forward.


    "Same strategy as the first Florachnid," Alex ordered. His heart was already beating faster with anticipation. He shifted his weight to the balls of his feet, then blew out a breath to steady himself. "Go."


    Glint dashed forward. His mirrored claws tore through a vine ¡ª and a screech tore through the room.


    Alex stumbled as his ears popped and a wave of dizziness slammed into him like a hammer. He staggered in place, warm liquid trickling down the sides of his head and a persistent ringing buzz roaring in his ears.


    Glint seemed to fare a little better. The small monster dodged back as the ground cracked and split apart. A Florachnid ripped itself free from the dirt. Alex''s prediction had been correct. The earthen spider was huge, standing well over two times his height. The vines in its mouth thrashed as they reached out to grab Glint. The Shardwalker hopped out of the way just in time.


    If the monster made any noise, Alex couldn''t tell. The ringing in his ears was too loud. He didn''t need his ears to see what they were up against, though.


    Florachnid (Novice 5)


    He took a step forward and instantly regretted it. The world spun around him and he stumbled, his balance completely shot through. An old memory buried somewhere in the recesses of his mind surfaced.


    I''m pretty sure we use our ears for balance or something like that. If your eardrums go, so does your ability to walk in a straight line.


    Shit.


    He gritted his teeth and widened his stance. He held the sword before him defensively, but Glint didn''t give the huge monster a chance to capitalize on his weakness. Glint looked like a toddler as he leapt forward, latching onto the Florachnid''s face.


    Alex nearly laughed despite the situation. If Glint really were a toddler, then he was a toddler with a copious amount of knives taped to his body. As small as he was, his razor-sharp claws ravaged the monster''s face. Every slash peeled another thick layer of wood free. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For an instant, Alex almost thought Glint would win the fight on his own.


    Then the monster threw its head back. Alex didn''t hear it scream, but the grass around it blew back. A wave of wind washed over his face and Glint tumbled off the monster''s body.


    He managed to dig his claws into the Florachnid''s side as he fell, ripping a long furrow all the way down its side. Then the spider drove one of its legs down.


    "Roll to the side!" Alex yelled, unable to hear his own words. "Then take off its leg!"


    Glint obeyed. He narrowly dodged the strike and leapt up, sweeping his claws through the root. The Florachnid swayed as one of its legs was severed just above its midpoint. Glint cut through another leg, then hopped back as the bloody vines coming from the spider''s mouth shot out to grab him.


    The Shardwalker brought his claws down on the vines, severing several of them, then leapt for the Florachnid''s legs once more. He cut through one more, leaving the other monster just a single leg on its right side.


    A trickle of hearing returned to Alex. It sounded like he was trying to listen through a wall of cotton. It was better than nothing.


    Unfortunately, he only got it just in time for the unsteady Florachnid to lurch forward faster than Glint could react. It was over in a flash. One of its sharp legs drove straight through Glint''s chest.


    The Shardwalker raked his claws down the side of the leg, tearing it to ribbons, but the damage was too great. Glint''s body went slack. His body disintegrated into a stream of energy that twisted through the air like smoke before flowing into Alex.


    Blood trickled down the sides of his neck and soaked into his shirt. His hands tightened around the hilt of the blade as his heart started to beat faster. The Florachnid turned in a stumbling gait, leaning heavily on its good side, and looked at Alex with eight glistening eyes of black crystal.


    "Come on, then," Alex said, baring his teeth and raising the sword. He''d gotten a little bit of his balance back. Not as much as he would have liked, but enough to stand without swaying too badly.


    The System''s accelerated healing was the only thing keeping him in the fight, but it would have to be enough.


    I definitely can''t move a lot. I need to wait for the right moment ¡ª and if the Florachnid screams again, I''m done. I have to pretend like I still can''t move.


    Root legs dug into the dirt as the Florachnid slowly approached Alex. Blood poured from the severed vines in its mouth and its breathing was a muted, rattling hiss. It moved with steady determination, watching Alex with inscrutable eyes.


    He had no delusion of its speed. It could definitely strike quickly if it wanted to. That''s how it had taken out Glint. Alex bared his teeth. Somehow, he''d found himself in a game of chicken for the second time that day.


    "Who breaks first?" Alex whispered. His own voice sounded odd to his ears. The Florachnid dragged itself closer, leaving a thick trail of blood in the grass behind it from all the severed legs on its left side. It was injured far worse than he was. Time wasn''t in its favor.


    I''m nothing but injured prey.


    Come on.


    COME ON!


    The Florachnid was only feet away from him. With the outside world almost completely muted, the only thing Alex could truly hear was the furious thump of his heart and the blood rushing through his veins.


    Adrenaline gripped Alex like a vice. His mind screamed to attack or run and fear beat a drum in the back of his head. The Florachnid pulled itself closer once more.


    Then it lurched forward.


    Alex didn''t have the slightest amount of faith in his ability to accurately avoid an attack from any of its legs if he missed, and so he took the only path he saw before him. Bleeding tongues extended from the Florachnid to grab Alex ¡ª and he dove forward to meet it. Perhaps it was more accurate to say he just fell forward with some extra momentum.


    He braced Claire''s sword against his shoulder and sent all the energy he could gather straight into his palms in one fell blow. Battered, thorny vines wrapped around Alex''s chest and started to squeeze. At the same time, his sword drove into the monster''s skull.


    Mirrors erupted from his palm and raced through the hilt of the sword, ripping out from its blade and carving through the Florachnid''s head like a handheld blender.


    The vines that had just grabbed him faltered. The Florachnid dropped like a rock, taking Alex with it. He kept his grip on the sword all the way until they both hit the ground. Muted cracks echoed out as mirror shards broke off from the sword''s blade, lodging in the giant spider''s head.


    A wave of power slammed into Alex. He lay on top of the Florachnid''s corpse, heart hammering away, unable to muster the energy to move. Minutes slipped by. Alex finally rolled over, leaning against the dead monster''s head as he caught the last of his breath. His hearing slowly crawled back ¡ª and the first sound he heard with his newly healed ears was his own hysterical laughter.


    It was nearly another minute before he managed to gather himself. A few of his wounds were still open. His blood mixed with that of the earthen spider and muddied the grass beneath them. Claire probably would have cried at the waste. He pulled the sword free of the Florachnid''s head with a grunt and the last few shards of mirror rained away from its surface.


    The weapon was, fortunately, undamaged. It would have been awkward to explain to Claire what happened if he''d turned her sword into a college art project.


    I can send my magic into objects rather than just sprouting it from my body? Good to know. I could have saved the bottom of my shoe if I figured that out earlier.


    Alex looked down to the dead monster at his feet. A thick green flame danced above its head. No heat came from it, but his stomach warmed, nonetheless. Another reward the fight had reaped, this one for Glint.


    Mid-Grade Novice (Florachnid)


    He drew it into his mirror as he caught the rest of his breath and looked around. The room, previously without smell, was now a haze of sweat, blood, and viscera. His eyes raised to the large door across from him.


    "That''s the boss, or whatever equivalent the System has," Alex muttered to himself. "Nobody makes a fancy door for no reason. I definitely can''t handle it without Glint."


    He dragged himself over to the side of the room and leaned against the wall to rest in a slightly less blood-covered area. His clothes were ruined. Nobody was getting this much blood out of anything.


    There was, unfortunately, a bigger issue.


    "Shit," Alex muttered as he looked at his palms. "That thing was definitely at the absolute limit of what I can handle. If the boss is even slightly stronger than that¡­"


    Eh. You know what? I''m happy. I got nearly all the way through the dungeon on my own. I couldn''t quite clear the whole thing, but this is farther than just about anyone else could have made it. No reason to be an idiot, and I''ve got some time to kill before I can press on.


    There was no way around it. If he wanted to clear the dungeon on his own, he''d have to be stronger. Fortunately, he had just the way to do that. Glint still wasn''t around to keep watch for him, but Alex wasn''t in shape to fight anyone now anyway.


    He closed his eyes and started to meditate. It was time to cash in all the potential he''d been storing up.

 Chapter 26: Unbound Mirrorlander

    Alex''s Mind Palace formed around him. A lake stretched out, white marble basin sitting alone in its center. An orb of blue mist, so thick that it wasn''t even translucent anymore, swirled above it soundlessly.Huh. I half expected Berith to be sitting around somewhere here. Not that I''m complaining. I don''t need to interact with him any more than I have to. Still¡­


    The dark expanse almost felt lonely. Ripples passed through the dark water as Alex walked across it. His footsteps echoed through his empty mind until he drew up to the edge of the basin. He sat down before it and steadied his breathing before closing his eyes for the second time, sinking even deeper into his mind.


    Alex reached out to the power swirling above him. He drew in a startled gasp as he found a sea of power waiting for him. It poured down his throat, choking him, and flooded into his chest. He couldn''t breathe. The power was literally suffocating.


    He nearly lost his concentration then and there, but he managed to hold on by a thread. Nobody had told him what would happen if he completely fell out of meditation while connected to his power, but he didn''t want to find out.


    Alex repressed the budding panic and focused on the power. He sent his will forth into it. This was his mind. His power. It didn''t matter if he thought he was breathing or not. His outside body was fine.


    This is all in my head ¡ª and in my head, we play by my rules. I earned this power, and I won''t let it just slip away.


    A droplet formed from the churning mist. It fell, landing in the basin with a faint plink. Breathing grew no easier. Alex''s concentration didn''t falter. His focus remained ironclad. It had to.


    Drop by drop, he wrung energy from the mist. Almost like rain from a cloud they fell and pattered into the basin. The sound of the falling blue energy changed as the energy landed in a growing pool instead of striking the marble walls.


    Alex wasn''t sure how long he spent in deep meditation. But, eventually, his eyes drifted back open. The last droplets of mist splashed down and his eyes opened to find it banished completely. And, to his delight, his basin was nearly half full of gentle, ocean-blue liquid.


    He stood and rested his hands on the edge of the basin. The water within was serene and peaceful, and yet he could feel the untapped power lying in wait. The potential was just waiting for him to use it.


    How many levels will this much power get me? Could I get all the way up to Novice 6?


    Alex swallowed to keep his excitement under control. His hands tightened around the rim of the basin. He nearly stuck his hand straight into the water then and there, but he hesitated at the last second.


    Back when he''d spoken to the fragment of Meiderly, he''d drank the water before spending it. That bond had spent a large portion of it repairing his basin rather than directly making him stronger¡­ but if he hadn''t done that, he was pretty sure the water he had now would be leaking through the cracks that had been in the basin.


    There wasn''t any damage to the basin left over to fix. There was nothing to repair ¡ª and yet, Alex''s Mind Palace felt profoundly empty. It didn''t make sense for it to be so large and contain nothing but a single white basin.


    Was repairing the basin just a one-time thing?


    He wasn''t so sure. Alex looked down at the water rippling by his feet, his brow creased in thought. His mind churned as he let his eyes drift. Almost unconsciously, his lips curled into a frown and he blinked, glancing back to where he''d just been looking.


    Something felt off about the white basin''s reflection. He looked at the spot where the dark lake met the basin and drew in a small breath of surprise.


    The reflection didn''t match. Instead of a perfect replica of a white basin, there was something else in the water. It almost looked like the back of a throne rising up behind the basin, the exact details of it lost within the dark, murky waters.


    Alex''s eyes raised back to the top of the basin. Then they narrowed. He had two choices before him. Just take the power in the basin and advance as much as he could, then figure out how to get the other rewards the System owed him after that ¡ª or follow what Meiderly had shown him.


    I''ve never been one to turn down a bet.


    He lowered his head into the basin and drank. Ice spiked into his tongue and clawed at the inside of his mouth as it poured down his throat, running its fingers along his throat and reaching for his heart.


    Then it slammed to a halt. For a brief instant, Alex could feel the energy. Not as a foreign body of power, but as an extension of himself. His head pulsed with the strongest brain freeze he''d ever felt.


    It didn''t rip free of its mouth like it had the previous time. Instead, it settled in his stomach and permeated through his body. Freezing droplets gathered at Alex''s palms and ran down the sides of the basin as he gripped it tightly.


    The droplets turned into a river that poured down into the murky waters below. And, from within them, a white point emerged. The point turned to a line and the line to a plane ¡ª the backing that he''d seen reflected in the water.


    The white backing rose soundlessly until it rested behind the basin. A pitch-black gem the size of a fingernail sat at the very top of the mantle attached to the basin. Directly below it was a white gem with three smaller, blue ones spaced out equal distances from each other just beneath it. Channels ran from each of the blue gems, going down the mantle, and down into the basin. The brilliant blue liquid in it had reduced by a little over half.


    As the freezing cold sensation started to release Alex from his grip, he looked back into the water. For an instant, he saw a flicker of a white chain far beneath. His spine prickled and the hair on his arms stood on end.


    The white chain vanished and the feeling passed, leaving him alone with his newly improved basin once again. Alex swallowed.


    Berith is down there, somewhere. Beneath this lake. What exactly does connecting with the energy like this even do?


    He squinted into the lake in an attempt to make anything else out. The reflection of the basin still didn''t seem quite right. He could just barely make out more detail on the basin''s new backing that wasn''t reflected in the real world.


    More power likely would have revealed it, but Alex wasn''t about to spend even more testing while he was in the middle of a dungeon and needed the extra strength to clear it.


    As Alex studied his newly formed basin, a flicker of light danced through the black gem at its top. It swirled within its inky depths like an eye before vanishing once more. A second later, it returned.


    His brow furrowed. Reaching out, Alex brushed his fingers across the gem. A thrum ran through his mind and a ripple passed through the water at his feet like someone had dropped a stone into the center of his soul-lake.


    Alex nearly leapt a foot into the air as black words carved themselves across the surface of the basin''s backing without warning.


    [Trial: The Mirrorlands]


    Objective Completed. Rewards Earned.


    Accept Rewards [1/2]?


    "Hell yeah I do," Alex said. He didn''t see anywhere to touch or otherwise acknowledge the message. It didn''t seem like he needed one. As soon as he finished speaking, the words vanished from the pale white surface.


    It says ?¡­ is the second reward for killing another Anomaly? I guess I''ll have to see once I get this first one.


    Golden lines burst forth in the air before Alex. They expanded, thin tendrils tracing out to form words blazing with energy.


    Title Fragment Acquired.


    Unbound: Granted to those who slip free of the broken lands that connect all of the Infinitum without being broken in the process.


    Before Alex could even blink, the sentence vanished. Black letters appeared on the back of the basin once more.


    Would you like to combine any of your Title Fragments?


    Alex didn''t have to think for long. His curiosity refused to let him make any choice other than the affirmative. If he''d gotten a Title Fragment for completing a trial, then they had to be useful somehow ¡ª and it wasn''t doing him all that much now as far as he could tell.


    As soon as he nodded, the black letters changed. Three new lines appeared on the basin. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Anomaly


    Unbound


    Mirrorlander


    That was it. No further instruction. No hints. Just three titles. Alex''s brow furrowed as he studied them. Perhaps that was another thing he''d missed from the System''s tutorial while he''d been traipsing around in the Mirrorlands.


    Anomaly is the title that the Mirrorlands forcibly gave me. Given the way I got it, I don''t think the System likes it much. I wish I knew more about why¡­ but it did kind of seem to break things. I''m not sure if combining it with something else would improve or ruin it.


    I should probably try combining two other things first, just to see what happens. And if I''m going to do that, it only leaves me with one option.


    He didn''t even have to say what. As soon as his mind was set, Anomaly faded from the list and left only the other two titles behind. The back of Alex''s palms tingled. Two motes of light slipped out from the remaining titles on the basin and floated in the air above the basin.


    And then they just¡­ floated there. Nothing changed. Alex scrunched his nose. He poked one of the motes. It bobbed in the air, pressing back against his finger like a pair of positive magnets.


    Do I have to do the merge myself? I suppose that would make sense.


    Alex reached out to each of the motes. They pressed back into his palms as he carefully pushed them toward each other. Almost instantly, the pressure started to rise. The closer he pushed the motes, the more resistant they became.


    His jaw clenched and he pushed himself harder. The motes pushed back with even more effort, but inch by inch, they ground closer to each other. Alex''s muscles trembled with effort ¡ª but something told him it wasn''t just physical strength he was drawing on.


    The water in the lake at his feet rippled. Small waves passed out from his feet and rolled across its surface. The motes drew closer still, until they were just a hair away from touching. For a brief instant, Alex found himself unable to move them any farther.


    He snarled and drew on a final burst of strength. The two spots of light touched, if just barely. A brilliant burst of light went off and stars tore through his vision. Alex stumbled back with a slew of curses, blinking furiously.


    Both motes of light were gone and all that remained was a single title on the back of the basin.


    Unbound Mirrorlander: Slip past the limits of your Mirrorlander Class, improving its core skill while this Title is equipped.


    Alex''s lips parted in disbelief as he read the title. Then he read it again, and a third time for good measure.


    "Holy shit," Alex breathed to himself. "I was expecting some stupid shit like five percent stronger or something. What is improving a core skill? Are we talking a whole advancement for it? Or something else entirely?"


    There was only one way to find out. Alex summoned his status page with a thought.


    Alex Vaya [Human]


    Class: Evoker [Mirrorlands]


    Stage: Novice 3


    Title Fragments:


    Active Titles:


    Anomaly


    [1/5]


    Inactive Titles:


    [Unbound Mirrorlander]


    Soul Manifestation:


    [Spatial Mirrors] (Novice 1)


    Auxiliary Skills:


    [Requiem to the King] (Novice 1)


    [Monster Medley] (Novice 1)


    [Riftwalk] (Novice 1)


    With a single thought, Alex sent Unbound Mirrorlander from his inactive titles to his active ones. A spike of energy raced through his body and he stiffened, but the feeling had passed by the time he properly registered it.


    Alex waited for another message, but there was nothing. It was as if nothing had changed. His brow furrowed. He still hadn''t actually leveled up yet, so there was a chance that was the delay, but ¡ª


    Wait.


    The deck at his side felt slightly heavier. Alex''s hand shot down and flipped it open. He reached inside and paused. A smile pulled across his lips. He pulled out two Spatial Mirrors. One held Glint, but the other was empty.


    Holy shit. A new mirror card. Upgrades to my Core Ability are only supposed to happen every Stage according to Meiderly... but I''m still a Novice. I just got an extra card for free. That''s a huge advantage. If I use this properly, I could more than double my strength.


    Alex''s smile grew wider.


    He could get another monster.

 Chapter 27: New abilities

    Alex could barely contain his excitement, but he pushed it down for just a little longer. He needed to keep a clear head. The System wasn''t going to give him another monster for free, which meant he''d have to find out how to get a new one.He was also still within his Mind Palace. There weren''t any monsters to claim here ¡ª but he still did have one more reward to claim before he could finally level up and return to the outside world.


    Alex brushed his fingers across the black gem once more. The muted spark buried deep within it ignited as the black words scrawled across the mantle of the basin changed once more.


    Anomalies Slain: 1


    Rewards Earned.


    Accept Rewards [1/1]?


    "Hit me with it," Alex said. He hesitated for a moment. "Metaphorically, that is."


    I''m not sure how literal the System is, but I really don''t want to find out the hard way.


    Fortunately for him, his mind seemed free of any genie-like tendencies and his request was granted exactly in the way that he had wanted it. The instant he finished speaking, golden lines appeared in the air like they''d been sliced into it by a glowing knife.


    Title Acquired.


    Unmaker: Granted to those who rid the system of an Anomaly. While this title is equipped, slaying anomalies saves a portion of their power within your soul. At the next milestone, consume this power to upgrade a single Auxiliary Skill. [1/2 Anomalies slain].


    "That would explain why that prick tried to kill me," Alex muttered as he read over the title, equipping it without hesitation. He wasn''t sure if he was going to go start hunting every other anomaly he ran into, but it looked like now that he''d gotten the title, he''d only get the benefits of it if he had it equipped. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Never know who I''m going to end up fighting, so no point not using it and missing out on a reward. I wonder if the skill upgrade is based on the abilities of the anomalies I kill, or if it''s just a straight upgrade like the ones leveling up is meant to give me.


    I suppose there''s only one way to find out.


    He was out of rewards to accept for the time being, and he didn''t have infinite time to work with. The sooner he got back into the real world, the better. There was just one thing left to do.


    Alex dipped his hand into the glowing water. Ice drove into his veins as a river of electric energy punched through his palm and flowed through his body into his heart. He drew in a stiff breath and his back straightened, but he held his concentration. There was a lot of power left in the basin, and he absorbed every single drop of it.


    Your Stage has advanced to Novice 4.


    Your Stage has advanced to Novice 5.


    You have amassed 2 units of soul energy.


    Please select an Auxiliary Skill to upgrade.


    The three smaller blue gems on the on the mantle of his basin glistened as they lit with bright energy from within, and black letters appeared on the marble once more.


    [Requiem to the King] (Novice 1)


    [Monster Medley] (Novice 1)


    [Riftwalk] (Novice 1)


    The pain burning through Alex''s system receded and he studied the skills before him. Unfortunately, it didn''t look like he''d get to see the details of what his potential upgrades were before choosing the skill he was going to use his the energy on.


    "I wonder which is better ¡ª to dump all my points into improving a single skill, or to spread them out and be as balanced as possible," Alex mused, chewing his lower lip in thought. It didn''t actually change much for his first choice. He just had to upgrade his most important skill.


    Requiem to the King let him fight on his own, but only when his monsters were dead. Claire had mentioned that summoners usually didn''t have a way to defend themselves. And, as far as Alex was concerned, any exception to a rule was usually an advantage.


    Requiem to the King depends on the strength of my monsters, though. I can''t do anything that Glint can''t. Monster Medley lets me directly upgrade him, which in turn directly upgrades me. That''s definitely one of the skills I have to upgrade, then.


    And that left Riftwalk. The skill that Berith had given him. At least right now, the only thing that Riftwalk let him do was use the portals that connected the Mirrorlands to Earth. There was just one problem.


    It didn''t say anything about making portals, and he didn''t see any portals to work with around him. He wasn''t even sure what upgrading it would do. Sure, there was a chance he could get the ability to make portals to the Mirrorlands, but it was equally as likely that he''d just come out of every portal freshly shaven.


    Then I think that settles it. The only ability that''s guaranteed to help me when I upgrade it is Monster Medley. I can figure my next step out after that.


    Alex didn''t even have to speak out loud. The moment he made his mind up, the words on the marble shifted. Black lines flowed down from the center blue gem that aligned with Monster Medley, forming into what resembled the top of a family tree. Three small boxes appeared beneath the gem.


    (1 Unit) Rift Flood: Flood a summoned monster with rift energy, empowering their core attributes and warping their form.


    (1 Unit) Empower: Temporarily improve a summoned monster''s speed and power.


    (1 Unit) Two for one: Temporarily split one of your summoned monsters into two, halving every aspect of their being. This will split the summoned monster''s life force, linking the clones in life and death.


    Alex''s eyes widened in surprise. These were far from minor changes. Each one was an entire new ability in itself ¡ª and not just that. He had 2 Units of energy to work with, one from each level, which means he could get two abilities now, not just one.


    Rift Flood looks insanely promising. Mirrorlands monsters are fucking terrifying compared to the stuff I''ve seen on Earth so far. This rift energy shit could be what''s making them so warped and messed up. Rift Flood is like a version of Empower that amplifies those rift elements even more.


    That makes Rift Flood objectively better than Empower, but I should take a look at the last option before I make my decision.


    The final ability just cut every aspect of his monsters in half. While having more bodies in a fight would be a huge boon, he''d also seen just how useless the horde of squirrels in the Razorleaf Dungeon had been.


    Also, halving anything meant numbers going down.


    Alex was not a fan of numbers going down.


    Fortunately for him, there was one option that was the complete and utter opposite of that. It also happened to fit the promise he''d made himself some time ago. The world was already fucked. Everything had gone to shit ¡ª and if that was the case, then he was going to enjoy the apocalypse. If he died, he died. That was life.


    But if he didn''t die¡­ well, it would be more fun than coding. That was for certain.


    But happens after I select one? Can I select others? Or am I cut off the other paths? Damn it. I wish Meiderly was still here. I''d even settle for Berith.


    They weren''t there, though. Alex was alone ¡ª and he didn''t have hours to sit around pondering. That was entirely his fault, he wasn''t one to plot for this long anyway. A small smile crossed Alex''s lips.


    Eh. Fuck it. Rift Flood is badass.


    "I chose Rift Flood," Alex said. There was no way he could complain about something that would make Glint even more powerful while simultaneously making him scarier.


    Bright blue energy poured out from the gem and followed the black line leading down to the ability he''d chosen. It flooded into the box, lighting it from within, and Alex felt the very same energy bubbling within him. The other two boxes both darkened as cracks ran throughout them.


    [Monster Medley] (Novice 2) has gained an additional effect.


    Rift Flood: Flood a summoned monster with rift energy, empowering their core attributes and warping their form.


    Black lines traced down from the box he''d chosen, forming into three more boxes ¡ª but there was no writing within them. Alex still had one more skill to upgrade. Given that he couldn''t see anything in the boxes, he suspected that he had to select Monster Medley a second time to see his new options.


    Looks like I don''t get to go back and grab the old abilities. Maybe they''ll show up again in the future, but I''m not too torn up about it if they don''t. I''ll definitely have to be careful to make sure I don''t select something bad and waste a slot in the future.


    He hesitated for a second before he selected where he would use his next upgrade. He wasn''t sure he wanted to choose Monster Medley a second time, and not because he didn''t like the skill.


    Without a way into the Mirrorlands, he had absolutely no way to get another monster. Now that he was stronger, the most pressing matter for the future was securing a way to get more creatures from the Mirrorlands.


    That only left one option.


    I need to hope that I can get a way to open a portal to the Mirrorlands by leveling up Riftwalk.


    Alex touched the rightmost gem. Cool energy raced through his body in a now familiar sensation as the tree upon the mantle wiped itself clean before shifting its origin. Three new boxes appeared, now coming from the gem that corresponded to Riftwalk.


    (1 Unit) Warpskin: Draw the latent Rift energy that permeates the Infinitum into your body, granting yourself minor camouflage from both sight and scent.


    (1 Unit) ¡ª Riftsense: Extend your senses to locate the Rift nearest to you.


    (1 Unit) ¡ª Rip: Gather a small amount of Rift energy and send it forward in a slash.


    Alex let out a relieved sigh. Sensing the nearest Rift wasn''t quite as nice as forming a portal from scratch, but it would suit his purposes just fine for the time being.


    However, the other two abilities were both useful. Alex wasn''t eager to give up the potential to control rift magic externally or internally.


    The System hasn''t felt unfair at any point. It rewards challenge, so there''s no way it would completely gate me out of ever getting more useful rift-related abilities if I go with the detection one, right? There has to be a way. If something as powerful as Berith can get chained down, then I''m confident anything can be accomplished when you get strong enough.


    His decision for the time being wasn''t hard. He needed a way back to the Mirrorlands more than anything else. It was the only place he could get more monsters to summon and the biggest advantage he had.


    Alex made his choice.


    [Riftwalk] (Novice 2) has gained an additional effect.


    Riftsense: Extend your senses to locate the Rift nearest to you.


    A shiver ran down Alex''s spine as the power set itself into his body. Once again, the skill tree expanded before him but failed to show anything new. Alex wasn''t perturbed. He''d have more than enough time to learn about how the rest of his abilities worked after he killed the boss of the Razor Forest.


    There was only one thing left to do before he could return to the real world. Alex pressed his hand to the deck at his side.


    "Glint. Come out."


    The tinkling of glass echoed through his Mind Palace as his summoned monster stepped out from a shimmering portal of jagged glass and onto the black lake, sending a small ripple rolling across its surface.


    Glint looked up, expectantly waiting instruction. Alex slipped Glint''s card free of its spot at his side, turning it over in his hands as his grin expanded. An hour had passed, and his companion was ready to rejoin him.


    He was so excited that he could barely contain it.


    "This almost feels like my birthday, but I get to eat all of the cake." Alex hesitated for a second, then frowned and pursed his lips. "Actually, that sounds kind of bad when you say it out loud. Having a whole cake to yourself on your birthday isn''t really something to brag about. It''s just depressing. Oh well. It''s not as bad if I''m sharing with you, right?"


    He flipped the card around.


    Low-Mid Grade Novice (Ent Harvester) - 1


    Low-Mid Grade Novice (Florachnid ) - 4


    Low-Mid Grade Novice (Human) - 1


    Mid-Grade Novice (Florachnid) - 1


    "That''s a whole lot of cake," Alex said. "I hope you''re hungry. I can''t have you lagging behind me in level too much."


    Alex could have sworn that Glint''s eyes shimmered in response. Even though the monster had no proper thought of its own, it looked just as excited as Alex felt to grow stronger. With a flourish, Alex summoned every flame from his card and scattered them before Glint.


    With this much energy, I''m expecting to see something a little more interesting than just growing a bit. Let''s see just how strong you can become, Glint.

 Chapter 28: Glintmaxxing

    One by one, Alex fed every flame in his Spatial Mirror to Glint. The monster mowed through every one of the flames in less than a few seconds, swallowing the last of them before his body could even begin to adapt or change to the new energy. His tongue flicked out and ran over his thin lips. For a moment, all was silent.Then a crunch split the stillness of Alex''s Mind Palace. A second one followed after it and the shards jutting out of Glint''s back shuddered like loose teeth. Glint''s lips pulled back in a hiss as cracks joined the myriad of noises coming out from his body.


    The flesh on his back roiled and churned, mirrors turned to bobbing boats on a stormy sea. His body bulged and twitched as something pressed into it from within. Alex took a step back as Glint dropped to all fours, his bladed fingers cutting into the water beneath.


    He lurched and his body bulged, muscle lining his thin frame as he grew by nearly a foot ¡ª which somehow ended up leaving him even more gaunt than before. Alex could count each bone in the monster''s ribcage pressing into his pallid grey skin.


    The mirrored shards jutting from the monster''s back lengthened and ground against each other with a symphony of grating screeches. A dull silver sheen washed over every single one of them and their edges glistened in the dim light, razor-sharp.


    Glint''s arms lengthened, leaving them long and spindly. Thin silver spikes of glass ran down them and jutted out at an angle like the barbs on an arrow. His claws had extended as well and were now nearly as large as Alex''s entire hand.


    The disgusting sounds finally came to a halt. Glint pushed himself upright, falling silent as he rose. Alex stared at him with a mixture of awe and unease. The Shardwalker''s hands hung low to the ground to the point where his claws would dig into the water if he didn''t bend his arms.


    Glint stood almost five feet tall, though the hunch in his back meant he probably could have given him an extra few inches if he straightened it. His face hadn''t been spared from the transformation either.


    Empty eye sockets burned with dull yellow light and the jagged fangs in his mouth had silvered. His features had taken a disturbing step toward humanoid, though the stretched gray skin and lack of a nose made it quite clear he was anything but.


    Glint - Shardwalker (Novice 7) sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Holy shit. Glint is terrifying now. I mean, he was terrifying before, but this is just on another level. I love it.


    Alex coughed into his fist and took a step to the side. Glint''s eyes traced him, empty and starving. Something about the monster''s gaze made his skin crawl. That was great when Glint was pointed at an enemy. It wasn''t so great when it was pointed at him.


    It looks like Glint just consumed the power from the Soul Flames power directly. I wonder if upgrading Monster Medley would let me make more intentional upgrades to him. I''d imagine it would. Either way, it looks like Glint actually advanced faster than I did.


    That has to be because I spent a bunch of my energy building up my Mind Palace. Five levels in one go. Not bad at all. We need to find stronger monsters. I can''t fart around with this dungeon forever ¡ª but I think it''s a bit arrogant to yap until I''ve actually cleared the damn thing.


    The Shardwalker''s thin lips pulled apart in what could have been either a smile, a grimace, or simply boredom. It could have been any or neither ¡ª Alex was pretty sure the monster wasn''t capable of emotion at all.


    "You there, Glint?" Alex tried. If Glint had magically gained any proper sapience through the experience, the Shardwalker didn''t show it. Dull yellow eyes just watched Alex expectantly in wait for an order. Alex waved his hand. "Well, I tried. Back to your card, bud."


    A stream of dark energy swirled out of Glint and he disintegrated, flowing into the card in Alex''s hand. He slipped it back into the deck at his side and took a moment to gather himself, making sure he hadn''t missed anything. Getting into meditation took a while, and he didn''t want to have to come back right after leaving.


    He''d gotten both of his rewards.


    He''d leveled both himself and Glint up.


    Yep. Pretty sure that''s everything. Only one thing left to do tonight.


    Alex let his eyes open, slipping free of his meditation as his consciousness returned to the room of the dungeon he sat in. The scent of blood, dirt, and pollen mixed with sweat in the air in a stew that not even the most optimistic man could have described as tolerable.


    His back was stiff and his body ached something furious, but his wounds had all sealed over. He felt oddly rested, in spite of the lingering pain. Claire had been right about meditation functionally replacing sleep.


    Alex groaned and rose to his feet, brushing his clothes off as best as he could.


    The room was still empty. That was a good thing. He''d have been dead if it wasn''t. His eyes drifted over to the dark portal that still, as doorways tended to do, sat in the same spot. The boss of the dungeon laid in wait beyond it.


    At least, he was pretty sure it did. He didn''t actually have a way to know that for sure, but it would have been stupid to have a fancy doorway that just led to a normal room.


    He clambered to his feet. Then he paused. Something was off. He looked down at his hand and flexed his fingers. As the aches faded away, something else replaced them. He wasn''t quite sure how to describe it other than energetic.


    Feeling more than a little stupid, he threw a punch. His hand blurred through the air with enough force to tug on his arm socket and he cursed, stumbling forward and nearly tripping over his own feet.


    There was no doubt about it. He was stronger. Faster.


    So absorbing magical energy does more than just unlock new abilities. It gives me some pretty significant changes to my physical body. That''ll definitely come in handy.


    Alex scooped Claire''s sword off the ground and called Glint with a thought. A portal cracked open amidst the sounds of shattering glass and the Shardwalker stepped out, his claws leaving thin furrows in the ground as he emerged.


    Wow, he really looks different. I''m not sure why it''s so much more obvious in the real world. I wonder if Requiem to the King is stronger now that Glint is so much more powerful than he used to be.


    "Let''s go," Alex said, pointing to the portal. "Lead the way. As usual, focus survival over landing a blow. I need you alive."


    Glint followed his orders without hesitation and stepped into the black archway, vanishing within it. Alex strode after his companion, raising Claire''s sword and readying himself for the next fight with an eager grin.


    The world shifted. His foot hit wet earth with a squelch and the grassy plains vanished, replaced by a large, swampy expanse. Bubbles rose to the top of boggy puddles, popping and releasing sulfurous bursts of gas. Glint stood before him, neck craned back to stare up.


    A single, enormous flower rose in the center of the room. It rose nearly an entire story into the air, a several foot bed of gnarled roots stretching out around its base. Its stem was a yellowish green, split at the middle by two smaller stems that drooped low to the ground. The stems were rough and woody, almost like the bark of a tree. At the end of each stem was a half-dead flower, wilting pinkish petals ringing the rows of jagged teeth at the plant''s center.


    Floraking (Novice 6)


    The flowers on the huge monster''s head rustled. The teeth within them rippled in a hypnotizing pattern as three simultaneous roars split the room. The ground rumbled as roots ripped themselves free, rising up like the heads of striking snakes.


    "Go!" Alex yelled.


    Glint blurred into motion. Roots whistled past his lanky body as he bounded past them and leapt into the air with surprising strength, clearing several pointed spikes and landing on the ground near the base of the flower.


    More roots erupted and swirled up to grab him, but the Shardwalker''s deadly sharp claws carved through them like paper. Alex was forced to pull his attention away from Glint as a root twisted up from the ground and snapped around his ankle, trying to pin him in place.


    He swung his sword, splitting the growth with a crack. Alex stumbled back just in time to avoid being impaled by two more spiked roots that jutted out. They brushed across his chest, ripping across his shirt and leaving thin cuts on the skin beneath.


    Alex swung his sword once more, carving through both in a single strike. At the same time, a cacophony of screams split the air once more. Glint had carved his way all the way through the room and up to the flower''s base, where he was locked in a fight with the bed of roots ¡ª a fight he looked to be winning.


    One of the flower heads shot down, its maw splitting open and aiming to devour the Shardwalker whole. Roots swirled up to grab at Glint, binding his limbs and working between the blades of glass jutting from his body as they tightened.


    More roots emerged with every second and quickly bound around the Shardwalker. Alex grit his teeth. The energy churning within his own body rose in response to the thoughts that flicked through his head and he thrust his hand toward Glint.


    He used Rift Flood.


    A river of ice tore down his arm and pushed out of his fingertips. Swirls of silver mist streaked through the air and pierced into the growing cocoon of roots enveloping glint. There was an instant of silence.


    Several loud ripping noises split the air.


    Glistening blades sprouted from the woody growth without so much as a sound.


    Then Glint twisted his body.


    The roots were shredded to pieces in an instant. They fell all around the Shardwalker as he unfurled to his full height, easily a foot taller than he had been before.


    Every single blade on his body had gained several extra inches. His mouth was forced open by the rows of expanded glass fangs filling it, and crackles of reddish-purple mist swirled in what had once been yellow eyes.


    The same energy pulsed within the mirrors on the rest of his body. Coils of smokey mist roiled off Glint as the transformation finished.. The Shardwalker let out a wordless screech of victory and ripped the last shreds of bindings away from himself before flinging himself toward the Floraking once more.


    A huge flower head slammed into the ground with enough force to make it quake. Alex and Glint both stumbled, but the Shardwalker raked his claws deep into the flower as it rose once more.


    Confetti''d petals rained down around him. The other two heads lurched into motion. One extended for Alex, while the other joined the first in trying to kill Glint.


    Alex slashed the roots that rose up to grab him and flung himself back. He hit the ground in a roll, wet dirt squelching and sticking to his body. The flower''s head slammed into the ground behind him and he slipped as he went to rise, nearly getting himself impaled on a rising root but managing to twist out of the way at the last second. The root ripped across his side, sending pain searing into his body along with mud and sweat ¡ª neither of which he suspected were ideal things to be inside a human body.


    Glint can definitely kill this thing, but I need to end the fight as fast as possible. It''s got too much range and I don''t have anywhere to take cover. Cutting the roots is only a stopgap. One of them is going to really get me if we don''t win soon.


    Alex felt a continued draw on his energy, almost as if someone was drawing blood from his soul. It was running out at an alarming rate. He couldn''t keep Glint empowered for much longer.


    He ran to the side, bounding over grasping roots as he fought to keep out of the flower''s reach. The massive heads weren''t all that fast, so he could outrun them. It was the roots he was worried about.


    He skidded to a stop as he came up on a large puddle and hopped out of the way of a root hidden beneath a big rock near its edge, cutting it in half with his sword as it rose up to grab at him.


    Two thuds shook the room as the Floraking tried and failed to crush Glint. Its heads started to lift back into the air ¡ª and in it, Alex spotted an opportunity. There was an even longer delay right after the flowers hit the ground. One he could take advantage of.


    He poured his attention into running, still keeping ahead of the Floraking''s third head, and threw a glance back at Glint. The bed of roots at the flower''s base was completely ravaged, but not without cost.


    His body had taken several nasty cuts and he was limping slightly. Even though Glint was a rank up on the Floraking, they were fighting on the massive monster''s home ground, not Glint''s. It had had who knew how long to grow and flood the room with roots ¡ª but Glint had something it didn''t.


    The heads crashed down again. Alex grinned, the adrenaline running through his body suppressing the pain in his side and muting out the rancid smell of the room.


    "Grab onto it!" Alex yelled.


    Glint lunged to obey and latched onto one of the huge flower heads as they rose back into the air.


    At the same instant, vines whipped out from the ground at the base of the flower. Alex''s eyes widened in surprise, but they were far faster than the roots. One of them shot around his legs and yanked him into the air with enough force to send his sword spinning from his grip.


    The ground vanished as Alex was lifted up and flung into the sky. His arms flailed as he flew up dozens of feet into the air. For a brief instant, he could nearly touch the ceiling. Then he started to plummet back down.


    One of the Floraking''s heads moved directly beneath him. There was nowhere for him to dodge. No way for him to dodge.


    The flower''s maw split open, large enough to swallow him whole and leave room for more. Wind screamed in his ears and stung at his squinted eyes as he plummeted down to meet it. There were only seconds to react.


    "Glint!" Alex screamed, his voice nearly completely lost to the howling wind. He had an idea, but he wasn''t sure if there was enough time to pull it off. There was only one way to find out. "Kill yourself!"

 Chapter 29: The Floraking

    Wind screamed past Alex''s face he plummeted down toward the waiting maw. The world didn''t slow down, nor did his mind suddenly speed up and start processing things at a mile a second. There was just the rotted air coming from the flower and the maw full of teeth waiting to rip through him.Glint drove his claws into his own throat, ripping it open. A streamer of silver mist exploded from his body and flew back to Alex ¡ª but nowhere near as fast as he would have liked.


    Oh, shi¡ª


    Alex crashed into the Floraking''s mouth. The flower shuddered and bounced with the impact, its petals furling shut around him and plunging the world into darkness.


    Silence reigned for a brief moment. The room was still once more. Only the Floraking remained, crippled, weeping sap, victorious.


    Then a thick shard of mirrored glass tore through the petals of its head. A second one followed after it, joined by three more. Petals ripped like tearing paper as they were minced apart from within, completely destroying the head in just seconds.


    Pained screams ripped from the monsters other two heads as the stem supporting the brutalized head crumpled. It crashed to the ground, leaving a trail of ripped petals fluttering through the air behind it like a flock of doves.


    Alex rolled out from within the monster''s body, tiny puncture wounds covering his body. Glass spines jutted from his palms and shoulders, dripping with blood and milky white plant sap. The Floraking''s remaining heads howled in fury. A wall of rancid air slammed into Alex with enough force to blow his hair back and make his lips screw up with distaste.


    Vines shot out from where the monster''s stem met the ground and the remaining two heads launched toward Alex in a conjoined attack. He burst into motion ¡ª not running away from the monster, but toward it.


    Roots shot up from the ground. He leapt over them and brought his hands down, cutting through the vines midair before they could bind him. He hit the ground running, his feet squelching against the wet mud as he raced past deep puddles, headed for the monster''s stem.


    Two shadows passed over him. Without Glint to keep their attention, both of the remaining Floraking''s heads dropped at once, giving up on eating him and just aiming to crush his body to paste.


    Alex flung himself forward, flicking his hands and sending the mirror shards spinning away as he hit the ground in a roll. The ground shuddered behind him, but he didn''t wait for the heads to rise again. He shoved himself upright, ripping free from the sticky mud with a squelch, and flung himself at the nearest head.


    He latched on and wrapped his limbs around the head of the flower in a bear hug. It started to lift in the air. Alex had other plans. Mirrors ripped out of his palms and chest, shredding his clothes and the flower alike as he slid down, dropping back to the ground amid a rain of petals.


    The last flower head slammed into Alex''s back like a wrecking ball. All the air exploded from his lungs in a pained grunt as he was launched across the room and sent rolling across the ground.


    As annoying as the mud was, it was probably the only reason he survived the blow. It slowed his momentum and he slid into a puddle with a splash, stopping just a short distance from the wall.


    Somehow, despite the force of the blow, Alex could still stand. The strength his body had gained from advancing in level was enough to let him take a blow from a giant flower ¡ª though, when he thought of it that way ¡ª it sounded a fair bit less impressive.


    He wiped his face clean, squinting through the muddy water stinging his eyes, and drew ragged breaths as he squared off against the last of the Floraking''s heads. The huge flower reared back, the two stems that had been connected to its other heads wilted and dragging on the ground beside it.


    The flower tightened in on itself and bulged, filling from within. Alex burst into motion, sprinting across the ground faster than he''d ever moved in his life. It wasn''t quite at the level of an Olympic sprinter, but he wouldn''t have said he was too far off.


    Power pumped through his muscles as they burned, desperate for relief. The flower''s pursed petals parted and a wave of thick purple smog rolled out across the ground. Alex drew in a deep breath and held it, squinting as much as he could as he ran straight into the burning mist.


    Pain seared into every one of his open wounds. A root snagged his foot, but a mirror shard erupted from his ankle and tore through it before it could wrap around him. He stumbled under a vine, nearly losing his footing but catching himself at a last moment.


    Alex burst from the mist, streamers of it still curling around his body. The world had taken on a thick haze, and he could barely even still see through his squinted eyes. It felt like he''d poured a gallon of soap into each of them ¡ª but he could still make out the blurry flower directly in front of him.


    He lunged. The flower yanked back, finally recognizing the threat that his body posed and acting to keep him from shredding its head. Alex''s lips pulled into a thin, tight smile. His foot hit the ground and he leaned forward, pouring every last scrap of energy he had into moving.


    Even as the flower head rose far above him, he closed the distance between himself and the massive stem. No vines or roots remained to stop him and the monster realized his plan all too late. He thrust both of his palms into the base of the stem.


    Mirrors drove from them and into the yellowed plant matter. It crunched and split like a stick of rotted celery. The plant stiffened involuntarily and let out a scream. Alex forced the shards to expand, growing wider and slicing the Floraking from within.


    Glint''s power faltered and gave way. He''d already used up a lot of his magical reserves strengthening the Shardwalker, and he''d drawn on every scrap he had. There was nothing left.


    The shards of glass snapped off his palms. The Floraking shuddered in pain and finally managed to regain control of itself. Huge gashes wept white matter, but it wasn''t dead yet. Its head crashed down toward Alex in a last-ditch attempt to end his life.


    He grabbed the two blades of glass, marred by blood and sap. His teeth gritted and he snarled, the glass biting deep into his palms as he shoved it even deeper. The adrenaline tearing through his whole body wasn''t enough to stop the pain, but it numbed it for just long enough.


    The shards slammed together with a loud snik. Alex slammed his shoulder into the stem and the final few fibers that had been holding the Floraking''s third head upright ripped. The huge flower pitched back and crashed to the ground. Boggy water splashed up around it and petals fluttered down around Alex.


    He dropped to his knees. Wet mud squelched beneath him as he sat back, drawing in deep, wheezing breaths. Mud and sweat mixed, stung his eyes. Blood poured from his palms and the wounds riddling his body bubbled as if acid had been poured on them.


    The adrenaline slipped from his body like a discarded blanket. He might have passed out on the spot if a river of icy cold energy hadn''t slammed into him. Relief enveloped Alex and he let out a groan as the pain receded in the face of the power.


    It was a lot. More than he''d ever gotten for a single fight. The sensation only lasted for a few brief, incredible moments, but it was enough to shock his stunned mind back into awareness. Enough to bring his attention to the glowing golden words appearing in the air before him.


    Razor Forest (Novice) has been cleared.


    Title Fragment Acquired.


    Lone: Granted to those who clear a dungeon at their rank entirely on their own.


    Please select a name for the Local and Global Leaderboards [Inactive].


    Alex stared at the floating words for several seconds as he processed them. He''d gotten another Title Fragment. Clearing the dungeon alone had been the right call, but he had to deal with the System''s request before anything else.


    If this is what people are going to know me as, I don''t want to go too edgy and just look like an idiot. What do I ¡ª


    Ah. That might work.


    His throat was dry and ragged from how heavily he''d been breathing, but he still managed a single word.


    "Ash," Alex rasped.


    The words vanished silently. Alex blew out a slow breath as his thundering heart slowly started to calm. Out of the corners of his eyes, he spotted a muddy greenish brown flame flickering in wait. The most powerful soul flame that he''d seen so far.


    Mid-High Grade Novice (Floraking)


    His lips twitched. Then their corners curled up.


    And then, his body torn to pieces and sitting in a swamp in a spreading pool of muddy water, before the corpse of a building-sized carnivorous flower, Alex started to laugh.


    ***


    Alex''s rapped his knuckles against the door of door 221, then leaned against the walls of the shoddy apartment with one hand to support himself. Just a few moments later, it jerked open to reveal Claire.


    "Alex! Bleedin'' hell. You''re Novice 5? How did¡­" Claire trailed off as she took him in, her eyes growing wide. "What the fuck happened to you? Are you okay?"


    He glanced down. His clothes were absolutely destroyed. They were stained with mud, blood, and just about everything else in between. Even though the majority of his wounds had mostly closed, some of the worse ones were still exposed.


    Even Claire''s sword, which he held in a loose grip at his side, was completely caked with mud. It had taken him nearly ten minutes to track down where the stupid weapon had fallen after he''d gathered enough energy to start moving around again.


    "Do I look okay?" Alex asked as he held her sword out.


    Claire grabbed it between two fingers and tossed it into the room. It clattered across the ground behind her as she steadied him with a hand.


    "No."


    "Ah. Well, you''re wrong. I''m fine," Alex said with a grin. "I did waste a bit of blood, though. Hungry?"


    "For that? No bleeding way."


    "Hey, I offered."


    "And the offer is appreciated. And, in case you''re unaware, you smell like death," Claire said, shaking her head. "You need a bath, or you might end up killing monsters by stench alone."


    "Tomorrow. I don''t think I''ve got the energy to lift my hands at this point," Alex said with a wry laugh. "I''m pretty sure I''d drown myself if I got into water deeper than a puddle right now."


    She grimaced. "Well, it''s your room too. Just leave the bed alone, please. We''ll never get the stench out."


    "The floor is fine," Alex replied. Claire helped him in, closing the door behind them with a heel. She helped him over to the far wall where he leaned back against it and slid down, letting out a satisfied sigh. "Thanks."


    "Yeah, sure." Claire hesitated for a second. "Did¡­ you do it? Your new level makes the answer pretty clear, but I still have to ask."


    He grinned up at her. "Damn right I did. You were right, though. Doing that completely alone would have been impossible. I only managed it because of Glint."


    "And because you''re insane," Claire muttered. She snagged one of the sheets from the bed and brought it over to Alex, tossing it onto him. "Was it worth it?"


    "More than. Just keep it to yourself. We don''t need to draw pointless attention yet. I''ll be doing more than enough of that soon."


    Claire nodded her understanding. "I will ¡ª and damn. Now I''m going to have to catch up to you. I didn''t think you''d be able to advance this quickly. How many monsters did you have to kill?"


    "It wasn''t the number. It was the size. Don''t worry, though. You''ll have more than enough chances to catch up tomorrow." S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You just said it would have been impossible to solo the dungeon without Glint."


    "Oh, I wasn''t talking about the dungeon." Alex''s lips curled up in a smile. "Tomorrow morning, we''re going back to the Mirrorlands."

 Chapter 30: On the offense

    The ratty, scratchy carpet of room 221 pricked into the side of Alex''s cheek and arms throughout the entire night. It bore the scent of old tobacco smoke and dust that didn''t pair even slightly well with the blood, sweat, and mud coating him.He''d never slept better. Even before the golden rays of the sun could shoulder their way past the dirt and scum marring the old window, his eyes fluttered open and he rose, his wounds completely healed and his stench untouched. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Today was a new day. There were at least 24 hours before the next part of the System initialized and a horde of monsters attacked the settlement they were in. That didn''t sound like much, but it would be more than enough for a trip to the Mirrorlands to fight some more powerful monsters and gain a new summon.


    But before Alex could step one foot outside of the building and set out once again to prepare for the oncoming monsters, there was a critical issue that he had to deal with first.


    Alex needed a bath.


    That carried the drawback of having to speak with people. While Alex didn''t particularly mind talking to anyone normally, he''d just jumped two levels in a single night. He didn''t want to get stuck explaining what he had done ¡ª or how he''d cleared a dungeon on his own ¡ª at the moment. There was just nothing good that would come of it yet.


    Fortunately for him, Claire was already awake and more than willing to lend him her status-obscuring bracelet so long as he promised to wash it off before bringing it back. As soon as she removed it, Alex saw that the System identified her as a Novice 4.


    With his new anonymity, it was a simple task for Alex to set off to find a bathroom. It only now struck him as odd that the room lacked one. He wasn''t sure if that was because the building was just the most scuffed apartment to have ever been built, or if it was due to the system screwing with things during initialization.


    His search didn''t take long. Luckily for him and everyone in the vicinity, the others had already prepared two large meeting rooms as makeshift bathing areas and dragged a number of tubs into them.


    A few other people were milling about and the water was freezing cold, but Alex didn''t care. He just plunged in clothes and all, scrubbing himself furiously and with borderline reckless abandon.


    If there''s a magic item that conceals my abilities and name from people, then is there one that lets me instantly take a bath without having to get in one of these? That would be sweet.


    Alex finished his bath and clambered out, completely soaked from head to toe. He ignored the looks the others sent him as he splish-splashed right back out of the bathhouse and up the stairs to return to room 221.


    "Thanks," Alex said as he held the bracelet out. "That saved me a lot of hassle. How''d you get it, anyway?"


    "Monsters in the dungeons have items sometimes, but you can buy them from some merchants as well," Claire replied. She held a hand up to stop Alex. "And I think you should hang onto that, at least until we get out of town."


    Alex blinked in surprise, then nodded a moment later. Claire had a good point. Showing off his level now wasn''t any smarter than doing it while he was bathing. He slipped the bracelet back over his wrist.


    "What do you mean by merchants? Like, people with merchant classes?"


    "I won''t claim to know exactly how it worked, but they had some way to get items from the System¡­ or from people that represented it. I just remember people were starting to sell a whole lot of stuff, and not all of them were hunting monsters or delving dungeons."


    Alex nodded his understanding. "Interesting. I guess we''ll see it start happening here soon enough. I hope I didn''t miss anything in the Razor Forest. I didn''t see anything spawn."


    "Spawn?" Claire''s brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"


    "What, do the items not drop after the monsters die?"


    "Are you asking if the item just magically pops into existence after you kill a monster?" Claire asked incredulously before shaking her head. "No. The monsters use the items. They can be parts of traps as well. I saw a pitfall with a chest on it in a dungeon once."


    Alex grimaced. "Okay. Now I feel like a bit of an idiot for even asking that. I don''t know why I assumed the world would follow game logic. Of course the monsters would use the items. Wouldn''t be as much of a challenge if they didn''t. Makes me wonder if they follow the same rules we do."


    "With challenge and the like?" Claire tilted her head to the side. "You know, I never really thought about it that much. I don''t see why they wouldn''t, but there has to be a reason they''re in dungeons. I guess there has to be some difference."


    Alex nodded slowly, but he wasn''t so sure he agreed. So far, the system had been pretty consistent in everything it had done ¡ª and like Claire had just reminded him, this wasn''t a game.


    Items didn''t just spawn in. People didn''t magically just get stronger. They had to earn it. They had to seek out challenge and draw in magic by taking it from those they defeated ¡ª or possibly just through challenge and difficulties as a whole.


    Dhampirs are technically monsters from my perspective. Even if Claire looks and acts like a human, she''s a different species. The System works for her just fine, even though she''s swapped what world she''s in. Why wouldn''t it work for monsters?


    He wasn''t going to get answers here, and time was too valuable to sit around theorizing.


    "We can worry about all of that later," Alex decided. "We''ve got one day left until the next part of the System initialization. You remember what I said last night, right?"


    "I''ll be honest, I was really hoping it was just a nightmare. We barely got out of the Mirrorlands. Do you think you can open a portal back to my world or something?"


    "No," Alex admitted.


    "Then why would we even want to go back?"


    "Two reasons. First, because the monsters there are stronger. A lot stronger," Alex replied. "And I''ve already cleared out the dungeon here. I''m pretty sure doing it again would just give me diminishing returns."


    "There could be different monsters."


    "Could be," Alex agreed. "But that doesn''t change the fact that it''s still a Novice dungeon. A lot of the monsters in it were barely worth our time when we were weaker. Do you not remember the squirrels? They''re just a waste of time when we could be pushing ourselves even harder."


    Claire picked her sword up from where she''d leaned it against the side of her bed. It seemed that she''d cleaned it off while he was gone, as it was polished silver once more. She studied her reflection in the blade.


    "There will definitely be rewards for people that manage to get placed high up on the leaderboards after this thing ends," Claire muttered. She lowered her sword. "But going back into the Mirrorlands¡­ I don''t know."


    "I won''t force you. We can take on bigger threats when it''s the two of us, but I won''t lie and say it isn''t a risk. It''s definitely more dangerous than staying here and going into the dungeon with a group of people."


    Claire blew out a breath and sheathed the blade at her side. She turned to look Alex in the eye. "Yeah. It is, but power is an avalanche. The stronger you are, the stronger you get. I saw how quickly people in my world grew once they got rolling. It''s always easier to stay at the top and convert your power to more power than it is to claw your way up. If we aren''t advancing, then we''re falling behind."


    "That sounds like a really roundabout way to say you''re coming."


    "I was trying to make it seem more bleedin'' philosophical than the actual answer, which is just that I don''t want to be left behind," Claire grumbled, throwing her hands up. "This isn''t my planet. It''s not even my apocalypse, but I''m stuck here now. Don''t get me wrong, I''m not complaining. I''m just not letting myself get dropped in the dust if I can help it. And it does strike me that the System is going to give me a whole lot more energy than most people could have gotten in the Mirrorlands because of my class. Not being able to use a lot of my abilities increases the challenge."


    Alex smiled and gestured to the door. "Shall we go, then? The day is slipping away, and I need to find us a portal into the Mirrorlands. In and out. We''ll be back by the night so we''ve got time to meditate and prepare for the horde tomorrow."


    "You''ve got to find the portal? I was kind of hoping you got a way to just open them. Are you even sure there''s one in the area other than the one we first came through? I don''t fancy finding that demon a second time."


    That was a good question. Alex gathered his focus and cast it inward. A roiling lake of power within him rose in response. Even though he couldn''t see it, the feeling was identical to the chilly power that filled his basin in his Mind Palace.


    The energy clearly refills on its own, since I used every last scrap of power I had yesterday. Though that makes me wonder¡­ when Glint dies, is my limit the amount of energy I have? Or is it the amount of energy that he has?


    He could test that out today while they were in the Mirrorlands. For the time being, Alex needed the energy for something else. He needed to locate the nearest portal to the Mirrorlands. He focused on the desire and the chilly power rushed forth in response.


    Alex''s eyelids prickled. He blinked in surprise as he looked down and spotted a thin trail of faint blue energy running from his chest and through one of the walls. It was going in the opposite direction of the portal they''d entered through.


    He could feel a steady pull on his magical reserves. By rough estimate, he was pretty sure he could keep the ability active for around ten minutes before it completely used up all the power he had.


    "Found one."


    "A new one?"


    "Yeah. Opposite direction. I''m not sure how close it is, but the ability description said it extended my senses, not made them infinite. It''s probably relatively close."


    Claire set her hand on the hilt of her sword and gave him a sharp nod. "Lead the way, then."


    "With pleasure," Alex said, holding the door open for Claire as an eager grin pulled across his lips. "This isn''t the same as before. The last time, we were trapped and starving. Now we''re on the offense. Let''s find out just how much we can take from the Mirrorlands, shall we?"

 Chapter 31: Return to the Mirrorlands

    Alex and Claire strode out of the apartment, making quick time out of the main hall before anyone could try to stop and talk to them. Claire''s bracelet did the trick and they didn''t get more than a cursory glance as they passed by other people.They made one pause at Dorriv''s restaurant to fill up the crumpled water bottle that Alex had taken from Jackson. Dorriv filled the bottle, but the look on his face told Alex that things weren''t looking good. It was clear that resources in the town were low and it didn''t seem like anyone had figured out a way to handle that situation yet ¡ª and Dorriv knew that the only thing standing between him and the monsters were the people insane enough to go hunting them.


    With the water taken care of, they headed out once more.


    It wasn''t long before they were outside and striding through the grassy hills. A faint breeze at their backs accompanied them on their journey, carrying with it the smells of the town ¡ª smoke, sweat, and trepidation ¡ª until several minutes after they''d left.


    The grass outside the town was slick with moisture from what he presumed to have been rain that had passed through at some point in the night, and the last traces of the town were soon replaced by the smell of dew and gentle crisp chill of the fading night.


    Alex trailed the dim line of blue smokey light across the hills, turning the ability on for just a few seconds at a time to save his energy. The line was straight, so it wasn''t like they were going to get too far away from it while they were walking from memory.


    They continued for just under fifteen minutes before the energy finally changed. As Alex drew on his power once more while they crested the top of a hill, he caught his first glimpse at where the line led. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Several large boulders sat in a moss-covered formation, making a small mound in the small valley before them. Dim blue-ish silver light glistened upon them from the moon as it fought to avoid dipping below the horizon and making way for the sun.


    The line ran all the way down to the boulders and formed a dull haze around it. Alex released the ability to get a natural look at the stones. Faint purple cracks glistened amidst them, flitting in and out like a small nest of hornets. They were so dull that he could barely even make them out from where he stood.


    "I think that''s our portal," Claire said. "A bit less impressive than the last one we went through."


    "Given where the last one led, that might be a good thing," Alex said as they made their way down the grass, taking care to avoid slipping on the sodden ground. "I want a challenge. Not to get killed without even getting a chance to fight."


    "I trust you''ve got a way to open this?"


    "I should. I''ve got limited control of the portals. At least, hypothetically. I''m not sure if abilities just magically grant you the power to do something perfectly, or if they just pave the way to doing it."


    "The latter," Claire said. "Not that I had that much time to test, but the System doesn''t exactly just¡­ give you stuff. You earn everything. Skills are just new muscles. Magic ones, I guess. Just because you know how to run doesn''t mean you''re great at it."


    "That lines up with everything else we know about it, so I can''t say that I''m surprised." Alex and Claire came to a stop before the rocks and stood silently for a few seconds as they watched the tiny motes of purple light dance within them.


    This is definitely the same stuff that Teddy shoved me through when I first fell into the Mirrorlands. A lot weaker and not actually a proper portal, but I''d recognize this energy anywhere.


    Alex drew on the reserves of magical energy within himself. He thought back to when he''d passed through the portal the last time. The stretching forces that had ripped at his body and the immense pressure that had borne down on him from every direction.


    He drew in a deep breath and reached out for the lines of the portal, his brow creasing in concentration as he felt magic course through his body and gather at his fingertips. A faint blue glow lit within them as if he''d pressed a flashlight to his palms to illuminate their insides.


    His fingers brushed across the magical energy and a jolt of electricity arced through him. He stiffened and drew in a surprised breath. When he''d been twelve, he''d accidentally shorted a chain of live Christmas lights and given himself a sharp zap ¡ª this felt remarkably similar. It wasn''t exactly painful, but it was far from comfortable.


    "You okay?" Claire asked.


    "Yeah. Get ready," Alex replied as he shook his hands off and reached out once again. He grabbed onto the purple cracks. The jolt came once more, but this time, he was ready for it. Alex clenched his jaw to keep his teeth from chattering as electricity poured through his body.


    His hands tightened on the purple light. An invisible force pressed against them, but it slowly gave way as he strengthened his grip and poured more magic into it. He slowly started to pull his hands apart.


    A dim purple line formed in the air before him, lengthening rapidly as he continued to pull. The flow of energy rushing through him intensified the wider the portal grew, but he was too far along to stop now.


    With a final snarl, Alex shoved his arms apart as hard as he could. A loud rip split the air and the purple line yawned open to form into a circular disk. Iridescent purple light swirled in a vortex trapped within it, and a faint force pulled at Alex, trying to draw him into the portal.


    He took a step back and shook his hands off to make sure he didn''t somehow stumble in before he was prepared. Claire studied the churning disk beside him, her eyes narrowed.


    "Is it safe?"


    "Probably?"


    "That''s not very reassuring," Claire observed. She put her hand on the hilt of her sword and ran her thumb over its pommel as she chewed her lower lip. "Eh. Nothing is changing while we stand around. You ready for this?"


    "Ready as I''ll ever be. No point losing any time," Alex replied. He held his left out to Claire and she took it, keeping her other on the hilt of her sword. The disk had already shrunk slightly since they''d started speaking. It didn''t look like it would last more than a minute at most.


    "Be ready to give me some blood, yeah?" Claire asked. "I didn''t need it the last time I fell into the Mirrorlands, but you never know. I don''t want to lose myself."


    "Don''t worry. I will," Alex promised. He hesitated for a moment as they looked at the receding portal. "And be ready. There''s a good chance something''s waiting for us on the other side."


    "When you say good chance, how good are we talking?" Claire asked. Alex just arched an eyebrow in response. Claire heaved a sigh and shook her head. "Never mind. Let''s go kill some shit."


    "Couldn''t have said it better myself," Alex said. Then, as one, they plunged into the portal.


    Pressure bore down on Alex from every direction. His chest constricted as electricity tore down his arms and through his chest. It crackled between him and Claire and formed miniature explosions, fireworks going off just inches away from his face. The world stretched and squished, warped and pulsed.


    Shapes and colors blended together in an indecipherable soup. Alex could hear the hammer of his own heartbeat mixed with Claire''s, and he was just barely aware of her hand still locked in a death grip around his.


    Then the world fell back into place. Colors rushed into their proper locations and shapes snapped back to clarity. Alex drew in a gasping breath as his eyes refocused. His chest had been so tight that he''d completely forgotten to breathe.


    Alex was laying on the grass. For an instant, he thought that the portal had somehow failed. Then he realized the grass was bright blue. He pushed himself upright with a jolt, scanning to see if there were any threats nearby.


    All he found were sloping hills of blue grass. The only other living being he saw was Claire, who was laid on the hill beside him, her hair splayed out around her head. It didn''t look like they had any company, but Alex wasn''t going to bet on that lasting.


    "Claire?" Alex asked as he rolled to the side just in case she''d lost control of herself again.


    "I''m fine." Claire''s voice was muffled by the dirt. She sat up with a grimace, spitting onto the ground before wiping her mouth. "Bleh. I took a bite out of the grass somehow. I definitely felt myself lose a lot of energy from using the portal, but it wasn''t that bad this time around. I guess it helps that I''ve got more to work with this time around."


    "Does that mean you don''t need to drink?"


    Claire stood up and cleared her throat pointedly. "I wouldn''t say no if you''re offering."


    Alex wordlessly held his arm out. He didn''t need Claire weakened when they were in the Mirrorlands. Especially not when they didn''t know what they were up against. Claire gave him an appreciative nod as she grabbed onto his wrist like a juicy steak and bit into it.


    He repressed a wince and took the opportunity to continue scanning their surroundings. A city of crooked, broken buildings poked into the purple-red sky in the near distance, roughly a five or ten minute walk away.


    It wasn''t the same one that they''d been in the last time Alex had fallen into the Mirrorlands ¡ª that much was certain. There was no mountain nearby, nor were there any City-Eater Centipedes.


    Is that because Berith had to modify the portal that sent us to Earth before? I suppose we''ll find out when I open the portal back.


    Alex glanced over his shoulder at that thought. Purple cracks glistened in the air behind them. The way back to Earth was still there. He breathed out a small sigh of relief. He''d been mostly certain it would be, but there had only been one way to know for sure.


    "Thanks for the meal," Claire said as she released his wrist and let it lower.


    "Don''t say that. It sounds like I''m a walking buffet."


    "You are." Claire sent him a smug grin.


    Alex rolled his eyes. Then he froze. Energy prickled at the back of his spine and a low buzz filled his ears. He took a step back and the smile on Claire''s face vanished as she drew her sword, instantly picking up on his body language.


    Before Alex could even say anything, what sounded like a zipper split through the air. A pink portal tore open and what seemed to be a ten foot wide bundle of chitinous legs tumbled out, landing on the hill beside them with a crash.


    Loud clicks filled the air as the odd form rapidly righted itself, unfurling like a piece of origami and more than doubling in height as it rose to reveal its full, imposing figure. The monster would have resembled a crab if a crab had been blasted by radiation by about four hundred years and allowed to grow without any mortal restrictions. Two long eyes swayed on stalks, locked onto Alex and Claire like they were a pair of fish that had swam into its lair.


    It had five legs on each side and four pincers ¡ª two of which were nearly ten feet long and stuck out of the top of its shell. Every one of its limbs was uncomfortably long and thin, elongated to the point where they were practically sticks. Small spines lined the monster''s entire shell, bottom and top.


    Dozens of tiny mandibles in the creature''s mouth worked as it let out a chittering hiss. Alex and Claire both took a step back as they stared up at the enormous creature with a mixture of awe and horror as its purple name burned in the air above it.


    Riftwarped Crawler (Initiate 1)

 Chapter 32: Riftwarped Crawler

    The Riftwarped Crawler lashed out with a thin, gangly arm. It blurred through the air for Alex with a loud whistle. Claire grabbed him by the back of his shirt and yanked him out of the way like a ragdoll. The monster''s limb slammed into the grass with a loud thump, ripping a huge clump of grass and dirt free.Alex let out a strangled choke as his collar bit at his neck and threatened to strangle him. He stumbled back and extended his thoughts in a mental command even as Claire released him and stepped forward to put herself between him and the crab.


    Loud, splintering cracks tore through the air as Glint stepped out from a fragmented portal, his massive claws dragging across the ground as he moved to stand beside Claire. The Riftwarped Crawler chittered as its hands clicked in the air around it. Its many legs beat a loud, pattering drumbeat into the ground as the monster shifted to the side, sizing them up. It was the highest level monster that Alex had seen ¡ª at least, of the monsters that had had a level that he could actually comprehend.


    They couldn''t afford any mistakes here.


    "Stand back. You''ve had all the fights before. I''ve got this," Claire said as she raised a hand to stall Alex. She leaned forward, her foot digging into the dirt and skidding back an inch. Her lips pulled back and she launched herself forward, bursting into motion.


    Two of the Riftwarped Crawler''s pincers extended for Claire. She vaulted into the air, diving between them, and brought her sword down toward the lower arm''s thin carapace. It struck it with a loud crack ¡ª and rebounded harmlessly.


    Claire managed to twist herself just in time to plant her feet on two un-spined spots on its shell and push herself away an instant before one of its other hands carved through the air where she''d been standing.


    She hit the ground with a grunt and rolled back, rising to her feet just a few feet away from Alex. Claire rubbed her shoulder, then tossed her sword to the side with a grimace.


    "I take it back. I don''t think either of us are winning this one alone."


    Hey, I respect the attempt.


    "Avoid getting hit. Find a way to kill the crab but prioritize not getting killed for as long as possible. Treat Claire and my life with more value than yours." Alex ordered. He wished there was more he could do right now, but that was half the reason he was in the Mirrorlands right now in the first place.


    Glint flashed forward. The Riftwarped Crawler''s crossed two of its limbs before itself and the Shardwalker''s claws raked across them with a loud screech, leaving thin yellowed lines across the dull orange carapace.


    The Crawler''s eyes refocused to Glint and it chittered. Another one of its claws shot out for the Shardwalker and Glint was forced to jump back to avoid the blow. Even with his speed, he barely managed to get out of the way of the strike in time. Alex grimaced. As powerful as Glint''s offense was, it only took a single good blow to take him down.


    Claire tensed. She flexed her fingers and a ripple passed under her skin as black claws carved out from their tips. She dashed around the crab, forcing it to use one eye to track her motion.


    She and Glint attacked as one ¡ª and the Riftwarped Crawler vanished in a flash of purple energy. Alex gaped as both Claire and Glint''s claws carved through nothing. They both stumbled, taken off balance by the complete lack of resistance to their attacks.


    Without so much as a crackle, the monster reappeared in a faint shimmer of pink energy a foot behind where it had been, its multitude of claws already flashing out in attacks directed at both Claire and Glint.


    Alex threw himself forward, tackling Claire to the ground before the huge pincers could slam shut on her from behind. He rolled to the side as soon as they landed and Claire thrust herself upward, her claws raking across the bottom of the monster''s carapace and leaving deep grooves through it.


    "The bottom is softer than the top!" Claire yelled.


    Two claws snapped out for her. She dove forward, managing to avoid the first, but the second slammed shut on her ankle with a loud crack.


    "Go for its stomach!" Alex ordered Glint, his heart slamming in his chest as the Crawler swung Claire into the air like a pinata.


    Glint blurred into motion, driving his claws deep into the bottom of the crab''s armored stomach. They ripped through the chitin and dug into the flesh beneath before the Shardwalker ripped them free in a spray of red meat and black ichor.


    A chittering screech escaped the Riftwarped Crawler''s undulating mouth and it whipped its hand ¡ª the very same one still holding Claire ¡ª at Glint. Claire''s string of curses sailed behind her as she whipped through the air like a makeshift blackjack.


    With an impressive demonstration of core strength, she pulled herself up and grabbed onto the thin, jointed arm of the monster. Her hand tightened around it and she bared her teeth in a snarl. Her claws grew larger and black veins pulsed beneath her skin.


    A loud crack rang out like a gunshot. The Riftwarped Crawler screamed again as its arm suddenly slumped, ripped clean off. Claire hit the ground, the crab''s claw still locked shut around her ankle. As she reached down to try and pry herself free, the massive crab lurched forward to finish the job on her. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Glint! Attack it in the same spot!" Alex yelled as he grabbed Claire''s sword off the ground and lunged forward. His summoned companion wasn''t strong enough to stop a blow from the monster directly ¡ª but his own body had just gotten reinforced from leveling up.


    Alex brought the blade up, bracing his palm against the flat of the sword and put himself between the plummeting limb and Claire. A wave of sheer force slammed into his body, sending a tremor all the way down through his legs. His right arm crumpled and crunched. His knees buckled. Pain screamed through his mind as the world flashed black around him. If it hadn''t been for the ridiculous amount of adrenaline racing through his veins, he would have passed out on the spot.


    Claire finally freed herself from the fallen pincer with a pained snarl. She hobbled to her feet and raised a hand, driving her open palm into another pincer as it swung at them. Black veins bulged in her arm an instant before her strike connected with that of the crab.


    The force of the collision stopped the Riftwarped Crawler''s strike from hitting Alex, but it sent Claire staggering backward. Her weight fell on her injured ankle and she stumbled, falling back to the ground.


    In the brief seconds that Claire had bought, Glint dove below the crab and ripped into the bottom of the Crawler''s armor like a rabid child set free in a candy shop. His huge claws carved the monster apart from the inside, spilling black fluid and ichor that turned the dirt beneath to mud.


    The crab let out a screech ¡ª and drove itself straight down. There was no time for Glint to dodge out of the way. Instead of even trying to dodge, the Shardwalker rolled over so his back faced the enormous plummeting monster. Alex''s eyes widened in shock an instant before a loud crunch split the air. The crab rose once with a series of wet squelches as it pulled itself free from the jutting blades on Glint''s back.


    Energy flooded into Alex and filled him with Glint''s powers. His companion had died, but not for naught. Huge, weeping wounds covered the bottom of the crab. The same black liquid dribbled from its mouth.


    "Can you stop another attack?" Alex asked, blocking out the agony from his limp arm.


    "Maybe," Claire rasped. Her voice was parched and ragged. "I just used up almost every drop of blood I drank from you for those two attacks. The next thing I do will be the last unless I get some more blood to work with."


    Alex gritted his teeth, but the tension and adrenaline wracking his body couldn''t keep the flicker of a grin from his face. He had wanted a challenge, after all.


    "Distract this thing. I''ll finish it."


    Claire didn''t have time to suggest an alternative course of action. The crab vanished in a flicker of pink energy. Claire darted forward to catch the monster''s attention and flung herself to the side to avoid two swings of the Riftwarped Crawler''s claws.


    The Dhampir glanced back at Alex as he sprinted toward her and the huge monster, then turned her attention back to the huge crab. It whipped its third gangly arm down at her. Claire''s right hand lifted, black veins pulsing against her pale skin once more, and she braced right arm with her left.


    The claw slammed into Claire''s palm. She snarled in defiance, just barely managing to avoid crumpling beneath the monster''s immense strength. Her right hand shifted back to its normal form and her arm dropped as she collapsed to her knees.


    Both of the monster''s stalklike eyes locked onto Claire and it reached for her throat with its claws ¡ª but in the time it had wasted fighting her, Alex had already closed the distance between them. The screaming pain in his bones was nothing in comparison to the furious adrenaline pounding in his head like a second heart.


    Noticing him at the last second, the crab swept one of its arms at his head. Alex dropped to his knees, skidding across the slick grass. He leapt back to his feet just as he arrived before the crab and drove the sword into its mouth with all the force he could muster.


    Then he drew on every single scrap of magical energy that he possessed and released it all at once. Jagged mirror growths ripped out from the hilt of the sword and erupted within the crab, blending it from within.


    Alex released the hilt of the sword and took a step back. The monster''s mandibles worked as they tried to close down on the growing glass, but that only hastened its demise. It let out one final chittering hiss. Its legs bowed. It collapsed to the ground, limbs falling limp all around it with a series of thuds as the life fled the monster''s body.


    A river of energy flooded into Alex. Even though he''d worked together with Claire to kill the monster, it bore even more power than he''d gotten when he''d defeated the Floraking on his own. The difference between Novice and Initiate monsters was ridiculous.


    He drew in a stiff breath, then let out a shaky breath as he staggered back over to where Claire had dropped to her knees. His arm hung limp at his side, pulsing with so much pain that he could barely even tell how much it hurt anymore.


    "See?" Alex managed, the corner of his mouth twitching in something between a grimace and a grin. "Wasn''t that fun?"


    To his surprise, Claire let out a ragged laugh between her gasping breaths. "Bleeding hell. I see how you can get addicted to this. That felt incredible. I''ve never felt a rush like that before."


    Alex flopped back onto the grass, gritting his teeth as the adrenaline started to leave his system. His sweat-soaked shirt was cold against his back and grass prickled along into his spine. He could feel small pops and shifts from within his arm as his body worked to fix itself, but that did little to make anything hurt less.


    "The energy from killing it?" Alex asked.


    "That too." Claire rasped, then took a second to catch her breath before speaking again. "But I meant the thrill of winning. I''ve never fought something that strong in my life. Beating it¡­ bleed me. I feel so powerful."


    "I think I might have corrupted you," Alex said with a pained chuckle. The fingers of his right hand twitched slightly. Some of the damage to his arm had already fixed itself, but it would be a bit before he could get full control of his arm again.


    "I don''t think I''m quite that bad yet. I''ll give it a week." Claire slumped down beside him and let out a groan. Then she cleared her throat. "So¡­ your blood. You usin'' it?"


    Alex turned to look at her. "Didn''t that thing have blood? I mean, it was black, but it was still blood. Couldn''t you have drained it?"


    "Nothing in the Mirrorlands has blood," Claire said with a shake of her head. "It looks like blood, but that isn''t blood. Their energy is all twisted up. Warped. Drinking from that would be like sticking my head in a sewer line."


    "So you need mine again? Didn''t I just give you some?"


    "Look, I just used everything I drank earlier to block three attacks. Got to test my new skill out and transform one bit of myself instantly instead of wasting all the time changing my entire form. Turns out, it uses almost as much blood to shift one arm as it does to shift my whole body. Probably due to how fast the change happens. Either way, my tanks are empty. I''m about to start frothing at the mouth."


    Alex pushed himself upright with a grimace. His right arm still felt like a tractor had run over it, then backed up to make sure the deed was done. The last thing he needed was Claire losing her mind on him.


    "Here," he said, sticking his left arm out to her. "And to answer your question ¡ª yes. I''m using my blood, so make sure to leave me some of it."


    Claire bit into his wrist without another word, drinking greedily. Alex blew out a sigh and looked out at the corpse of the crab before him. A fist-sized orange flame crackled above its body, the largest flame he''d seen yet. Tinges of purple twisted through the fire, crackling like lightning within it.


    Low Grade Initiate (Riftwarped Crawler)


    An Initiate level soul flame. It was the largest he''d seen so far. It was also the strongest, but there was something strange about the flame. A dull, throbbing energy rolled off it and pushed against Alex''s hand as he reached for it.


    The force was nowhere near enough to stop him from picking the flame up. A prickle bit at the back of his neck like a chilly breath and a shiver ran down Alex''s body. For a brief moment, something brushed across his mind. A freezing cold tendril curled through his thoughts and froze the breath in his chest.


    Then it was gone, the connection severed like a blade had carved it apart. The flame was completely blocked off to him. Alex studied it for a few moments, trying to see if the sensation would return, but it never did.


    That connection hasn''t happened before. Was it because I can summon a new monster? Or did it have something to do with the Riftwarped part? Guess it could have been the high rank as well. I''ll find out soon enough.


    He raised his gaze to the crooked city silhouetted against the perpetually purple-pink sunset horizon of the Mirrorlands. A grin pulled at the corners of Alex''s lips. The Crawler was just the first of many. He wouldn''t have taken a random monster for his next companion anyway. Not until he got a better idea of his options. There was no rush.


    Alex was more than willing to experiment. The Mirrorlands was full of things that wanted to kill him, and he wouldn''t have had it any other way.


    That was what kept things fun.

 Chapter 33: Drink it

    A few minutes of walking later, Alex and Claire crested a hill of gossamer grass and got their first look at the whole of the crooked city. It would have been more accurate to think of it as a rather oversized town. A healthy smattering of houses dotted the ground in ill-planned city blocks that reeked of hasty construction and poor planning.The city wasn''t exactly small, but nobody would have considered it big. If Alex had to guess, he would have said it had once possessed a dollar store that never had a single car at its front but always remained in business, an old big box store, and a ratty baseball field where parents got far too invested in the game because there was absolutely nothing better to do.


    There were a mixture of one and two story houses in the city, as well as several dozen that had forgotten that their foundations were meant to remain in the ground and currently floated two dozen feet in the air, suspended in space and time.


    A concrete road led a few feet out of the city before abruptly coming to a stop at the grass. It was covered with large cracks that ran all the way back into the city and along many of the buildings, splitting some of them clean in half.


    Tall, askew towers pierced into the sky, easily fifteen stories high. They carved through the swirls of purple and pink smoke that flowed through the air like the world''s largest failed gender reveal party.


    Directly before the town was a towering sign. More accurately, there were about sixty of them. They''d just all somehow melted into each other and stacked like an odd totem pole of green and white metal. All the words that they''d once borne had twisted and melted together until their original meaning was warped beyond recognition.


    A small ¡ª relatively speaking, as it was still about the size of two school busses welded together lengthwise ¡ª City-Eater Centipede slipped from a crackling portal above the city. Its many legs rowed, propelling it through the air and into another portal.


    The city had somehow managed to take the faint smell of oil and livestock manure with it into the Mirrorlands. It was probably the last real identifying part of the city''s former identity. Alex and Claire exchanged a glance.


    "Lovely place," Claire said. "Do we have a plan here?"


    "I can get a new monster to summon," Alex replied. "I just don''t exactly know how yet. The plan is to get one."


    "Right," Claire said. "And how are you going to do that?"


    "I''ve got a running theory, but the last monster was unique. I need to fight something else to verify anything," Alex replied as he gave her a one-shouldered shrug. "None of our plans change either way. I want to kill everything I can and then go from there. I''m 90 percent sure I get my new summon by doing¡­ something to the energy of the things I''ve defeated."


    "When you put it that way it sounds like you should be on a list," Claire said with a snicker. That only lasted for about a second before her foot hit a patch of slick grass and she slipped with a curse.


    Alex''s hand shot out and he grabbed Claire by the front of her shirt before she could hit the ground ¡ª and, to his disbelief, he held her there, suspended. Alex had never been weak, but he also hadn''t been anywhere near strong enough to hold an entire other human in the air with a single hand.


    He pulled her back to her feet and they stared at each other in mute shock for a second.


    "What was that?" Claire asked in awe. "Did your class give you some sort of strength augment?"


    "No, I don''t have anything like that. I just grabbed you."


    Claire looked down at herself. Then she grabbed his arm and gave it a squeeze. Alex stared at her and she cleared her throat, releasing him.


    "Sorry."


    "What are you doing?"


    "I was checking how much muscle you have. No offense meant, but you don''t look anywhere near bleeding strong enough to carry me around with one hand," Claire said. "How did you do that?"


    I felt like I was a lot faster when I was in the dungeon as well. Is this not happening to everyone?


    "I was under the impression the system was making us stronger when we leveled up," Alex said hesitantly. "Is that not the case?"


    "I don''t think so. Arms out," Claire said, gesturing to Alex. He blinked, then followed her request. The Dhampir grabbed him beneath the armpits and gritted her teeth as she leaned back, trying to lift him into the air. She got his feet off the ground by about an inch before letting out a grunt and dropping him back down. "Bleeding ¡ª why are you so damn heavy?"


    "I don''t feel heavy," Alex said. "Maybe you''re just w¡ª"


    Claire glared at him and he coughed into a fist before he could finish the sentence.


    "Did your class really not give you anything?" Claire asked. "I''m not kidding about you being heavy. You look way lighter than you actually are. You haven''t been eating rocks or something, have you?"


    "No rocks as far as I''m aware," Alex said dryly.


    "Then what are you doing? If it isn''t your class, how come you''re so much heavier and stronger than you should be?"


    "I don''t know!" Alex shook his head helplessly. "I haven''t been doing anything that you¡­"


    Claire''s eyes narrowed as he trailed off. "That I what?"


    "You know that class tutorial you got, yeah?" Alex asked slowly as a memory nipped at the back of his mind.


    "Yeah," Claire replied. "Why? Did it tell you about some fancy way to get stronger?"


    Alex hadn''t gotten a proper tutorial. The closest thing to it had been a rather odd chat with Meiderly, who had given him about a quarter of the information that everyone else had gotten ¡ª but perhaps the eyeless man had also given him some information that nobody else had.


    He taught me about drinking the magical energy before using it to level up to make my Mind Palace grow. Could it also be making my physical body more powerful?


    "When you meditate, what do you do with your power?" Alex asked.


    Claire blinked in surprise at the sudden shift in topic. "What do you mean? I just draw it into myself and then use it to make my abilities grow stronger."


    I was right. I can''t think of what else could be causing this. Other people didn''t get told about drinking the water ¡ª or, at the very least, Claire didn''t.


    Alex hesitated for a second. Every piece of information was an advantage when the end of the world had happened so recently. Advantages only lasted when other people didn''t have them.


    He''d only known Claire for a short time. Before the apocalypse, that would have been nowhere near long enough to consider someone a friend. She''d have been an acquaintance at best.


    But things were different. They''d escaped the Mirrorlands together. They''d saved each other''s lives multiple times. Even though they hadn''t known each other for long yet, as far as friends could be concerned, it was pretty much impossible to ask for more.


    No point keeping anything from her at this point. We''re in this together. If she ends up deciding to betray me, then that''ll be on her. If anything, it''ll give me a new challenge to deal with. I win either way.


    "Have you ever tried drinking the water in the basin of your Mind Palace?" Alex asked.


    "Drinking it?" Claire stared at him. "No. Why would I do that? Did you do that?"


    He nodded.


    "Why?"


    "My tutorial was a bit¡­ odd. I didn''t really get one because of how I fell into the Mirrorlands before getting assigned a class. It caused a few issues, but the person that did tell me what little I know basically guided me to drinking the water first. The basin in the middle of mine was originally all cracked up, but drinking the energy fixed it."


    "Huh. I directed some of the energy into fixing up my basin because I noticed it leaking, but the System didn''t say anything about drinking any water. I didn''t even realize you could put more energy into it. I thought it was all fixed up. Are you telling me¡­"


    "There''s definitely more to it than that. I don''t know the extent of it, but there''s a lot more."


    Claire rubbed her eyes. "Are you serious?"


    "Dead serious."


    Blowing out a breath of disbelief, Claire ran her hands through her hair. Her gaze snapped back to Alex as another thought struck her. "And you think drinking the energy makes your body stronger too?"


    "That''s my best guess."


    "Bleed me. That''s ridiculous. Almost feels unfair.," Claire muttered. Her gaze sharpened and she squinted at Alex. "You''ve known about this the whole damn time?"


    "I had no idea it made me physically stronger. I thought it just improved my Mind Palace, which would be important at some point in the future."


    Claire crossed her arms in front of her chest and her eyes narrowed. "Even if you didn''t know it made you stronger, why didn''t you tell me? If it''s important in the future, then it''s better to start early."


    "To be honest? Because I wasn''t sure if I could trust you yet. I don''t have the highest opinion of people on a normal day, let alone when the world ends. It took me a bit to warm to you. Also, I had no idea how much the System had already shared."


    A few seconds passed in silence as Claire studied him. He met her gaze without flinching. He didn''t regret playing his cards close to chest. It hadn''t had a huge negative effect on her and he didn''t need people too suspicious of him. Undue attention was only useful when you were strong enough to deal with it.


    Claire blew out a breath. "You''re a little shit, you know that?"


    "More than aware of it."


    "Not that I''m complaining, but¡­ I honestly expected you to be a little more annoyed about this," Alex said slowly.


    "What, holding back information?" Claire snorted. "This isn''t anything new to me, Alex. This is just how Court was back in Ayrin. Nobody gives up information. Even to your closest friends. I''d have been pissed if permanent harm done, but I can still catch up. It''s not like my Mind Palace is closed off to me."


    Alex nodded slowly, but he was even more curious about Claire''s home planet than he had been before.


    Are all Dhampirs really trying to constantly backstab each other? How''d Claire end up so¡­ well, nice?


    "I see," Alex said. "Well, in the spirit of things, make sure you finish upgrading your Mind Palace before you go up a Stage to Initiate. I think advancing stages locks in your progress."


    "Good to hear," Claire said. "And don''t mistake me. I haven''t forgiven you. That''ll cost some extra blood."


    "Does me telling you now do nothing? As far as I can tell, not many other people know about this yet."


    "Of course it does." Claire crossed her arms in front of her chest and arched an eyebrow at him. "It shows that you like me now. I still need to do something to get back at you for holding back on me, though. That''s just how things work. Might as well get a snack while I''m at it. Your blood is delicious."


    "That''s¡­ fair, I suppose. Also slightly unsettling. It does seem like you''re kind of just using this as a chance to drink more blood."


    "Damn right I am," Claire said with a smug nod. "Do you know how bleeding hard it is to get something that tastes good? You''re literally the only thing I''ve had a chance to eat since arriving in the Mirrorlands. I''m not going to pass up on a chance to get more when I don''t have to feel bad about it."


    "Maybe we should find you some chickens or something back on Earth."


    "I guess¡­ but it''s the energy I drink that matters. And, compared to the monsters I drained back in my world, you taste a lot better," Claire said, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. "I think we know why now. You''re filling your body with magical energy."


    "Are you telling me that I''m literally turning myself into a snack for Dhampirs?" Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Bleed that. I''m not sharing," Claire said, her eyes darkening. "Just me. You don''t have nearly enough blood to go around, and it''s not actually all that easy to stop drinking once we start. There generally isn''t a reason to. Don''t let any other Dhampirs get their fangs on you if you want to have any blood left when they''re done."


    Well, that''s not concerning at all.


    "Noted," Alex said. He looked out to the city, which laid before them as if in wait. "We''re killing daylight¡­ or whatever kind of light there is in the Mirrorlands, but the only thing I want to be killing is monsters. Shall we?"


    "After what you just told me? Absolutely." Claire started past Alex and down the hill in the direction of the city. "I need to get even more energy if I''m going to catch up to you. I think it''s time to take a page out of your book."

 Chapter 34: Chasing shadows

    Alex stepped onto the street with Claire a short distance behind him. A pebble ground beneath his feet and he hurried to the shade of a building, keeping out of the ruddy red light covering the entire city.A massive shadow passed overhead no more than a second later. Alex couldn''t see it, but the hair on his skin stood on end as a City-Eater Centipede passed through the sky far above. He rubbed his arm and exchanged a glance with Claire once the monster had vanished once more.


    "You think you could catch yourself one of those?" Claire whispered.


    "Sure. All I''d have to do is kill one first."


    "Hey, it was a fair question. No need for sarcasm. We don''t know for sure you have to kill monsters to bond them, do we?"


    "I''m pretty sure I do, but it''s not fact yet," Alex admitted with a small shrug. "But I wasn''t being sarcastic."


    "Should have guessed," Claire grumbled. She adjusted her grip on the sword at her side as they continued down the street. They turned down an alley between two crumbling buildings. Rubble piled at the far end of the small side street and stretched out into what had once been a city block, now reduced to nothing but rubble. The walls of the buildings surrounding the area were pitted and carved to pieces.


    A few recognizable pieces of masonry jutted up from the sea of crushed stone. The top half of a doorframe, askew and only just poking out from beneath a large pile of brick. A lone wall that leaned against the edge of a house, just a small push from collapsing to dust.


    The hair on the back of Alex''s neck prickled. He and Claire both slowed. The craggy clearing seemed empty, but neither of them were about to take a bet on it. They didn''t exchange a word. For several seconds, they just stood and silently observed.


    Seconds turned to minutes. Alex couldn''t shake the feeling that something was off, but he couldn''t see anything out of place either. He was just about to turn away from the rubble to find another path forward when a flicker of motion caught his eye.


    A four-foot tall bird with a wingspan easily twice its height hopped into view, long black talons the size of bananas scrapping across the rubble beneath it. The bird had a pointed pencil-thin beak, almost to the point of absurdity, and two wide, bulbous eyes that would have fit better upon the face of a frog. They moved independently of each other to scan the surroundings as it continued to hop across the clearing, either uncaring or unaware of any potential danger around it.


    Corpse Poker (Novice 2)


    A crunch split the air. The Corpse Poker''s large eyes darted to the side and it launched itself into the sky with a terrified squack. Alex and Claire both jerked their heads up just in time to catch a shadow pass above them and alight into the ground where the bird had been, just barely missing it.


    Alex pressed his back to the wall, his breath freezing in his chest. A huge, catlike creature had landed in the center of the clearing. It was easily seven feet tall and four times as long if he counted the barbed tail swaying above it. Jagged bone growths jutted up from the backs of the cat''s elbows and its mouth, so full of fangs that it couldn''t close properly, dripped saliva as a hiss rose from within it.


    Boneflesh Prowler (Initiate 8)


    The Prowler leapt for the Corpse Poker, batting it with a huge paw. Feathers exploded out as the bird bounced across the ground in a mix of screeches and feathers. Somehow, it managed to get its gangly feet out from under it, though one of its wings was clearly broken.


    Alex had no doubt in his mind that the Boneflesh Prowler could have killed its prey with a single blow. It had intentionally held back from using its full strength or the thick claws sprouting from its paws. The Prowler was playing with its food.


    Claire grabbed Alex''s arm. She didn''t say a word, but her meaning was clear. This wasn''t an enemy that they could handle. He fully agreed with her. They both inched back into the alley, but they only managed to make it a few steps before the ground beneath their feet trembled.


    The clearing exploded. A powerful shockwave sent Alex stumbling back. He threw his hands up to protect his face as chunks of rubble flew everywhere, slamming into the buildings surrounding the clearing and screaming through the alley around him and Claire. Several of them pelted into his arm and chest.


    Alex squinted past his fingers, and his eyes went wide. An enormous tentacle the size of a three-story building had erupted from the center of the clearing and wrapped around the Boneflesh Prowler.


    Barbacle (Adept 5)


    The Prowler yowled in pain as it desperately attempted to free itself, but the tentacle just tightened further around it. Cracks rang out in the air as bones snapped like paper. All the cat''s attempts to fight back amounted to absolutely nothing as the tentacle slowly dragged it toward the earth, sinking back beneath the rubble.


    For an instant, Alex locked eyes with the Corpse Poker, which still stood on the other side of the clearing. Its large eyes held about as much intelligence as a rock. The stupid thing didn''t even have the good sense to make a run for it ¡ª but it didn''t look like the Barbacle was paying it much attention in the first place.


    It was just too weak.


    Alex swallowed and took a careful step back into the alley. Claire matched his movements, and the two of them slipped back into the main road, keeping to the shadows to avoid drawing the attention of yet something else.


    "I think I''d prefer a different path," Claire whispered, releasing Alex''s hand. "We need to move. That noise might have gotten something''s attention."


    He nodded mutely, then jerked his chin over toward another alley across the street. It wasn''t like they could just traipse through the center of the city and avoid the alleys ¡ª the main streets were in plain view of the City-Eater Centipedes, not to mention all the other powerful monsters that were inevitably waiting for their prey.


    We''ve got to stick to the alleys, and so do all the other weaker monsters. Unfortunately, weak is releative. Something weak in the Mirrorlands is fucking terrifying to us.


    Claire glanced up at the sky, then gave him a thumbs up. They both darted across the road and into their newly chosen alley. Alex grimaced as distant rotten scent offended his senses with all the subtlety of a brass horn. Sulfurous eggs and ripe, three-week old garbage mixed with the stench of something akin to a shaker bottle full of protein shake that had been left out in the sun overnight.


    "Bleed me," Claire whispered as she gagged, pinching her nose shut. "What is that?"


    Alex glanced over Claire''s shoulder and grimaced. The answer had already made itself present. A large, lumpy gray form rose above the alley exit before them, bulbous and pustule ridden. Rivers of greenish-gray liquid poured from dozens of old wounds covering what could only have once been flesh. There was no real shape or form to the blobby mass before them. It bore more resemblance to a rotted bag stuffed full of compost than an actual living being.


    They both paused, but a dead monster was a lot less likely to attack them than a live one. It was certainly safer than the alleyway behind them. A minute passed as they waited to see if anything would come to investigate the loud noise. But, if anything did, it didn''t venture in their direction.


    A wet squelch broke the newly minted silence of the city as a Corpse Poker hooped up onto the dead monster just beyond the alleyway. It still had both wings functioning, so it wasn''t the same one from the previous alley. The monster''s black talons tore through the wet flesh sack with ease and its wide eyes moved independently of each other to scan the surroundings as it drove its beak deep into the dead monster and started to drink.


    Corpse Poker (Novice 2)


    "Another one? That is bleeding vile," Claire whispered, voice nasally from still having her nose pinched shut. They both ducked to avoid the Corpse Poker''s sight. For having enormous eyes, the monster didn''t seem particularly observant.


    Compensating, much?


    "The bird?" Alex asked. "Or the dead thing?"


    "Yes."


    "Well, I say we kill it. At least we know where the other one came from," Alex said. "And given that one of the things is already dead, there''s only one left to kill. You want it?"


    "Bleed that. All yours. Are you really going to get close to that¡­ squeezed rat? You''ll smell like death warmed over for the rest of the week. I''m going to need to melt my nose shut."


    Alex ignored her and edged closer to the edge of the alleyway. The birds eyeballs were still bouncing about like pinballs, but it had yet to pick up on his presence. He poked his head out and slowly peered down the main street to get a better look at their surroundings and the rest of the corpse.


    Bile welled in his stomach and burned at the back of his throat. It didn''t look like they were going to figure out what the dead monster was anytime soon. The entire upper half of its body had been picked completely clean and left behind only pockmarked white bone, bleached and dry.


    Maggots covered the ground around the bone. They weren''t strong enough to get identified by the System, but some of them were almost as large as his fingers and easily three times as thick. They made a squirming bed on the ground on the far end of the street.


    There were, however, no more Corpse Pokers. He couldn''t see any other monsters with enough strength to be concerned about. That didn''t mean things would stay that way. Alex drew back into the alley and crouched, moving slowly to avoid drawing any extra attention. His fingers found a rough piece of fallen rubble the size of his palm. He pulled it into his grip and rose, turning it over in his hand to try and find the best position to hold it.


    Claire realized what he was doing and took a step back to distance herself from Alex and leave him enough room to maneuver in the small alleyway. It was just wide enough for two people to stand shoulder by shoulder, but not if they wanted to avoid getting hit.


    Alex drew his hand back and waited to make sure the Corpse Poker wasn''t going to move. He didn''t want to waste the element of surprise. Fortunately for him, the bird was completely occupied with sticking its long beak where it really didn''t belong.


    He whipped the rock forward with all the strength he could muster ¡ª which, as it turned out, was actually a considerable amount. The stone streaked through the air and struck the bird right in the chest.


    It let out a startled, airy squawk as its ribcage collapsed and a puff of wet feathers erupted around it. The bird tumbled off the back of the dead monster and landed on the ground in a splat. An instant later, a tiny trickle of energy, so faint that he could barely feel it, slipped into Alex''s chest.


    "Wow," Claire said. "That was¡­ kind of sad, actually."


    Alex was halfway through nodding in agreement when the corpse exploded. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chunks of rancid grey flesh squelched as they struck the wall and rained down everywhere. Unfortunately for Alex and Claire, that also included the alleyway. They both raised their hands to block their faces and let out a surprisingly synchronized slew of curses.


    An elongated, blue-veined hand with black, curled fingernails burst from the top of the corpse. The arm behind it had five different segmented portions and was covered in alabaster skin pressed taut against sinewy muscle and hard lines of bone within it.


    A second hand followed after the first. Alex gagged as the stench filling the alley grew a thousand times worse. The air filled with a monotonous clicking as a gangly monster extracted itself from within the giant, bloated body lying in the middle of the street.


    Its head was that of a human, with teeth yellowed and sharpened to points and gaunt eyes sunken in apparent death. The wispy black hair matted to it did little to conceal the top of its skull.


    The monster didn''t seem to have any feet. It walked on six gangly arms as it skittered down the side of the huge corpse like an insect. Every movement the monster made was erratic and jittery. Its torso wasn''t all that much larger than Alex, but the length of its limbs made it stand easily twice his height. The clicking noise filling the streets came from the monster''s mouth opening and snapping shut.


    Corpse Burrower (Novice 7)


    "I think I preferred the bird," Claire said, her nose still pinched shut. "And for the record, can I say I bleeding hate this place?"


    The Corpse Burrower hissed, segments of its mouth peeling back like a blooming flower to reveal rows upon rows of teeth running down what should have been the inside of its head. Its many hand-legs pattered against the ground in a cacophony of scrapes as it raced toward them.


    "I don''t think it likes you," Alex said. He leapt all the way into the street, getting himself out of the alleyway as quickly as possible. Mirror shards expanded from his palm as he brought them down toward the joints of one of the monster''s limbs.


    His attack whistled by harmlessly as the Corpse Burrower yanked the limb out of the way and skittered back, its mouth undulating in an uncomfortably hypnotic pattern. Claire stepped out of the alley, her sword held at her side.


    The monster dashed at them again. Alex readied himself and Claire lifted her weapon, but the spiderlike creature lurched at the last moment, flinging itself into the wall. Its limbs warped around itself like a plate of spilled noodles, burrowing into the wall with silent cracks. The Corpse Burrower barely missed a step as it dug itself into the stone and dashed across it.


    Alex and Claire both dove in opposite directions as the gangly monster leapt. Its limbs flailed through the air, trying to reach both of them and failing to reach either, and it hit the ground with several loud clicks.


    Most monsters would have fallen flat on their face if they''d tried to attack two different directions and failed both, but the Burrower had so many limbs that it caught itself with no problem. It spun toward Alex and raced in his direction, darting from side to side in a serpentine pattern.


    He moved away from the walls to keep the monster from being able to climb them and attack him from above, then raised his hands again. The Burrower skidded to a halt a moment before it reached him, clicking in fury.


    It''s intelligent. It knows that I can cut it and doesn''t want to get hurt. That''s really concerning. I didn''t think monsters in the Mirrorlands would be this smart. Especially not at such a relatively low level.


    A loud crack split the air. A pained hiss slipped from the monster''s gaunt lips as Claire brought her sword down on one of its legs, black veins running down her right arm. Her blade sliced clean through the monster and an arm more than twice her height slipped from the creature''s body and crashed to the ground beside her.


    The Corpse Burrower might have had a lot of legs, but it only had a single set of eyes. It let out a furious hiss and spun in her direction, three of its limbs lashing out in an attempt to catch her.


    Claire dodged out of the way of the first two, but the monster was fast. The third attack snagged her shoulder, ripping through her shirt and sending a splatter of blood across the sludge-covered street. She stumbled and the Burrower pounced. Claire flung herself to the side at the last second as blows rained down on where she''d been standing with enough force to leave five small craters in the ground.


    Alex was moving before the Burrower finished its attack. He slammed his palm into the seam in the monster''s back hand-leg, sending a mirror shard carving straight through it and severing the limb.


    The monster stumbled and spun toward him. Claire flung her blade with impressive accuracy, sending it blurring through the air and straight into the back of another leg.


    It didn''t completely sever the limb, but it left a deep gouge in the monster''s body and lodged itself in its side. Another pained snarl erupted from the Burrower and it twisted back to Claire, judging her the easier of the two targets, and lunged at her before she could rise to her feet.


    She rolled to the side, avoiding one of the monster''s limbs, but another one slammed into her shoulder. Claire let out a hiss of pain as she was slammed into the ground. She grabbed the monster''s arm and black veins shot down her own as she squeezed.


    A loud crack rang out. The Burrower snarled and reared back, aiming to end her. Alex leapt, driving blades into another one of the monster''s limbs. He didn''t even wait for them to finish severing it. Alex leapt for the sword hanging from the monster, just barely managing to wrap his fingers around its hilt.


    He yanked it down, sending a spray of dark matter spilling from within the monster. Its limbs buckled and the monster pitched to the side, unable to continue supporting itself. It hit the ground in a flail of arms.


    Alex darted forward before it could rise, driving Claire''s sword into its chest and yanking it up through the monster''s head. It met a moment of resistance as it hit bone, but he sent a wave of mirrored shards racing down the blade. They sliced through the bone and the sword continued through the rest of the monster''s head, bursting free in a spray of fragmented ivory and black fluid.


    A rush of energy flowed into Alex as he jumped away from the dead monster and hurried over to Claire.


    "You okay?" Alex asked as she pushed herself into a seated position with one hand. Her other hung at her side, blood dripping from a deep wound in her shoulder. Alex was no doctor, but he was pretty sure something was broken by the way she carried herself.


    "Yeah. I''ll heal soon enough. Faster if I get some blood," Claire replied through gritted teeth. "Just help me up. The goop is soaking into my clothes. Forget the pain. I want to save my nose."


    Alex grimaced. They were definitely going to need a shower after this. A very long shower. He wrapped an arm around her good side and hoisted her to her feet, pressing the hilt of her sword into her hand so she could support herself with it. A shimmer of motion caught his attention.


    High Grade Novice (Corpse Burrower)


    A gray Soul Flame flickered to life above the dead Corpse Burrower''s body. Alex snagged it. A freezing cold tendril pressed into his mind and his back stiffened. He could feel the Corpse Burrower.


    He could see its many limbs, and how it had dug its way into the corpse of the body it had found like a mole through dirt. He could tell the monster had a horrible sense of both smell and sight, but it made up for it with remarkably good hearing ¡ª hearing that was muffled when it had shoveled itself into a corpse and was gouging itself on a feast of rotted flesh.


    Alex''s fingers tightened slightly around the flame. He felt the connection intensify. The flame sputtered in his hands, starting to lose some of its intensity. Alex hurriedly released it and the fire returned to normal. He shoved it into his Spatial Mirror and his mental connection to the monster severed.


    "What is it?" Claire asked through clenched teeth. "Don''t tell me you got stuck bonded to that hideous thing."


    "No, but I''m pretty sure I could bond to it if I wanted to," Alex said. "That answers my question. I think I can bond to any normal monster in the Mirrorlands. Just¡­ not the Riftwarped ones, for some reason. Though perhaps I could, if I tried harder. I''ll have to test once we''re in a spot where it''s safe."


    "Lovely," Claire said. "You didn''t bond to the Burrower, did you?"


    "No. I haven''t bonded anything yet. I want to see what other monsters I can kill before I make a decision on what I lock in. Wings could be useful, but the Burrower was a bit weak."


    "I can think of six other reasons why it wasn''t worth bonding to, but maybe we could get out of here first?" Claire suggested. "And if you''ve got a free hand, I would greatly appreciate you pinching my nose shut. One of mine is currently on vacation."


    "I think I''d just get even more shit on your face if I did that," Alex said. "Probably better just to¡ª"


    His sentence froze in his throat as he spotted something shift at the far end of the alley where they''d come from. A humanoid shadow watched them, almost entirely disguised aside from two dim red eyes observing them from the darkness.


    No name appeared above it.


    "What the hell is that?" Claire whispered, following his gaze.


    The back of Alex''s neck prickled as something passed above them. He grabbed the sword from Claire''s hand and brought it to bear just in time to stop a black blade from slamming straight into the top of his skull.


    A figure cloaked in wisps of darkness alighted on the ground before him without so much as a noise and spun, a curved blade in its grip arcing for his neck with blinding speed. Claire pushed herself back, releasing Alex so he could fight with both hands. He didn''t even have the chance to look at the name forming above their attacker''s head. All he could do was rush to block the strike before it could decapitate him.


    The second strike rang off Claire''s sword. Before the monster could recover, Alex lunged and thrust the blade right at its chest. It was so close that there should have been no time to dodge. His blade drove home, but it didn''t meet so much as a modicum of resistance.


    A flickering shadow twisted before him, red eyes boring into his. The same one from the alleyway. Alex spun to see the monster that had attacked them staring at him from where the shadow had been just moments before.


    It swapped places?


    The monster darted in the other direction, vanishing behind the buildings. Its shadow blew away, leaving them alone in the rancid-smelling alley once more.


    "What was that?" Claire whispered, staring in awe.


    "I don''t know. I didn''t catch its name," Alex replied, handing Claire back her sword as he stared in the direction the monster had gone. "But we need to get moving."


    "Yeah. Good idea. We better find somewhere to hide so nothing else finds us."


    "No." Alex shook his head. hurried over to where the Corpse Poker had died, spotting its relatively weak Low Grade Novice Soul Flame flickering above its body. He grabbed it and tossed it into his Spatial Mirror, quashing the mental connection before it could start. There was no point bonding to such a weak monster.


    "No?" Claire repeated. "Why?"


    "Because we need to go after that thing." Alex started into the alleyway and Claire followed after him with a confused frown on her face.


    "What? Why?" Claire whispered. "We don''t know what else it''s capable of, and it was smart enough to back off when it lost the element of surprise. I didn''t even hear it coming! It could have killed us before we even knew it was there if it was just a little faster."


    "Exactly." Alex grinned at her. "That''s exactly why we have to track it down. I''m going to take its powers for myself."

 Chapter 35: Onyx

    Alex darted after the nameless monster with Claire hot on his heels. Neither of them dared to all out sprint as they slipped back down the alley and into the shadows lining the edges of the main street. As much as Alex wanted to get his hands on the monster''s powers, he wasn''t trying to get spotted by a City-Eater Centipede while he was running around like an idiot.He caught a glimpse of a shadowed back darting down an alley in front of them, but the monster wasn''t moving nearly as fast as it had proven to be able to. It seemed that his target was equally as cautious. A certain unfortunate cat and a tentacle had shown him why. The monsters in the Mirrorlands were no more friends to him than they were to each other.


    Well, either that or this is an ambush. Only one way to find out.


    Alex stepped into the alleyway and Claire raised her sword behind him, squinting into the dim light. They got there just in time to see the monster disappear down a street leading off to their right, behind the top half of a barrel that floated in the middle of the alley like a decapitated head.


    They both ducked under the barrel and followed after the monster, just barely managing to keep it at the edge of their vision. It darted down another tight turn and they followed after it, turning a corner and stepping past a crate to find themselves staring at the main street once again.


    A dark form stood at the edge of the street ¡ª but it wasn''t the monster. It was its shadow. The monster burst from behind the crate, driving its weapon for Alex''s chest.


    A flash of silver arced past Alex as Claire thrust her sword past him. It scraped against the wall and a loud clang rang out as a black blade struck it and reverberated off. The monster vanished, swapping places with its shadow and reforming in the street. A hissing laugh slipped from beneath its hood. It was taunting them.


    Alex took a step forward, wishing more than ever that he had some form of proper ranged attack ¡ª and then the ambush sprung.


    A rippling purple portal the size of a kiddie pool split open in the air above the alley. Two mandibles emerged from the portal, followed by a long, segmented body covered with spines. Hundreds of legs swam through the air beneath it as a horse-sized millipede slipped from the portal. Its armored skin was covered with long, hairlike spines and a low chitter slipped from its mouth as it clicked its mandibles. The monster was nowhere near the size of the City-Eater Centipedes, but it could definitely go in the running as their little cousin.


    Snapper (Adept 2)


    "Shit!" Alex hissed, preparing to dive for safety, but the Snapper didn''t even glance in his direction. It shot out, darting through the air in a streak of gray, and its jaws clamped down on the hooded monster with a crunch.


    The Snapper''s body coiled around the monster like a snake''s, its many legs digging into the smaller monster in a series of loud cracks. The hooded creature screamend and writhed desperately in an attempt to escape. It was fruitless.


    "It doesn''t care about us! We''re not worth the time," Claire hissed, grabbing Alex''s arm and giving it a tug. "This is a good time to get bleedin'' moving!"


    "Hold on," Alex hissed. "That''s our kill!"


    "Yeah, well are you going to tell the big creepy thing that?"


    The hooded monster struggled furiously, but it couldn''t break free of the milipede. It couldn''t seem to use its teleportation ability for some reason ¡ª but the reason wasn''t going to matter soon enough. It was just moments from getting itself killed.


    Alex''s jaw clenched. There was absolutely no way he could fight the Snapper, even with Claire backing him up. Glint was still dead. And, frankly, even if Glint was alive, they''d still stand no chance against a monster two entire Stages above them.


    The only reason it hadn''t bothered with them was because they were¡­


    "Too weak," Alex muttered, his eyes lighting up as a jolt of realization raced through his system. "Claire, can you turn back and hide for a few minutes?"


    "What? Why?"


    "Because I''m going to do something really dumb, and I need to make sure the wrong person doesn''t become the target."


    Claire stared at him for half a second, then gave him a sharp nod. "Don''t get yourself killed. I really should have thought of this before we came down here, but you''re the only damn way back out. I swear to any bleeding god listening that I''ll haunt you if you get me trapped here."


    "Won''t have to haunt me if I''m already dead, but point taken," Alex replied, turning and darting out of the alleyway. The Snapper didn''t even glance in his direction, and the hooded monster was far too preoccupied with other things to pay him any mind.


    Alex flexed the fingers of his right palm as he ran. A blade of mirrored glass jutted from his palm, glistening as the purple-red light of the Mirrorlands reflected off it. Another loud crunch split the air and the hooded monster slumped, its weapon tumbling from its dark, segmented hands, and the Snapper let out a hiss of victory. It reared back ¡ª


    Alex drove the mirrored blade straight into the back of the hooded creature''s head. It met a moment of resistance before sliding home and snapping off, lodged deeply within the creature''s brain.


    A rush of energy flooded into Alex. His limbs prickled and a trill of excitement raced down his spine as a scream of fury tore from the Snapper''s mandibled mouth. He''d stolen his kill back. Now he had to live to reap the rewards.


    Alex spun and sprinted down the street as fast as his legs could take him, not even bothering to try and avoid sight. He didn''t have the liberty. The air behind him filled with rapid, furious clicks and energy buzzed against the back of his neck.


    He hurled himself to the ground in a roll. A loud crash echoed out above him as the Snapper slammed into the side of a building, sending dust and rubble raining down to the ground around it.


    Alex lurched to his feet, barely missing a beat as he continued sprinting across the street, his eyes locked on an alleyway in front of him. The click of the Snapper''s many feet racing after him thundered like a band full of furious children armed with tambourines.


    Energy charged the air at his back and his hair stood on end. His stomach flipflopped and he dove, closing the last few feet between himself and the alleyway and flinging himself inside it.


    Huge mandibles carved through the wall above his head like nothing was there. Alex sprung back to his feet as stone rained down around and upon him, pelting him like cold rain. The Snapper''s body crashed into the stone and its feet scrabbled on the ground as it redirected an enormous amount of momentum in mere moments, only slightly slowing in its pursuit and following him into the alleyway. Alex''s target ¡ª a large clearing full of rubble and a small splatter of blood ¡ª was only moments away.


    Unfortunately, so was the Snapper.


    His breath came out in ragged gasps and his feet pounded against stone. There was no room for failure. A single bad step would be the end. He could feel the Snapper''s breath on his back and the crackle of energy racing across his skin. The click of the monster''s feet thundered around him and its mandibles scraped the walls just behind his desperate steps.


    Alex burst free of the alley and into the rubble covered clearing. He flung himself to the side, landing on a jutting stone and letting out a hiss of pain as it carved across his back. Energy popped and thrummed in the air above him. Alex skidded a foot before he managed to shove himself upright, spinning to look up. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A crackling pink portal snapped open overhead and the Snapper burst free from within it, its mandibles split wide open to reveal the twitching innards of the monster''s mouth. It was so close that he could practically see the monster''s last meal. Wide, onyx black eyes of an insect burned with fury and the overgrown millipede chittered as it bore down on Alex.


    The ground exploded. Alex flailed as he was launched through the air amidst a spray of stone and dust. He curled into a ball, covering his head as best as he could just moments before he crashed into the ground.


    The world tumbled and spun around him. A heavy stone carved into his arm and slapped his arm into his face. All air was driven from his lungs as he crashed into the wall of a building. Chunks of rubble pelted him. He kept himself curled for a moment longer before daring to lift his hands away from his face. Developing bruises throbbed across his body as scrambled to his feet, ignoring the blood dripping from lacerations along his arms.


    A massive tentacle had burst from the ground and wrapped around the Snapper, which had coiled around the monster in turn. The ground trembled beneath Alex as the millipede tore into the tentacle with its many pointed feet, ripping deep into its bulging flesh.


    Alex''s mouth tasted of iron and dust. He swallowed amidst his ragged breaths, then staggered back for the exit. The earth bucked and heaved as the Barbacle started to pull its true body out from beneath the ground. More tentacles erupted from beneath the rubble-covered square, but Alex had no plans of sticking around to find out which of the massive monsters would win the fight.


    He slipped into the alley, nearly tripping over his own feet as another powerful tremor ripped through the earth with enough force to bounce him half a foot into the air. Alex caught himself on the wall and coughed a mixture of blood and dust into his palm. He wiped his mouth with the back of a sleeve and continued on, only pausing to glance up at the sky above and ensure there were no City-Eater Centipedes watching before making the trip across the street.


    It only took a few moments for him to make it back to where he''d killed the hooded monster. The creature''s body was missing, but a black fire crackled gently in the place where it had fallen.


    Low Grade Initiate (Echo Wraith)


    Echo Wraith, huh? At least I finally found out the damn thing''s name.


    Alex grabbed the flame and scooped it into his mirror without wasting a second. He stepped into the alley that he''d left Claire in ¡ª and nearly tripped over a corpse.


    A Corpse Burrower''s body, this one considerably smaller than the one he''d fought together with Claire a short while ago, laid ripped to shreds in the alley. Claire stood behind it, blood dripping from her arms and her sword clutched in her right hand. The body of the Echo Wraith lay at her feet.


    She must have dragged it here.


    "You survived!" Claire exclaimed between heavy breaths. She wiped her mouth and swallowed before nodding down to the bodies at her feet. "This thing heard the fight and came looking for a free meal. Killed it. Thought you might want this thing''s body. Where''s the big creeper?"


    "Fighting the Barbacle back in the clearing," Alex replied as he walked over to her, some of his breath slowly starting to return as his adrenaline relented. "I don''t think the fight is going to be pretty."


    "You clever bleedin'' shit," Claire said, a grin tugging at her lips. "You got ''em to fight each other?"


    "The Barbacle ignored the last weak monster in the area. I figured it would see the Snapper as a bigger threat and meal than me. No reason to assume monsters don''t get rewards the same way we do," Alex said. "Bigger challenge, better reward."


    They were both silent for a second as they fought to catch their breath. As Alex braced his palms against his knees, he paused. Something glistened on the Echo Wraith''s thin, dark chitin wrist.


    An onyx bracelet.

 Chapter 36: The Second Monster

    Alex grabbed the bracelet and yanked it off the monster. At nearly the exact same time, a loud roar ripped through the warped city. He jerked upright and exchanged a glance with Claire."I think something''s pissed off," Claire whispered.


    Alex gave her a jerky nod and shoved the bracelet into his pocket. There would be time to investigate it shortly, when they weren''t in imminent danger of getting snacked on by a pissed off tentacle monster. "And I think we might be overstaying our welcome. You got any energy left?"


    "Not a scrap. Damn near got myself killed fighting this thing." Claire kicked the dead Corpse Burrower.


    "Then let''s get somewhere relatively safe to hide for a bit," Alex said, starting down the alley. "We can''t head straight back to the portal yet."


    "Why not?" Claire whispered as she followed after him.


    "Because opening it might summon another Riftwarped monster, and I don''t have anywhere near the strength to deal with it as I am right now," Alex replied. "I need to find somewhere to try and rest for a little while and figure out how to summon my new monster."


    "Of course it will," Claire muttered. "Why wouldn''t it? I should have guessed."


    Another roar carved through the smokey air of the Mirrorlands and they both snapped their mouths shut and pressed themselves to the side of they alley to avoid notice. For several minutes, they made their way through the streets in search of something that could provide them relative shelter.


    Alex wasn''t so sure such a thing as a truly safe space existed in the Mirrorlands. He was more than willing to settle for an area that would only give a half-assed attempt at killing them. Their search didn''t last long. After a few minutes of trawling through the streets, Claire nodded to a one-story building near the edge of an alley in the shadow of an apartment building suspended in the air by long, extruded street poles that wound down from it and into the street like frozen bolts of lightning.


    A few floating fragments of wood that had once been a door floated within the doorframe within whorls of soupy purple energy, and the room beyond it was partially lit by rays of dim light from holes in the ceiling.


    They walked up to the building and Alex pushed the fragments to the side to peer inside. The building only had a single room in it. A door on the side that might have once led elsewhere was walled off by a jutting slab of stone.


    "This looks good," Claire whispered.


    Alex nodded and slipped inside. Claire followed after him and the floating fragments of the door drifted back into their former places. Alex watched them for a moment. It seemed like the fragments knew where they ''belonged''.


    Interesting. I wonder how things determine their base state of being in the Mirrorlands. My best guess is that things get destroyed when they fall down here and then get frozen in that state.


    He took one more look around the room, scouring both the ceiling and the floor to make sure that there wasn''t anything lurking out of sight, then sat down in a shadowed patch in the corner of the room out of direct line of sight of the street.


    Claire sat down beside him as he pulled out the water bottle and unscrewed the cap, taking a long swing from it. He held it out to Claire once he''d drained just about half of it. She eyed the bottle, then accepted it and took a sip.


    Her nose scrunched and she handed it back. "It tastes weird. Like¡­ nothing. But funky nothing."


    "Ah. Those would be the chemicals in the plastic. They add flavor." Alex drained the rest of the bottle, then crumpled it up and shoved it into his pocket.


    "I think I prefer blood," Claire said.


    Alex pulled out the bracelet that he''d taken off the dead Echo Wraith. Its black faceted surface glistened in the dim light in the room. If it had been brighter, he was pretty sure he could have made his own reflection out in it.


    "What do you have there?" Claire asked, leaning over to get a better look at it. "You pulled it off the monster, yeah? Is it an item?"


    "No idea. Is there a way to figure out what it does?" Alex asked as he turned the bracelet over. It was completely devoid of any design or pattern.


    "You''ve got to try to touch it with your mind while you''re holding it. It took a while before anyone figured it out back home. I don''t really know how else to describe it. Just imagine poking it, but don''t actually poke it. You know what I mean?"


    "Poke it but don''t poke it," Alex repeated dryly. Despite his sarcasm, he did his best to follow Claire''s words. He imagined a tendril of thought extending from his mind and brushing across the bracelet''s surface. A faint tingle prickled against the back of his skull.


    Pinpricks of gold light appeared in the air before his eyes. Lines wormed out between the dots and connected them, forming into words.


    Band of Shadowed Shroud (Rare)


    Bonded Effect: At will, the Shadowed Shroud takes a form over its wearer''s body that conceals their features and information from inquisitive gazes and abilities alike. Sufficiently powerful effects can penetrate the protection bestowed by the Band of Shadowed Shroud.


    "Huh. So that''s what the Echo Wraith was wearing. I was kind of wondering where a monster got clothes," Alex said. "It''s a magic cloak that protects stats. Kind of like your bracelet." Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I told you they were pretty common, but mine doesn''t give me a cloak. Try it on," Claire said. She sent a pointed glance at Alex''s wrist. "And give me my bracelet back. You don''t need it anymore."


    Alex pulled the plain band off and returned it to Claire. "What''s a Bonded Effect?"


    "Do the brain-pokey thing again when you put the bracelet on. I think you can only have a few items bonded at a time, but I heard you can break your connection with them just as easily. I knew someone with three items, and he said he was pretty sure he could get more."


    "Noted. Thanks." Alex slipped his new bracelet on and extended his mind to it. A faint chill prickled against his skin and the hair on his arm stood on end. The bracelet tightened itself until it fit him perfectly and the strange sensation faded.


    A strange sensation prodded at his mind like someone had attached a string to the base of his neck. It was so faint that he could barely feel it, but it was definitely there. The moment he turned his attention to it, a race of energy traveled out of the metal and into his wrist.


    Thin strands burst free of the bracelet. They twisted up his body and enveloped him in an instant. It stretched up past his neck and crawled across his face like a tiny swarm of ants. By the time Alex had finished letting out a surprised curse, the energy had already faded and he had already been covered in a thin layer of smooth black cloth.


    Alex looked down at himself. The clothing was just loose enough to avoid restricting his movements while still being close enough to his body that it wouldn''t catch on the handle of every single door he ever walked past. The material around his hands and legs was baggier to give him more range of movement, and it ended in what felt like cuffs just before his wrists and ankles. A hardened section of cloth covered the lower half of his face and a hood rose over his head, stopping just before it got in the way of his sight.


    "Whoa," Claire said. "You kind of look like you''re going to hold me up in an alley. Can you even speak properly in that?"


    Alex opened his mouth and the cloth pulled away from his face to give him room to talk, though it didn''t lower to reveal him. "Let''s find out."


    "Huh. Convenient," Claire said.


    The cloth reformed to cover Alex''s face once again. He sent a mental command down the line connecting him to the bracelet and the entire thing shrank back into his bracelet before taking form back over his body once again.


    "That is convenient," Alex said with a grin. "So you can''t see my stats when I''ve got this on?"


    "Not at all," Claire confirmed. "But you''re not exactly inconspicuous either. You''re going to have to walk around like that for as long as you want to keep the item''s effects active."


    "Eh. I''ll take it. It looks pretty cool," Alex said with a chuckle. "And I''m not going to object to something covering up a little more skin. My clothes are already basically just rags. I was going to need a replacement pretty soon. I just hope this doesn''t get destroyed the first time a monster stabs me."


    "Magical items aren''t that easy to break. The clothes are made out of energy, so it''ll probably just regenerate. I''d be more worried about getting stabbed than your clothes getting messed up."


    "Hey, that''s only true until you run out of clothes. I know I heal as long as I don''t get stabbed too hard. The same does not hold for my normal clothes, and I really don''t want to go fighting monsters naked. No need to give them something to aim at."


    "Fighting naked does not sound like it would be fun," Claire said with a grimace. She glanced down at her own clothes, which really weren''t in much better shape than Alex''s. "I might need to look into getting some replacements. These aren''t long for the world."


    A distant rumble echoed through the Mirrorlands and silenced their conversation. A crackle of energy announced a portal opening somewhere in the sky above them. Pink energy danced through the cracks in the roof and a shadow enveloped the building as a City-Eater Centipede swam overhead. Alex''s ears popped as the enormous monster slipped into another portal and vanished.


    "I think I''m going to go ahead and get that monster summoned already," Alex said.


    Claire rose back to her feet and put a hand on the hilt of her sword as she crept over to the door and peered into the street.


    "You do that," she agreed in a whisper. "I''ll keep watch. I think we might be overstaying our welcome. I need to meditate to get some use out of the energy we''ve gotten already. There''s only so much risk I think we can afford to take in the Mirrorlands, and we''re already dancing on the line."


    Alex reached down to the silver box at his side. Two cards rested within it. One was Glint''s. The other was empty, but it wouldn''t be for long. Alex slipped the mirror out and held it up before him.


    Spatial Mirror


    Stored Energy:


    High-Mid Grade Novice (Floraking) - 1


    Low Grade Initiate (Riftwarped Crawler) - 1


    High Grade Novice (Corpse Burrower) - 1


    Low Grade Novice (Corpse Poker) - 1


    Low Grade Initiate(Echo Wraith) - 1


    Bonded Creature: None


    Alex ran his finger down the card. Energy prickled as he passed over each of the names. Flickers of the monster''s soul lurked at the edges of his mind, just as they had when he''d picked up the Soul Flames. He paused on the Riftwarped Crawler, but it was just as walled off to him as it had been before. The energy was there and it seemed to be a potential summon, but something was preventing him from connecting with it.


    That has to be the Riftwarped aspect, then. Maybe I''ll be able to take control of them when I get stronger. That would be pretty useful, but I really didn''t want the Crawler in the first place. It''ll be more useful as energy to feed my monsters. For now, I''ve already got something far more functional lined up.


    Alex''s eyes landed on the final stored Soul Flame. When he''d summoned Glint, all he''d had to do was pull the stored energy free of an empty Spatial Mirror.


    It worked once. Can''t imagine it won''t work again.


    He pressed his hand against the mirror, its surface a viscous layer of quicksilver. A faint pressure pushed back against him before it gave way and his hand slipped into the mirror. His arm sank into its depths. A freezing cold bit into his palm and licked around his fingers as he found the flame he was searching for. The soul flame bucked and tried to slip free, but he didn''t let it. His grip tightened.


    Come to me, Echo Wraith.


    Alex ripped the energy free of the Spatial Mirror and summoned his second monster.

 Chapter 37: The portal back

    Pain burned into Alex''s palm as he pulled the black mote free of the mirror. It wormed through his veins and worked its way toward his heart. He gritted his teeth and took a step back, clutching his arm. His skin prickled like he was standing directly under the molten desert sun and he squinted as strands of white energy twisted into existence and circled the Soul Flame.The flame lifted into the air and folded in on itself to form a glossy black marble. Ripples of force rolled off it and into Alex. Every wave came stronger than the last. The light intensified as a dull hum filled the room. His ears throbbed as the pressure repeatedly shifted as if it were chained to two hyperactive children on a seesaw.


    Alex squinted and lifted his hands to cover his eyes. Brush strokes of black energy painted themselves across the canvas of burning light that was flooding the room. The pressure changed one last time. Something popped in the back of his head. Pressure mounted, forced the breath back into his lungs. He stumbled and the wall found his back.


    Wind howled past Alex. Light followed, drawn into a swirling vortex forming at the center of the room, and from it, waves of pressure rolled out to keep Alex and Claire pressed into the walls. The air vibrated with energy and Alex squeezed his eyes shut just in time to avoid a brilliant flash.


    Claire let out a slew of curses and clasped her hands to her face. Alex opened his own eyes, squinting through the dots floating in his vision, and was rewarded with his first look at his newly summoned Echo Wraith. Wispy black veins composing an ethereal form floated and churned beneath chitinous plates like bubbling, smoky flesh. Distant crackles of muted ocean blue energy lit it from within. Its hands were like gauntlets slipped over a storm, fingers floated in isolation held in place only by swirling shadow. Two molten red eyes peered at Alex from monster''s nebulous head.


    Echo Wraith (Initiate 1)


    Pressure relented its assault on Alex, freeing his lungs from its grip. He and Claire drew in a breath as one and Alex pushed away from the wall, eyes fixed on the Echo Wraith, heart racing in his chest. Claire wiped her face with the back of a torn sleeve and peered at the newly formed monster from behind frazzled hair.


    "Whoa. That looks pretty bleedin'' different from the one we killed. Is that normal?" Her voice was muted and airy from missed breath.


    "I''m not sure," Alex replied, similarly winded. He strangled down a cough even though the effort was likely pointless. Summoning the Echo Wraith had been far from discreet. Anything that may have been in the area had certainly taken notice of them by now. "This was the first time I''ve summoned something I killed before."


    "Does your class change the monsters you summon somehow?"


    "Sure looks like it. I''ve barely got any idea as to how my powers work. I''m kind of figuring them out as we go." Alex sent a glance past the suspended fragments obscuring the doorway and into the street beyond. It seemed empty from where he stood, but he wasn''t willing to take bets on how long that would last. "I think we should relocate before doing anything else."


    Claire grimaced and nodded in agreement as Alex summoned his Echo Wraith back into its Spatial Mirror. They both approached the door and took another glance at the street. Warped shadows cast by buildings in various stages of deconstruction danced as crimson streamers flowed through the nebulous air above, but there was no sign of anything lying in wait. They were both all too aware of just how little that meant in the Mirrorlands, but when the options were limited to remaining where they stood to let a monster find them while they were trapped in a house or setting out and running into something on the streets, the answer was clear. At least there was a chance to make a run for it if they ran into something in the open city.


    Claire nudged the largest of the fragments in the doorway away with a finger and stepped out, other hand on the hilt of her sword, eyes squinted in search for anything that lurked in the darkness. Alex followed after her and they slipped back into the ill-lit streets of the warped city.


    *** S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Perhaps it was a miracle. Perhaps the incredibly "inconspicuous" summoning had ended up making enough noise that it had scared away any potential predators instead of attracting them ¡ª or perhaps something larger had just already eaten everything of worth.


    No matter what the reason may have been, Alex and Claire were able to slip out without stumbling straight into a monster that had been drawn in their direction. They only made it a single street away before a crackle of energy split the air and forced them to dart for cover. A City-Eater Centipede emerged above the space where they''d been standing just moments after they dove into an open doorway to take shelter.


    The massive monster crawled through the air above them. Its shadow washed across the street like encroaching night. A low buzz filled the air and Alex peered out from the edge of the doorway as a long fissure sliced through the smoky sky.


    A long, needle like beak pierced through the line. It oscillated, piercing through the flesh of the City-Eater Centipede''s hard carapace, striking a dozen times in the time it took Alex to blink.


    The centipede didn''t even get a chance to react. It pitched from the sky, curling in on itself as it fell amidst huge droplets of its own blood.


    Energy thrummed from the fissure as gnarled, gray talons tore out from within it. They slammed into the back of the plummeting City-Eater Centipede and tightened around its body. A crunch rang out as the monster''s armored shell shattered beneath their grip.


    The talons yanked the centipede into the fissure, which snapped closed soundlessly. Arcs of energy spiderwebbed out where it had been before the churning crimson fog filling the air swallowed them whole and left nothing behind.


    Several drops of the kidnapped monster''s blood splattered against the ground and burst with enough force to paint the walls of the buildings around them. They were joined by chitinous armor plates crashing to the streets with a sound like glass rain.


    Alex and Claire exchanged a mute glance as they crouched lower and backed away from the door. Nobody had ever said the Mirrorlands were safe. It was just startingly easy to forget just how powerful some of the beings that called it their home truly were. The massive centipedes, creatures of power so immense that Alex couldn''t even comprehend their Stage and level, were the bottom of the food chain. A tired grin pulled a corner of his lips upward.


    Really puts things into perspective. If they''re the bottom, then what are the monsters that hide in the streets? What are Claire and I? Blades of grass that managed to gain sentience? And more importantly, what can the Mirrorlands help us become? What am I going to be capable of accomplishing the day I get strong enough to actually fight a City-Eater Centipede?


    A laugh nearly pushed its way out of Alex''s mouth before he caught it in his throat. He was going to have to make sure he didn''t get turned into worm food before he started letting himself daydream about power anywhere near the City-Eater Centipedes. It was certainly humbling to realize he was so far below the bottom of the food chain that an oversized bug placed leagues ahead of him.


    "Should we go?" Claire whispered.


    "Let me buy a few more seconds to rest," Alex whispered back. His hand lowered to his side and brushed across the surface of the metal box holding his Spatial Mirrors. "Glint still hasn''t come back yet, and I''d rather be as close to full strength as possible when I open that rift again."


    Claire inclined her head. She glanced around the room again, then scooted back against the wall and leaned against it, drawing one knee up to her chest and resting her chin upon it.


    Alex crossed his legs beneath him and sat down on the other side of the room. He pulled his new Spatial Mirror from his side, tilting it to catch the dim red light streaming in through the entrance before lifting his gaze to the ground before him.


    "Come out," Alex said. He didn''t have a name for the Echo Wraith yet, but the monster understood his command regardless. A shimmer of blue energy arced through the air before him. Spidery veins twisted out from the energy. The air bulged as the imprint of a buzzing hand pressed against it.


    Pressure popped in Alex''s ears and, with a sharp snap like a rubber band giving way, his Echo Wraith crackled into existence. The monster floated above the ground, its molten red gaze boring into Alex''s eyes in wait of a command.


    "You need a name," Alex informed the monster.


    The Wraith, predictably, did not answer him.


    "Crunchy?" Claire offered.


    Alex glanced over at her. "Crunchy?"


    Claire coughed into her fist. "It kind of looks crunchy, doesn''t it? With all the blue electricity and the chitinous plates. If you had jaws strong enough to eat it, it would be crunchy. I don''t have any desire to test that theory out myself, but feel free to give it a shot."


    "I think I''ll pass on that one. Do you really think electricity would be crunchy? I feel like it would be more¡­ like an allergy, or something," Alex said with a thoughtful frown. "Like you ate something prickly, maybe."


    "Prickle?"


    "That just gets shortened to Prick. I''m not calling my monster a Prick."


    "Good point." Claire scratched at her chin and tilted her head to the side. "Shadow Storm?"


    "Shadow ¡ª where did you even come up with that?" Alex choked back a laugh and shook his head firmly. "That''s way too edgy. I am not calling my Wraith Shadow Storm. I''d get stabbed halfway through saying his name."


    "What about Spark?"


    Alex paused for a moment. That was actually a pretty good name. It fit fairly decent with Glint''s name as well, which was a definite bonus. He gave Claire a small nod. "I like that, actually."


    "What do you mean, actually? I''m bleedin'' great at naming things."


    "Let''s not get too ahead of ourselves," Alex said with a dry smile. He looked to the Echo Wraith. "How do you feel about that? Spark?"


    The Wraith floated in place.


    Alex gave Claire a thumbs-up.


    "He loves it."


    "I think he wants to kill you."


    "I don''t think he thinks much of anything, actually," Alex replied. He turned back to Spark. "You can teleport, right? Demonstrate for me."


    Spark moved to the side ¡ª or at least, most of him did. A shadowy rendition of the monster rippled in the air where it had been a moment before. Its form rippled like it were reflected through a murky lake, making it difficult to make out any true detail in the swirling darkness. The only part of it that remained identical to the original monster were its two red eyes.


    Alex was still examining the shadow when it snapped, replaced by Spark''s true form in the blink of an eye. He jerked back and suppressed a curse. The Echo Wraith watched him silently. Alex would have suspected the monster were playing a trick on him if he hadn''t known better.


    "That scared the shit out of me," Alex said with a quiet laugh, shaking his head and looking over to where the Echo Wraith had been. The shadow had taken its place. He nodded to it. "Can you swap back?"


    Spark didn''t move.


    "Swap back," Alex said.


    There was no response. The Wraith just floated silently. Several seconds ticked by. Alex and Claire exchanged a glance.


    "Unless he''s suddenly decided to become rebellious, it looks like he can''t just keep using that ability," Claire said. "There''s probably a dela¡ª"


    Spark snapped, his body replaced by shadow as he swapped places once more.


    "Ten seconds," Alex said. "Good to know. You can go back, Spark. That''s it for now."


    The monster extended a gauntleted hand. Air bent before it and the monster slipped between layers of reality, vanishing with a dull crackle of blue electricity. The faint smell of ozone lingered in its passing.


    "I''d love to see what its capable of in an actual fight," Claire said.


    "I don''t think we''ll have to wait long," Alex replied, letting his head rest against the wall behind him. "It won''t be long until Glint comes back. We can set out as soon as he does."


    They both fell silent. Minutes slipped by. And, eventually, though it was far from a surprise, Glint returned to his mirror.


    Their rest was over.


    With both of Alex''s monsters returned to him, he and Claire slipped out of their hideout and made their way through the streets of the warped city, keeping close to the walls and moving slowly to avoid drawing the attention of anything on their way out.


    There were several close calls with monsters passing just by their hiding spots, but they managed to remain undetected all the way out of the city and out into the field beyond it. It was fortunate that the City-Eaters seemed to congregate exclusively in the areas around the actual city. If one of them ever appeared in the open air, Alex doubted they''d have any chance of avoiding its attention ¡ª if it even cared enough about people of their strength to attack them in the first place.


    Alex was saved from having to waste energy using Riftsense on the way back. He remembered the direction they''d come from, and it didn''t take long until they''d arrived at the crack in reality that they''d slipped through just a short while ago. It certainly didn''t feel like a short time. He was tempted to stay longer, but there was too much on the line right now. They had to get back to Earth and level up again before the next part of the System Initialization.


    "Ready?" Alex asked.


    Claire nodded.


    He grabbed onto the purple cracks floating before them. Jolts of electricity drove into his palms, but he was ready for them. Alex''s teeth chattered as electric energy poured into his body and crackled within his muscles. His jaw clenched and he pulled as hard as he could.


    A dull buzz split the air. A vertical line split through the air and lengthened as his hands split it farther, churning purple energy twisting within its depths. The portal grew farther as Alex continued to push. He dragged it open until his arms could pull no longer, then took a step forward and shoved his palms to his sides.


    With a sound like tearing paper, the portal snapped fully open. A faint tugging force yanked at Alex''s chest from within the portal. He took a stumbling step forward ¡ª and his hand met a flat, black sheen as hard as glass. Their way forward had been sealed.


    "Shit," Claire said.


    "Spark, Glint," Alex barked, lowering his stance as he scanned the surroundings. The air around him warped as his monsters arrived at his sides.


    Purple light washed down on Alex and Claire from above. They both craned their necks back as one as a craggy line raced through the air. It peeled open. Tongues of lightning leapt out from within the split in reality.


    "Get ready," Claire muttered, raising her sword before her.


    A hand of gray stone connected to an arm easily as large as a small human reached out from within the churning energy, grabbing onto the edge of the buzzing portal. Pressure drove into Alex like a physical weight as the passageway vibrated. It bulged and warped, edges losing cohesion as they stretched outward. A second hand dug into the portal and a low groan echoed out from within the storm beyond.


    Something enormous was pushing its way into the Mirrorlands.


    Riftwarped Granite Soldier (Initiate 4)

 Chapter 38: Swords

    Claire stabbed the Riftwarped Granite Soldier in the fist before it could finish freeing itself from the portal. It was only fair. Nobody had ever said they had to wait for the monster to be ready before they started the fight. Monsters weren''t exactly going to give them the same courtesy. And, while Alex generally would have preferred to go for challenge over a victory, a monster this strong was perhaps a bit more than they could chew under normal circumstances.Alex would have been more than pleased to follow in Claire''s footsteps if a roar of fury hadn''t ripped out of the portal with such intensity that a wave of pressure slammed into his face like a physical blow.


    His ears popped. He skidded across the grass, heels digging into the dirt, and nearly tripped over his own feet before he caught his balance, arms pinwheeling.


    Claire and his monsters were forced back alongside him. Glint''s claws dug furrows through the dirt as he fought to keep his balance, while Spark just floated back until arriving beside Alex like an astray kite.


    Huge stone fingers tightened around the edges of the portal. The arms connected to the hands behind them rippled as muscle flexed beneath their stone surface. The portal bubbled and crackled, a pot of boiling water with an electric eel dropped into it.


    "Glint! Go!" Alex yelled.


    The Shardwalker didn''t need to be told twice. Glint burst into motion, bounding forward and leaping into the air. His blades drove into the craggy stone, screeching against its surface, failing to find purchase. His efforts left thin gouges in their wake.


    "Spark, you too. Hit that thing," Alex ordered. He had no idea what the extent of the Echo Wraith''s abilities were ¡ª but this was a great time to find out. Anything they could do to hurt the Granite Soldier before it could push its way out of the portal was going to make the fight more manageable in the long run.


    As Spark left, Alex extended his power toward the monster and formed a connection, activating Rift Flood.


    Electricity roared out of Spark''s body. It raked across the ground as he flew, blackening the grass and curling out from his back to form into a hissing cape.


    The plates of chitinous armor covering the monster''s body shattered as his nebulous body grew. Strands of blue magic arced between the plates and affixed them in place. Magic gathered around Spark''s gauntlets, two miniature storms.


    The Echo Wraith darted through the air, arriving beside Glint and sending a rain of blows into the straining stone hands. Every one sent a rumbling crack echoing through the Mirrorlands.


    In terms of physical strength, Spark''s was far greater than Glint''s. The Shardwalker was scrawny and relied on the sharpness of its blades to do damage. Spark didn''t have that. In fact, he didn''t even have muscles, which made the strength of his blows even more impressive.


    Unfortunately, while the blows had cracked the stone, they were nowhere near strong enough to stop the monster from pulling its way into the Mirrorlands.


    The portal snapped fully open. A wave of hissing purple energy rolled out from it, releasing ripples like a stone dropped in a pond. Glint and Spark were thrown back for a second time.


    Alex raised his hands before his face as the energy slammed into him. His stomach knotted and twisted, jolts of pain driving into it. It felt as if he''d stepped into a portal himself for a moment.


    Then the sensation vanished as if it had never been there. Alex didn''t get long to celebrate. A shadow passed over him. He craned his neck back and the blood ran from his face. For a brief instant, a second dragged like a stretching rubber band.


    The Riftwarped Granite Soldier hung, held in place only by its hands gripping the edges of the portal. It was even larger than he''d originally imagined and stood more than thirty feet tall. The towering monster lived up to its name rather well. If it had been standing still and situated on the ground where it belonged, it would have been a perfect statue of a roman stone soldier. But the monster was not standing still. It was in the air above Alex, eyes full of pulsating purple energy.


    The rubber band snapped. Time slammed back into motion. The statue dropped, plummeted straight down. Alex and Claire turned as one, sprinting in opposite directions.


    "Spark!" Alex yelled as his feet pounded against the ground. The shadow stretched farther. The Soldier was too close. He was too slow. His feet couldn''t get him out from under it in time.


    A pair of cold hands slammed into Alex''s back and threw him forward. He tucked into a roll, hitting the ground with a painful grunt. A massive crash bucked the earth. It launched him a foot back into the air before dropping him back down with a disorienting, painful landing.


    Alex rolled over. Spark floated at his side, wavering as the world spun around him. His eyes focused on a huge, gray leg, then followed it up to the Granite Soldier looming above him. The monster held a sword twice Alex''s height in its hands, and its molten eyes were fixed solely on him.


    It lifted its sword, stone limbs grinding against each other. The blade cast a long shadow over the hill behind Alex. Then the sword fell.


    Alex shoved himself to his feet and broke into a run, head still spinning from the tumble he''d just taken. The monster wasn''t fast, but it didn''t have to be. It was so big that it could just swing its massive weapon around until it hit something it was aiming for.


    A quake ripped through the ground beneath him and tried to drive his feet up into his knees. Dirt and stone sprayed past Alex and he half-stumbled, half-spun to find the blade of the sword embedded just a few feet away from him. The sword lifted into the air once more.


    The screech of glass on stone carved through the Mirrorlands. Glint tore into the monster''s leg, but the gouges he left behind were nothing more than minor wounds to the towering statue.


    Alex''s mind spun as he searched for a way to defeat the enormous monster before them. The difference between the Novice and Initiate tiers was already significant¡ª he had no idea just how much stronger the Granite Soldier was than they were, but there was no doubt that they were out matched.


    "Go for its eyes! They''re the weak spot!" Claire yelled from the other side of the monster.


    "How do you know?" Alex yelled back. "Have you fought something like this before?"


    The Granite Soldier lifted its sword into the air. Alex''s eyes darted across its body in search for anything that he could take advantage of. He didn''t care what it was ¡ª he''d settle for anything. A well-positioned crack just above its heart. A blind spot. A crippling addiction to methamphetamines.


    "No! But they''re big and glowing, and they aren''t made of stone!"


    Fair point.


    The statue''s blade plummeted down once more. Alex was already running. He hurled himself forward as the sword''s shadow accelerated toward him. A crash echoed out and he hit the ground in a roll, staggering back to his feet. The fact that he hadn''t been turned into a wet spot on the ground was enough to show he''d avoided the attack. This wasn''t a fight where any of them could afford to get hit. One blow would spell the end.


    "Spark! Do something! Help Glint distract it!" Alex ordered.


    His Echo Wraith flitted for the statue. It drove blow after blow into the monster''s chest. Each strike cracked the stone, but the damage was superficial at best. His monster resembled an irate toddler throwing a temper tantrum at its father''s side.


    It wouldn''t have made a difference if Spark was ten times as strong. Even Glint wasn''t capable of doing anything to hurt the enormous living statue. There was no way to win this fight through sheer strength alone ¡ª but he wasn''t sure if there was anything else actually capable of injuring the Granite Soldier.


    Purple energy buzzed in the monster''s eyes and it took a lumbering step forward. The ground shuddered beneath it and its sword lifted into the air, sweeping down and forcing Alex to run once again.


    His muscles burned as he pushed himself to his limits. The sword slammed home; the ground shuddered. He stumbled, narrowly avoiding another strike. Alex spun back to the soldier before the shaking had stopped. His eyes widened.


    Claire was halfway up the monster''s side. She was scaling it like a giant, humanoid mountain. The soldier had yet to pay her any attention. It completely ignored both her and the other monsters ¡ª its attention was completely focused on Alex.


    It lifted the sword again, but it didn''t rise the full way up this time around. The monster swung the massive hunk of stone when it was only a few feet into the air, sending it crashing straight down in a surprise attack.


    Alex launched himself to the side. The sword slammed down inches away from his feet. He hit the ground with a grunt. Stones pelted his arms and back and he shoved himself back up to his feet.


    Claire had made it all the way up to the monster''s shoulders. She balanced against its neck, her fingers dug into cracks along its skin, and flipped her sword around in a reverse grip.


    With a cry, she drove the blade home. It slammed into the monster''s huge, purple eye. A low, creaking groan slipped from between its stone lips. She''d hurt it ¡ª but she''d gotten nowhere near killing it. Her sword was the size of a toothpick in comparison with the monster, but that understanding had come too late.


    The Soldier released its sword and reached up for Claire with both hands. The expression of victory on her face transformed into realization that she''d fucked up almost instantly. There was nowhere to dodge when she was on top of the monster.


    "Jump!" Alex screamed.


    There was no way she''d survive a fall from that height, but Claire launched herself into the air without hesitation at his call. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Spark! Catch her!"


    Spark peeled away from his ineffective attempts to punch the statue. He shot up toward the plummeting Dhampir. The Echo Wraith slammed into her seconds before she hit the ground. Its misty form blew apart, but it managed to slow her fall enough to let her hit the ground in a roll instead of splattering against it.


    "Bleed me, that fucking hurt," Claire groaned from beside Alex''s feet. "I really thought that would work."


    There''s absolutely no way we can kill something like this with our current strength. It''s just too tough. It might not be fast, but I''ll be damned if it isn''t strong. We just need something bigger. Something stronger.


    Alex''s eyes flicked from the huge sword lifting from the ground, then over to Spark. The lumbering statue took another step toward them, a furious, creaking groan echoing out from within it. Its eyes locked onto Claire, burning with fury.


    "You had the right idea," Alex said, grabbing Claire''s arm and pulling her up to her feet. "But I think you pissed it off."


    "You think?" Claire asked, staring up at the massive statue. "This might be a good time to run."


    "Run, yes. Just not too far." An idea took form in Alex''s mind. "Can you keep this thing distracted for me?"


    The shadow of the monster''s sword lifted over them.


    "I can certainly try," Claire said, her voice taut. "But what are you going to do? Stabbing it with one of your mirrors isn''t going to do that much better than my sword."


    "Probably not, but I''ve got a better idea," Alex replied. The sword swept down and they both dashed to the side, throwing themselves forward at the last moment before the stone weapon crashed down behind them.


    "What is it?" Claire asked as they shot back up.


    "I''m not going to use my mirrors or your sword," Alex said with a grin. He looked to the huge weapon buried in the dirt before them. "I''m going to use this one."

 Chapter 39: Granite Soldier

    There was no time for Alex to explain his plan any further. The Riftwarped Granite Soldier had already started to lift its enormous weapon away from the ground and ready another attack.Climbing the statue normally was no longer an option. Claire had been able to pull it off because the monster''s attention had been focused on him ¡ª but now it was watching both of them.


    Alex had no doubt he''d get crushed like an insect if he tried to climb the monster normally. Fortunately, there was another way up to the soldier''s head.


    "Distract it!" Alex yelled.


    "Working on it!" Claire grabbed a rock and flung it at the monster. It bounced off a stone knee.


    For a brief instant, everyone paused. The monster stared at Claire.


    "Seriously?" Alex asked.


    "I said I''m working on it!" Claire yelled, grabbing another rock and pelting the monster in the knee again. "Go!"


    Alex burst into motion, running straight for the sword. "Spark! Get to Glint! And Glint, kill Spark!"


    Neither of his monsters questioned his orders for a second. The Echo Wraith flitted to Glint, who abandoned his work of gouging the soldier''s ankle to slash his mirrored claws straight through Spark''s body.


    They scraped against the chitinous plates, but Spark made no move to stop Glint and the attack carved through his nebulous body without stopping. Blue energy sputtered and hissed as something shattered in the center of Spark''s body.


    The storm within Spark collapsed. Chitinous plates of armor split apart. They fell to the ground, turning into a streamer of blue energy that swirled through the air and poured into Alex mid-step. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Magic coursed through his muscles and worked its way into his chest, continuing down through his legs and out into his shadow. Alex nearly tripped over his own feet as he realized he could feel his shadow.


    His distraction nearly killed him. A rush of wind warned Alex to an oncoming wall of stone, and his eyes widened as he spotted the massive sword hurtling toward him. It was only a few feet above the ground and far too close to dodge to either side.


    Alex dropped to his knees and slid. His back hit the ground and his head followed after it, sending a flash of pain through him. The sword roared through the air overhead, passing just inches above him.


    "What happened to distracting it?" Alex yelled.


    "I''m still working on it!"


    Alex shoved himself back upright even as the soldier brought the sword to a halt. It hoisted the massive sword and swung it once more, this time in an overhead swing. He dashed to the side ¡ª but not all of him left.


    His shadow rose up from the ground where he''d been standing, a rippling, indiscriminate figure that watched his moves with sightless red eyes. Alex didn''t celebrate his success. The soldier''s sword smashed down, passing within feet of him.


    He stumbled but managed to keep his footing, then closed the distance between himself and the sword and leapt onto it. He grabbed onto the jutting stones, clinging to the side of the sword as it lifted into the air.


    Wind howled past his face. It drove into his body and tried to throw him free of the sword. His fingers trembled as they fought to maintain his grip on the stone. Beads of sweat slicked his hold.


    He felt himself start to slip.


    Alex pushed away from the sword as it reached its apex, spinning his arms as he arced through the air and headed straight for the Granite Soldier''s head. The monster''s burning purple eyes tracked him and its head turned to follow his path as he crashed into its shoulder feet-first.


    Rubble shot free. Alex''s heart plummeted and for a brief instant, he lost his footing. He tripped back, tumbling off the giant''s shoulder. The sky spun above him and Alex twisted his body as hard as he could, slamming his hand into a large crack between the stones.


    He held on for dear life. A painful jolt tore through his body as he slammed to a halt, nearly ripping his arm free of its socket. He heaved himself up with a grunt, grabbing onto the monster''s shoulder and pulling himself back upright.


    A keening groan filled the air. Stone trembled beneath Alex''s feet and he scrambled over to the monster''s head, clutching onto the craggy gray rock. Far below him, Glint was still tearing away at the monster''s ankle.


    His Shardwalker had actually made solid progress. Alex caught a glimpse of a thick gouge running through the back of the Granite Soldier''s ankle as it lifted a foot into the air. It seemed to have switched its focus to Claire, who was still flinging rocks at it.


    It only goes after what it''s actively looking at, huh? Good to know.


    Unfortunately, Alex couldn''t revel in his newly found knowledge for long. A foot that rose was one that fell, and this one was no different. Alex tried to brace himself for the footfall. It accomplished nothing.


    His legs bucked as what felt like a thousand pounds of pressure slammed up from the monster''s shoulder and into his knees. His stomach flew up into his throat. He managed to keep his grip on the Soldier''s head, but only just barely.


    Alex gritted his teeth and worked his way around the monster''s head until he clung to its side, dangling directly before one of the molten purple pools that was its eyes. The giant jerked to a stop.


    The sudden halt in movement finally managed to knock Alex''s legs out from under him. He clutched on with his hands, managing to keep his spot as he re-found his footing. Alex glanced over his shoulder as a huge hand reached up for him.


    "Glint! Kill yourself!" Alex screamed, in what was rapidly becoming what may have been a bad habit.


    Shadow washed over Alex as the hand blotted out the swirling red glow of the Mirrorlands sky. A huge palm plummeted toward him, bearing death in its wake. The sheer wind displaced by its movement was enough to make Alex''s hair fly back.


    Icy power drove into him when only seconds remained. Alex didn''t waste a second in yanking free nearly every drop he could muster. He pressed his hands together and pushed the magic out from within himself. The largest mirror blade he''d ever formed jutted out from between his palms. It rapidly expanded to five feet long and nearly half as wide before snapping under its own weight.


    He grabbed the huge shard before it could fall. He hissed in pain as the razor-sharp glass carved clean through his palm and into the bone of his hand, but he didn''t let the shard fall. He hoisted it up, bracing it against his chest and lining it up with the huge monster''s eye.


    "Alex!" Claire screamed from below. "Move!"


    The hand was nearly upon him. It was so close that he could have reached out and pressed his palm to that of the soldier''s an instant before it turned him to paste.


    He was out of time.


    Alex shoved every last drop of magic he could into the shard, then cut his connection to it. He extended his senses to the shadow he''d left on the ground behind him. Its presence rose up to meet him without hesitation.


    He swapped positions with it.


    Grass slammed into Alex''s feet and he staggered, turning just as the Granite Soldier''s palm slammed into its face. The monster''s hand hadn''t been moving fast enough for it to truly hurt itself. It should have been no worse than a human slapping an irritating mosquito ¡ª but there was no mosquito present. There was only a massive shard of razor-sharp glass lined up directly with the giant''s eye.


    A grating scream of agony tore through the Mirrorlands. It tore free of the statue''s mouth with such intensity that a wave of wind drove into Alex and blew his hair back. He held his hands up, gritting his teeth and squinting at the towering monster.


    Claire sprinted forward as the huge monster took a step back. Black veins carved down her arms and she drove her blade at its already-injured foot with all the force she could muster, driving it point first into the back of the monster''s heel.


    It might have been no more than a toothpick, but with the large crack already present, it bit deep.


    The Granite Soldier cried out once more. Horrible, screeching noise filled the air as it stepped away from Claire. It brought all its weight down on its bad leg. A loud snap echoed out, split the air like a calving glacier, and the monster''s ankle broke.


    The statue pitched backward. It seemed to fall in slow motion, barely even aware that it was falling until it slammed into the ground, head striking the top of a large hill with an earthshaking crash. A wave of dust and dirt rose up from it, roaring past Alex''s face and dissipating into the air all around him.


    His knees trembled as the ground bounced and tried to throw them up into his chin. He fell to his backside, his heart thundering in his chest and the back of his throat burning from the sharp breaths his adrenaline had been forcing him to take. Alex coughed, musty dust forcing its way into his lungs and threatening to choke him.


    The dark sheen covering the portal back to Earth shattered.


    He didn''t even get a chance to gather himself before an ocean of icy energy drove into his heart. His back stiffened and he choked on his own saliva, doubling over into a hacking cough. It was several seconds before his senses returned to him and he managed to look straight ahead once more.


    A gray flame burned at the feet of the dead Riftwarped monster.


    Low-Mid Grade Initiate (Riftwarped Granite Soldier)


    Alex swallowed. He wiped the sweat from his brow and pushed himself upright again, rubbing at his backside. A relieved breath slipped free from his lips as he spotted Claire stepping out from where the statue had fallen, her hair covered with dirt and skin gaunt.


    Her eyes fixed on his palm. It still wept blood from where he''d cut himself catching his own mirror. Alex held his hand out wordlessly and Claire dashed to him, grabbing onto her meal and greedily drinking every last drop she could save.


    She released his hand thirty seconds later, the tension draining from her shoulders as she wiped her mouth with the back of an arm.


    "Thanks." Claire''s voice was raspy and dry. "I needed that."


    "I got the feeling you weren''t going to survive the portal if you didn''t have something to drink before we left."


    They both looked over to the crackling disk of energy. The black sheen had vanished, leaving it open to use as they wished. Claire glanced back to the dead monster lying beside them. For several moments, they were both silent.


    Then the Dhampir started to laugh.


    "You know what? That was goddamn incredible," Claire said through her laughter. She pushed her hair out of the way of her face and shook her head. "I''ve never felt a rush like that before."


    "It wasn''t half bad," Alex agreed with a relieved grin. The adrenaline of a fight was only dwarfed by the elation and relief that came after what had almost seemed like an impossible victory. "You ready to do it again?"


    Claire pulled herself back under control and prodded Alex in the shoulder. "Don''t get too ahead of yourself. I''m not crazy enough to actively seek this out. But if it happens¡­ well, we''re all going to die somehow anyways. Might as well make good with what we can."


    Alex grinned. He held up a fist. Claire studied it with a confused expression. "Are you trying to punch me?"


    "No. It''s a fist bump. It''s like a greeting. But¡­ cooler. I guess. It''s a lot less cool now that you''ve made me describe it."


    Claire punched him in the fist. Their knuckles collided with a heavy, painful thunk.


    They both cursed and shook their hands off, glaring at each other.


    "That greeting sucks," Claire muttered, cradling her hand.


    "You''re not supposed to punch it! You''re supposed to bump it! Lightly!" Alex exclaimed.


    They both locked eyes for a moment. Then they burst into laughter again.


    Alex headed over to where the soul flame floated, still chuckling to himself, and drew it into his Spatial Mirrors. He then rejoined Claire at the portal.


    "Ready?" Alex asked.


    "More than." Claire nodded. "Ready to go¡­ and ready to come back. I want to see what I can do when I get my abilities upgraded. I''m a ton weaker down here than I am in a location where I can actually drink blood, but I get so much more energy here because the challenge is higher. Fighting here is so stupid for me that it''s actually genius. Assuming I don''t die, that is."


    "If it''s stupid and it works, then it''s not stupid ¡ª until it doesn''t." Alex held his hand out. Claire took it and rolled her eyes.


    "Very sage. I''ll keep that in mind. Shall we?"


    Alex grinned and nodded. "I''m looking forward to it. First, we head back to town and level up. Then we''ve got a monster horde to crush and a leaderboard to top. I''m looking forward to this."


    They stepped into the portal as one, and the Mirrorlands folded itself up into a thousand tiny fragments as they slipped through space, hurtling back toward Earth.

 Chapter 40: The Approaching Horde

    Grass and blue skies spun around Alex like a green whirlpool. It took him a moment to realize that it wasn''t the world that was spinning ¡ª it was him. He hit the ground before a large pile of mossy boulders with a grunt and the world jerked to a halt. A purple vortex spinning in the air above him vanished. The sun burned overhead, halfway through the sky above. Alex squeezed his eyes shut to keep his retinas from getting burned out.The air was rudely knocked from his lungs an instant later when Claire landed directly on top of his stomach. He let out a pained grunt and bolted upright, spilling her onto the grass at his side.


    She let out a slew of pained curses, and Alex heard the word blood muttered at least half a dozen times in rapid succession. He couldn''t make out quite what she was saying, but it wasn''t difficult to take a guess.


    He held his hand out. Claire latched onto it. Two sharp pinpricks of hot pain burned as her fangs pierced into his wrist. She gulped blood down greedily for several seconds before visibly forcing herself to pull back.


    "Thanks," Claire said, licking her lips clean and letting out a relieved sigh. "Again."


    "It''s fine. I wasn''t using the blood anyway," Alex said. He glanced down at the black clothes from the Band of Shadowed Shroud covering his body. They vanished at a thought, leaving only his tattered rags behind. Alex wiped his hand off on the rags, then re-activated the bracelet. He glanced over at Claire. "What? Out of sight, out of mind."


    "No comment," Claire replied. She rose to her feet and held a hand out to Alex. "I don''t think I can say much other than I really want to get one of those for myself."


    "I''m sure we''ll get a chance soon enough." Alex accepted Claire''s hand and she pulled him up to his feet. They''d ¡ª quite fortunately ¡ª returned to the exact location of the portal that they''d taken into the Mirrorlands. The city they''d come from was only a fifteen minute walk away and they weren''t gaining anything from waiting around.


    Alex looked back at the sealed rift. Thin, purple lines of energy buzzed in the air behind them, just waiting to be split open once more.


    Soon.


    He nodded to Claire and the two of them started off toward town.


    ***


    Alex had been hoping to make it back to their room without running into anyone, but it turned out that the universe had other plans. He and Claire made it all the way back into the run-down apartment before running into Ben, who stood in a small group of survivors.


    He caught sight of them as they tried to slip over to the stairwell that led toward their rooms and raised a hand in greeting, breaking away from them and heading in their direction. Alex glanced above his head, noting that Ben''s level had improved since the last time they''d met.


    Ben - Cleaver (Novice 5)


    "Nice fit," Ben said with an easygoing grin, nodding to Alex. "Little edgy, but it fits."


    Alex''s eyes narrowed. "Was that a pun?"


    Ben laughed and shook his head, his features growing serious. "Glad you both made it back ¡ª though I think Claire might need to grab some new clothes herself. I think we might have some spares lying around."


    "That would be much appreciated." Claire picked at her tattered shirt and grimaced. "This isn''t long for the world."


    "I''ll see what I can dig up for you," Ben promised. He heaved a sigh and glanced over his shoulder at the group of survivors behind him before looking back to Alex and lowering his voice. "We''ve been losing people left and right. That bastard you were fighting with before ¡ª Diego ¡ª you remember him?"


    "I don''t think I could forget him." Alex''s lips thinned. "Don''t tell me that madman is in the town."


    "In the town?" Ben''s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "What do you think we are? Insane? No, he''s not in the town, but he''s been killing people. We haven''t been able to catch him. He attacks groups doing the dungeon near the town and survivors traveling alone. Last I heard, he was already Novice 9. I was worried he got you both."


    "Shit. That fast?" Alex asked. He hadn''t forgotten how his fight with Diego had gone. He wasn''t sure how a rematch would turn out ¡ª but he couldn''t help but want to find out ¡ª just as long as Diego wasn''t getting the jump on him when he was trying to do something else. "How many people has he killed?"


    "We think he''s at 8," Ben replied with a grimace. He bit the insides of his cheeks and blew out a short breath. "The world''s gone insane, man. I just want to fucking live. That''s it. I can''t believe we''ve got to fight against people as well as monsters."


    "Has anything really changed?" Alex asked with a dry smile. "The monsters are just more obvious now. At least we know who we have to fight and have a chance to win against them."


    "I¡­ suppose that''s one way to look at it," Ben said, tilting his head to the side and scratching at the thin layer of stubble that had started to take root in his chin. He shook his head. "You know, I''m a godawful leader. I''ve met a few people that like fighting monsters, but I''m not one of them. I just want to survive. But you ¡ª you like it, don''t you?"


    "Was it that obvious?"


    "It''s in your eyes," Ben replied, tapping the side of his head and giving Alex a small smile. "And I''ll be honest. I''m glad for it. The more people like you there are, the less I''ve got to do myself. The more I can just sit back here and try to keep everyone from each other''s throats while looking out for my girlfriend. Are you planning to stick around for the horde?"


    I don''t see any reason to lie.


    "You wouldn''t catch me dead missing it."


    "Figured," Ben said with a chuckle. "Good. I don''t suppose you''d be willing to tell me how strong you''ve gotten? I get not wanting to share it, but I''m doing my best to determine where everyone in Towntown stands so we can figure out how to distribute our forces during the horde."


    "I''d prefer not to ¡ª hold on. Towntown?" Alex stared at Ben. "You''re kidding."


    Ben sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "We held a poll."


    Claire snickered. "Good name if you ask me."


    "Honestly, could be worse," Alex agreed. "I''d still prefer to keep my stage to myself, though. Sorry."


    "No, it''s fine." Ben waved a hand and shook his head. "I''ve gotten the same answer from everyone with one of those level-hiding items, and I don''t blame any of you. Never know when the thing that kills you is some mad fucker at your back instead of one of the monsters in front of you. I wish things were more ideal, but that just isn''t the case. I''ve got half a mind to think that the damn leaderboard is going to kill more people than the monsters will."


    I suppose I can''t be surprised that other people have figured out that there are definitely going to be some good rewards for topping the leaderboard. People aren''t stupid. Not all of them, at least.


    "Well, I won''t make promises about much, but I fully plan on killing every single monster I can. I don''t have my sights set on fighting any humans that don''t come after me first," Alex said honestly.


    His honesty was equal parts because he had absolutely no desire to kill random people who were just trying to survive and that nobody he''d seen inside the camp so far had actually been strong enough to actually want to try and fight.


    I''m not trying to become some bloodthirsty monster, but it could be fun to have a sparring match with someone as strong or stronger than me. I wonder if the System would reward a challenge if you don''t actually win a fight. Should try to test that out at some point.


    "That''s a relief to hear. I trust you," Ben said, clapping Alex on the shoulder and giving him another charismatic grin. He let his hand slip off and ran it through his hair with a sigh. For a moment, exhaustion shone through his features as clear as day. Then it was gone, his face a smiling mask once more. "Well, I won''t eat up any more of your time. You and Claire look exhausted. Don''t forget the monster horde is slated to start¡­ soon, I guess. It''s still the last day, but I don''t really trust the System, nor do I know what it considers a whole day. It could pop out at any time. Just be ready, yeah?"


    "We will," Alex promised.


    "Great. Then get on with you. And Claire, I''ll have someone hunt around for some extra clothes and have them sent up to your room," Ben said, stepping back to let them pass by him.


    "Thanks. That''s kind of you," Claire said with an appreciative nod. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Bah. It''s nothing. Extra clothes aren''t doing anyone any good. I just hope you don''t mind a different style. Really, I should be thanking you. If you''ve gotten stronger than the last time you were around, we''re really going to need you two on the battlefield. Especially if Diego shows up."


    Alex and Claire bid farewell to Ben and headed up the stairs to Room 221. Alex flopped down on the bed as soon as they returned, letting out a relieved groan as he finally gave his strained muscles a chance to rest.


    Claire sat down beside him. She let the breath out of her lungs with an explosive huff. Her head thunked against the wall as she leaned back and she cursed under her breath. "Bleed me."


    "You okay?"


    "I''m fine," Claire grumbled. "Just exhausted. And vibrating with anticipation. You want to meditate first? I''ve got to wait for the clothes delivery, and one of us needs to keep watch anyway."


    "Not saying no to that," Alex said. He remained still for another few seconds before mustering the energy to push himself back upright and into a seated position. He scooted up against the wall and let out a slow breath, gathering himself before reaching deep within his mind and sinking into his Mind Palace.


    It was time to cash in the rewards he''d earned in the Mirrorlands.

 Chapter 41: The Next Ability

    Alex''s eyes opened. He stood on a flat black lake, the basin of his Mind Palace waiting for him in its center. Brilliant blue mist swirled above the basin like a miniature world. He approached it, resting his hands on the edge of the basin as he looked down into the hazy reflection in the water below.Designs rippled on the surface of the basin''s mantle in the water that weren''t present on the actual marble. He couldn''t make out what they were, but it was about time to find out. Alex wasn''t about to start skimping on his Mind Palace''s progress after it had helped him get so much stronger.


    He let his eyes drift shut. His senses extended to the large ball of glistening mist and he set about condensing it. Time slipped by as brilliant blue droplets dropped from the sky, splashing into the basin before him.


    Alex wasn''t sure how long it took, but his eyes eventually drifted back open when no more mist remained. His basin was nearly completely full of brilliant blue water waiting for him to use it ¡ª and he obliged.


    He lowered his head to the water. Ice burned against his lips and he drank. Worms of freezing cold wound down his throat and twisted through his chest. Alex nearly choked and spat the energy up, but he didn''t let a single drop slip free. He drank until just about half of the water remained.


    A headache slammed in his head as he felt himself connect to the power he''d just absorbed into his body. Rivers of silver poured from his palms and trickled down the sides of the basin, sinking into the black lake below.


    Designs traced themselves into the plain mantle. Its simple form expanded and changed. The shape of the marble went from a plain edge to a flowing wave as it transformed into what could have doubled as the back of a throne. The gemstones at its center grew as well, nearly doubling in size.


    The basin wasn''t one to be left behind. Its walls rose and the bowl itself expanded until it rose higher than Alex''s head. Plain white stairs emerged from beneath the lake and ran up to its lip.


    His Mind Palace finally stilled. Alex looked into the water, swallowing heavily. A chill prickled at the back of his spine. Where there had only been darkness before, there was now a reflection of a towering white pillar at the far edge of the lake. It had yet to emerge and he couldn''t make out any details, but it reminded him of a column that may have been present in an ancient roman colosseum.


    I''m starting to think that the term ''Mind Palace'' may actually be a whole lot more literal than I originally thought it was.


    Alex was tempted to push even more power into his soul to see what it would do, but he couldn''t pass up on getting another ability. Every upgrade he''d gotten so far was just too useful. With the second phase of Initialization coming up sometime soon, he needed every potential advantage he could get.


    Getting to the top of this initial leaderboard is at the absolute top of my priority list.


    Alex climbed the stairs leading up to his basin. He braced his hands against the large white bowl and peered down into its depths. Brilliant blue energy swirled at its bottom, now only filling a little more than thirty or forty percent of it. The amount of energy hadn''t changed. It had just gotten bigger.


    He reached down toward the water. Before his hand could get close, a sparkling blue river twisted up like a snake rising from its depths and twisted up to meet him. It coiled around his hand before sinking into his palm.


    Alex''s back stiffened. Power poured into him and words carved across the marble.


    Your Stage has advanced to Novice 6. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Your Stage has advanced to Novice 7.


    You have amassed 2 units of soul energy.


    Please select an Auxiliary Skill to upgrade.


    Whoa. Two levels? That''s what I''m talking about.


    As they had before, the three smaller blue gems on the on the mantle of his basin glistened with energy. The words on the mantle faded away like marks on a whiteboard before new ones replaced them.


    [Requiem to the King] (Novice 1)


    [Monster Medley] (Novice 2)


    [Riftwalk] (Novice 2)


    Alex paused for a moment to consider his options. Every single one of his skills felt equally as exciting of an option to upgrade, so he was going to have to narrow down which one would actually be the smartest to go with first. What he needed most for this upcoming fight was going to be immediate firepower.


    When he''d last upgraded Riftwalk, there had been potential options for combat abilities as well as utility ones. The same was true for Monster Medley. He hadn''t had a chance to upgrade Requiem to the King yet, but it would probably be similar.


    "Let''s see," Alex said to himself, drumming his fingers against the cold surface of the basin. "I got two levels after using half a basin of energy to advance my Mind Palace. It''s definitely using more energy the higher in level I get ¡ª but either way, it leaves me with two Units to distribute among my abilities. I think I should probably start with one that I''ve already advanced¡­ it''s better to get one really strong skill than a few weaker ones."


    Beyond that, he had a glaring weakness at the moment. Until one of his monsters died, Alex was borderline useless. He needed a way to do something before then.


    Requiem to the King is a really tempting option¡­ but at least from what I''ve seen so far, it won''t give me a way to do anything before Glint or Spark die.


    I''m coming up on a monster horde that lasts a whole damn day. That means a ton of enemies that I''ll have to fight. If Glint or Spark go down early, I lose a lot of momentum. I don''t want to have to solo fight every single random monster. Requiem to the King''s is incredible for massive single-target fights, but for an extended fight like the one coming up, I need an ability that will let me keep myself and my monsters alive for as long as possible.


    That left Riftwalk and Monster Medley. Both were great options. He''d just gotten a whole new monster that he had to limit test, but no matter how things turned out, it was a huge boost to his power. Any upgrades to Monster Medley would be magnified as a result of that.


    But, as things stood now, Alex was wanting in any ranged or control abilities. He could teleport to a location he''d been previously with Spark and attack something nearby with Glint''s shards, but he didn''t have any way to deal with something that outranged him or could get past his monsters while they were still alive.


    Getting some more utility or some form of magic I can use when both Glint and Spark are alive would be incredible¡­ and almost mandatory. Right now, I''m really limited until my monsters die, and I''d really rather them both live for as long as possible. I don''t want to rely on Glint or Spark kicking the bucket before I can fight back.


    That narrowed his options down to Riftwalk quite neatly. It had the highest chance of meeting his needs and giving him something useful. Monster Medley was an incredible skill, but its whole purpose was empowering his monsters.


    There was also the chance that Monster Medley would offer him an ability that let his monsters scale better. If that happened, it would be stupid not to take it ¡ª but it would give him nothing for the upcoming fight.


    Better to save it for later. It''s not like I lose access to the ability by upgrading it second. I''ll take Riftwalk now, and then maybe grab Requiem to the King just to see what it offers me afterward. Don''t want to leave it behind considering how useful it''s been so far.


    As soon as Alex made his decision, black lines poured down from the blue gem at the right side of the mantle. They carved out at sharp angles and three boxes formed at their ends, skill information forming within each of them.


    (2 Units) Riftslip: Reduce the intensity of the ripples your arrivals and departures in the Mirrorlands cause.


    (2 Units) Plane Slip: Destabilize your body with Rift energy, removing all aspects of your form other than a mirage of your image from the plane in which you currently reside. Other forms of energy cannot be channeled during this effect. You may only return to your previous plane in an unoccupied area.


    (2 Units) Funhouse: Draw latent energy from the Mirrorlands into a small area, causing anything passing through it to warp and change direction. The extent of the warping effect increases with the amount of energy drawn.


    The moment Alex saw the options, he immediately knew he''d made the right choice. A grin pulled across his lips.


    Hah! This is exactly what I was as hoping for. These are awesome! Especially Plane Slip and Funhouse. They both sound ridiculously strong.


    Alex couldn''t help but notice one other thing. The cost of his upgrades had changed. Every single option was 2 Units instead of 1. He supposed that made a degree of sense. The ability was stronger than it had been the last time he''d upgraded it.


    I wonder if it''s a linear 1 Unit increase at every level or if there''s something else that governs it. I suppose I''ll find that out pretty soon. I''m more concerned which which of these upgrades I''m going with.


    He took a few seconds to read over everything before him. The top ability had its uses, but he crossed it off immediately. Riftwarped Monsters were incredibly dangerous, and there would definitely be a day when he didn''t want to get attacked by them every single time he entered and left the Mirorrlands ¡ª but that time wasn''t now.


    Danger was challenge. Challenge was power. He wasn''t about to cut off a way to get access to even more powerful opponents. The ability also lacked a way to properly scale. Some of the other offers Alex had seen before had been quite clear that they could continue to be useful in the future.


    He was pretty sure that, as he grew stronger, he''d get better control over the Rift Energy. Being better at controlling the amount of noise he made when going anywhere would be a natural consequence of that.


    With that decision made, he was left with two options. Plane Slip and Funhouse ¡ª and he couldn''t have been more happy about it. Both of them leaned a little more toward utility than offense. If Alex understood it right, Plane Slip was a straight up ''get out of jail free'' card.


    It let him functionally drop out of the mortal plane for a brief moment. He could see a variety of different ways it would be useful. Dodging a punch. Repositioning. Getting out of the way of someone''s magic or an arrow.


    The only drawback was that he would still be visible while he was using the ability. He could dodge, but it wouldn''t let him escape ¡ª and Alex was willing to bet he couldn''t do anything to affect the mortal world while the ability was active. It was a powerful option, potentially the strongest of the lot, but it came with equally restrictive limits.


    And then there was Funhouse. Alex was mildly concerned that the System was referencing funhouse mirrors with the skill name. It either meant that carnival mirrors existed in other realities, or the System had read up on Earth and customized the skill name specifically for people that would understand it. He wasn''t sure which of the options was weirder.


    But regardless of weird, the ability was more than just promising. It sounded hilarious. Changing the path of everything that passed through it was certainly going to come out of left field for just about everyone. Nothing in the ability said it was limited to attacks, so unless Alex had misunderstood, it could redirect people as well.


    It was basically a random number generator. If someone shot an arrow at him and he used Funhouse on the area it was passing through, there was a chance the arrow would spit out in another direction and get shucked harmlessly into the ground.


    There was also a chance it would get redirected straight into his heart.


    But if Alex was right and the skill really was a random number generator, then his interest in it went up even more.


    There was a funny thing about random number generators.


    They weren''t actually random.


    If he could actually control Funhouse, even if it was difficult, the skill''s potential was enormous. It was pure disorientation, came with a high potential skill ceiling, and was easily the most versatile of all the options.


    Alex''s nose scrunched. His fingers drummed faster against the basin. He could picture himself taking either Funhouse or Plane Slip. They were both incredibly useful in their own ways. One gave him a guaranteed chance to completely avoid death. The other gave him a way to control the battlefield ¡ª or, at the very least, remove other people''s control of it.


    Well, shit. Two great choices, and both of them would be useful. So which one do I take?

 Chapter 42: Testing skills

    It was a difficult decision. Alex wasn''t sure how long he sat and examined his options, but eventually, it had to end. Both Funhouse and Plane Slip were good choices. One of them just had something that the other didn''t.Plane Slip was powerful ¡ª but the extent of its power was exactly what it appeared to be. It was a guaranteed way to avoid an attack or reposition. That was it. Nothing more and nothing less.


    Alex had no issue with that, but Funhouse was different. The ability could be used both offensively and defensively. And, if there was any way to figure out exactly how it worked and if he could get any degree of control of how the things passing through the space it affected, the ability had an immense skill ceiling.


    I did go into this wanting to make sure I took an ability that had a good chance of giving me an advantage in the upcoming fight. Even if I can''t immediately control the direction something gets sent after passing through Funhouse, it''s still a fantastic disorientation skill. If someone steps into it and gets shot out in a different direction, they''re going to be confused no matter where that direction is.


    And if I can get a better control of the skill, it''ll scale far harder than Plane Slip as well.


    Eh. I''ve always been one to roll the dice. I might have a problem, but oh well. Can''t do anything about it now. Might as well embrace it.


    His decision was made.


    [Riftwalk] (Novice 4) has gained an additional effect.


    Funhouse: Draw latent energy from the Mirrorlands into a small area, causing anything passing through it to warp and change direction. The extent of the warping effect increases with the amount of energy drawn.


    The surface of the white marble mantle changed once again. Three more black boxes formed beneath the skill he''d chosen and the words faded away.


    Alex''s head tilted to the side. Riftwalk had gone straight to Novice 4, skipping clean over Novice 3. That answered a few more questions that he''d had. His ability''s ranks were based on the number of points that he''d spent on them, and the cost to get a new ability was the same as its current rank.


    So I''ll need 4 Units if I want to upgrade Riftwalk again, or 4 levels. Interesting. So if I really want to hyperfocus into a single skill, I''ll go through huge swathes of time where I can''t get upgrades ¡ª but if you distribute your skills evenly and never push one higher, you''re going to have to wait even longer to get the really strong abilities farther down the path. That might end up just getting you killed when you run into something an evenly distributed path can''t handle.


    There was going to have to be a lot of thought put into all the abilities he chose. Wasting points could get him killed, but so could holding on to too many of them. Alex bit back the urge to chuckle. It looked like even selecting his powers was going to be a challenge. At least the System was incredibly consistent with what it liked.


    He took one last look around his Mind Palace. The plain white stairs beneath his feet led down to a lake of black water that stretched out in every direction around him. He could just make out the beginning details of a pillar waiting for enough power to manifest itself in the distance. Alex had no idea what it would do, but he was excited to find out.


    Somewhere far beneath that, Berith waited. The fragment of the demon''s soul was bound somewhere under the lake, held in check by thick white chains ¡ª for now.


    Alex headed down the stairs and stepped down onto the water. A faint ripple passed out from where his foot landed, rolling past his basin and disappearing into the distance in every direction.


    Only one thing left to do. I still have to figure out how to distribute the soul flames that I''ve gathered so far. There are two monsters to feed now.


    Alex pulled both of his Spatial Mirrors out and studied their reflective surfaces. He''d gotten a new ability, but it had come at a cost. Any upgrades he gave to his monsters now had the potential to be worse than they could have been if he''d chosen Monster Medley as the upgrade skill and it had given him a way to improve their advancement.


    Granted, that was a whole lot of ''ifs''. It was practically making problems up where none existed ¡ª but Alex couldn''t quite bring himself to waste any energy.


    And, after a few moments of debate, he realized that he didn''t have to. Unlike his own abilities, upgrading Glint and Spark was nearly instantaneous. He didn''t have to cash in all the soul flames he''d gathered if nobody in the town actually managed to challenge him for the top of the leaderboard.


    If someone does, I can power up Glint or Spark then. It''ll be a card I''m forced to play, but I''d rather hold it close to chest until then. No point wasting energy when there''s a chance I can save it.


    Alex grinned and nodded to himself, more than aware he looked like a madman and relieved that there was nobody there to see it other than his hazy reflection.


    There was nothing left to do in his Mind Palace.


    He let himself slip out of the deep meditation and returned to Room 221, where Claire was waiting for him.


    ***


    There was a Russian grandmother crossed with a showboating boxer in the room when Alex awoke. Claire had gotten her new clothes, but it looked like they might have been selected by a child that had run free through a costume store with their mother''s credit card.


    She wore a thick, fluffy coat complete with a furry hood and cuffs. It might have fit right in place on a woman striding from a divorce court after a victorious result had she not been wearing a pair of intentionally ripped jeans and what seemed to be a dirty white tank top.


    "Yeah, yeah," Claire muttered. She pulled at her new clothes and let out a heavy sigh. "I can''t complain. They''re clothes, and this tiny shirt isn''t really going to cover much of anything without the coat."


    "The coat is nice," Alex agreed once he got a hold of himself again. "If a bit¡­ long. It''s on the edge of a cloak."


    Claire glanced down at her hands. They were almost completely consumed by her sleeves. Her eye twitched and she rolled them up to reveal her hands once more. She turned away from Alex, which made her robes flutter dramatically behind her and drew another round of snickers form him.


    "At least this''ll be great when it gets cold," Claire said with a shake of her head. She double-checked the door to make sure it was locked before turning back to Alex and crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Is it my turn to meditate, or did you just come out of there to get jealous of my fashion sense?"


    "Hey, it could be worse. At least you aren''t wearing a wrestling mask," Alex said as he rose from bed. He nodded to the spot where he''d been sitting. "Go ahead. I''m all done. Ready for the horde ¡ª or about as ready as I''m going to let myself get right now."


    "Going to let yourself get?"


    "I don''t want to do a few final upgrades. I figured out that leveling skills up needs exponentially more the higher level they are, and I didn''t have enough Units to upgrade everything. Also ¡ª the weaker I am, the better reward I''m going to get for anything I do."


    Claire squinted at Alex. "Why do I feel like it''s more of the latter reason than the former?"


    It actually wasn''t, but Alex was pretty sure he''d made a bit too much of a reputation for himself at this point to deny it any further. He just grinned and shrugged. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Claire rolled her eyes as she sat down on the bed, crossing her legs beneath her and bracing her arms against her knees. She settled, glanced down at the robes bunched up beneath her, then let out a sigh and slipped out of the furry robe.


    "What happened to your fashion?" Alex asked.


    "No questions from the bleedin'' bystanders." Claire nabbed the pillow and stuck it behind her back. "Wake me up if anything happens?"


    "Will do," Alex said. "Good luck. And don''t forget¡ª"


    "The stuff we talked about?" Claire''s face grew serious and she nodded. "Oh, trust me. I won''t."


    She closed her eyes and slipped into meditation, leaving Alex in silence.


    Minutes ticked by. The moon pushed its rays through the murky window and traced designs across the floor, using the dirt on the glass like hands in a shadow puppet show. Shapes and figures scrawled past on the ground.


    Alex''s gaze eventually started to drift. He briefly deactivated his bracelet for just long enough to pull a crumpled dollar from his pocket. It was one of the ones he''d taken from Jackson, crumpled and smeared with dry blood.


    He rolled the paper into a ball between his fingers and tossed it from hand to hand. It had been a long time since there had been a proper moment of quiet since the apocalypse had started where he hadn''t been about an inch away from collapsing in exhaustion.


    I''m not so sure I like the silence. I''d go to sleep if I could, but I''d rather wait until Claire finishes up her own meditation ¡ª and I''m not really all that tired.


    His senses extended to the magical energy within him. Power prickled against his insides and coiled within his veins. At the very least, he could spend some time familiarizing himself with Funhouse.


    Alex lifted a hand and drew on his energy. Just as it flowed when he used Glint''s powers, magic rushed to respond to Alex''s call. The air before him rippled like a haze rising from desert sand.


    Then, with the distant tinkling sound of falling glass, it cracked. Lines of distortion lurched out until their growing spiderweb was roughly the size of a large beachball. Fragments jutted out of the air like someone had dropped a heavy rock on a mirror and locked it in time before any of the pieces could fall back to the ground.


    Alex peered through the warped air. He could still see the bed behind it, but it was like looking through a poorly made kaleidoscope. Half of Claire''s body was up above her head, and portions of the bed had filled in her midsection.


    He moved to the side to get another look at how she actually looked before peering through the distortion once more. Alex extended a hand, then paused just inches away from it. He pulled his hand back, then flicked the crumpled dollar into the magic.


    The paper ball struck one of the fragments in the distortion and abruptly changed directions, flying to the side and colliding with another fragment. It changed direction once more, struck yet another fragment, and was redirected twice more before it was spat out to fall at Alex''s feet.


    "Huh," Alex said, kneeling to pick his dollar up again. A faint prickle at the back of his mind reminded him that he was losing energy as long as the warped space remained present in the air, but he ignored it.


    He tossed the dollar into the distortion again. It flicked out to the right. Alex continued to repeat the process. He did his best to replicate his throws as closely as he could. It didn''t matter. The paper came out in a different direction each time.


    But, while it seemed almost random, Alex was nearly certain it was anything but. The fragments acted the same way every time something passed through them. What changed was the angle at which his dollar struck them. Even the slightest shift in speed or direction completely changed where something would enter and emerge.


    Alex lost count of the number of times he flicked his test dollar into Funhouse. He didn''t have anything better to do. His boredom spurred the intensity of his studies more than any teacher ever could have.


    Time dragged by. His results continued to be seemingly random, even though his conviction that they weren''t only continued to grow. The only way to prove his theory was to actually replicate a throw multiple times and have the dollar land in the spot each time.


    It was fortunate he had nothing better to do.


    As most things worthwhile, improvement was an insidious beast. Several throws landed his dollar in the same area, but they weren''t consecutive and it was difficult to tell if the results had been intentional or not.


    It took nearly an hour before he got the dollar to land in the exact same place twice in a row, and but it was only another thirty minutes before he managed to replicate the process twice. A grin pulled across Alex''s lips.


    Funhouse looks like it basically acts like a bunch of really tiny portals. Every single fragment is like a different passage through space. If I can figure out exactly which ones connect where, I can basically determine exactly where objects passing through it end up¡­ but what happens when something bigger than a single fragment passes through it? Is it determined by the first fragment they touch? Or does each one change the trajectory on its own?


    There was only one way to find out. Alex deactivated his bracelet for the second time and pulled his torn and bloodied shirt off, balling it up and tossing the whole thing into the area he''d cast Funhouse over.


    The shirt stretched from fragment to fragment. It jerked and twisted like a jellyfish in a blender. Every time any part of it touched a fragment, it was pulled in an entirely new direction. The scrap of cloth eventually fluttered out the bottom of the warped space and splatted to the ground.


    Alex stared down at it. It hadn''t acted anywhere close to how the dollar had.


    I see it was the latter option, then. Every touch with a fragment changes the trajectory. If I''m lucky, each fragment is tied to a specific direction.


    He had a lot of research ahead of him. Distilling exactly how the ability worked to the point where he could completely master it would take a very long time. There were so many different variables and potential outcomes.


    A small grin pulled at the corners of Alex''s lips.


    I''m pretty sure someone a whole lot smarter than me would say this is basically just some branch of physics, but this is more fun than school ever was.


    Let''s see just how far I can push this ability.

 Chapter 43: Snap back

    Alex stepped forward. His chest buzzed as it impacted the cracks in reality and his stomach shriveled like a raisin. He stumbled. His foot hit the ground. He stepped free of the warped space as if nothing had been in his path, left with only a mild, fading discomfort.Did I hit it at just the right angle to end up passing straight through? Unlikely, but hypothetically just as possible as getting sent out in every other direction. So I guess it''s technically no less likely than any other option ¡ª unless the fragments have different weights to the direction they send you in?


    Oh, fuck it.


    Alex stepped back into his magic. His stomach twisted, his foot fell and he stepped through Funhouse for the second time, arriving exactly where he''d been aiming to.


    I see. So it either doesn''t work on humans, or it doesn''t work on things bigger than it.


    Alex focused on his connection to the magical cracks splitting the air before them. He''d already burned through a fair amount of the magic he had to work with. It seemed that Funhouse drew power purely just to keep it active, and it didn''t care what happened within it.


    He pushed more magic into the warped zone. Cold fingers wrapped around his brainstem and his teeth clenched. Blood thumped in Alex''s ears and the chill spread through his body.


    The cracks in the air expanded in every direction. Even though the magic was soundless, power hummed in Alex''s skull. His energy drained away rapidly as he expanded the space that the fracture in reality occupied.


    What had once been enough magic to last him another few minutes without any troubles was now on course to deplete within seconds. There was no time for him to wait around. As soon as the space Funhouse occupied was larger than he was, Alex strode into it.


    The world jerked.


    Color blurred. His foot hit the ground behind him. His hands went one direction, his head went another. Each of his fingers set off on their own journey. His entire body seemed to split at the seams.


    Then it snapped back together.


    A wave of dizziness slammed into Alex like a freight train and the ground rushed up to meet him.


    He grabbed onto the bedframe at the last second, just barely managing to catch himself before he slammed face first into the floor. As quickly as it had come, the disorientation peeled away from his mind.


    Something popped in the back of Alex''s mind. His connection to the magic snapped like a taut rubber band that had been cut. The cracks in reality reversed themselves, stitching the air back to normal.


    Damn. That was kind of awesome. Like a really twisty roller coaster.


    Alex slowly pushed himself back to his feet. Funhouse had spat him out at an angle. It had used pretty much all of the power he''d had left to get the magic big enough to actually fit a human into it, but at least he''d confirmed that it worked.


    I definitely feel like I have more magic than I did before I leveled up. I suppose I''ll need even more if I want to use Funhouse to reliably mess with people''s positioning.


    His head tilted to the side. That brought up yet another question. Alex wasn''t sure which aspect of leveling up was the one that gave him more magical power. It could have either been advancing his Mind Palace or just allocating his magic into advancing his skills.


    I''ll test it whenever I next get enough energy to level up again. I imagine that I should be getting more than enough during the upcoming Initialization event. For now, I''ll rest a few minutes and gather my energy back.


    Alex glanced over at Claire. Her eyes were still closed in meditation. He couldn''t quite remember how long it had been since she''d started. Leaning forward slightly, he squinted through the dirty window and at the night sky beyond it.


    The moon hung in the air above, well on its way back to the horizon. Distant pricks of faint yellow and white splayed across the dark sky like droplets of spilled paint. They were strikingly large. It struck him that the sky had never been this clear back before the Apocalypse ¡ª nor had the stars ever been so close. They were almost three or four times larger than what he remembered.


    Did all the smog and pollution really vanish that quickly? I wouldn''t have thought it would happen that quickly, but what do I know?


    Alex carefully climbed onto the bed, taking care not to disturb Claire from her meditation, and made his way over to the window. He grabbed the old, rusted latch holding it shut and gave it a sharp tug.


    The metal let out a small screech as the handle ground open, then popped free of its lock. Alex swung the window open and poked his head out of the building to get a better look at the night sky.


    He blinked in surprise. There had been so much dirt on the window that it had almost been acting like a makeshift shade. The night was even brighter than he''d thought. Silver shone down from the stars and illuminated Towntown with such intensity that the night could have been mistaken for an overcast day.


    It was oddly beautiful, as if the entire city was under a sea of silver water. Minutes slipped by as he stared out into the night.


    A shadow passed across the streets.


    Alex jerked his eyes back to the sky. A coil of darkness engulphed one of the stars and its light snuffed out. All that remained where it had been was an empty patch in the sky amidst the blinking lights.


    It wasn''t the only one.


    All around, stars vanished. They were plucked from their rest and swallowed by darkness one after the other. Within mere seconds, nearly a third of them had vanished.


    That was when the screaming started.


    A keening wail filled the air and pierced into Alex''s ears, threatening to rupture them. He nearly leapt out of his own skin in his haste to jab his fingers into his ears and block the noise out.


    The effort almost felt moot. The noise intensified in spite of him. Agony drove into his skull. It wormed past his fingers and gripped at his brain, trying to shake it free from his spine.


    Claire''s eyes snapped open. She rolled out of bed and dropped to the floor, plugging her own ears and crouching. Her mouth moved as she yelled something, but Alex couldn''t hear anything over the incessant screech.


    A rattle gripped the walls and worked into the floor beneath their feet. It intensified into a tremble. The bedframe started to shake beside them and the window banged shut, shattering and raining glass down on top of the bed.


    Alex rolled under the bed, taking shelter beneath it, and Claire mirrored him. The ground bucked and heaved beneath them. It threw Alex''s back into the wooden frame above him and he covered his head with his hands to protect it.


    He''d never gotten a chance to use the earthquake training he''d gotten in school, but something told him this wasn''t exactly the situation that his teachers had been envisioning.


    The tremors grew stronger. Alex felt the rough carpet pressed against his skin shudder as something cracked beneath it. The floor started to dip beneath them. It felt like very building was being ripped apart.


    Still, the screaming grew louder.


    Alex would have rolled free of the bed if he''d been able to find any purchase on the ground. That was a little difficult to do when his body was doing its best ping-poing ball impression between the carpet and the bed above him.


    A brilliant flash flooded the room with bright white light. An instant later, the screaming gave way to a muted, distant crash. The entire building trembled, and then there was silence. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Distant ringing swallowed his ears. The world danced around him. Something wet trickled down the side of Alex''s cheek. He reached up to the side of his face and his fingers came away red.


    Alex dragged himself out from under the bed, moving on all fours. He clawed onto the side of the bed and dragged himself up. The blood running down the sides of his face dripped from his chin.


    Claire dragged herself up beside him. Her lips moved once more. This time, Alex could just barely pick out a whisper of sound. His magically-enhanced body was already healing the damage his ears had taken. He didn''t wait around for his hearing to return. He fell onto the bed, the world still swaying around him, and dragged himself over to the window. Fallen glass shards littering the bed jabbed into his skin.


    He grabbed onto a part of the frame, avoiding the remainder of the glass jutting out from the remains of the window, and peered out of the building. His eyes went wide.


    A huge white boulder the size of a house had crashed down in the center of Towntown. Twists of palid smoke twisted up from the meteor. Its pockmarked surface glowed like a miniature sun and forced Alex to tear his eyes away from it.


    His ears popped.


    "What the bleeding hell is that?" Claire''s voice reached his ears, little more than a whisper but growing louder with every word.


    "I¡­ think it''s a star."


    "What?" Claire screamed into his ear, practically bursting his eardrum a second time. Alex flinched. It looked like his hearing had returned faster than hers because of the amount of energy he''d poured into his Mind Palace.


    "It''s a star!" Alex yelled back.


    "God, you don''t have to yell," Claire said, rubbing at her ears and taking a step back. "I don''t have any idea what the fuck is going on, but we better get out of this building before¡ª"


    A loud crunch split the air. They both spun back to the window and stared down at the street. Cracks ran throughout the pavement, growing at a rapid pace. A large chunk of the ground bulged upward. Rivers of debris rolled down it as a skeletal hand the size of a large dog burst free of the ground and slammed down, its boney fingers digging into stone and finding purchase. Rivers of silver energy shimmered around the bone like translucent skin.


    The ground was broken a second time as another hand burst free on the other side of the mound. Two more hands followed it, and more bulges started to form all along the street. Alex and Claire backed away from the window and exchanged a glance.


    Neither of them got a chance to say another word. A chime rang in Alex''s ears.


    Local Announcement for Subsector 735


    Part [2/3] of the System''s initialization has begun. Cull the Meek has been assigned to all intelligent lifeforms within the Trial areas. The Local Leaderboard has been initiated.


    [Trial Assigned: Cull the Meek]


    Objective: Survive.

 Chapter 44: The Right Idea

    Alex and Claire raced from their room, practically flying down the steps in their haste to get out of the apartment. With the amount of shaking the old building had just gone through, it was probably more likely to kill them than any monster was.It seemed that everyone else had similar ideas. Survivors raced out of the lobby all around them, sprinting into the street. He and Claire joined the river of people escaping the building.


    People scrambled for their weapons and screams rang through the air all around them. Whether they were from terror or combat, Alex couldn''t tell.


    "Form a line! Stop running off like idiots and stand your ground!" Ben''s voice echoed through the night. He stood in the center of the street, his axe raised high into the air like a flag. "If we panic, we''re going to just get cut down one by one!"


    "They''re past the damn barricades!" A long-haired man screamed as he struggled to pull his shirt on and hopped from foot to foot, staring at the ground as if something was about to jump up from beneath him ¡ª which, in his favor, seemed to be entirely possible.


    "I think we''ve figured that bit out!" Ben yelled back. He slammed his axe into the ground with enough force to crack the street beneath him. "Now get your shit together, Isaiah! And put your damn pants on the right way. You''re going to trip over yourself again."


    Alex and Claire pushed through the crowd, which proved to be surprisingly easy to do. There weren''t anywhere near as many survivors as Alex had expected to find. The street was populated, but given the number of people in the town, it seemed as if less than half of them were present.


    The sounds of combat rang though the air all around them as Towntown was plunged into a fight. Despite Ben''s best efforts, people weren''t working well together. Alex hadn''t even managed to spot a single monster since he''d stepped out, but people were running screaming instead of gathering to fight at choke points.


    Irritation washed over Ben''s features as another survivor turned and sprinted down the street, running away from the others.


    "Damn it," Ben snarled. "Stop running, you idiots! Our best chance is when we fight together! Stand¡ª"


    The ground beneath Ben exploded. A boney hand jutted up from the earth and wrapped around his leg. Ben screamed as a loud crunch echoed out through the street, carving through the noise like a knife.


    Glowing silver light spilled out from beneath him. Another hand slammed down into the ground. Dirt and stone sloughed away as a blue-skinned monster pulled itself free of the dirt, the bones glistening within its translucent form.


    The bone on its back was largely fused together in a giant plate. Large bone spikes ran down its spine and jutted from the ends of its joints. Rows of sharp, yellowed teeth ran in several straight rows, nestled within its draconic skull. The monster had a stark lack of any organs. It was just bone suspended in slimy blue flesh. The debris beneath the monster was ground to dust as it completely emerged crouched on its hind legs like a monkey.


    Dire Boneraptor (Novice 5)


    The Boneraptor hoisted Ben into the air by his broken leg. The warrior let out a pained scream and swung his axe at the creature''s arm. His large weapon dug through the translucent flesh, sending pale blue fluid splattering to the ground and across his face.


    A scream tore free of the Boneraptor''s mouth. It reared back and whipped Ben forward like it was discarding an unwanted doll. His limbs flailed as he sailed through the air, his scream coming to an abrupt stop as he slammed into the wall of a building.


    Stone shattered and rained down together with him, and he laid still. Panic tore through the ranks of the survivors around them instantly. Even though some of the people on the street were easily strong enough to fight the large monster if they''d worked together, nobody wanted to be the first one forward.


    Ben twitched. He wasn''t dead ¡ª and the Boneraptor was more than aware. It lumbered toward him, each step shaking the ground beneath it slightly.


    "Work together on one?" Claire asked, cracking her neck and raising her sword before her. "After that, I''m going for the top of the leaderboard. I''m winning this thing."


    "You''re certainly going to try," Alex said, summoning Glint and Spark with a thought. The air cracked around him as his monsters stepped out into the street. Several survivors backed away from him, their eyes wide in fear. Alex ignored them.


    Claire smirked. Then she burst into motion. Her arm changed as she ran, black veins carving beneath her skin and working up to her hand.


    "Kill the Boneraptor." Alex thrust his hand forward, sending Glint and Spark rushing forward in her wake.


    The Boneraptor reached for Ben. His arm twitched and he groaned, trying to grab for his axe, but his injuries were too significant. An instant before the towering monster could grab Ben, it spotted Claire approaching out of the corner of an eye.


    It abandoned its previous prey and spun toward her. With a roar, the Boneraptor swung a large hand for Claire in an attempt to squash her in a single strike. She twisted her body and met the monster''s strike with a blow of her own.


    Their blows connected.


    Bone shattered.


    Blue flesh splattered across the ground. The Boneraptor screamed in pain and yanked its arm back. Fragments of bone floated in its translucent hand. Claire''s strike had nearly torn its hand clean free of its wrist.


    Glint reached the Boneraptor an instant later, while the skeletal monster was still on the backfoot. The Shardwalker leapt into the air. His claws flashed, carving huge furrows down the huge creature''s chest. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Blue ichor spilled out, pouring past Glint and onto the street. The Boneraptor let out a scream of pain and fury ¡ª and Spark arrived before it, the Echo Wraith''s fist driving up in a vicious uppercut.


    The monster''s mouth forcibly snapped shut. Teeth shattered against each other and cracks carved through its jaw. Spark floated up, leaving a shadow of himself on the ground, and the Boneraptor lunged for him, aiming to bite the floating monster with what remained of its teeth.


    Spark swapped places with his shadow.


    The Boneraptor bit down on nothing but darkness. Glint leapt up onto its back, his claws shearing through the thick bone plate with loud screeching strikes. While it was preoccupied, Claire slashed at the monster with her sword, carving clean through its leg.


    A pained roar tore through the street. Claire darted back as the huge creature pitched to the side and crashed to the ground where she''d been standing, its claws just barely missing as they carved through the air beside her.


    Before she could deal the finishing blow to the Boneraptor, Glint and Spark were upon it. Glint''s claws sliced straight into the monster''s face and Spark drove a blow into its skull with such force that its skull cracked.


    Blue fluid dribbled from the creature''s mouth and it fell still. Energy trickled into Alex. The Boneraptor was dead. Awed stares burned into Alex and Claire from all the survivors on the street. Alex barely even took note of them.


    That''s one kill for me. Sorry, Claire. Unless that counts for both of us? I''m not sure, but I''m not taking the chance with the future monsters. I''m going to win this thing.


    Claire hurried over to Ben''s side and knelt beside him. "Hey. You okay?"


    Ben let out a groan. He waved her away and grabbed his axe, driving it into the ground and slowly hoisting himself into the air. He swayed for a moment but managed to keep himself standing.


    "I''m alive. Thanks for the save," Ben said through gritted teeth. "Don''t worry about me. Everyone else is out fighting for their lives. They need help."


    Curiously enough, the Boneraptor hadn''t dropped a flame. Alex didn''t know why, but this wasn''t the time to worry about it. Perhaps the System was somehow saving all the event rewards for later.


    He cast his gaze around the street. Not a single one of the survivors around them had made a move to help Ben. It wasn''t like they were just random members of the town ¡ª he recognized some of them from the groups that had been chatting jovially with Ben just a few hours before. His eyes narrowed.


    "Ben was right," Alex said. "You''re all cowards."


    Isaiah ¡ª the man with long, black hair ¡ª grabbed the shortsword that hung at his side. He was Novice 4, which wasn''t a particularly impressive rank as far as Alex was concerned. "That''s easy for you to say! You''ve got monsters to fight for you! The rest of us have to risk our necks!"


    Ben coughed blood into his fist, then gritted his teeth. "This isn''t the time¡ª"


    "I can break you with or without my monsters. I don''t need them to beat someone like you," Alex said, cutting Ben off and striding up to Isaiah. "I''m not going to take shit from someone too scared to back their leader up. Ben was making the right calls. It''s easier if you fight together. Really, it''s the perfect situation for a coward."


    Isaiah''s gaze flicked to the side. The entire crowd was watching them and he knew it. His jaw tightened, stance shifted. One of his hands moved to the hilt of his sword and tightened around it.


    "So now you''re willing to pull your weapon out?" Alex arched an eyebrow. "Against an unarmed human instead of a monster? You really are a¡ª"


    Isaiah''s sword slid free of its sheath with a metallic ring. Fire raced down its surface and rose off it in hungry tongues as he lunged and drove the weapon forward, wasting absolutely no time in going for a killing blow.


    Alex twisted out of the way. The sword flashed by him, missing by inches and leaving Isaiah wide open. The swordsman realized his mistake and tried to correct it, pulling his sword back into a defensive position.


    He wasn''t nearly fast enough.


    Twisting his body, Alex drove all the force he could muster into a punch. He didn''t use any magic.


    He didn''t need to.


    His fist connected with Isaiah''s face. The man''s nose crunched and his head snapped to the side. Before Isaiah could recover, Alex struck him a second time with his other fist. Isaiah''s already-broken nose crunched again and blood splattered across Alex''s knuckles.


    The swordsman stumbled back, tripped over his own feet, and crashed to the ground. He clutched at his face and let out a garbled scream of pain.


    "Enough!" Isaiah begged, his voice nasally. He scooted away from Alex and held his free hand up before him. "Stop! I''m done! I don''t want to die!"


    Alex stared down at him, blood dripping from a fist, and made no move forward. His features twisted in disgust and he shook his head.


    "I don''t even have to kill you. You''ll end up doing it to yourself."


    "You''re insane," Isaiah stammered. His crablike escape came to a halt as he bumped against the legs of one of the other survivors in the crowd, who glanced up at Alex and took a nervous step back.


    "And you''re a coward. It''s not just you, either." Alex thrust his finger at the rest of the survivors on the street. Dozens of people that had been fully capable of stepping in ¡ª and not one that had. "You''re all pathetic. Every single person here."


    Stares bored into him, but not a single person challenged his words. Several of them broke gaze, looking down at the floor in shame.


    "Alex, this isn''t the time," Ben said. "You and Claire could be really useful. There are people that need¡ª"


    "I''m not one of your men, Ben," Alex said, voice flat. "I''m not working together with these idiots, but I am going to kill monsters. As for you ¡ª I''d probably look into finding better company to watch your back."


    With that, he strode off toward where the sound of the fighting was the loudest. Claire and his summoned monsters hurried after him.


    "Wasn''t that a bit much?" Claire asked once they''d put some distance between themselves and the stunned street of survivors.


    "Nah." Alex shook his head and wiped his hand off on his clothes. "That asshole had it coming. And they need someone to be pissed off at if they want to survive. Getting mad always gets me going, and if they''re focused on being mad at me instead of thinking about how their leader just got smoked, they might actually listen to him. Ben did have the right idea."


    Claire glanced at Alex out of the corners of her eyes. "You''re making yourself the bad guy so they get their shit together? You''re nicer than you come off as."


    "I just need someone to keep the monsters waiting for me until I get around to killing them," Alex replied, picking up his pace. "And, as I said, that asshole had it coming."


    "Sure," Claire said, a small grin playing across her features. "Whatever you say. You ready to lose this thing? Or are you going to steal the rest of my kills with Glint?"


    Alex coughed into a fist. "I won''t touch them if you don''t need the help. I''m going to do everything I can to win this thing, but good luck. Don''t get yourself killed."


    "I won''t," Claire said. She saluted him with her sword. "Good luck to you as well. Let''s kill some big bleedin'' bastards."


    Alex returned her grin. "Let''s."

 Chapter 45: Kaze

    Kaze had always loved the wind. He loved the way it rustled through his hair like the hand of a proud father. The whisper of its song against his ears, bearing words that he''d always sworn he could have heard if they were just a little louder.The wind was solace. He''d spent so much of his childhood sitting at the edge of the small seaside cliff beside the house. Kicking his feet, watching pebbles dislodge themselves from the ground and plummet down to splash into the ocean far below. Listening to the wind.


    Blocking out the yelling.


    He''d sat, joined by the infuriating caw of seagulls fighting over food that didn''t belong to them. Watching the clouds drift through the sky, his body wrapped in the embrace of the wind. There were some days where its howl was so loud, its pull so strong, that he''d almost been able to drown out the sounds of his parents in the house behind him.


    The wind was his friend. His only friend. They''d had their troubles. There were times when it had left him when he''d needed it most. When they''d fought, and its gusts had nearly tossed him into the ocean below. But in the end, the wind was his friend. It protected him.


    There had been a time when he''d thought the wind to be the loudest sound in the world, but Kaze had learned that to not be the case. The wind was loud ¡ª but it had never been louder than the old gun that his father kept in the stained wooden cabinet at his bedside. The one he''d always waved around.


    It was loud, but it was not louder than his mother''s scream. It was not louder than the second gunshot.


    It was not louder than the silence that followed.


    Kaze wasn''t sitting when his father emerged from the house. When his father found him, Kaze stood by the cliffside, wind whipping through his hair, snapping it against his eyes in its fury. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The man had said something as he stormed up to join him on the cliffside. Waved the gun in his hand, spittle flying from his lips. He''d swayed, eyes glazed and distant, lifted the gun. Pressed it against Kaze''s head. Said something, but the wind stole it from the air before it could reach Kaze''s ears.


    And, on that day, for the first time, Kaze heard the whisper of the wind properly.


    It was a command. A simple enough one to follow. Just a tiny little push.


    And, on that day, for the first time, Kaze discovered that while the wind hadn''t been loud enough to silence a gunshot, it was more than loud enough to swallow his father''s scream.


    He''d watched the drunken man plummet over the edge of the cliff. Watched him hit the rocks that the ocean crashed against.


    Watched him break.


    Watched him drown.


    Kaze did not hear the wind again for twelve long years.


    He did not hear the wind until golden letters had formed themselves in the air before him. Until the System graced the Earth ¡ª until the System graced him.


    And, on that day, for the first time, Kaze truly heard the wind. It was more than a word. More than a passing whisper that faded the harder he tried to seek it. It was a conversation. A guide.


    A command.


    His friend had returned, and it called on him to grow. To become more than he ever had before. In the wake of the System, there was a new way forward. A way in which he could hear it clearer with every step he took.


    It gave him a class. A blade. It took him to his first monster, and it led him to victory.


    It protected him from the new world that the System heralded. Showed him a future in which he could be more than a child sitting by the cliffside, waiting for the wind to save him. A future in which he could stand by its side.


    Kaze killed every monster that arrived before him. He carved through them like a hurricane, taking their precious power and offering it up to his friend. There were always more. Creatures in all shapes and sizes fell before the wind.


    Four-legged ones. Monsters that looked like flowers. Monsters that looked like animals. Monsters that walked on two legs and spoke with mouths that lied.


    They had all fought to stand between Kaze and the wind.


    They had all died.


    But, today, the wind was louder than it ever had been. Perhaps even loud enough to hide the bark of a gun.


    The monsters were in disarray. They fought each other, quarreled within their own ranks. The two-legged ones were surrounded by the undead ones, both so concerned with each other that neither paid any attention to the wind.


    Few did. Its whisper was easy to miss. Even when it roared, there were few that stopped to listen. But Kaze listened.


    And today, the wind told him to kill.

 Chapter 46: The Leaderboard

    Over the course of the next ten minutes, eight more Boneraptors died under Glint and Spark''s onslaught as they carved Alex a path through the city and toward the plains surrounding it.All the monsters were around Novice 4 or 5. They posed a decent threat to many of the survivors in town, but Alex had been fighting in the Mirrorlands. He was a Novice 7 with an equal amount of energy invested into his Mind Palace, which made the threat of the Boneraptors almost nonexistent.


    Even if he hadn''t been as strong, the monsters in the Mirrorlands had been so much more dangerous than the lumbering hunks of bone that Alex was pretty sure he''d still have no trouble against them through sheer experience alone.


    Ironically, that didn''t make the challenge any easier. Monsters that were easy to kill meant that anyone who was actually competent would have a better chance of putting up a good fight ¡ª and Claire definitely wasn''t the only person Alex was competing with.


    Alex drew up to the edge of the town and temporarily came to a halt as he got his first look at their surroundings. Despite himself, sweat prickled at the back of his neck. Monsters were everywhere.


    There must have been hundreds of Boneraptors surrounding Towntown. Many of them were locked in fights with survivors, but a number were just marching toward the town. Ben and his group had erected barricades of wood, stone, and just about anything they could manage.


    Their efforts probably would have been a lot more effective if the Boneraptors hadn''t also come up from the ground in the center of town. The clash of metal and roar of magic filled the air as the battle raged on, only growing in intensity.


    And then there was the stench.


    He''d briefly smelt something similar in the dungeon where he''d found Diego standing over the bodies of an adventuring team, but the flowers had heavily muted the thick smell of blood and viscera.


    That mercy was gone. The battlefield smelled like death. Dead survivors, dead monsters. Corpses were piling at an alarming rate in every direction. Alex''s stomach turned and bile welled in his throat. It was equal parts horrifying, disgusting, and just plain sad.


    "Come on," Alex barked, nodding to his summoned monsters and starting toward the horde of monsters. "We need to win this. Keep fighting defensively. It''s better to live than to die and land a killing blow in the process."


    The moment they go down, the amount of monsters I can take out goes on a timer. I''ll start running out of magic a lot quicker if I''m using Glint''s abilities to kill things. For the next 24 hours, I have to optimize every single second as best I can.


    A Boneraptor spotted Alex''s approach and peeled away from its group to meet him. It was followed by a second Boneraptor and a spider-like monster that Alex hadn''t seen yet. The creature stood at around half the Boneraptor''s height. Its eight limbs a chitinous ivory and twelve glistening ruby-colored eyes lodged in the center of its head.


    Clattering Bonespinner (Novice 7)


    "Deal with the Boneraptors first," Alex ordered. "Spark, take the one on the left. Glint, the right. I''ll keep the attention of the Bonespinner until you''re both finished." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His monsters darted to follow his orders. Alex stepped up to the Bonespinner, making sure the monster''s attention was on him so it couldn''t gang up on one of his summons. His plan worked ¡ª possibly too well.


    The huge spider chittered and advanced toward him, its legs making a rapid drumbeat against the dirt as it moved with disconcerting speed. It ground to a halt and Alex jumped back as it snapped at him with thick, thigh-sized ivory fangs.


    With a hiss, the Bonespinner shot toward him again. The distance between them evaporated in less than a second. Alex dove to the ground as the monster''s jaws slammed shut above him once more.


    He rolled to his feet, a grin crawling across his features. The monster was a fair bit faster than he was, but every time it went to attack, it paused for a moment. Speed wasn''t that much of a help if its actual attacks could never land.


    Fun fight, though. It''s like playing a really messed up version of tag with someone who really sucks at clutching up the last bit.


    "Come on," Alex said, shifting from foot to foot. "What are you waiting for?"


    The Bonespinner lurched. Alex hopped back as a pointed leg slammed into the dirt where he''d been standing a moment before. His eyes widened and he danced back, avoiding several other rapid strikes as the spider did its absolute best to skewer him.


    Cold energy pressed against Alex''s body and flowed into his system. It nearly made him trip over his own feet. He corrected at the last second and threw himself into a roll as pointed feet pounded through the dirt in his wake.


    He scrambled to his feet just in time for a second flow of energy to roll through his mind. Bone clattered against bone as the Bonespinner lived up to its name and clicked its fangs together. The sound was loud enough to make Alex''s ears throb in pain.


    "Would you stop it with the loud noises?" Alex demanded.


    The Bonespinner''s legs bunched. For a moment, Alex thought it had suddenly gotten second thoughts about the fight.


    Then it jumped.


    Alex had seen spiders jump before. Everyone knew about jumping spiders. They were tiny, fuzzy, fingertip-sitting creatures that people photoshopped tiny hats onto. They were supposed to be cute.


    There was absolutely nothing cute about a horse-sized spider plummeting through the air above him.


    He sprinted to the side and threw himself at the last moment, hitting the grass in a roll. The ground shuddered behind him as the spider crashed down, and he heard the drumming patter of its feet as it raced after him without a moment of delay.


    A pained screech split the air. Alex spun to find Glint atop the monster, his claws raking across its ruby colored eyes. Spark arrived a moment later, an armored fist slamming straight into the spider''s chin.


    The Bonespinner spun and jerked from side to side in an attempt to dislodge Glint. All that did was turn Glint into a little blender attached to the top of its head. Every motion caused his jagged claws to rake deeper into the monster''s head, destroying any intelligence that may have been encased within it.


    Spark delivered another blow to the front of the monster''s face. One of its legs flitted out for the Echo Wraith, only to find nothing but smoky darkness as the monster swapped positions with its shadow.


    The Bonespinner didn''t get a chance to do anything else. Glint tore through the rest of its head, sending grayish-black brain matter splattering across the ground. Legs gave way and the Bonespinner crashed down, hitting the grass with a thud.


    Cool energy flowed into Alex as his monsters stepped away from the corpse. It struck Alex that Glint looked more dangerous than the monsters they''d just killed did. At 5 feet tall, the gaunt monster wasn''t all that much shorter than Alex.


    His gangly arms hung by his sides, the long mirror shards emerging from his fingertips stained with black and blue blood. The Shardwalker''s glowing yellow eyes burned into Alex like two spotlights as he waited for instruction.


    I wonder what Spark will look like once I get him a little juiced up. But I shouldn''t need to do that yet ¡ª not unless we aren''t killing monsters fast enough. I don''t want to waste the potential power I could have.


    Speaking of which¡­ I want to know where I stand in the event. Where the hell is that leaderboard we were promised?


    No sooner than the thought had graced his mind did the air in front of Alex shimmer. Golden lines sprawled out and formed into a floating square as words took form within it, scrawled by an invisible pen.


    Local Leaderboard ¡ª Initialization Event


    Ogre (Novice 9): 19 Kills


    Gentlewind (Novice 7): 13 Kills


    Ash (Novice 7): 11 Kills


    Fangs (Novice 6): 9 Kills


    Ben-10 (Novice 5): 7 Kills


    Extra Pickles (Novice 5): 5 Kills


    NoIDontWantAName (Novice 4): 2 Kills


    NoPickles (Novice 3): 2 Kills


    Daggerman (Novice 3): 1 Kills


    Joe (Novice 2): 1 Kill


    ¡­


    Bricks (Novice 1): 1 Kill


    Dorriv (Novice 1): 1 Kill


    There were 25 total members listed on the leaderboard, but everyone below Rank 8 only had a single kill.


    And that was it.


    The System didn''t give any other information with regard to the leaderboard. It was just a list of names and kills, without any distinction as to which monsters the kills even were.


    It took Alex an embarrassing second to remember that his name for the leaderboards was Ash rather than Alex. That meant there were two people above him. Ogre and Gentlewind. As for Claire ¡ª he was just guessing, but something told him she was probably fangs.


    Nobody in the village was anywhere near Novice 9, and I didn''t see anyone that was Novice 7 ranked either. They could have both been just wearing an item that concealed their powers or just somewhere else, but¡­ Novice 9 is a lot. It''s difficult to get that high up. Could Ogre be ¡ª


    The leaderboards flickered and updated.


    Local Leaderboard ¡ª Initialization Event


    Ogre (Novice 9): 25 Kills


    Gentlewind (Novice 7): 14 Kills


    Ash (Novice 7): 11 Kills


    Fangs (Novice 6): 10 Kills


    Ben-10 (Novice 5): 7 Kills


    NoIDontWantAName (Novice 4): 4 Kills


    NoPickles (Novice 3): 3 Kills


    Daggerman (Novice 3): 3 Kills


    Joe (Novice 2): 3 Kill


    Dorriv (Novice 2): 2 Kills


    ¡­


    Bricks (Novice 1): 1 Kill


    Slicer (Novice 1): 1 Kill


    "What the hell?" Alex muttered. Ogre had gone up 6 kills in mere seconds. He dismissed the leaderboard with a thought. There wasn''t time to mess around and just sit staring. This was a race against time and his opponents. Sitting around was going to cost him the victory.


    Glint and Spark both shot forward as his command, and the three of them sought their next target amid the sea of monsters waiting for them.


    ***


    Alex lost count of the exact number of monsters he fought. The world was an endless blur of blood ¡ª and none of it was the right color. Glint and Spark tore through the ranks of the bonelike creatures in their path, though they kept near the edge of the horde to avoid getting completely swarmed.


    Sweat soaked into his clothes and poured down the front of his forehead. Every breath he drew was labored. This was more physical exercise than he''d gotten in a long, long time. Even with the improvements his body had gotten from the System, he''d been fighting for what felt like hours.


    He didn''t bother checking the Leaderboard while he fought. The distraction wasn''t going to help anything. All that mattered right now was putting every scrap of power he had into the fight and killing as many monsters as possible.


    Alex turned to find his next target. His eyes landed on a Boneraptor near a pile of corpses, both human and monster alike. It bore down on a Novice 5 warrior, who was scrambling for safety from it. Alex lifted a hand toward the monster. "Glint, go¡ª"


    A loud crack echoed through the bloodied clearing. A head-sized rock slammed into the Boneraptor''s face, shattering bone and practically ripping its head clean from its neck. Blue fluid sprayed out from its neck as the monster collapsed.


    Relief washed over the survivor''s face. He turned, his hand raising in appreciation ¡ª and a second crack split the air. A stone slammed into his skull. His face caved in and his body ragdolled, rolling across the ground to lie still beside the dead monster.


    Alex spun toward the source of the stones. A towering man stood at the top of a hill, his pale skin dirtied. Enormous muscles bulged beneath a torn-up, blood splattered tank-top that did not fit him in the slightest.


    Diego - Steel Crusher (Novice 9)

 Chapter 47: Ogre

    Alex stared at Diego. For a long second, neither of them moved. There was no doubt that they''d seen at each other. The hill Diego stood on was at least a few hundred feet away from Alex, but he''d seen what had happened to the last two targets of Diego''s throws.He''s here. Diego has to be Ogre, then. Holy shit.


    He''s already Novice 9, and without the monsters in the Mirrorlands to power-level him. He must have just been fighting people and monsters this whole time¡­ but the threat from them is comparatively lower. The only way Diego could have gotten this strong is if he didn''t advance his Mind Palace at all, and is dumping all his power into leveling up.


    The huge man reached down and pulled a rock free of the ground. It didn''t look like he was any more interested in settling things peacefully now than he had been before.


    Alex burst into motion and his monsters followed after him. Standing around in one place would just make him an easy target.


    If he wanted to keep climbing the leaderboard, he was going to have to deal with Diego. It wasn''t lost on him that the last fight he''d had with the massive man had nearly ended in both of their deaths ¡ª and that fight had been a two versus one.


    But things are different now. He might be stronger, but so am I ¡ª and unlike him, I''ve been leveling my Mind Palace and I''ve got a whole lot more tricks than I did the last time around.


    Diego hurled the stone. It streaked through the air like a cannonball, but Alex wasn''t a slow-moving target. The rock slammed into the hill a fair distance away from him with a loud crunch and Alex''s charge continued, unhindered.


    Another stone hurtled in his direction. Alex slipped out of the way a second time, but this one passed a little too close to comfort. Diego must have been a baseball player before the apocalypse had rolled around. His aim was terrifyingly good.


    Alex reached the bottom of the hill Diego stood on and started up it. But, even as he ran, he was more than aware that there was no way he''d be fast enough to dodge a rock when running up an incline directly in front of Diego.


    It would clip him at the very least ¡ª and at the speed that Diego was throwing the rocks, getting hit would probably be enough to take out an entire arm if it didn''t kill him straight out. That wasn''t even to mention that Alex couldn''t afford to spend every last scrap of energy he had on this fight.


    You''re a roadblock in my path, not my goal.


    "Spark," Alex ordered between breaths. Hedging his bets would only stall the fight out. He needed to be decisive. "Block the stone for me."


    Diego rose up above Alex, having claimed another rock. He reared back. The Echo Wraith lurched forward, its stormy form darting past Alex and appearing before him. With a roar, Diego flung his makeshift weapon.


    It whistled through the air and slammed into the Echo Wraith even as Alex threw himself into a dive. Chitinous armor shattered. The stone burst out the back of the monster like a bullet. With a loud crackle of energy and a pop of blue lightning, the Echo Wraith crumbled to dust.


    Alex rolled to his feet and continued his charge alongside Glint. Power poured into his body, granting him Spark''s powers ¡ª and then he crested the top of the hill and found himself face-to-face with Diego.


    Anger and fear mixed on the large man''s face. He took a step back and raised his hands, flexing them into fists. "You came back. Sharp, painful, little man. I am glad. We did not get to finish what we started. I hate leaving things unfinished."


    "Says the one that ran away," Alex countered, circling around Diego as he waited for an opening. He hadn''t forgotten just how fast his opponent was ¡ª and that had been several ranks ago. Now, he had no idea how strong Diego had actually gotten.


    "Phil always said I shouldn''t face problems I''m not ready for before I''m ready for ''em," Diego said, cracking his neck. Silver crawled across his skin and covered his body. "But I''m ready for you now."


    The huge man drove his foot into the ground. Dirt exploded upward in a line toward Alex as steel spines burst free of it, traveling out in a wave to impale him. Alex''s flung himself to the side, activating Spark''s powers to leave his shadow back where he''d been standing.


    He hit the ground in a roll and shot to his feet. Diego''s foot slammed down on the dirt beside him and he swung a meaty fist at Alex''s head. Alex ducked to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike. Wind howled past his head and he skipped back, not even bothering to try and punch Diego ¡ª he knew all too well how effective the man''s metallic skin was.


    "You know the drill, Glint," Alex said, dodging out of the way of another blow and stepping under Diego''s arms, trying to keep behind him. He reached within himself and drew on his power.


    The Shardwalker leapt and a strand of energy connected to him as Alex activated Rift Flood. Power poured out of his body and into the Shardwalker.


    Glint warped midway through the air. The glass blades jutting from his body jerked outward and expanded. His mouth grew, flooded with enormous, glistening fangs. The Shardwalker''s eyes turned a shimmering reddish-purple and power twisted within the mirrors covering him.


    Fear flickered in Diego''s eyes. He staggered back and swung an arm to bat Glint from the sky, lifting the other one to protect his face.


    Alex thrust his hands forward and drew on more of the magic he''d been saving to activate Funhouse. The air around Diego cracked. Fractures jerked and raced through reality, quickly expanding to surround the large man.


    Diego''s eyes widened in surprise and confusion and his body twisted like it had been put through a blender. Shapes and colors mixed and swirled within the large area of warped Space. Diego stumbled forward, suddenly finding himself facing away from Glint.


    Alex dropped the spell right before Glint passed through it.


    The Shardwalker slammed into Diego''s back. His empowered claws ripped into his huge back, shrieking as they met steel ¡ª and tearing deep into it. A scream of pain tore from Diego''s mouth.


    He reached back and grabbed Glint before the Shardwalker could dodge out of the way. Glass crunched and shards drove into Diego''s palm, piercing through his reinforced skin and sending blood splattering across the ground. He ripped Glint off his back and lifted the monster in the air before him.


    Alex gritted his teeth and drew on his magic again. Diego stumbled as the air around him shattered into fragments once more. His foot slammed down and he swayed, nearly losing his balance. The surprise cost him his grip on Glint, who dropped to the ground and skipped to safety.


    "Stop that!" Diego snarled. He lurched for Alex, extending his hand to reach for his face. The giant of a man moved with terrifying speed, closing what little distance there was between them in the blink of an eye.


    If Alex had just been a normal human, the blow would have connected.


    But, unlike Diego, Alex had been putting power into his Mind Palace. He didn''t have any abilities that made him stronger or faster, but his very body was upgraded, and that included his reaction speed.


    Alex swapped spots with his shadow. Diego''s hand drove through a cloud of inky darkness, closing down on nothing, and he let out a snarl of frustration that quickly turned into another scream as Glint leapt onto him.


    Diego had gotten stronger ¡ª but so had Alex and Glint. And, unfortunately for the huge man, it looked like he hadn''t invested too much effort into reinforcing his defenses. Perhaps they''d been enough against the other people he''d been killing.


    Glint was not most people.


    Diego let out an agonized scream as Glint ripped into him. The big man''s ability wasn''t strong enough to keep the Shardwalker''s Rift-empowered claws from cutting straight through it and, below the metal, Diego had nothing but normal human flesh.


    The huge man grabbed Glint, ignoring the glass shards that ripped through his hand, and threw the monster to the side with a scream. Diego took a step back and nearly lost his balance as his foot found the edge of the hill where it came to a sharp stop. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He glanced over his shoulder, then looked back to Alex and Glint. Fury twisted his features and he let out a bellowing roar.


    The massive man lowered his shoulders and charged. He extended his arms to either side, covering as much ground as he could as he raced toward Glint. The Shardwalker dipped out of the way, avoiding Diego''s grasp, but Diego made no move to slow his charge.


    He hadn''t been aiming for Glint. He''d been going for the source of his troubles.


    Alex tried to dodge out of the way, but Diego moved too quickly. He snagged Alex''s wrist and his huge hand clamped down around it in an instant. Bone cracked. Alex hissed in pain as pain raced down his arm and he was yanked into the air like a doll.


    "Got you," Diego snarled ¡ª and Alex''s foot whipped up and struck him in the chin.


    Diego''s head snapped back and he let out a startled cry of pain. The blow had been a lot stronger than what he''d been expecting. His grip slacked for a moment, but it tightened again before Alex could escape.


    Alex''s jaw clenched as more bones cracked in his wrist.


    Glint leapt at Diego. The large man swung his hand again, and this time, Alex couldn''t stop him. His blow connected directly with the Shardwalker.


    Glass and metal shrieked against each other. Blood sprayed from several deep wounds that the Shardwalker raked across Diego''s arm. Glint slammed down onto the ground, several of his shards shattering, and Diego drove his foot down on top of him.


    Bloodstained glass shards carved up and burst out of the top of Diego''s foot. They scraped against bone and burst from its top like a bloody flower. Diego howled in pain. He yanked his foot away, blood already pouring from it, and leaned heavily on his good leg.


    Diego''s hate-filled gaze lifted up to Alex. Wide lips pulled apart in a snarl of pain and fury. His grip tightened on the captured arm. Pain tore through Alex''s entire body and it took everything he had to keep from screaming in pain.


    "Now it is your turn. You can''t hurt me anymore, small¡ª"


    Power rushed into Alex''s body, but he didn''t even let it finish arriving before he shoved it back out. Glistening shards ripped out from his injured arm and tore into Diego''s skin. They bit deep into his palm and burst free from the other side, splattering blood across the ground.


    Diego screamed and yanked his hand back. The hand that was ¡ª unfortunately ¡ª pinned to Alex''s arm.


    The world turned upside down. Alex sailed through the air. The shards jutting from his body finally snapped and the sky turned to grass. He slammed into the ground.


    Darkness flashed at the edges of his vision. Pain ripped through his nervous system. His head pounded and blood slammed in his ears. Alex shoved himself to his feet, but it felt like he had been spun in a thousand circles.


    Diego''s furious form danced before him like a mirage. Blood ran down the man''s palm in thin rivers to drip to the ground at his feet. He was swaying in the wind ¡ª or perhaps that was Alex. He couldn''t tell which.


    "No more touching," Diego said. His voice was distant, like it had come from a mile away.


    His injured foot lifted into the air.


    It drove down. Diego''s agonized cry of pain was followed by a wave of jagged metal spikes that erupted from the ground and shot out toward Alex.


    Panic pushed past his disorientation and Alex yanked on his power.


    The world snapped as he shifted, swapping locations with his shadow once more. Diego let out a furious curse and spun back to Alex.


    With a snarl, the large man limped, ran toward him, extending his hands once more. Blood splattered across the ground with every step he took. Even with the injury to his foot, he moved with the speed of a charging bull.


    Alex thrust his good arm forward and yanked on his reserves once more. The air before him warped and cracked. Diego''s eyes widened in recognition, but he was moving too fast to slow down in time.


    The space expanded to Diego''s size, draining almost every last scrap of energy that Alex had left to work with. It swallowed Diego and spat him back out, sending him careening to the side.


    Diego tripped over his own feet and fell face-first into the ground. His sheer weight was enough to crack his nose as it hit the floor. He let out a muffled cry of pain. Diego rolled over, blood splattering all around him.


    His chest rose and fell in large, infuriated breaths. He shoved himself upright, features twisted in intense agony.


    "No more," Diego hissed, blood dripping down his face as he advanced, half-limping with every step. He didn''t charge again. Alex tried to keep the distortion between them, but Diego was aware of it now. His fists tightened at his sides.


    Alex drew his shadow back to him with a thought. He stepped around the distortion, leaving the shadow behind him. From his palm, he formed a thin, pointed mirror shard. Alex snapped it off and held it between two fingers in a tight grip. Diego spotted the blade and smirked.


    "No more tricks. You will die now," Diego said. He stepped around the warped portion of space and reached out, his hand blotting out the moonlight shining down from above.


    Alex reared back and flung the shard in his hands with all his might. Diego flinched back, but the glistening blade wasn''t heading in his direction. Alex hadn''t been aiming at him at all. He was repeating a motion he''d already practiced hundreds of times that very night with the help of a crumpled up dollar. He''d thrown the mirror shard straight at the edge of a single, familiar fragment in Funhouse''s cracked domain.

 Chapter 48: Far from Over

    The shard of glass warped as it passed through the air warped by Funhouse. Diego''s eyes widened and he pulled back, trying to get out of the way, but he was practically on top of Alex.The glistening mirror shot free of the cracks in reality. It flashed straight up, moving toward his face. Almost instantly, Alex realized that it wasn''t going to connect ¡ª but when something sharp was hurtling in anyone''s direction, they tended to flinch.


    Diego was not exempt from that.


    His head jerked back and he squeezed his eyes shut for a brief instant. The blade of glass cut across his nose. It scraped against gray skin and spun off harmlessly, leaving a thin scratch in its wake.


    Alex didn''t care that the shard had missed.


    All that mattered was that Diego''s eyes were closed.


    It may have been for just a brief instant, but it was enough. Alex summoned a blade to his palm and slashed it horizontally across Diego''s face. The huge man''s skin turned gray, but Alex was aiming at the thin skin of his eyelids, and his glass was far sharper than it had been the last time they''d fought.


    His mirror cut across both of Diego''s eyes. Blood splattered across the ground, stained the tip of the mirror a ruddy red.


    A scream of pain tore out from the huge man''s lips. He swung his hands blindly, but at their proximity, even a blind attack was close enough to hurtle straight toward Alex''s head with enough force to cave his skull in.


    Alex swapped places with the shadow that he''d formed just a few paces behind himself.


    Diego''s fist smashed through the smoky form that marked where Alex had once stood, passing close enough that Alex could feel the wind from its passing. Diego continued to swing, screaming out in agony as he stumbled, reaching for where Alex had been moments before.


    Alex burst into motion, running at the large man''s side. He leapt into the air and grabbed onto Diego''s ill-fitting clothes, yanking himself up the man''s back like an irate monkey and slapping his hands over the man''s eyes.


    Diego''s huge hand shot back and grabbed onto Alex''s head. For an instant, it started to squeeze ¡ª but that instant lasted just a little longer than it should have. Instead of a fleshy human skull, Diego was up against a Mind Palace enforced one.


    And, in that long instant, Alex poured every last drop of magic he had left through his hands and through the big man''s eyes.


    Jagged blades of mirrored glass carved into Deigo''s skull. The inside of his head made something akin to the inside of a watermelon getting tossed into a blender, and a wet wheeze bubbled out through his lips as his lungs deflated.


    The hand on Alex''s skull went slack. Diego swayed. Alex dropped down, his chest rising and falling in deep, desperate gasps. For a brief moment, the two of them remained exactly as they were. Then the giant of a man pitched forward. Diego hit the ground with a loud crash.


    He moved no more.


    Magical energy coursed into Alex. It wormed through his veins and lit a light behind his eyes, burning so brightly that he could have sworn he could taste it. Sweet relief enveloped his body as the influx of power muted the pain of his wounds.


    Alex flopped to the grass. His heart raced at a thousand miles a second and the rush of blood in his ears was so loud that it could have been mistaken for a raging ocean. Some of the magical energy he''d spent through the fight returned as the sensation faded. It was like someone had given him a partial refill of the pool of energy he could draw from. Alex wasn''t in a position to wonder why.


    A corner of his lips quirked up. A single huff of air escaped his nose, followed by a single laugh. That turned into a soft chuckle, and that to a hysterical cackle. Adrenaline had his entire body gripped in its fist and had no plans of letting go.


    Alex could barely breathe through his laughter. It was so intense that it shook his entire body ¡ª not borne of amusement, but of excitement, fear, and the relief of tension. His body just didn''t have another way to process the emotion.


    The human mind''s greatest talent had always been its ability to adapt to any situation. To find a new normal, and to seek ways to survive in the face of the impossible. It could find faith when there was only darkness. It could deny facts for opinion. It shaped the way it witnessed the world to benefit itself.


    On that hill, kneeling beside the corpse of a mountainous man and surrounded by the bodies of monsters and survivors alike, Alex laughed in the face of the apocalypse.


    And on that hill, Alex ¡ª whose mind had already been one that adapted at a speed greater than most ¡ª adapted once more.


    This was what it truly meant to live.


    A Boneraptor heard Alex''s maniacal, wheezing laughter. It broke away from the horde and charged toward him. An easy target was simply too much for it to ignore. The monster made no move to conceal its attack, and Alex''s eyes snapped over to the sound of its approach.


    He lifted a hand in the creature''s direction, the laughter slamming to an abrupt halt. Every scrap of power he still had remaining burst free of his palm in an expanding bouquet of jagged mirrors. They carved through the air like a crystal forming in a fast-forwarded video.


    Mirror screeched against bone.


    Blue fluid splattered down all around Alex. The Boneraptor jerked to a halt, impaled on a jagged, silver lightning bolt frozen in time.


    Tinkling glass rained against itself as the mirrors crumbled away from Alex''s palm and poured to the ground like grains of sand in an hourglass. The destruction traveled up the veritable shimmering statue he''d just created, eating it away until nothing remained.


    The Boneraptor crashed to the ground, dead before it could even make an attack. Energy flowed into Alex, but it was only a trickle. The monster hadn''t been much of a challenge. Not anymore. He looked down at his palm and flexed his fingers. Then he looked out at the battlefield.


    Towntown was still fighting for its life. The buildings at its edge had been torn to pieces. Rubble and bodies littered the ground. Makeshift barricades dotted the battlefield, abandoned or destroyed.


    He shook his arms out, then scanned his surroundings for more monsters. There was almost no magical energy left in his reserves, but it was trickling back. In a few minutes, he''d have enough to fight another Boneraptor as long as he didn''t go pulling any stunts like the one he just had.


    The sounds of battle rang out in nearly every direction, the majority of them concentrated around the town center. Alex didn''t know how many monsters he''d killed. He didn''t know how many were left ¡ª but he wasn''t done yet.


    I wonder where I place now that Diego is dead. I think I have been somewhere around 30 or 40 kills, so unless anyone really accelerated, I think I should be around first or second place.


    With a thought, Alex summoned the leaderboard.


    Local Leaderboard ¡ª Initialization Event


    Ash (Novice 7): 86 Kills


    Gentlewind (Novice 7): 62 Kills


    Fangs (Novice 6): 49 Kills


    Ben-10 (Novice 5): 21 Kills


    NoIDontWantAName (Novice 4): 10 Kills


    Daggerman (Novice 3): 6 Kills


    Joe (Novice 2): 4 Kills


    RockRocks (Novice 2): 4 Kills


    AAAA (Novice 2): 3 Kills


    Dorriv (Novice 1): 2 Kills


    ¡­


    Barbarara (Novice 1): 1 Kill


    Lisa (Novice 1): 1 Kill


    Alex blinked in surprise. He refreshed the leaderboard once again, but the numbers didn''t change. It said he had 86 kills ¡ª but that couldn''t have been possible. He hadn''t killed anywhere near that many monsters. He was certain of it.


    He looked down at Diego''s body. Right before the fight, his score had gone up by five out of nowhere. Alex''s head tilted to the side. 5 ¡ª the same number of kills that the man who had vanished from the leaderboard had possessed.


    Shit. Killing other people gets you their kills.


    The back of Alex''s neck prickled. He didn''t know if anyone else had figured that out yet, but it wasn''t exactly impossible to make the connection. Especially if someone had been watching the leaderboard before and after Ogre had disappeared from it.


    He stood on the hill for several more seconds, staring at the leaderboard to see if he''d missed anything else. Claire was still alive ¡ª at least, he was pretty sure she was. Alex doubted anyone else would have picked Fangs as their name unless they were a furry that was a little bit too much into roleplaying.


    If he went back into the town, then there would almost certainly be people gunning for him. Killing him would instantly place someone at the top of the leaderboard and nearly guarantee a victory.


    Alex had absolutely no desire to hunt other humans for sport. It was just tasteless, especially when killing monsters earned him the exact same reward. He hadn''t become that depraved yet ¡ª but if someone went after him first¡­ well, that changed things.


    Based on these numbers, there''s a pretty good chance that Gentlewind has been killing people as well. Maybe Claire too. The three of us are so far above the rest of Towntown that it''s basically incomparable.


    There was always the option to just stay out on the outskirts of the battlefield and go for the monsters there. Unless someone killed Claire, Alex''s victory was functionally guaranteed. He just had to keep hunting the monsters out here and his lead would likely be more than enough to win.


    But if he did that, there was a chance Claire could get stabbed in the back. If he did that, he turned down the chance to get even more points for himself. The chance to weed out anyone that was willing to try and go for his neck now, rather than wasting time and letting them get even stronger in the future.


    He would waste the opportunity to get even stronger for the sake of easy power¡­ and that didn''t sound fun at all.


    Alex wiped the sweat and blood from his face on the sleeve covering his shoulder. He stood in silence for several minutes, simply watching. No more monsters approached him. The majority of them made their way toward the center of town, seeking out the survivors within it. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He waited until enough of his magic had returned.


    Then he set off toward Towntown. There was too much left to accomplish for him to sit around and wait. Alex had to do more than just get to the top of the leaderboard. He had to excel. This wasn''t just about the challenge. It was about pushing himself to the very limits of what he could do.


    It was about getting strong enough to eventually find Teddy. There was no doubt in Alex''s mind that he was still alive. Teddy had never done anything for no reason. Somehow, Teddy had known something. Alex was going to find out what ¡ª and why.


    And to do that, he had to become as powerful as he could.


    This event was far from over.

 Chapter 49: The Wind and Stars

    Kaze flicked the blood from his blade. It splattered across the ground of the shadowed alleyway, glistening faintly in the moonlight bearing down from above. The wind stole the death-wheeze of a man, muted the thump of his body as it hit the ground in a heap.Power coursed into his body. It wrapped down his arms and burrowed like tiny little knives into his chest. He drew in a deep breath, holding it for a moment as he stared up at the molten stars in the sky, then let it out in a shuddering sigh.


    The stars were a lie.


    They were not stars. He had long since memorized the position of every star. None of them were where they were meant to be. In fact, they were entirely missing. The light that filled the night sky now was something else entirely. Others believed them to be stars. Kaze could not be so easily fooled.


    Liars lurked in the light of these new stars. They had come to him, whispering falsehoods into his ears ¡ª promising entry to a family that named themselves Nightmarch, should he obey their honeyed requests. Their promises had been loud, but the wind had told him the truth.


    They sought to use him. To use the wind. They spoke with smiles but held blades behind their backs.


    Kaze had wanted to kill them, but the wind had warned him of that, too. They were too powerful. And so he had smiled and nodded and promised ¡ª and he, too, had lied.


    This new world was one of deceit, but that was nothing new. It had always been full of darkness. Full of things that wanted to hurt him. To lie to him. But the wind ¡ª the wind was there. It whispered just as it always did, and that was all that mattered.


    Kaze stepped over the man''s body and emerged into a city square. Monster and man clashed against each other in a loud cacophony. It assaulted his eyes and ears like a foul odor, though there was already no lack of that. The air was saturated in a vile, thick stench. Death hung in the sky. It permeated every single part of the city.


    Kaze had already become accustomed to it. The wind had helped him too much for him to let such a thing interfere in his task. There was only one thing in this world that mattered. He would not let anything get in the way of the wind''s commands.


    A man grabbed Kaze by the arm as he stepped into the street. He''d come out of the shadows, using some form of magic. He yelled something. Thrust his finger across the street, to where a large spider-like monster was ripping through a small group of people.


    Kaze didn''t hear it. Even if he could have, Kaze doubted he would have cared.


    His sword flashed. The man''s eyes bulged. Blood poured from his throat. His hands scrabbled at the wound as he fell. It was pointless. He was dead before he hit the ground. Power flowed into Kaze and he stiffened once more.


    Men weren''t all that much more interesting than monsters. They spoke and tended to put up less of a fight, but that was it. He struggled to tell the difference between them when his sword met their flesh.


    Both were necessary. They were the pavestones to his path to the wind. Kaze simply didn''t see a reason to attempt to properly differentiate between them. As long as they died and gave him their power, nothing else mattered.


    More screams filled the air. Ones loud enough to break through the whisper of the wind, but not loud enough to drown it out. Kaze''s eyes narrowed. His blade flashed up, batted away an arrow as it carved through the air toward him.


    The projectile clattered to the ground at his side and Kaze turned. A dark-haired man stood on the other side of the square, a bow in his hand and a short blade at his hip. His lips moved as he screamed something, but Kaze was spared from having to hear it.


    Kaze stepped forward. The wind swirled, pressing into his back, propelling him. The man''s eyes widened as the distance between them evaporated. He didn''t even have time to fire another arrow. Kaze swung his blade.


    The man whipped the blade free from his side and brought it up with an infuriating cry. Their blades rang against each other and he stumbled back, discarding his bow and grabbing the sword with both hands.


    Kaze pressed forward. He slashed with his sword once more. Their weapons struck each other and a loud clang echoed through the streets. White ripples of wind tore down Kaze''s sword and a blade of wind carved free from the weapon.


    It continued on, passing into the man and slicing across his chest. Blood sprayed from his clothes and he staggered back with a curse. He slashed wildly to keep Kaze back, but Kaze was in no rush.


    The man pressed a hand to his cut chest. He glanced over his shoulder, searching for an escape and finding nothing. With a roar, he spun back to Kaze and lunged. He thrust his sword forward, aiming for a killing blow.


    Kaze flicked his hand. The wind roared to comply. It slammed into the man''s palm in a rush, throwing the blow wide and sending the sword spinning from his hand. Before he could react, Kaze''s sword flashed and he stepped to the side.


    A line of red traced across the man''s throat as it realized that it had been cut. He gargled, grasped at his neck, then pitched forward. Kaze stepped out of the way of the corpse. Power rushed into him once more.


    The wind whispered in delight.


    For a moment, there was blessed silence. All he could hear was the wind. The sound of the fight had faded ¡ª the men and women fighting the spider had all gotten themselves killed or run off. The spider laid dead, brought down by a thousand cuts.


    The peace was welcome. Kaze took it in. He stilled his breathing and stood there, blood dripping from the end of his blade. There were precious few moments in which he could take a moment to appreciate everything the System had given him with. Precious few moments where he could ¡ª


    A warning borne by the wind caressed his ears.


    Kaze spun.


    A monster stood at the far end of the street. His dark clothes were splattered with blood and his posture weary, but his blue eyes burned. They were full of delight. Kaze''s gaze locked with the monster ¡ª the man. He was unarmed, but he carried himself like a weapon. Even though he couldn''t see the man''s face, Kaze knew that he was smiling.


    The wind whispered danger.


    "You do realize we''re supposed to be killing the monsters, right?" the man asked.


    Kaze stiffened.


    His voice had cut clean through the wind like a blade. They had reached his ears as clear as a still day. The man''s voice sounded younger than Kaze had expected, but he barely even registered the actual words.


    He had heard a voice. One that did not belong to the wind.


    Kaze''s jaw clenched. His fists tightened around the hilt of his blade and he shifted his stance.


    He hated it.


    "I am killing monsters," Kaze said. His voice was hoarse from years of disuse. The words didn''t even sound like they belonged to him.


    "Oh shoot, that''s rich," the man-boy-monster said with a groan. "That''s the shtick you''re going with? Seriously? The ''we''re all monsters down here'' angle? They''re trying to fucking survive, man. They''re not going out and murdering people for fun. Not everyone is evil. And shouldn''t you be focusing on the actual threats? What do you get out of killing people that aren''t as good of a warrior as you are?"


    "Silence," Kaze replied. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He bounded forward, and the wind carried him. It roared in his ears and hurtled toward the loud offender. Whisps of white curled away from the edge of his blade as he brought it down to silence the fool forever.


    The boy lifted his hand. The air in front of him cracked. Kaze passed into it. His foot hit the ground. His stomach bucked up into his chest. The world twisted around him and his organs turned inside-out.


    Color and shape spun in a blender as he staggered, finding himself facing a wall instead of his target. Confusion spun in his mind as he struggled to right himself and throw off the dizziness.


    The wind whispered to Kaze. He spun, blindly lifting his sword before he even saw the threat. A ringing clang and a loud scraping screech filled the air. Kaze stared at the huge, mirrored blade of glass that pressed against his sword. It protruded from the man''s palm, glistening as it caught the light from the night sky.


    "Damn," the man said, his voice infuriatingly jovial and perfectly clear. "You''ve got good reflexes. With the whole wind shtick¡­ Gentlewind, I take it?"


    "Who are you?" Kaze demanded. "Why are you so loud?"


    "Ash," the man replied, driving his palm-blade for Kaze''s chest.


    Kaze thrust his hand forward. Wind howled forth and slammed into Ash, hurling him back. His glass weapon snapped off his palm and he rose, a dozen feet away from Kaze. The two of them watched each other warily for a few brief instants.


    Then Ash burst into motion. He bounded forward and dove.


    He was wide open. Kaze swept his sword down for Ash''s neck ¡ª and glass burst from his shoulder like an erupting volcano. It slammed into his blade and knocked it to the side, nearly tearing it from Kaze''s hands.


    At the same time, Ash thrust his other palm for Kaze''s chest. The wind flowed around Kaze as he twisted to the side, avoiding the strike, and slammed his fist into the man''s arm. Bone cracked. Ash snarled in pain. He grabbed at Kaze with his free hand.


    A howl of wind gathered around Kaze and lifted him into the air, pulling him out of range. He raised his sword as he landed, shifting from foot to foot as Ash clutched at his broken arm. The glass fragments jutting from his shoulder cracked and fell away.


    "You are powerful," Kaze said, his head tilting to the side. "Your death will aid me greatly. The wind will whisper so much louder once you are gone."


    "I''ve still got one hand, two legs, and a dick," Ash replied. "And you won''t be the first monster I put down with one arm left."


    "Now look who calls humans monsters?"


    "Difference is, I''m right."


    "And how have you come to decide that?" Kaze asked.


    "Because the one who wins is the one who gets to be right."


    The corner of Kaze''s mouth quirked up before he''d even realized what happened. Wind screamed in his ears and his features set.


    He drew on its power. Let it pump through his body and dig through the magic that connected him to its voice. Then, with a roar, he released it.


    His sword carved through the air horizontally, dragging through it like he was cutting through solid wood. A thick blade of twisting white energy gathered around the sword, twisting up from its hilt and reaching for its tip.


    "Then I will be right," Kaze said.


    The energy reached the tip of his sword. It screamed free of the weapon, carving through the air like a crescent moon and expanding as it traveled.


    The white blade was easily twice as wide as Ash, and it moved with all the speed that his wind could muster. There was no room to dodge. Nobody could evade the wind.


    There was only death.

 Chapter 50: Right

    The blade of wind screamed through the air. There was a flash of black where Ash stood, and then it passed through him and struck the wall of the building behind him. The stone shuddered and debris rained down, pattering to the ground like rain. The stone bent under its own weight and collapsed with a ringing crash.A shadowy form stood where Ash had been. Before Kaze could get a good look, a cloud of dust rolled out from the fallen building and swallowed the shadow whole. The last thing he saw before Ash disappeared were two molten-red eyes peering at him from within the brown-gray cloud.


    The back of Kaze''s neck prickled. His hands tightened around the hilt of his sword and he took a step to the side, his eyes scanning his surroundings. For the first time in years, panic prickled at his mind.


    He''d seen his attack carve through Ash¡­ but there had been no blood. Even though the man should have been dead, there had been no sound of sliced flesh. No cry of pain. No thud. Nothing.


    The dust cloud expanded outward. It swallowed the street and rolled over Kaze, casting the world in muddy shadows. Light echoed and moonlight danced around him as it reflected off the particles in the dust.


    Wind whispered in Kaze''s ears, but it spoke so rapidly that he couldn''t make out what it was saying. He tasted metal in the air and he took a step forward, nearly jumping at the movement of his own shadow in the twisting storm around him.


    Kaze wet his lips. He tried to focus on the wind, hear what it ¡ª


    Red eyes burned in the near distance.


    He burst into motion. Dust curled away from him as the wind blew the dust back from his steps. He arrived before Ash, swung his blade, and found nothing but shadow.


    The sword passed through the inky clone, sending streamers curling off it and mixing with the dust cloud surrounding them. Kaze''s jaw clenched. He spun away from the shadow, lifting his blade defensively in preparation for an attack that didn''t come.


    He stepped to the side, swiping his sword through the dust. The wind was howling in his ears, but he couldn''t hear it. Its voice had been stifled. Muted by that damnable ¡ª


    A stone clattered.


    Kaze spun, diving for the source of the noise and thrusting his blade forward. It found nothing. He took several staggering steps, then spun once more. He could hear his heartbeat slamming in his chest, fear prickling at his spine.


    The wind grew louder. Its screams finally broke through his fear.


    Kaze''s eyes widened. He thrust his hands out at the wind''s command, calling upon it and thrusting magic out from his palms. A gale roared free. It gathered the dust and threw it away as a powerful gale whipped around him.


    With a howl, the dust storm was banished. It was hurled into the air above and forced through the alleyways, leaving the street visible once more.


    Kaze spun. He readied his blade to take a blow or attack, but there was no sign of Ash. He was ¡ª


    The wind screamed a warning.


    It wasn''t fast enough.


    Weight slammed into Kaze''s back as Something drove down on him from above. His knees buckled. The ground rushed up to meet his face. His nose slammed into the stone and broke with a loud crack. Agony exploded through his body.


    Kaze called on the wind. It burst free of his body and threw his attacker back. He rolled to the side and staggered to his feet, breath coming in pained gasps.


    Ash rose several paces away from him. He''d managed to avoid the wind''s fury.


    Fury twisted Kaze''s features. He reached up to his back, where a thick shard of glass was embedded below his shoulder. With a snarl, he grabbed the glass and ripped it free. He threw it to the ground and it shattered.


    "You know, you''re not meant to do that," Ash said. "It makes you bleed more."


    "Silence," Kaze snarled. He rolled his neck, raised his sword before him once more. Ash had gotten lucky once. It would not happen again. Kaze would not allow it to happen. Their fight had muted its voice. His panic was dulling its words.


    This must end. I must kill him here and now.


    "Are you not even going to ask how I got on the roof to jump on top of you?" Ash asked. He sounded genuinely offended. "It was really damn difficult, you know. Have you ever tried climbing with one arm? Fortunately, I still had both of my legs and my¡ª"


    Kaze blurred forward. Ash was still talking when the wind carried Kaze to him. Without so much as a word, he brought his sword screaming down for Ash''s neck, determined to see the strike through this time around.


    Glass burst from Ash''s side. It erupted like a cancerous growth and slammed into his blade. Kaze gritted his teeth and tried to slice through it. He called on the wind to rip free from his blade, but even that blade struck the spreading glass with a screech and failed to reach its target.


    Ash thrust his good palm forward, and the wind howled its warning.


    Kaze threw himself backward. He was forced to release the hilt of his sword, which was stuck fast in the glass. Ash''s palm fell just short of him, even as a shard of glass jutted free of it and caught his clothes, ripping a thin furrow through his shirt.


    He hit the ground with a pained grunt, rolling once before shoving himself upright. Dirt worked its way into the wound in his back and stung, pushing the voice of the wind even farther away from the forefront of his mind.


    Ash grabbed the sword as the mirrored shards jutting from his body shattered and fell away. He held it out with his good hand. His features ¡ª at least, those that Kaze could make out from behind the mask ¡ª wrinkled in distaste.


    "This thing is heavy. How do you swing it around so easily?" S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It is a katana. One you are not worthy of wielding," Kaze growled.


    Ash glanced at the weapon, then back up to Kaze. "You know what? Somehow, I''m not surprised."


    The wind swirled around Kaze. It gathered at his back and shoved him forward as he let out a wordless scream, charging at Ash. With every word that he spoke, the wind''s words seemed to grow duller. His yammering was carving away the peace.


    Kaze twisted his shoulder, driving his fist toward Ash''s face. Wind gathered around his knuckles, roared with such intensity that it blew his hair back and made his eyes prickle.


    Ash twisted out of the way of the blow, but the wind still drove him down into the ground. Wind gathered around his foot and Kaze kicked at the fallen man''s head.


    At the last moment, Ash managed to bring his good arm up before himself. Kaze''s foot slammed into his arm and a loud crack rang out as Ash''s bone shattered. The sword flew from Ash''s grip and his arm bent at an angle ¡ª at the exact same time that a mirror blade shot out from it.


    It carved across Kaze''s leg and ripped deep through his flesh. Agony tore through his body and he staggered back, letting out a cry of pain. His foot caught on a piece of gravel and he pitched back.


    His ass hit the ground and the air was knocked from his lungs in a pained wheeze. Even more pain shot through his body as his open wound on his shoulder flared in conjunction with the new one on his leg. Blood pumped from his body and onto the ground.


    Ash rolled over, wheezing in pain; arms hung limply at his sides, both worthless. With a grunt, he heaved himself to his feet. Every movement clearly sent agony ripping through him, but still he rose.


    Kaze tried to rise, but his body wouldn''t respond. All he could do was drag himself back, his breathing coming out faster and faster. The wind was nothing more than a distant howl now, overwhelmed by the emotion pounding in his skull.


    "How?" Kaze wheezed, getting one of his arms out from under him and pushing himself upright.


    He called on the wind, but it wouldn''t answer him anymore.


    All of his magic was spent. Fear crashed against him in waves that rose and rose, driving into his mind like the relentless ocean.


    Ash took a shaky step toward him. His arms swayed like seaweed in the ocean current. Blood dripped down from where bone burst free and rolled down his arms; his features were twisted in pain, and still, he took another step forward.


    His shadow fell over Kaze.


    His foot lifted into the air.


    "I was right," Ash said.


    His foot fell.


    It slammed into Kaze''s skull.


    There was a sound like a gunshot on a distant, windy cliffside.


    Then there was nothing.

 Chapter 51: Thinking with your head

    Every single part of Alex''s body begged for him to find an alleyway and slump down inside it. Exhaustion clawed into him like the hands of hell trying to pull him into the ground. His arms screamed with pain that intensified with every movement he took, and his head throbbed with a violent headache.A fair portion of him was pretty sure that he should have passed out long ago. There should have been only so far that adrenaline could take him.


    Maybe improving my Mind Palace also improves my ability to resist the appeal of keeling over and passing out.


    At least he''d managed to confirm the answer to one more question with Gentlewind''s death. Alex hadn''t gotten a flame from the man''s body. He hadn''t gotten much of anything ¡ª aside from the katana, Gentlewind hadn''t possessed anything else of value.


    The System was saving the rewards until the end of the event. He was certain of it.


    Alex brought his face down to a shoulder, wiping the sweat and blood mixing on his skin off as best he could. He repeated it with the other shoulder, clenching his teeth at the pain the movement brought him. He grabbed the sword with limp fingers, fighting to keep a hold on it as he wedged it into a loop on his pants.


    Then, with agonizing steps, he made his way over to the shadow of a dead spider monster. He could feel his arms twisting and bubbling like there was a colony of insects within him. The extensive damage to his body was desperately trying to fix itself, but it would be some time before he could fight properly again.


    He pressed down distaste as he stepped over the body of a dead man and crouched beside the wall. There were a lot of those ¡ª the dead men. Walls too, but he was a little more concerned with the former.


    Alex didn''t know the man, but he recognized him from the lobby of the apartment his room was in. The man''s eyes were frozen in terror, his chest and the ground around him soaked through with a puddle of blood. A broken sword laid at his side, snapped clean in half.


    Shoving through the pain, Alex reached out with his slightly less-injured arm. He put his hand on the dead man''s face and shut his eyes. It was a clunky, jerky movement that ended up being more of a slap than a graceful touch.


    He resisted the urge to flop down and instead crouched and braced his back against the wall. If he sat down properly, Alex was pretty sure it would take him far too long to stand again if something else showed up.


    With a thought, he called up the leaderboard.


    Local Leaderboard ¡ª Initialization Event


    Ash (Novice 7): 151 Kills


    Fangs (Novice 6): 53 Kills


    Ben-10 (Novice 5): 24 Kills


    NoIDontWantAName (Novice 4): 20 Kills


    Daggerman (Novice 3): 18 Kills


    AAAA (Novice 2): 8 Kills


    Joe (Novice 2): 7 Kills


    RockRocks (Novice 2): 3 Kills


    Lisa (Novice 1): 4 Kills


    Dorriv (Novice 1): 3 Kills


    ¡­


    Bricks (Novice 1): 1 Kill


    Barbarara (Novice 1): 1 Kill


    Well, that''s certainly a lead. I think it''s safe to say I''ve won this thing. But there''s still quite some time left in the challenge. I could probably push even higher. Who knows if there are some sort of bonus achievements or anything like that.


    Alex dismissed the leaderboard with another thought. He blew out a slow breath, trying to focus on anything but the pain in his arms. It didn''t work. The longer he sat there, the more the pain seemed to gnaw at him.


    Even aggravating the wounds by moving around was better than this. Gritting his teeth, he pushed against the wall and rose back to his feet. The sound of battle still rang in the distance. Everyone else was still out there. Fighting. Advancing.


    Alex tried to wiggle his fingers. It wasn''t like his arms had been severed. He''d just had some bones broken. A fair number of them ¡ª but he could still move. The pain was bad, but it seemed slightly better than it had been a minute ago.


    The smart thing to do probably would have been to sit around for an hour or so until Glint and Spark regenerated. His own body would probably be pretty patched up by then, and he could rejoin the fight at full strength.


    But that would mean sitting out for an hour. It wasn''t like he was helpless right now. Some of his magical energy had returned with Gentlewind''s death, and it was continuing to regenerate. Glint and Spark would reform whether he sat around or not.


    Really, I didn''t lie to Gentlewind. I have two legs and a bit more left to work with. There''s no excuse to just sit around when I can still fight.


    Alex took another moment to gather himself. Then he tilted his head to the side, listening for the location where the majority of the combat seemed to be coming from, and headed off in its direction.


    He only made it down to the end of the street and through a single alleyway before he stepped out in front of Dorriv''s restaurant. The portly cook stood leaning against the wall for support, a large cast-iron pan clutched in each of his hands. His beard was matted with blood and his eyes burned with panic. A long, painful-looking cut stretched from one shoulder to his hip. It bled profusely, but it didn''t look too deep.


    Across from him was a catlike monster. Long, ivory spikes of bone jutted from its back like the spines of a hedgehog. Its claws dug deep furrows into the stone beneath it, two tiny molten orange eyes buried deep within the monster''s skull bore into Dorriv. Blood mixed with saliva and dripped from a mouth of yellowed fangs to fall to the street below.


    Boney Prowler (Novice 5)


    Seriously? Boney? Who named this thing? It''s actually really similar to something I saw in the Mirrorlands. Just a bit weaker.


    I wonder¡­ if Claire and I fell into the Mirrorlands, wouldn''t monsters be able to do the same thing? What exactly is the connection between the Mirrorlands and all these other worlds? I''m dying to find out, but Dorriv is going to literally die if I don''t do something.


    Alex crept toward the monster. Its focus was on Dorriv, which meant ¡ª


    The cook glanced in his direction.


    His shift in posture was enough to draw the cat''s attention. Its gaze snapped to the side and it spotted Alex, lips pulling back in a loud, yowling hiss. The monster spotted his hands hanging by his sides and burst into motion, instantly identifying what should have been an easier target.


    Its paws were nearly soundless as the large monster flashed across the ground toward Alex, hissing in fury.


    Unlike when he''d fought Gentlewind, Alex didn''t have a shadow he''d left behind in the darkness to call on. There wasn''t going to be any outrunning or dodging the Prowler ¡ª which meant he just had to strike first.


    He charged the creature, ignoring the burst of pain that shot up his arms. The monster tried to adjust, giving up on its charge and swiping its paw at him as he grew close.


    Alex dropped to the ground and slid, leaving behind a shadow to rectify his earlier mistake. His back and head hit the stone with a painful thud, but he successfully passed beneath the surprised Prowler''s paw.


    He threw his bodyweight forward, stumbling as he rose back to his feet without the use of his still-worthless arms. Alex spun, sending the best kick he could muster in the cat''s direction. Glass ripped free of his foot in a crescent form, transforming his entire leg into the shaft of a scythe.


    It carved across the Prowler''s side and shattered in the process, leaving fragments stuck within the cat. Yowling in pain, the deadly cat spun and batted at Alex.


    He swapped with his shadow. The monster hit nothing but air. By the time it realized that it had missed him and started to turn back toward the shadow, it was already too late. Alex lunged and drove his head straight for its neck.


    A blade of glass erupted from the top of his skull. It impaled the Prowler, slicing deep along its throat and spilling blue fluid across the ground. Alex jerked himself down, ripping the blade out of the cat''s neck and splattering its blue ichor across the ground.


    The Prowler collapsed at his feet. Energy poured into his body as he lifted his head, letting the glass shard snap and disintegrate. Blood from the mirror blade splattered onto his forehead. Alex cursed under his breath and tried to wipe his face off on his shoulders again. His arms burned with pain, but the monster was dead.


    Dorriv gaped at Alex, his twin-pans lowering as awe gripped the large man. He looked from Alex to the dead cat, then back again, as if he couldn''t believe what his eyes were showing him.


    "That''s for the food earlier," Alex said, rolling his neck to try and get a newly formed crick out of it. "It was to die for."


    A grunting laugh pulled free from Dorriv. "You eat free, anytime. Somebody tell you too much to use your head."


    Alex gave Dorriv a weary grin. "It worked, didn''t it? My arms aren''t being cooperative right now. What are you doing outside? Aren''t there safe places?"


    "No safe places," Dorriv replied with a grim shake of his head. He gestured around himself with a pan. "Monsters are everywhere. I got separated. They come from below. Try to eat my ass."


    "I¡­ really hope I misunderstood that last part," Alex said.


    Dorriv turned around. There was a large chunk of his pants missing in a particularly unfortunate spot. He had a rather nasty cut caked with blood, but it looked like it would heal. The cook moved to face Alex again. "As I said. It was not an enjoyable experience."


    "My condolences."


    "Accepted. I try most things once," Dorriv said. The corner of his lips pulled up, and Alex realized that the man had been pulling his leg.


    Alex tilted his head to the side, suddenly realizing that the fighting he''d been following earlier had faded away. A frown crossed his face.


    "Did you see a bunch of monsters nearby?" Alex asked. "I swear I heard a lot of fighting in this direction, but it''s gone."


    "Down there," Dorriv replied, jerking his chin down the street. "Lots of people. Not so many anymore, I think. It''s bad."


    Alex gave him a sharp nod, sending another wave of pain rolling down his arms. "Thanks. Stay safe."


    He darted off in the direction that Dorriv had indicated. Where there were a lot of people fighting, there were monsters.


    The scent of death hit Alex before he turned the corner around the street. Blood and sweat and viscera, stewed and concentrated into a pungent wall. He drove through it and emerged into a small town square made up by the crumbling pieces of what had once been a strip mall.


    It actually looked like the survivors had put up a good fight here. Monsters littered the ground around hastily erected barricades made of store shelves and sheet metal. A mixture of corpses ¡ª all bone themed, for whatever reason the System had decided on ¡ª were strewn across the ground. Scattered amongst them were dead survivors, but there were far fewer humans than monsters.


    But not everything in the square was dead. While most of the survivors had pulled back, there was still one locked in a fight at the farthest edge of the square away from Alex. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Claire leapt back as a huge Boneraptor''s fist slammed into the ground where she''d been standing. She skipped back to avoid a swipe from one of its other hands, then dashed forward to slash at its wrist with her blade.


    Blue ichor splattered across the ground in a spray. The monster roared in pain and flinched back. Claire pressed her advantage, dodging past its desperate attempts to keep her away, her senses completely locked into the fight.


    Locked in so thoroughly that she missed the shadow passing over her.


    A Boney Prowler that had made its way up to the roof behind Claire leapt in a blur of muscle and bone, streaking straight down toward her back.


    Alex tried to run forward, but he was nowhere near fast enough to make it in time.


    "Claire!" He screamed. "Behind you!"


    She spun toward the Prowler, lifting her sword ¡ª


    The monster slammed into her and continued into the stone with an earth-shaking crash. A ringing clang echoed out as Claire''s sword bounced across the stone. It skidded and spun to a halt, her hand still wrapped around its hilt, severed at the wrist.


    Alex''s ears rung. Blood coated the side of the Prowler''s claws. Claire''s leg stuck out from beneath one of its haunches, unmoving.


    A moment of silence hung over the square, broken only by the slap of Alex''s feet as he leaned into his sprint, accelerating toward the monster as fast as he could push his injured body.


    "Claire!" Alex yelled again.


    There was no response.

 Chapter 52: A Helping Hand

    Alex''s blood pounded in his ears. His arms throbbed with every impact his feet had against the ground, but he barely even noticed it. All he could see was the leg protruding from beneath the Prowler.The still, unmoving leg.


    Claire couldn''t be dead. It wasn''t like he''d known her for long. They''d barely spent a few days together, but they''d saved each other''s lives more than once. As it turned out, escaping hell with someone else was a very effective way to establish at least a semblance of a bond with them.


    His hands tightened through the pain. He pinned his shadow in place as he accelerated, his lips pulling back in a snarl. Shards of glass pressed free from his arms before he even called on them.


    He couldn''t save Claire. It was delusional to think otherwise. Even he would have been crushed like a bug beneath the monster, and his Mind Palace had been at a higher level than hers.


    The Prowler turned, ripping Claire''s leg clean off as it moved to face Alex. He still couldn''t see the rest of her body beneath the monster, but he wasn''t so sure he wanted to. Anger burned in his chest. It worked up his neck and heated his ears, a burning fury that permeated his entire being.


    He was halfway across the market square when a scream ripped out from the Prowler''s mouth like a soul fleeing the depths of hell.


    The monster''s pupils shrunk in agony and it thrashed back, the scream intensifying. Alex missed a step as a spray of blue fluid arced out as if it had been shot from a fountain and splattered across the ground.


    Lurching to its feet, the Prowler staggered to the side. It twisted and dropped itself back to the ground. It seemed to have completely forgotten about Alex''s approach. The monster jerked back to its feet and bucked, screaming in pain for the second time. It slammed itself into the side of a building. Dust rained down around it, and it slammed itself into the building again.


    To the side, the huge Boneraptor that Claire had previously been fighting turned toward Alex. It didn''t seem concerned with its fellow monsters'' plight. It lumbered toward him, extending a huge hand as he grew closer.


    Alex bounded into the air with strength that he hadn''t realized his legs possessed. He landed on the monster''s arm, sending a powerful vibration running through his entire body. Mirrored blades carved out from beneath his feet.


    They sliced through the Boneraptors translucent blue flesh and scraped against bone. Alex snapped them off, even as the monster screamed, and dug his hands into the creature''s flesh as he scaled it like a stone wall. The climb sent spikes of pain tearing down his arms and into his shoulders.


    Every movement he made ripped huge, weeping furrows into the Boneraptor''s body. It reached for him, but it wasn''t nearly fast enough to stop him from reaching its head.


    He leapt.


    The Boneraptor''s mouth opened, aiming to swallow him whole.


    Alex thrust his hands forward. Mirrors exploded from his palms, rivers of glistening silver that slammed into the monster''s eyes and penetrated into its skull. The monster jerked to a halt.


    Spurts of blue liquid erupted from its face. Glass shards sprouted from within its head; rose like blooming flowers as they pushed their way free.


    The Boneraptor collapsed. Alex pushed away from it, barely even noticing the agony ripping through his arms as he landed on the ground beside the dead monster. The pain was nothing but a candle to the wildfire of his anger. His chest lurched. Something impossibly dense pulsed in his stomach. A flicker of energy tickled at Alex''s chest, the power from the monster entering him.


    And then there was something else. A pull at the back of his head, as if something was tugging on his brainstem. His mind instinctively responded, yanking on the sensation like a loose string in a jacket.


    There was a sharp snap. A whiteish blue flash of energy streaked out from the Boneraptor and into the deck at Alex''s side.


    He didn''t have time to consider it. Alex was already turning to the monster that had killed Claire. He couldn''t bring her back to life, but at the very least, he could avenge her. He called on his magic and prepared to kill the last living thing in the square, and that was the point in which he realized there was a problem. He couldn''t kill the Prowler.


    It was already dead.


    Blue blood coated the ground like a scene from a poorly done slasher movie set in an alien universe. One of the Prowler''s legs had been ripped clean free and laid in a pile of rubble near a crumbling house.


    Its head laid ten feet away from its body, skull caved in and flesh ripped to shreds. The spines that had covered the creature were littered around the ground, forgotten cigarettes in a filthy city street.


    And, standing over the monster''s body, blood dripping from the stumps at her wrist and waist, painted blue with blood like a psychopathic Smurf, was Claire.


    A black protrusion had burst from her back. The dark bones of a bat wing extended over her right shoulder and curled around her arm. Her yellow eyes had dilated like those of a cat, going completely vertical. The veins all throughout her body were pitch black. Claire''s fangs jutted from her mouth, soaked through with blood, and she swayed unsteadily on her remaining leg.


    "Claire!" Alex exclaimed, his eyes going wide in disbelief. There was no way she could have survived an impact like that. She should have been dead.


    "Get me my leg," Claire rasped, blood dripping down the side of her mouth. "I can''t hold this much longer."


    Alex burst into motion. He hurried over to the missing limb and scooped it up. The motion flicked blood across the ground like he were swinging around a grotesque paintbrush. Pain pulsed in his broken arms, but he ignored it. He hurried over to Claire, nearly slipping on the blood, and handed her back her leg.


    Claire looped her arm ¡ª the one missing a hand ¡ª around his neck for support. She used her remaining hand to grab the leg and, after nearly losing her grip on it, she jammed it back into place.


    A pained hiss ripped free of her throat. Her grip on Alex tightened, nearly choking him for a moment as her entire body stiffened. Sickening squelching noises rose up from her leg. Thin ropes of blood wove around the severed limb, sewing it back on.


    Claire swayed. Her eyes fluttered.


    Alex grabbed Gentlewind''s katana and caught her before she could pitch forward.


    Her eyes snapped back open and she let out a low groan of pain. It was nearly completely muffled by the sounds her leg was making. She let out a slow, shaky breath.


    "Hand," Claire said.


    "You need a hand?" Alex asked, still trying to figure out how Claire was still in one piece ¡ª relatively speaking. Literally, she was still in two. Possibly three.


    "I need my hand," Claire rasped. "Quickly. Please."


    Alex glanced around the ground. He spotted her hand, along with her sword, lying at the edge of the blood. It was cracked and chipped, more than a half-step into its death bed. Gritting his teeth, he practically dragged Claire over to it. He hooked a foot under the sword and kicked it into the air. He went to grab it, but his hand slid off its slick surface and it fell back to the ground.


    She coughed. Alex hooked the sword a second time. This time, his attempt was more successful. He grabbed onto her hand and shook it until the sword slipped from its grip. It clattered to the slick ground. Alex smacked the hand back onto Claire''s stump where it belonged.


    More squelches filled the air. Claire stiffened once more, and Alex supported the Dhampir to keep her from falling flat on her face. After a few moments, she relaxed and let out one last groan.


    "Thank you. That bleedin'' hurt."


    "How the fuck are you alive?"


    "You don''t have to sound so hurt about it," Claire said through a grimace. She tested her weight on her re-attached leg, then released Alex and took an unsteady step back. "I got some blood to work with. Fortunately, my body was all pumped up and empowered when that damn thing sat on me."


    "You had blood? From who?" Alex asked.


    "The monsters. Do you not see the blue shit everywhere?" Claire wiped her face, succeeding only in smearing the blood across it, and let out a defeated sigh.


    "But¡­ they''re bones. And blue."


    "That was already established. What, you think blood is only red?" Claire let out a pained laugh. The wing protruding from her back crunched and withered in on itself, retreating back into her shoulder. She didn''t seem to notice. "The only blood I can''t eat is the shit in the Mirrorlands. These things are fair game. I''m really damn glad I upgraded Flowing Blood."


    "That''s one of your Auxiliary Skills? Does it let you stitch your limbs back on or something?"


    Claire snorted. "I don''t think that was the intended purpose for it, but yes. It gave me improved control over my body because of how saturated with my own blood it is. Was meant to let me pull off faster reactions. Move quicker. That kind of thing. But it also means I can re-attach shit, knit it on with blood, and hold it there until the System patches me up."


    "You mean you''re literally just holding your leg in place and hoping it''ll fix itself?" Doubt seeped into Alex''s voice.


    "Doing a bit more than that, but pretty much. I''ve got it real pulled together. Feel the sensation coming back with my improved internal body-sense. Can''t say I like it. I''m going to need to use up a lot of blood to keep everything on. If I run out, I might be fucked."


    Alex blew out a relieved breath and shook his head. Claire was going to be fine. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I thought you were dead."


    "Start missing me already?" Claire asked, a pained grin pulling at her lips. It quickly turned to a grimace. "And were you missing me enough to donate? I''m really low."


    Alex rolled his eyes and started to raise his wrist, grimacing slightly as he aggravated his still-throbbing arms. Then he paused. Claire''s fangs were still soaked with blood.


    "Clean your mouth off first. I do not want whatever awful combination of shit you''ve got in there getting into my bloodstream."


    "My saliva is a poison, remember?" Claire asked. "It''s all inert. Dead. Nothing to worry about."


    Alex scrunched his nose. Then he lifted his hand again. "Fine."


    Claire bit down on it, her throat bobbing as she drank. She pulled away several seconds later and ran her tongue along her lips, giving him an appreciative nod.


    "Thanks. Saved my ass."


    "A hand and a leg, actually," Alex replied. He looked over to the dead Prowler. "And I don''t think I did much of anything."


    "I more meant the blood bit. Also, the Boneraptor. It would have hurt like hell if I had to wait for that thing to get closer to bite it. Might have not been fast enough to stick my missing bits back on. I reckon I might have won with my full Awakening active, but it would not have been fun."


    "Full Awakening?" Alex tilted his head to the side.


    "That''s what I''m calling it. It''s when I have enough blood to completely shift my body. It draws a ton of energy," Claire explained. "It''s a mixture of Energy Thief ¡ª the ability that lets me steal attributes from things I drink blood from ¡ª and my normal Awakening skill. When I''ve got my stores full, I can use up all of it at once to get a lot stronger."


    "What kind of attributes? Strength and speed and the like?"


    Claire nodded. "That''s how I got so hard to squish. These monsters are pretty resilient."


    "That''s a strong ability," Alex said.


    So that''s where the wing came from. Claire''s no pushover. I suppose that should have been apparent enough with her spot on the ¡ª


    "Bleed me," Claire whispered, her eyes going wide. "What have you been up to, Alex? Is that you at Rank 1 on the leaderboard? How do you have so many kills?"


    Alex coughed. "Long story. I killed Diego. Also Gentlewind, but he attacked me first."


    "Hell." Claire swallowed and shook her head. "Well, I suppose you win. Nobody''s beating that."


    "There''s still the rest of the day. I''m not done fighting," Alex said. "There could be more rewards for getting higher. But if you need to sit out¡ª"


    "Don''t even think about it." Claire''s leg squelched and she winced. "Egh. Gross. But don''t try to shake me off. I''m copying your ass. If you aren''t done, then I''m not done either. I might just need a few moments to recover."


    "Yeah," Alex muttered. "Me too. Ten minutes, then we get back to it?"


    "Sounds like a plan." Claire said bent down and grabbed her sword, flicking the blood from it as best she could before studying its blade. The weapon was ruined. She grimaced. "Damn. This might be done for."


    "You can use that one," Alex said, nodding to the katana he''d dropped on the ground. "Took it from a crazy bastard."


    Claire discarded her old weapon and picked up Gentlewind''s sword. She held it up, testing its weight in her hand. The blade glistened in the light, even through the blood splattered across its surface. "Huh. This is pretty nice. A little heavier than I thought."


    "I think it was his class weapon. Don''t think its magical, though." Alex looked up at the sparkling night sky. The stars still hung far too low in the sky. They blinked like eyes staring down at them, burning with silver moonlight.


    Claire straightened and joined him in looking up at the sky. "Wonder how many more monsters can get. And what the reward is."


    "Suppose we''ll find out."


    "Think there''s a big bastard that''s going to pop up at the end of the event to cap things off?"


    "Oh, almost certainly."


    "Figured. You''re looking forward to it, aren''t you?"


    "Yep."


    "Figured."

 Chapter 53: Big and Scary

    Hours flew by like grains of sand in an hourglass ¡ª one connected to a leaf blower running at max speed.Monsters died.


    With every minute that passed, the fight swung more and more in the favor of Towntown. Alex and Claire carved through the ranks of the monsters and they eventually dwindled in number. The horde had been thinned out and all that remained were the stragglers. On top of that, even though they hadn''t had a chance to meditate and gain any levels, the fights were getting easier.


    None of the monsters in the wave were anywhere near as powerful as their opponents in the Mirrorlands had been.


    Alex and Claire racked up kills, securing their spot on the leaderboard and pulling so far ahead of the rest of the competition that Alex started to suspect a fair number of the other survivors had just stopped fighting.


    As they fought together more, Alex was struck by the realization that Claire wasn''t just fast at adapting to the apocalypse. There was no way she''d just picked up a sword a few weeks ago.


    Until now, he''d never really sat back and had a chance to watch her fight on her own with a sword. But with how weak some of their opponents were, Alex got all the chances he needed. It was even more apparent while she was stuffed full of excess blood to draw on, but Claire was good.


    She flitted past attacks, her blade carving into the monsters with practiced efficiency. The Dhampir excelled against single opponents ¡ª particularly the Boneraptors, which were the slowest of their enemies. She struggled when extra enemies piled in.


    Alex didn''t let that last long. He was still pushing to reach as high as he could on the leaderboard, and the only monsters off limits were the ones Claire was actively fighting.


    "How did you get so good with a sword?" Alex asked in a brief lull in the fighting. The night sky had long since faded, banished by the rising sun. They day had ground on long into the evening and they''d been fighting for hours on end. He had absolutely no idea how he still had any energy left to move, but he wasn''t going to complain.


    "Court," Claire replied, flashing him a grin as she flicked the blood from her weapon''s blade. "I told you."


    "You practiced fighting in Court?"


    "I told you before. People tend to get stabbed, especially toward the top." Claire shifted to take cover beneath the shadow of a crumbling building, raising a hand to keep the sun from poking her in the eyes. "Fighting was never my favorite part of it, though."


    "What was?"


    "Dancing."


    Alex squinted at Claire. That wasn''t the answer he''d thought he''d get. He wasn''t actually sure what he''d expected in the first place.


    "Really?" Alex asked, trying to keep the surprise from his voice.


    Claire nodded. "Oh, easily. It''s so bleeding fun. Everyone''s been at each other''s throats for weeks. Nobody knows which alliances are real and who''s going to betray them. We''re all as tense as a bowstring. You can practically taste the stress in the air. Then we all get shoved into a ball and you''ve got to keep pretenses and dance with people that want to run you through while figuring out if they want to kill kill you, if it''s a fake kill scenario, or if they''re actually on your side for the time being."


    Alex blinked. It took him a second to fully process everything Claire had said. That was a whole lot more than just dancing.


    "Maybe this is a dumb question, but why doesn''t that just turn into a brawl?"


    "That''s a great way to lose Court," Claire said with a shake of her head. "Never can a Dhampir lose control. Never. If you start a brawl instead of eliminating someone intelligently, then you''re not worthy of being King or Queen. You can''t power through every problem."


    "Well, damn. That actually does sound really fun," Alex said, a grin crossing his face. "Like a giant game of Mafia."


    "Mafia?"


    "You''d love it. I''ll explain some other time."


    With a thought, Alex called up the leaderboard. It had been a while since he''d bothered checking on it. There really hadn''t been a point to look before. None of the other survivors had gotten anywhere near as many kills as he and Claire had ¡ª not after Diego and Gentlewind had died. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Local Leaderboard ¡ª Initialization Event


    Ash (Novice 7): 371 Kills


    Fangs (Novice 6): 201 Kills


    Ben-10 (Novice 5): 56 Kills


    NoIDontWantAName (Novice 4): 49 Kills


    Daggerman (Novice 3): 31 Kills


    Joe (Novice 2): 22 Kills


    RockRocks (Novice 2): 19 Kills


    AAAA (Novice 2): 16 Kills


    Lisa (Novice 1): 10 Kills


    Dorriv (Novice 1): 5 Kills


    ¡­


    ArbysLover (Novice 1): 2 Kills


    Barbarara (Novice 1): 1 Kill


    "Did anyone ever teach you the concept of sharing?" Claire asked, her eyes scanning the air before her, evidently doing the exact same thing as Alex and taking a moment to check the leaderboard. "You wouldn''t have made it very far in Court."


    "Wouldn''t people want to make an alliance with me since I''m scoring well?" Alex asked. He still hadn''t figured out exactly how the game that seemed to rule Claire''s society worked, but he was pretty sure that doing well should normally be a good thing.


    "Oh, for sure." Claire nodded empathetically. "People would flock to you. Shower you with praise and gifts. They''d gather behind you, let you do all the hard work as they plotted behind your back, and then they''d figure out the best way to make sure you didn''t live to see nightfall. Figuratively speaking, that is. Killing the young in Court is looked down upon."


    "The young? I''m not that young," Alex said with a frown. "And why would they want to get rid of me? Wouldn''t it be better to keep the person who''s shown to be at least somewhat strong alive and on your side?"


    "Young is anyone under the age of fifty." Claire shook her head. "And that''s the problem. When you reveal what you''re capable of, people can account for it. They can find out how to beat you. How to work around your abilities. That''s why everyone hides their full strength for as long as possible. The moment you reveal it, you''re done for. You''re not an unknown. That makes you easy to handle, even if you''re strong."


    "So how does anyone figure out if they''re strong or not? Do you just all wait in the shadows right up until the last second and then fling shit everywhere?"


    "That does occasionally happen," Claire said with a wry grin. "But no. The key is dosing that strength. Giving enough to show you''re powerful, but not playing your whole hand ¡ª but there''s the catch."


    Alex blinked. "Where?"


    "You need to look like you haven''t played your whole hand." Claire''s expression was excited now. Alex could see her reliving past memories as she spoke. "And that goes in both directions. If you''re insanely powerful, you only play tiny little bits. Just enough to keep yourself interesting. But the real fun is when you''re weak. You play your whole hand, but if you trick people into thinking its just part of it¡­ well, you''re still in the running."


    Her excitement was infectious enough to pull a small grin across Alex''s own face. He nodded his understanding.


    "Okay. I think I see why you liked this so much. That really does sound fun. So it''s a giant game of bullshitting."


    "That''s just one element of it, but it''s one of my favorites," Claire confirmed. She glanced up at the darkening sky, the all-too close stars glimmering just above them. Her smile faltered and a small sigh slipped between her lips. "I''d imagine Court is gone now. Ayrin did not take to the apocalypse nearly as well as Earth."


    Alex blinked. That was the first she''d mentioned that. He''d been under the impression that her planet had been doing relatively well in the apocalypse given all the information she''d already uncovered about it before they''d met.


    "Worse than this?" Alex nodded around Towntown. The city was still standing, but only barely. Nearly half of the buildings in the street around them had been reduced to rubble ¡ª even more so than they had been when the System had dropped them off to form Towntown in the first place ¡ª and the corpses of monsters and men littered the ground.


    "Much worse," Claire said. Her expression stiffened and she shook her head. "Nearly every older Dhampir died."


    "What? Why? Don''t you get like¡­ stronger in old age, and stuff? Or is that just rumor?"


    "We do, actually. It''s not quite an exponential growth rate, but it''s close. An ancient Dhampir is one of the most terrifying things I''ve ever seen, and that includes everything that happened in the Mirrorlands."


    "Then¡ª"


    "The amount of power we need to remain alive grows as well. It''s the flaw in our race that kept us from ever getting as much of a population as it sounds like humans did. The older Dhampirs get, the less we move. Every single action is harder. Takes more effort. More energy. When your diet never changes and you don''t get more ways to access that energy¡­ well, we hibernate."


    "Until what?" Alex asked. "Generally, the point of hibernating is to wake up, isn''t it? Do they just sleep a ton?"


    "I think we''re having a translation failure again. There might not be a direct convertible word for hibernation. I suppose I could say older Dhampirs would optimize their energy usage."


    "That makes more sense. So they''d do less even as they got stronger. But I was under the impression your society had a lot of fighting. I know there''s more to Court than that, but if older Dhampirs kind of stop moving around and doing stuff as much, aren''t they kind of out of the picture? I mean, it doesn''t matter how strong you have if you can''t use any of that power."


    Claire''s nose scrunched and she scratched at the side of her jaw. "We''re getting really into Dhampir society here. The old Dhampirs generally keep Broodguard around to fight off the weaker Dhampirs, as a stream of young challengers would absolutely end up eventually killing them. The amount of energy they get from draining a younger Dhampir wouldn''t justify the effort killing them."


    "Broodguard?"


    "Sworn soldiers. Another time," Claire said with a shake of her head. "It''s not really relevant. But when it comes to fights between older, more powerful Dhampir ¡ª well, they''re fast. Terrifyingly fast. Usually over in moments, and the victor drains the defeated to recover their energy and remain alive. If they can''t do that in time, they die as well."


    "Brutal. But¡­ how is that different from the system?" Alex tilted his head to the side with a frown. "Can''t you just drain the monsters? They''ve got magic in them."


    "That''s what we thought as well," Claire admitted. "And that''s why so many died. As it turns out, there''s subtle differences in the magic. Monster energy is denser. Thicker. It takes time to digest. You have to meditate, absorb all of it properly. Some of the power comes instantly, but most of it is stored in your soul."


    Alex''s eyes widened in realization. "And older Dhampirs need power instantly after a fight."


    Claire gave him a sad smile and nodded. "Their bodies just use energy without any consideration for how much they have left. So when they fought to defend themselves and their Broods¡­ well, you can imagine what happened."


    Alex could. "They crushed every single monster that attacked them, but the act of fighting was too much and their bodies gave out before they could actually use the vast majority of the power they got from their kills."


    "Like a drowning a man dying of dehydration in the desert. Their bodies couldn''t adapt," Claire said with a sigh. She ran her hand through her hair and shook her head. "Ironic, isn''t it? The System basically brought the cure to our greatest weakness, but it killed almost everyone before they could use it."


    "I''m sorry, Claire," Alex said through a wince. He''d never been the best at comforting people. There really hadn''t been much use for the skill in college, where the majority of problems were a failed exam and the majority of solutions were getting blackout drunk. "I''d try to offer you some form of condolences, but I feel like hollow words aren''t going to help much."


    She sent him a small smile. "It''s fine. I appreciate the honesty, and whining about it won''t change anything. I''m sure a few other Dhampirs survived, but I''m not strong enough to worry about them yet. For now, I''ll worry myself with surviving on Earth ¡ª and being around you."


    "Hey! I''ll point out that you were the one that decided to follow my Dao of fuck-it-we-ball."


    "I never said otherwise," Claire said with a snicker. "I still think you''re insane, but you''ve got the right idea. This is the way forward. If we die, we die. That would have happened either way. But if we live ¡ª we''ll be monsters."


    Alex started to nod. Then he paused. The night was darker than it had been a moment ago. A lot darker. Claire noticed it at the same time. They both looked up to the sky.


    The stars had winked out.


    An imposing translucent doorway floated in the air at the edge of town. It was easily stories tall and trimmed by carved pillars of ivory. Spiked growths ran up their length and curled into the sky.


    Strands of energy twisted around the gateway, undulating like kites in the wind. With every passing second, the gateway grew more solid. White stone doors took shape within the sea of power and designs carved themselves upon their surfaces.


    A deep thrum echoed out from the doors and rolled through the city like a wave. The hair on the back of Alex''s neck stood on end.


    "Well," Claire muttered. "I think you were right about the big scary thing."


    A dull groan filled the air and echoed through the streets. The huge doors shuddered, turning completely solid. There was a loud crunch as they crashed down, slamming into the ground beyond the town.


    A black line sliced down the gateway''s center as it cracked open. Darkness spilled out like smoke. It rolled over the ground and washed over Towntown, casting the entire city into shadow.


    Five massive skeletal fingers emerged from the darkness beyond the door. They grasped onto the edge of the door with a resounding crash. Stone shuddered and groaned. Not for the first time, Alex and Claire watched as an enormous monster pulled itself into their realm.

 Chapter 54: Not Normal

    A low, creaking moan echoed out from the enormous gateway rising before the city. The massive hands clutching at the doors were slow and ponderous as they pulled, grinding the towering doors open at a rate of inches per minute.Alex and Claire set a hasty course toward the edge of town. They weren''t the only ones. A small crowd of somewhere around thirty or so survivors had already gathered there. They took cover around piled monster bodies and behind the remains of their barricades, staring up at the gateway in horror and disbelief.


    "What in the everloving fuck is that?" one man muttered as Alex and Claire pushed past him. He didn''t even notice their passing ¡ª his attention was completely fixed on the monster struggling to free itself from the void within the gate.


    A second hand of bone bloomed in the darkness and grabbed onto the second door. The creaking noises echoing across the fields grew louder, the black mist enshrouding everything trembled as if in fear.


    "Why does it have to be bone?" Claire muttered as she and Alex came to a stop near the front of the crowd to join in the gawking. "Why couldn''t it be a giant meat-monster? Something nice and soft and fleshy?"


    "I thought you didn''t mind what kind of blood something has as long as it''s got it."


    "Does that look like it has blood to you?" Claire asked.


    "Touch¨¦. Maybe it''s only got boney hands and the rest of it is normal."


    Claire levied a flat stare at him. "Do you really believe that?"


    "Not really, no."


    The crowd behind them parted and Ben limped out from within it, using his axe like a crutch. His left leg was mangled and carved to ribbons. He''d bandaged it heavily with what seemed to be several shirts, all of which had been soaked through with blood. A pained grimace gripped at his features.


    "Alex. Claire." Ben greeted them, but there wasn''t much cheer in his voice.


    "Is this everyone?" Alex asked, glancing over his shoulder to look back at the crowd.


    "I don''t know," Ben replied with a helpless shrug. His gaze lifted past Alex to the doorway rising in the distance. Ben swallowed. "It''s hard to keep track in the chaos. I don''t know what I''m doing, but I''m trying my best. Our losses haven''t been light."


    Another groan echoed from the darkness within the gate. A hand reached out from the shadows and slammed down on the door. That was the third one ¡ª which either meant Alex''s count was somehow off or something had forgotten to teach the monster that sharing was caring and hording hands was rude.


    "What the hell is that thing?" a female survivor said, shifting nervously in place as she ran her hand along the hilt of a curved sword at her side. "How are we supposed to fight something that big? Is this just some cruel joke?"


    "This whole damn apocalypse has been a cruel joke."


    Alex glanced over his shoulder as he recognized Isaiah''s voice. The long-haired man caught his eye and averted his gaze instantly, moving to stand behind the woman. It didn''t look like he wanted a repeat of their last interaction.


    "I don''t suppose you''re high up on the leaderboard?" Ben asked, ignoring Isaiah. "And possibly have a few hundred vats of anti-bone juice?"


    Alex chuckled. "No anti-bone juice, I''m afraid. And I''m still alive. That counts for something, right?"


    "I''m not blind, man. I''ve seen you fight, and I''m pretty sure better off than just alive. Just be careful. Someone''s been hunting everyone doing well on the Leaderboard."


    "Gentlewind," Alex confirmed with a nod, making no move to address Ben''s guess as to his spot on the leaderboard. "I think he bit off more than he could chew."


    "Good riddance," Ben muttered. "But it almost doesn''t matter. The rest of us are shit out of luck. There''s no way we can handle something this big. If we try, we''ll just end up getting killed. I think it might be time to abandon the town."


    A murmur of assent passed through the other survivors. The massive gateway trembled again. A fourth hand reached out from the darkness and latched onto the stone doors, aiding the other three in prying them open.


    "How many bleeding hands does that thing have?" Claire asked.


    "Maybe we were supposed to attack it before it got out," one of the survivors said.


    "A bit late for that," Ben said, running a hand through his hair. "What am I going to do, give it a paper cut? Look at the size of its hands. I don''t think I could hurt a monster that big even if it stood still for a whole ten minutes."


    "Maybe that''s the point. We can''t win," Isaiah said. "We must have gotten unlucky. If we leave now, we can get away from the town before the monster reaches it. There''s no way it''s fast at that size."


    "That means failing the Trial," Ben said. "And what about the people still in the town? It would take time to round everyone up. Some people are injured or taking cover. If we leave, they''ll be stuck behind. Not all of them will retreat in time."


    "Man, that''s their problem."


    "I''m not going to try telling you that you have to stick around and fight," Ben said, pinching the bridge of his nose and letting out a sigh. "But we can do more than just run. There''s time, especially if some of us stall that monster. You can help evacuate the town. Get the non-combatants out."


    "And risk sticking around and getting my bucket kicked?" Isaiah let out a snort, and judging by the looks in the crowd, he wasn''t alone in his opinion. Isaiah shook his head. "This is all bullshit. Fuck the system and fuck you. I''m not sitting around here and getting myself killed so you can play mayor. I''m leaving ¡ª and anyone that doesn''t want to get themselves killed is welcome to follow me. It''s safer out there than it is here," Isaiah said with a shake of his head. He took a step back, then turned and strode away from the town.


    Ben raised a hand, but Isaiah was already leaving.


    The other survivors exchanged glances. They looked from Towntown to the gate that was now nearing completely opened. A woman broke away from the crowd and followed after Isaiah.


    Others poured after her until just under three quarters of the remaining survivors had split off. Ben''s jaw clenched. His hands tightened, knuckles going white around the haft of his axe.


    Alex barely even noticed the people leaving. He didn''t care much what the survivor did ¡ª less people here just meant less ways he''d have to split the rewards. Alex pulled the mirror cards from the box at his waist and examined them. Both Glint and Spark had long since returned. His monsters still hadn''t been powered up yet and that was how he preferred to keep it ¡ª but depending on how powerful the approaching monster was, there was a chance he''d have to power them up.


    "You were right when you called them cowards," a Novice 4 survivor identified by the system as Mary said. She adjusted her grip on a long staff in her hands and spat on the ground. "I hope they all get killed."


    "It''s their choice to make," Ben said. "I can''t ask people to die, and they''re probably right. We''re fucked. It''s going to be hard to evacuate the town, but if you''re all still willing to help, we can save a lot of lives. Alex¡ª"


    "I''m not evacuating anyone. Sorry," Alex shook his head and raised his gaze from his mirror cards. He nodded to the monster. "I''m going over there."


    Ben''s eyes bulged. "What? Do you not see how big that thing is? We might have been able to stall it with all thirty-odd of us, but just you?"


    "I''m going as well," Claire said.


    "So you''ll take two seconds to die instead of one," another survivor said. "Why kill yourselves? We could use the help evacuating."


    The conversation was interrupted by an echoing boom. Everyone spun back to the gateway. A pitch black void filled its entirety. The doors had been completely pushed open. For a long second, there was silence.


    What could only be described as a wave of bone hands spilled from within the gate. They clambered over each other as they grasped into the earth, digging huge furrows through the grass and dirt as a twisted abomination dragged itself free of the darkness with a keening moan. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There was no logic to the monster''s form. It was a teeming mass of undulating bone and soggy gray flesh. Arms and legs emerged from its body in a flail of haphazard limbs that all worked in unison to pull it toward the town at a steady pace.


    Alex caught a glimpse of a sharp, triangular beak like that of a squid nestled somewhere within the nest of skeletal body parts. Every movement the monster made was equally parts a rattling roar and a wet squelch.


    Crawling Tomb (Initiate 1)


    Alex scratched at the side of his jaw. Initiate 1 wasn''t exactly the strongest monster he and Claire had fought. It was definitely close to one of the largest given that the monster was roughly spherical in shape, but size wasn''t everything.


    Well, that explains all the extra hands earlier. Initiate 1 would be a huge threat for everyone else, but after the Mirrorlands¡­ honestly, I''m not impressed. This will be easy.


    "Oh, shit," Ben breathed, his eyes going as wide as saucers. "It''s a Stage up on us. Everyone, move. Get the town evacuated and then get yourselves to safety. I think Isaiah had the right idea. We¡ª"


    Alex started toward the monster.


    This shouldn''t be too bad at all compared to the stuff I''ve been up against in the Mirrorlands. The System basically just gave me a score multiplier. Sweet.


    "Alex!" Ben called, practically begging. "Come back, man! We can''t fight something like this. Don''t throw your life away!"


    Mirrored claws carved through the air to Alex''s right, rending the space behind them. Glint stepped into reality beside him. To Alex''s left, there was a crackle of blue electricity. Spark emerged from within it, gauntlets tightening into fists as power siphoned into the center of his chitinous armor to form the slow-moving storm of lightning that made up his flesh.


    "Worry about evacuating the town, Ben," Claire said, looking over her shoulder at him. "Your concern is appreciated, but it isn''t needed."


    "But¡ª"


    "I''d follow your own advice," Claire said with a smile.


    "My own¡­" Ben trailed off. He looked from Alex to Claire, then to the advancing monster. His eyes widened. "The Leaderboard. You''re Ash and Fangs?"


    I suppose it''s not like there''s any point trying to hide it. It''ll become obvious the moment we kill the Crawling Tomb and the leaderboard updates.


    "I told you I was going to kill some monsters," Alex said, pausing to look back at Ben. "That isn''t going to change just because a few people didn''t stick around to back us up."


    Ben swallowed, and the other survivors looked to each other in stunned disbelief as they tried to reconcile Alex and Claire with the figures at the top of the local leaderboard. The gap in numbers between them and everyone else was so significant that they might as well have been on entirely different battlefields.


    "But¡­ can you really beat something like that?" Ben asked, swallowing nervously. "I mean, look at it. It''s massive."


    Alex just smiled.


    The Rolling Tomb is pretty intimidating, I''ll give it that. To the other survivors, it might seem impossible to beat. But compared to what I''ve seen in the Mirrorlands¡­.


    This thing isn''t a threat.


    It''s just a stepping stone in my way.

 Chapter 55: Cracked

    Alex and his monsters looked up at the towering mass of flesh and bone as it bore down on them. Claire stood by his side, drumming her fingers against the hilt of her sword and shifting from foot to foot in impatience."So, how are we splitting this one up?" Claire asked. "Because unless the rules for the last fight are any different than the previous ones, only one of us is getting the kill."


    "Last hit?"


    Claire let out a snort. "I think we both know you''re going to win that one. You''ve got two extra bodies ¡ª but if I''m honest, I''m kind of curious to see just how high you can get your score. If there''s a reward and it''s gated by total score, bet it would be better to have someone at the highest possible number rather than two people at relatively high ones."


    "What, you''re just going to let me finish it off?"


    "Oh, no. I''m going to do everything I possibly can to make sure I get the kill," Claire replied with a smug grin. "Anything else would reduce the challenge to both of us, and I''m not trying to get scammed out of the experience. You''re going to have to earn it. Just know that you owe me."


    Alex chuckled. "But you aren''t going easy. Why do I owe you?"


    "Because I''m raising the challenge for you by making it harder to get the final hit."


    "And lowering the challenge by backing me up in the fight."


    "So the amount of reward for killing the Crawling Tomb should be just about the same. The fight will just be easier for both of us. Less work for the same challenge level. Sounds like a good deal."


    "You skipped the part where you''re going to try to steal the last hit," Alex said with a chuckle.


    Claire grinned at him. The rumble of the approaching monster''s limbs slapping and digging through the ground grew louder. She pointed her sword toward it. "Sorry. No time to hear your counterargument. Monster approaching."


    She darted off toward the Crawling Tomb without giving him a chance to respond. He let out a snort before sprinting after her, Spark and Glint at his sides.


    He didn''t actually know if the System would actually count the increased challenge of getting the last hit of a kill as a legitimate part of a fight''s difficulty. The competition did technically make things harder, but there wouldn''t be a way to find out if her theory actually worked unless they ran into a second Crawling Tomb. It was an annoyingly convincing argument.


    She actually managed to make it sound like her trying to steal the kill is going to be beneficial for both of us. That''s scary levels of twisting words.


    Alex was starting to see why she liked the Dhampir game of Court so much. She certainly had a lot of practice in it.


    That''s not to mention it would have been lame for me to insist that she just give me the kill or stand out of the fight when we''re in the middle of a Trial. We both want to win, and we''re both going to give it our best shot. Any other approach is just disrespectful and boring.


    Alex extended his power toward Spark. Energy hummed to life between them. Arcs of blue lightning crackled and popped beneath the Echo Wraith''s armor.


    The monster expanded, his floating plates parting to accommodate the growing storm within him. Lightning arced across his knuckles and buzzed in the air like a swarm of angry bees.


    "Spark, shadow. Go distract that thing," Alex ordered, veering to the side to avoid standing directly in the Crawling Tomb''s path. It hadn''t shown any signs of slowing down in its advance toward the town to fight them. "Glint, see how much damage you can do to one of those big flailing limbs. Don''t get squished."


    His monsters rushed to follow his orders. Spark formed a shadowy replica on the ground before flying up toward the Crawling Tomb in search of an opening while Glint dashed across the ground just a short distance behind Claire. Alex let himself slow slightly, staying just out of range of the fight for the time being.


    The Crawling Tomb is too big for me to use Funhouse directly on it for anything other than a moment of distraction. The repositioning effects only work if the spell is bigger than my target, and I can''t make anything near two stories wide. I have to bide my time.


    Claire reached the Crawling Tomb first. Black veins carved down her arm, pulsing with energy as she swept her blade at the finger of a boney hand. There was a loud clang. The weapon rebounded, vibrating in her grip, and a small chunk of bone spun free.


    A furious moan echoed from the Crawling Tomb. Its blur of limbs ground to a halt as it registered the attack. Within the forest of bones, Alex spotted two horse-sized pitch black eyes swiveling down to look in her direction.


    Several hands unfurled from the monster''s body and reached for Claire. She launched herself out of the way, skidding across the dirt when she landed. And, before the monster could retract its hands, Glint leapt onto one of them.


    The Shardwalker raced up the Crawling Tomb''s arm. He dug his claws into the monster''s body as he raced up toward its center of mass. Bone sheared apart in his wake, splitting like the surface of a choppy lake.


    At the same time, Spark flew up to the monster''s eye-level. Blue lightning rolled and hissed within his gauntlets as he shot forward, slipping past the grasping hands, and drove a fist into the huge monster''s skull.


    Bone shattered with a loud explosion. A scream of pain tore from the Crawling Tomb and it rolled back like a tortoise tipped on its shell, limbs flailing all about it. The motion launched Glint into the air like he was an acrobat in a circus.


    "Catch Glint, Spark!" Alex yelled. "Glint, do your best not to stab Spark!"


    Spark veered away from the Crawling Tomb, shooting up toward the plummeting Shardwalker and grabbing it from the air. Mirrored blades screeched against chitinous armor, carving deep gouges into it, but the two monsters managed to avoid killing each other.


    Claire threw her sword to the side and launched herself forward. Claws burst from her right hand, sharpening to black points, and she ducked past a skeletal foot to reach the gray skinned core of the monster.


    She drove her sharpened claws into it, sinking her hand nearly a foot into its body. Claire leaned in and bit down, clamping onto the monster''s flesh and gulping the blood that poured free.


    As it turns out, the big bone thing does have blood after all.


    The Crawling Tomb rolled to the side in an attempt to crush the Dhampir beneath it. Before Alex could call out another command to Spark, Claire blurred. She threw herself away from the monster, hitting the ground in a roll and launching back to her feet in the same motion.


    Dark blood dripped from her hand. She lifted it to her mouth, licking the last of it free, and flexed her fingers. Claws pushed free from her other hand and black veins crawled down across the rest of her skin. They worked up her neck and down her legs. The bones of a bat wing burst from her shoulder and furled over her right arm like armor.


    One of the Crawling Tomb''s limbs crashed down toward her. Claire swung her fist up. Their blows connected with a loud crack. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Bone shattered.


    Claire stumbled.


    A bone hand the size of a small room crashed down behind her, shattered and broken clean off at the wrist. Some of the normal color returned to her skin and the claws protruding from her fingertips shrank.


    "Throw Glint back into the fight, then attack the same spot you just hit!" Alex ordered, realizing he was just standing around and watching Claire fight.


    Spark took Alex''s orders literally. The monster spun, whipping Glint through the air, and launched the Shardwalker down at the Crawling Tomb. Glint tucked his limbs in, transforming into a veritable ball of spinning shards.


    He struck the huge monster. Glass scraped against bone with an irritating screech, carving clean through it. An instant later, Spark was upon the Crawling Tomb. The Echo Wraith raised its gauntlets into the air, a blue storm roaring within them, and brought them down with a crash.


    There was a brilliant crack like a bolt of lightning had fallen from the heavens. A blue flash lit the air. Bone shattered.


    White fragments exploded in every direction.


    They carved through Spark, impaling the Echo Wraith like javelins and killing him on the spot. A stream of energy flowed Alex before he could even try to command his monster to swap with its shadow.


    Thick, electric ozone flooded the air.


    The Crawling Tomb''s limbs flailed in agony. Grey blood poured from a massive gaping crack in the bone between the flesh and its beak, pouring onto the ground in gallons. Another scream ripped from the monster''s mouth as Glint unfurled himself and burrowed through flesh and bone alike, cutting through everything in his path on his way into the monster''s core.


    Claire wasn''t one to be shown up. She dashed forward, launching herself onto the monster''s side and scaling it. The Dhampir dodged flailing limbs as she made her way up to its eyes. A hand reached for her and she drove her palm into it, shattering the limb with a single strike. With a cry, she drove her other hand down into the black orb that was its eye.


    It popped with a squelch.


    The monster screamed.


    Its cry was so immense that it formed a shockwave that erupted in every direction around the monster. The rolling air drove into the dark mist that had settled over Towntown and hurled it in every direction, banishing the darkness like some herald of light.


    Alex clapped his hands to his ears. He felt blood against his palms. His head rang and a headache pounded at his temples. Pushing through it, he craned his neck back and squinted upward.


    Claire clutched onto the monster''s side. Her fangs dug into its flesh and her fangs were buried within the monster. Blood trickled down the sides of her face as she swallowed, drinking greedily.


    A shuddering moan echoed out. It barely reached Alex''s throbbing ears. The Crawling Tomb was seriously injured, but it wasn''t dead. Not yet.


    His eyes flicked to the shadow that his Echo Wraith had left behind. It still remained in the same spot that the monster had left it, now just feet away from the Crawling Tomb. Interestingly enough, Alex could feel the shadow like it was his own.


    Spark''s power rolled in his body. It begged to be used ¡ª and he obliged it. Alex swapped spots with the shadow.


    The world shifted. He appeared directly before the Crawling Tomb. The monster was still reeling and thrashing, trying to rid itself of the pests ripping it apart.


    Alex drew on Spark''s magic even further. Blue energy popped across his wrist, sending tingles racing down his arm. The magic intensified, transforming into hissing arcs that flicked in the air like his hand was the end of a tesla coil.


    He clenched it into a fist.


    The power gathered in his palm, humming and pressing against his grip. His fingers trembled and his lips pulled back. One of the Crawling Tomb''s hands shot out for him. Alex burst into motion, dodging under the limb.


    This might have been an Initiate level monster, but it was injured. And compared to what he''d seen in the Mirrorlands ¡ª this was just a body that needed to be put back in the grave.


    Alex launched himself into the air, directly toward the weeping hole beside the Crawling Tomb''s beak. It reached for him, but it wasn''t fast enough.


    He crashed down.


    His fist slammed into the exposed, bleeding flesh.


    A massive thunderclap split the air. The Crawling Tomb pitched back and fell to the ground with an earthshaking crash. Crackles of electricity screamed out across it, carving across gray skin, burrowing through its body like worms. The smell of ozone mixed with rancid, burnt flesh.


    The gateway behind the Crawling Tomb crumbled. The ivory towers pitched away from the doors and crashed to the ground, shattering. Color bloomed in the pitch black void as it turned translucent, then vanished as the gate disintegrated.


    [Trial: Cull the Meek]


    Objective Completed. Rewards Earned.


    Power flowed into Alex.


    The monster was dead, and he''d claimed the final blow. The amount of energy the Crawling Tomb gave wasn''t an insignificant amount by any means ¡ª but compared to his fights in the Mirrorlands, it was nothing to write home about.


    Alex''s appreciation for the benefits of the Mirrorlands grew even further. Without the power and combat experience he''d gotten within the warped world, this fight would have been nearly impossible. But with it¡­ the Crawling Tomb felt like nothing more than a slightly powerful normal opponent.


    The monster''s body rent apart. Glint carved his way free from the sopping wet, scorched mess. Gray blood soaked the Shardwalker. It dripped from the glistening mirrors that covered him, marring their perfect reflections.


    A grin split Alex''s features. He''d finally won a fight without killing one of his summons, and he hadn''t even gotten a chance to truly power them up yet.


    The future was looking good.


    "Damn it," Claire said, spitting gray blood onto the ground and wiping her mouth with the back of a sleeve. "I was eating! You don''t kill a gal''s food while she''s fang deep in it!"


    "Sorry," Alex said with a laugh. He glanced back at Towntown. Ben and the remaining survivors stood, watching them in slack-jawed disbelief. "I¡ª"


    A loud hum carved through the air and swallowed the rest of his sentence. Huge, golden lines carved into the sky far above them, the width of a barn door. And judging by the looks on everyone else''s faces, Alex wasn''t the only one that could see them.


    Local Announcement for Subsector 735


    Part [2/3] of the System''s initialization has concluded in this location. Rewards will now be distributed. Bonus rewards will be distributed to the top scoring members from every Local Leaderboard in Subsector 735.


    Subsector 735 Leaderboards will activate and populate at the start of the 3rd Initialization Event.


    Even as Alex read the massive message in the sky, more words from the System drew itself into the air directly before Alex.


    Congratulations on achieving Rank 1 in your Local Leaderboard.


    Reward deferred.


    Congratulations for scoring among the top 10 Local Leaderboards in Subsector 735.


    Reward received.


    Rewards for the victors of the top 10 Local Leaderboards in Subsector 735 will be distributed at the Subsector 735 Nexus Point. Please prepare to be transported.


    WARNING: You will be temporarily removed from your current location until your reward has been distributed. Ensure you are prepared before proceeding. Are you prepared to proceed? [Yes/Yes]

 Chapter 56: Nexus Point

    By the time Alex had finished reading the golden words floating before him, an invisible blanket of tingling energy had already wrapped itself around his entire body. A loud buzzing noise filled the air around him. Something within him lurched, his stomach clenched. He tasted iron against his tongue."Oh, shit," Alex said, his words echoing in his own head. "I''ll be back! I''m about to get¡ª"


    The tingling sensation turned to a prickling heat, sharp enough to sizzle against his skin. His ears popped. The world jerked, twisted, swirled together like someone had shoved the entire thing into a blender. Colors mixed into a solid brown, and that shifted to black.


    The ground fell out from beneath him.


    Alex''s stomach shot up into his throat as he plummeted, devoid of every single sense.


    His feet slammed into something hard with an abrupt jolt. Color blurred and swam back into place as his hearing returned with a second pop. Alex staggered, nearly tripping over himself as the world drew itself back into being all around him. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A circular cave stretched out around him. A ceiling, well over forty feet at its peak, rose into the air above, polished perfectly smooth gray. The ground was paved with shimmering white tile, dismissing any remaining notion that the location could have been natural.


    The tiles had been laid in a design that twisted inward to a large dais at the center of the room. Upon it was a door, circular in shape. Rotating segments had twisted shut like the petals of a closing flower to nigh-seamlessly seal its entrance shut.


    Before Alex could so much as start to wonder exactly where it was he''d been pulled to, he came to the abrupt realization that he was not alone in the room. He wasn''t sure when or how it had happened, but there were several other people standing in the room together with him.


    He couldn''t make out any detail of their forms. It was as if they were oddly sharp silhouettes in a dimly lit room, granting him only the general greyish-black outline of their shape and nothing more.


    A melodious hum filled the air. Alex yanked his gaze up to the center of the room. Dull golden sparks danced as they traced a rectangle through the air, leaving a glowing path in their wake.


    Matching energy washed across the rectangle''s face, forming into a glimmering doorway. From within it stepped a figure wearing plain white robes. They didn''t seem to have any features at all beyond their clothing.


    The figure had no face. No skin ¡ª no anything. Its clothes conformed to an invisible form, hanging from a body that did not exist. Pale light washed off the strange apparition, washing over the room and breaking through the edges of the strange silhouette-people surrounding Alex. He still couldn''t make out any details, but everyone''s features grew sharper and more defined.


    "Congratulations on your placement in the 2nd Initialization Event for Subsector 735," the figure intoned. Its voice was smooth and polished, completely devoid of any emotion. "I am the Overseer for this Trial. Welcome to the Subsector 735 Nexus Point. The lifeforms in this room are the Rank 1 Leaderboard runners who achieved the highest scores on their Local Leaderboards for the 2nd phase of Initialization."


    "Are you the System? What''s the point of all this?"


    Alex''s gaze snapped to the side as the loud, energetic voice of a man somewhere around his mid-twenties rang across the room from one of the silhouettes. The figure in question stood over a head taller than Alex. Even without detail, Alex could make out muscle rippling over the man''s form. He held the shadows of what seemed to be a small axe in each of his hands.


    The robed figure didn''t so much as acknowledge the interruption.


    "Rewards will be distributed according to your relative scores," the Overseer stated. It waved a hand through the air and gold streamers trailed behind it, twisting like snakes in its wake. "The final competitor in the trial was worth 100 Kills. You may take a short period of time to familiarize yourselves with the rankings."


    Hold on. Did it just say competitor?


    The lines of gold connected and formed into words.


    Final Leaderboard ¡ª Initialization Event


    Absolution (Initiate 8): 824 Kills


    GoGently (Initiate 4): 693 Kills


    Stargazer (Initiate 6): 502 Kills


    Ash (Novice 7): 471 Kills


    Sunset (Initiate 4): 464 Kills


    Stem Major (Initiate 7): 399 Kills


    TacticalSandal (Initiate 2): 346 Kills


    TryFinger (Initiate 1): 319 Kills


    HackNSlash (Initiate 1): 289 Kills


    River King (Initiate 1): 250 Kills


    The first thing Alex noticed was that someone had somehow managed to get eight hundred kills. There definitely hadn''t been anywhere near that many monsters to fight, but he only managed to linger on that thought for a second before his mind flitted to process the words he was reading.


    Every single person on the leaderboard ¡ª himself excluded ¡ª was already at Initiate rank.


    Alex wasn''t the only one to notice it.


    "That''s odd. What''s a Novice doing in here?" A female voice asked.


    Alex glanced in the direction of the person that had spoken, taking care not to turn his head. If everyone could only see silhouettes, then they couldn''t track his eyes ¡ª and he wasn''t so sure he wanted to give himself away by looking too excited about being mentioned.


    The speaker was short and carried a staff taller than her with both hands. There was a large, circular hat with a flattened top and rectangular brims perched on top of her head. Alex turned his gaze over the rest of the room, taking in the other silhouettes and committing them to memory.


    A huge, armored form that must have been at least eight feet tall, bearing a broadsword as wide as they were.


    A thin form draped in robes not all too dissimilar to those of the Overseer, leaning on a wizened staff with what appeared to be a pointed wizard hat upon their head.


    A woman in plain clothes, clutching a paint brush nearly as large as she was, unable to sit still as her head turned back and forth to scan the room.


    A man that seemed to be completely naked beside a loincloth, holding a tiny dagger in one hand.


    A brawny man ¡ª the one who had spoken first ¡ª with two hand axes.


    A slightly rotund man wearing what Alex suspected to be a suit and leaning on a cane.


    A man of average build with a huge scythe slung over his back.


    A tall, thin figure that Alex couldn''t determine the gender of, with their long hair tied back into a ponytail and a thick book tucked under an arm.


    It seemed the others had a similar idea, because it was several moments before the silence was broken again, this time by the heavily armored form.


    "I''d rather know why he''s in the middle of the ranks at his level. He doesn''t even have Qi yet!" the armored figure exclaimed, their gruff voice identifying them as male. "Who''s Ash? Speak up, mate."


    Qi?


    "Hey!" The axe-wielding man yelled, pointing one of his axes up at the Overseer and ignoring the conversation entirely. "Can you hear me?"


    "Be quiet. Please. All of you," the man in the wizard hat said. "The Overseer obviously isn''t going to say anything until we stop talking. I want to see what I get and then get back to work. I have important business to get to. Work might be a foreign concept to the rest of you, but I''m swamped with it."


    "You just spoke more than all of us," the girl with the paintbrush said.


    "I figured out who Stem Major is," the naked man said through a nasally snicker. "Do you really think the System would get stunlocked on a bunch of idiots yapping? I doubt it''s even registered us talking."


    "I''m not Stem Major. And shut up. Don''t lecture me," the robed man who was definitely Stem Major said. "I¡ª"


    The leaderboard vanished from the air and the Overseer brought its hands together in a gentle clap.


    "Your excess rewards will be distributed shortly. Upon return to your former locations, any deferred rewards will be released. It is suggested that you steel your Mind Palace in preparation for Energy Overload."


    What the hell is Energy Overload?


    "Just give it to us already," Stem Major muttered under his breath.


    The air before Alex crackled and a tiny golden portal traced itself into existence. His hands shot out a moment before a tiny white crystal fragment tumbled out from the portal and landed in his palms. Glistening words traced through the air above it, identifying the small item.


    Unstable Nexus Core Shard (Epic) ¡ª Consumable


    Upon Destruction: Permanently gain 5 Units of Soul Energy.


    If the user of this item is killed, it will re-form at the location of their death.


    The first three Unstable Nexus Core Shards returned to this location will evolve.


    Alex''s eyes went wide. 5 Units of Soul Energy was practically enough to upgrade every single one of his skills. That was a ridiculously good item. His gaze shot up to everyone else in the room. Each of them looked to have gotten something similar, but the description strongly implied that there were different rarities ¡ª and Alex was willing to bet they''d been distributed in order of rank. He''d placed around the upper middle of the leaderboard¡­ so the ones at the top probably gave even more Units.


    I don''t know what the rarity even means in this case, but I''d be willing to bet it determines the quality of the ability upgrades I get. Holy shit. What an item¡­ and what a way to put us at each other''s throats. If we kill each other, we get another upgrade ¡ª and if we combine 3 shards, we can bring it back here and get an even bigger reward.


    But doesn''t this mean¡­


    "The System is making us hunt each other," the portly man leaning on his cane observed. "It''s keeping us from banding together and launching ourselves even farther ahead of everyone else by causing infighting. That also ensures only the strongest can benefit from these shards, while the weakest may end up falling to someone that doesn''t even have one and distributing the power to the more deserving. Intelligent."


    "Stop sucking your own dick," the mostly-naked man said, shattering his own shard. "You really like the sound of your own voice, don''t you?"


    The other man continued speaking without missing a beat. "For anyone who wishes to sell their shards, I will purchase them at a very good price. My name on the leaderboard is the River King. Find me."


    Yeah, not happening. No way am I giving this up.


    "Hand over your shards!" the heavily armored man proclaimed, also ignoring the River King completely. "Give ''em here and save yourself the¡ª"


    "Stuff yourself," the girl with the paintbrush said. Her silhouetted hand rose, a glistening shard pinched between her fingers, and she crushed them shut. The shard shattered, transforming into glittering motes that flew into her body. "I don''t want to deal with any of you, but I''ll be happy to take the shards off your bodies if you come looking for me."


    A shimmer in the air before Alex caught his attention. He glanced down as the tiny portal that the previous item had fallen through undulated with a final flicker of energy. It vanished, but not before dropping a little glass disk into his palms. He barely managed to catch it before it slipped between his fingers.


    Looking Glass (Legendary) ¡ª Consumable


    Upon Destruction: Choose a single entity in the Nexus Point and reveal their leaderboard identity and appearance.


    Alex''s eyes widened. His gaze shot up to try and see if anyone else had gotten the same item, but their portals had all vanished. There was no way to tell if they''d gotten the item as well. The safe bet was to assume that they had.


    He scanned the silhouettes around him, both trying to figure out who to use his own shard on while also trying to see if their body language revealed anything. Unfortunately, with their faces completely missing, it was hard to draw any conclusions.


    Well, shit. I want to know who all of them are, but I''ve only got one shot.


    Who do I reveal?


    There were several people that hadn''t spoken yet. A lot of them already had pretty evident silhouettes, but that didn''t mean they couldn''t just change their clothes. Alex frowned as he studied everyone for a moment.


    The girl with the giant hat and the staff seems really confident, and she''s not as dumb as the axe-guy. If she ends up putting that staff and pointy hat away, she''ll just look like any other random woman. The others are generally a bit easier to recognize, so she seems like a good one to go with.


    Alex shattered the piece of glass.


    The shadow covering the girl evaporated like water in the desert heat, peeling away from her form and disappearing. She looked to be around 24, with bright red hair that rolled down to her shoulders and pale, freckled skin. She wore dull purple robes trimmed with flowing silver designs. The side of her lip was marred by a small scar. A large portion of her face was concealed by her hat, but Alex could still make out more than enough of it to commit to memory. Letters carved into the air above her head.


    GoGently


    Sweet.


    She''s the Rank 2 on the leaderboard. I got a pretty good guess. She''s definitely stronger than me right now, so I''ll have to keep an eye out for her until I can close the gap a bit farther. I definitely don''t want to get into a fight with her yet.


    "Rewards have been distributed," the Overseer proclaimed. "Return to your former positions is imminent."


    Several of the other silhouettes shattered their fragments instantly. Alex followed suit. He wasn''t about to sit around on the shard and wait for someone to steal it from him.


    The crystal shattered between his fingers as he crushed it. Tingles raced across his skin. Something tightened in his chest. His heart skipped a beat and a painful pressure built within his ribcage.


    Alex nearly staggered as energy exploded within him. It roared from his chest like water bursting through a dam and flooded his entire body, flowing through veins and muscles alike with effortless ease. Pain ripped through him with such sudden intensity that he didn''t even have a chance to scream before it had vanished.


    In its place, golden words carved into the air.


    Unstable Nexus Core Shard has insufficient strength to influence Singularity Core.


    Singularity Core has refined the Unstable Nexus Core Shard.


    You have amassed 5 units of soul energy.


    Alex blinked as he studied the words floating in the air before him. Singularity Core had shown up before ¡ª back when he''d first gotten his class in the Mirrorlands. He had no idea what it was or what it was doing, but he''d gotten 5 whole Units of soul energy. That was an entire 5 level boost. A grin split across his face. This was exactly the kind of reward he''d been hoping¡ª


    Singularity Core has enriched [Requiem to the King]''s potential upgrades.


    It did what now?

 Chapter 57: Oddities

    Before Alex could even finish processing the message that had appeared before him, the someone stuck the entire world into a blender. His ears whirred, color shifted, and everything mixed together in a soup. The ground disappeared and his stomach flew up into his throat as he found himself plummeting through the air.His senses evaporated as he fell, but this time, Alex was ready for it. He braced himself, forcing his core to remain loose. It wouldn''t be long until¡ª


    A grassy field snapped into existence beneath his feet. His knees jerked and Alex took a step forward to balance himself. His ears popped and he finished drawing in the breath that had started a moment before the System had shunted him out of the Nexus Point like an unwanted rodent.


    He was back outside Towntown. The bodies of all the monsters and survivors who had died on the battlefield around the town had vanished as if they''d never been there, leaving nothing but trampled grass.


    Night had fallen in true ¡ª the massive stars seemed to have lost some of their luster and had let the surroundings plunge into relative darkness, illuminated only by the normal glow of the moon.


    "Alex!" Claire exclaimed from behind him. "What was that about? What happened?"


    He turned to face her, his mind still buzzing with all the new information he''d learned and power he''d gotten. He prepared to fill her in on what had happened when a buzz filled his ears.


    Alex paused and glanced around. The sound was distant. He couldn''t quite tell if it was coming from inside his own head or somewhere else. Confusion creased his face and a question formed on his lips.


    He didn''t get a chance to let it free. The System''s golden letters flashed through the air before him in an instant.


    Reward received.


    Alex doubled over in a surprised wheeze as energy drove into his gut like the punch from a professional boxer with a vendetta. He dropped to his knees, eyes shooting wide open, as a freezing cold hand clenched around his brain.


    It felt like an ocean of freezing water was being funneled directly into his skull. His entire body stiffened of its own volition. He fell forward, landing face-first in the grass, and gasped for air, unable to even form words as the power ravaged him.


    Hands grabbed his shoulders and spun him over. Claire''s mouth moved as she yelled something and shook him, but he couldn''t hear it. He could barely even feel her. His entire body throbbed. His head pounded, his throat constricted. Alex could only manage to form a single thought.


    So this is was what the Overseer meant when it warned about Energy Overload.


    He gritted his teeth, trying to remember what it had said to do. Something about preparing his Mind Palace. Alex had no idea what that meant or how to do it, but he did his damned best to try.


    He drove his squirming thoughts inward. There was no way he could actually sink into meditation when his entire body felt like it was getting transformed into a large ice-cube, but he focused on imagining a wall forming around his mind and slowing the flow of energy, focusing it into his basin instead of letting it run amok through his entire being.


    Agonizing seconds dragged by. Alex had no idea if his efforts were successful or if he''d simply just waited the System out, because the pain slowly started to recede. The pounding in his skull slowed and his fists unclenched, leaving pinpricks of pain in his palm where his nails had dug into the flesh. His jaw sockets throbbed with pain from how hard they''d been clenched. Tiny stars danced in the air above him.


    "Alex!" Claire said, shaking him like a doll. "Do you need blood?"


    "I''m fine!" Alex managed. "Stop shaking me!"


    Claire jerked to a halt. "Sorry. Blood?"


    "I don''t think it would do much for me," Alex said, blinking as his vision cleared back up. "You''re the Dhampir here."


    "I figured you might have lost too much in the fight," Claire said, letting out a relieved breath. "I didn''t mean you should eat it. I thought we could put some extra back into your body."


    "That doesn''t work. Humans have different kinds of blood," Alex said with a small laugh. Claire pulled him back to his feet and he gave her an appreciative nod. "Thanks, though."


    "No problem. And that makes sense, actually. I never thought about that, but you all do taste different."


    "Have you eaten from a lot of humans?" Alex tilted his head to the side.


    "Yes. But more importantly, why did you just seize up? And why did you just vanish? What in the bleeding hells is happening?"


    Alex blew out a breath and a smile crawled across his face. "Rewards from the System. A lot of them. It''ll take a while to fill you in on everything, and I still don''t know all the rewards yet. I have to meditate as soon as I can¡­ but it''s good. Really good. Give me a second."


    He reached down, grabbing a Spatial Mirror from the box at his side and examining its surface to see if the System''s rewards had included the souls of the monsters he''d killed during the challenge.


    Spatial Mirror


    Stored Energy:


    High-Mid Grade Novice (Floraking) - 1


    Low Grade Initiate (Riftwarped Crawler) - 1


    Low-Mid Grade Initiate (Riftwarped Granite Soldier)


    High Grade Novice (Corpse Burrower) - 1


    Low Grade Novice (Corpse Poker) - 1


    Mid-Grade Novice (Boneraptor) - 1


    Reward Soul (Conglomerate) - 1


    Bonded Creature: Shardwalker (Novice 7)


    Alex''s head tilted to the side.


    That''s interesting. I can''t wait to see what happens when I feed that to one of my monsters. But something is off. What''s going on here?


    The system had obviously condensed the soul rewards he''d gotten from the Trial into a single one¡­ but there was an outlier. For some reason, he had the soul flame of a Boneraptor. A frown crossed his lips as he thought. Now that he thought about it, Alex could even remember when it had happened.


    After killing one of the Boneraptors, there had been a strange sensation a moment before he''d seen something fly into his Spatial Mirror of its own volition. That must have been the monster''s soul flame.


    But why? How come I was able to get that soul flame but none of the others?


    He had absolutely no idea, but he didn''t want to just stand around in the open thinking forever. Alex lowered the mirror and returned his attention to Claire. "Did the System tell you what you got?"


    "Not yet. I need to go meditate." Claire shook her head, then glanced back in the direction of Towntown. "But I''ve been holding off on heading back. It''s only been a few minutes and I was hoping you''d return sooner rather than later. Figured I should make sure nobody strolls up and waits to stab you in the back."


    "It''s appreciated," Alex said. "Was someone looking like they were planning on doing just that?"


    Claire gave him a half-shrug. "I don''t know. They haven''t gotten close yet. It''s only been a few minutes, but I think that idiot Isaiah''s group came back to town when they realized that the fight was over and it was safe again." Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alex followed her gaze. A group of survivors had gathered at the edge of town. It was split roughly down the middle, and even though he wasn''t quite in earshot, the tension was clear. Several people had their hands on their weapons and seemed to be a moment away from drawing them fully.


    "Figures," Alex said through a snort. Right now, the only thing he wanted to do was sit down and meditate to process the rest of the rewards he''d gotten. With the amount of energy he''d just gotten ¡ª well, he wasn''t even sure how much he could accomplish. There was already enough for multiple advancements to his abilities, not to mention the extra power the System had just injected into him.


    "We going to bother getting involved?" Claire asked.


    Alex scratched at the side of his head as he studied the survivors. It seemed that he and Claire had been forgotten in the wake of the growing argument. People had started yelling over each other as the tension rose.


    He rather liked Ben.


    Moreover, he did not think much of Isaiah. Throwing a hissy fit and then coming back to the town they''d abandoned rubbed Alex the wrong way.


    That all said, Alex wasn''t so sure he wanted to get himself completely wrapped up in a bunch of politics. He wasn''t even sure if he could. Alex wasn''t exactly a master negotiator. His last interaction with Isaiah had been punching the man in the face. That was a remarkably effective way for ending an argument. It was slightly less effective for actually making a point. Slightly ¡ª but he supposed slightly was better than nothing.


    Alex started forward.


    Claire put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. He glanced at her in surprise.


    "What?" Alex asked. "I was going to go help Ben."


    "How?" Claire asked. "By beating the shit out of Isaiah?"


    "Probably, yeah," Alex admitted. "Glint and Spark are still alive. I''m pretty sure Ben is Ben-10 on the leaderboard, and Mary is also on his side. She seems capable enough. I''m pretty sure we can deal with a bunch of low-Novice pricks if they try to kill us."


    Claire rolled her eyes. "Alex, there''s more than one way to deal with something like this. Not every single situation results in having to kill or fight something, and there''s more than one way to fight."


    "Not arguing that. But I don''t exactly know what else to do, and it''s best to be prepared for the worst."


    "Then let me handle this one," Claire said, a small, dangerous grin pulling across her lips. "I think it might be more up my alley than yours."


    "Sure. What are you thinking?"


    "The more you try to prepare for something like this, the worse it''ll go. Just back me up. You''ll figure it out as we go." Claire strode toward the group confidently.


    Alex moved to keep pace with her.


    "Can''t you at least give me a hint? What am I supposed to be preparing for? A fight?"


    "You wanted to see a bit of how Court was played, didn''t you?" Claire asked, keeping her gaze on the survivors as their argument grew louder still. "I''m going to give you a small demonstration."

 Chapter 58: Confrontation

    A noticeable shift occurred in Claire as she and Alex drew up to the arguing survivors. The easygoing smile normally present on her face evaporated like summer rain. A cold glint lit behind her eyes and her lips curled into a faint, confident smirk. It was an expression that would have fit perfectly upon the face of a lawyer whose defense had been caught mid-crime.The change wasn''t contained to her face. Claire''s posture and stride changed as well. A slight sway had entered her step and her hands trailed at her sides her as if she were running them through the fur of an invisible creature.


    It was like someone had flipped a switch in her head. The change had literally happened mid-step. Alex''s skin prickled in unease. The sensation he felt wasn''t too dissimilar from staring into a dark alley in the middle of the night and finding someone peering back at you.


    Claire''s approach drew gazes as they came to a stop at the edge of the group.


    "My ears must be deceiving me," Claire said, her words lined with razored edges and dripping with a thin layer of honey that did nothing to conceal the threat behind them. "Because with the amount of noise you were all making, I might have been deceived into thinking one of you actually tried to fight the boss of the Trial. Be quiet, please. Talk like the adults you are instead of screaming like spoiled children."


    The argument faltered for a moment as both sides hesitated.


    One of the survivors from Isaiah''s group took a step forward and thrust a finger into Claire''s collarbone. "Shut your trap, you mouthy bitch. You don''t get to throw weight around just because you got carried by your¡ª"


    A sharp crack echoed out, like a particularly loud twig snapping beneath a heel.


    The survivor let out a pained scream. Claire held his hand by the wrist with one hand, black veins running down her arm and through her fingers. The man''s finger hung at an odd angle.


    Claire had broken it at the joint.


    "I''m quite certain I just asked you to be polite," Claire said, admonishment entering her voice. "I did do that, didn''t I?"


    Alex pushed down his surprise at Claire''s shift in personality to see where she was taking things. If she could stop the all-out brawl that seemed to be brewing, a broken finger would be a small price to pay.


    "You definitely did, But I''m sure that¡­" Alex trailed off to glance at the name of the man, who was only Novice 2, floating in golden letters in the air above his head, "Carson is smart enough to avoid being a prick and poking people stronger than him."


    The Novice 2''s hand tightened at his side. For an instant, his good hand shifted toward a dagger at his side. Then his eyes widened in pain. He let out a pained whimper and tugged desperately on his arm.


    "I''m sorry! Let me go, you maniac!"


    Claire released his hand like she was dropping off a bag of trash. The motion held just enough force in it to send Carson stumbling several steps back.


    "With pleasure," Claire said. She wiped her hand off on her side. "Now, will someone enlighten me as to what has a group of grown men and women frothing at the mouth instead of doing something useful?"


    "This lot thinks they can come back into Towntown after leaving everyone in it for dead," Ben said, setting his jaw and driving the butt of his axe into the ground. "That''s not happening. Anyone can stay ¡ª but if you don''t pull your own weight in a fight, why should we let them eat up resources? Everything is limited, and I don''t feel comfortable having a traitor watch my back."


    "Yeah, well, who made you leader? Why do you get to choose who stays and leaves?"" One of the male survivors from Isaiah''s group demanded, though Alex couldn''t help but notice that he kept his voice notedly quiet to avoid it being misconstrued as yelling. He glanced to Isaiah for support, clearly expecting to find something there.


    But Isaiah wasn''t paying attention to the argument anymore. He was staring at Alex, his face a shade paler than it had been before. The man''s shoulders shrunk in unconsciously. His stance shifted ¡ª where there had once been confidence, there was now unease. The survivor''s eyes flicked over Alex''s shoulder, to where the boss had come from, then back to him.


    "You," Isaiah muttered, his attention shifting from Alex to Claire. It lingered on her face ¡ª or, more accurately, her mouth, which was still pulled up in a confident smirk that just barely revealed a hint of her fangs. Realization lit in his eyes. Isaiah took a step backward, shaking his head. "Fuck this."


    He turned on his heel and strode in the other direction. The other survivors stared at him in stark disbelief.


    "What?" the male survivor that had been speaking a moment before exclaimed. He grabbed Isaiah by the wrist. "Where are you going? They don''t get to say who lives in the damn town, man. Why would we¡ª"


    Isaiah ripped his arm free. "Don''t touch me. If you want to get yourself killed, go ahead. Leave me out of it. Join Carson and see what happens when they rip both of your heads off."


    "Killed? By who?" another survivor from Isaiah''s group asked through a scoff. "Ben? The idiot that named himself after a cartoon? Or do you really think that woman¡ª"


    "You are a moron. The two people that were at the top of the fucking leaderboard. Do you remember their names?" Isaiah snarled. He thrust a finger in Claire''s direction, then moved it to Alex. "Fangs. And a summoner ¡ª it''s a Pok¨¦mon reference. Ash. Just use your head for a millisecond. Are you dense? These crazy bastards killed more people than they did monsters. If they''re anywhere near this shithole, then you can bet I''m not staying around to get run through in my sleep."


    Isiah turned and strode off without another word. Everyone watched him leave in a stunned silence. It was only a second before a second survivor broke away from the group and hurried after Isaiah. Several others broke away in quick succession.


    The final holdout hesitated for a moment longer. His jaw clenched as he looked from Alex to Ben. For a moment it looked like was actually going to try and stick around to keep arguing. But, without the rest of his group, it would have been in exercise in futility and he knew it. The final survivor that had been standing off against Ben''s group strode off with a slew of muttered curses under his breath.


    Nobody said a word for several long seconds as the group left. Claire''s entire demeanor shifted once more as it returned to normal. Her shoulders slumped and her nose scrunched in disappointment.


    "Damn it," Claire muttered, crestfallen. "I was really having fun there. They didn''t even put up a fight. Why are people here so damn scared? They could have at least tried!"


    "Are you kidding? That was the best possible result," Ben said, letting out a relieved breath and letting his shoulders sink. "That was a crazy show. Things weren''t far from coming to blows. I''m pretty sure we would have won if you and Alex hadn''t showed up, but it would have been bad. We can''t afford to lose even more people."


    "Maybe you should tell that to Ash," Mary said, watching Alex warily. "I was watching the leaderboard through the entire event. The number of kills you got¡­ a lot of them aren''t from monsters."


    "I only killed two people," Alex replied, doing his best to avoid sending a sidelong glance at Claire. She''d said she liked Court ¡ª but there was a difference between acting and acting. That had been more than a little scary, but now wasn''t the time to address it. "Both of them deserved it. Gentlewind tried to kill me first, and Ogre was Diego."


    "You killed Diego?" Mary took a step back, clutching her staff closer to herself. "The Novice 9 monster? You?"


    "You heard Isaiah. He''s a coward, but he''s right," Ben said. "Alex is Ash. Claire is Fangs. They were at the top of the leaderboard. I''d imagine there''s a reason for that."


    "But¡­ how?" Mary asked. "I heard stories about what he could do. Nothing hurt him. How could you survive a monster like that?"


    "Generally, the best strategy I''ve found thus far is killing my opponent before they kill me," Alex said. "But I''m still ironing out the kinks."


    Mary levied a stare at him. Claire heaved a long sigh. It didn''t seem like she''d been paying too much attention to the conversation ever since Isaiah and the others had left. Given how excited she''d been to actually be able to do¡­ well, whatever it was Court involved ¡ª Alex still hadn''t figured out if the whole speech & debate aspects were separate from the stabbing bits or not.


    Honestly, I''m kind of bummed as well. I wanted to see what she was going to do. Then again, I feel like it almost would have been too easy against them. Nobody in Isaiah''s group could have been that strong given the leaderboard rankings. Any sort of fight against them is basically just a waste of energy.


    "If this is all dealt with, I think I''m going to head off and get some rest," Alex said. "I''ve been up for hours now, and the only thing I want to fight from now until the morning are some bedsheets."


    After I meditate, of course. I cannot wait to see what I got for the rest of my rewards ¡ª and to level up as well as cash in those extra skill Units I got. There''s a literal goodie bag in my soul with my name on it waiting for me.


    "Maybe that''s best," Ben said. He ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. "We owe you, Claire, Alex. The town would have been fucked if you hadn''t dealt with that monster. There''s no way we could have beat it, even if Isaiah''s group hadn''t bailed on us."


    "Makes you wonder what the fuck the System is trying to do," another survivor said under his breath, just loud enough for Alex to hear him. "There''s no way we were meant to win that fight, right? The System is just trying to murder us. This is unfair. It''s just a matter of time until we all get killed."


    Alex wasn''t so sure.


    He''d seen the people that had gotten summoned into the Nexus Point together with him. Every single one of the top leaderboarders was far higher in level than he was ¡ª more than high enough to have reasonably challenged the Crawling Tomb without too much difficulty.


    Alex wasn''t sure how large Subsector 735 was, but the System had referred to Earth as a whole before. That strongly implied that Subsector 735 was smaller than Earth. Possibly a country or a continent in size ¡ª he had no way to know.


    But either way, there are a ton of powerful people out there. It isn''t that the System is unfair. It''s that people here are too weak. Maybe that''s because they weren''t pushing hard enough. Maybe it''s because there just aren''t enough difficult monsters to grind against here ¡ª but the fact of the matter is, Towntown is lagging behind.


    "We''ll be off, then. Until tomorrow," Claire said, interrupting Alex''s thoughts as she raised a hand and grabbed him by the arm, dragging him away from the group and back toward town.


    The streets were a scene of destruction. Already-damaged buildings had been destroyed. Glass and broken wood littered the streets amidst large chunks of masonry. An eerie silence hung in the streets, devoid of both people and monsters.


    Alex and Claire slowed as they passed by the center of town. An enormous white meteor that had fallen from the sky ¡ª the one that Alex had mistaken for a star ¡ª rested directly in the middle of the town square in a large crater.


    Its surface was pockmarked and wisps of dim white magic twisted across its body like oil in water. A faint hum emitted from its surface, just high-pitched enough to grate on Alex''s ears. The System made no move to identify it.


    Hm. This definitely isn''t suspicious.


    "What do you think the chances are that this thing does something when you touch it?" Alex asked.


    "Probably pretty high. It''s shiny," Claire said. "But I''m not so sure messing with it is a great idea right now. I''ve got so many unrealized rewards from the Trial that I feel like doing anything before leveling up would just be asking to get killed." S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh, I completely agree," Alex said. "I wonder if it''s got something to do with the next stage of Initialization."


    "What, you think it''ll blow up or something?" Claire asked as they started back off toward their apartment building.


    Alex sent a sidelong glance at her. "After all that shit to defend the town? That would be pretty damn annoying. I hope not. But¡­ that does bring up an interesting point."


    It was Claire''s turn to look at Alex. "I know what you''re going to say. Save it for the room."


    He inclined his head, and neither of them spoke again until they''d made it back to Room 221. The apartment had been shaken pretty badly by the 2nd Initialization, but it still seemed mostly structurally sound.


    "I don''t think it''s worth staying in Towntown," Claire said as soon as they''d closed the door behind them.


    "Can''t say I disagree," Alex admitted. "The main reason I stuck around this long in the first place was to get the rewards from the Initialization event. Thus far, the only other real benefit of being in Towntown are the dwindling supplies."


    And there are things I want to accomplish that won''t happen here. I''m going to find Teddy, if he''s still alive. He better be. I have to figure out why the hell he pushed me into the Mirrorlands.


    That isn''t even to mention the other leaderboard rankers. I have to keep pushing forward and getting stronger. Strong enough to beat them.


    After that¡­ I don''t know. What the fuck do you do when the world gets destroyed? Maybe find a place to carve out for myself somewhere. I''ll need a home at some point.


    "We''ll deal with it tomorrow," Alex said. "Given the direction this last Initialization went with the focus on towns, I wouldn''t be surprised if the third one is similarly related to them."


    "I suppose we''ll find out," Claire said. She sat down on the bed and stretched her arms over her head with a yawn. "You want to meditate first? You''re practically vibrating in place."


    Alex glanced down at himself. "Is it that obvious?"


    "Yes."


    He grinned and shamelessly sat down, crossing his legs beneath him. "Whoops. Well, if you''re offering, then I won''t refuse. Thanks. And we''ll get you a chance to practice Court some more sometime soon."


    Claire blinked in surprise. "Huh?"


    "You were put out about not getting a chance to do more earlier."


    "Oh," Claire said with a small laugh and a shake of her head. "Right. Thanks. I appreciate it. I do miss it a lot. Maybe my skills will be a little more useful when we get to a larger town. If you''re anything like Dhampirs, humans are herd animals. They gather instinctively. And where there are groups¡­ there are opportunities."


    Alex nodded. Then he sent his senses inward, sinking into meditation.


    There were rewards from the System ready for him, and he wasn''t going to keep them waiting any longer.

 Chapter 59: Rewards

    As soon as Alex found himself in his Mind Palace, he found a massive orb of mist swirling above his basin. It was easily the biggest cloud he''d ever formed, bearing nearly five times more energy than he had gathered the previous time. There was so much that Alex wasn''t even sure he could fit all of it into his basin in a single go.He climbed up the plain white stairwell and stopped at the top, bracing his hands against the rim of the huge bowl. The black gemstone on the back of the mantle before him glistened with internal light.


    Leaning forward, Alex reached out and touched the gem. Black slithered out from it and down the stone, forming into words upon the plain white mantle.


    [Trial: Cull the Meek]


    Objective Completed. Rewards Earned.


    Accept Rewards [1/1]?


    "Yes," Alex said.


    The lines vanished, and the air before him shimmered. Threads of golden light swirled together and traced through the air, forming into sentences.


    Title Fragment Acquired.


    Top Ranker: Granted to those who placed among the top 10 spots of a leaderboard in a Trial. Magnify the effect of any Title Fragments connected to this one.


    Alex studied the floating words for several seconds. This was the first time that one of his titles had actually come with a description of what it did. It certainly made things easier, and this Fragment was good ¡ª and straight forward.


    A straight improvement to another Title Fragment was a great reward. Considering the System had chosen the word ''magnify'' for its phrasing, Alex got the feeling any Title Fragment he combined with Top Ranker would be getting a rather significant improvement.


    Before he could dismiss the glowing words, Alex''s eyes caught on a different portion of the wording.


    The System had said any fragments. Plural. Of course, there was a chance that meant it would work with any singular fragment, but there was an equal chance it would let him put three or more different Title Fragments together.


    His head tilted to the side and he quickly tried to see if he could combine Top Ranker with Unbound Mirrorlander, one of his fully made Titles, but the desire went nowhere and the System ignored him.


    Alex shrugged to himself. That was fair enough. Titles weren''t Title Fragments, but it had been worth a shot. He could save Top Ranker until he collected a few more powerful Title Fragments and then see what he could do by combining them all together.


    Given how much of a benefit Unbound Mirrorlander had gotten him by advancing his Core Skill for free, Alex was more than just a bit eager to find out. He''d just have to be careful not to waste it on a Title Fragment that wasn''t particularly powerful. When it came to magnifying abilities, the quality of the original mattered a lot.


    The glowing words before him abruptly shifted.


    Soul Gem Acquired.


    Nightmare Aspect


    A tiny disk of golden light traced through the air. Alex''s hands shot out a moment before a fist-sized red gem dropped from the portal. He caught it, looking back just as the portal vanished and the System''s words faded.


    He looked at the crystal, his head tilting to the side. Other than its name, the System did nothing to identify it. It did look vaguely similar to the crystals embedded in the mantle above the basin, but not nearly close enough that he could confuse them for each other. The Soul Gem was larger by far.


    This is part of my rewards from the Trial, so it''s definitely important. I would have loved an actual description, though. What''s this thing do?


    Alex studied it for a few more seconds, but no answers emerged. With a small shrug, he carefully set it on the ground in front of him, taking care not to knock it into the basin. The gem wasn''t going anywhere. He could figure out what it did once his main tasks were accomplished.


    Alex raised his eyes to the huge ball of mist churning above his head. There was something far more pressing than Title Fragments. He could get some new abilities.


    He could finally advance Monster Medley.


    The eagerness in his stomach made his insides prickle. Alex hadn''t even cashed in all the energy he''d gathered from the fights leading up to and around the Trial. He didn''t even want to think about how much power that was.


    Alex sat down at the top of the stairs and focused himself, pushing the churning emotion away. He had to distill the power before he could work with it.


    And that was what he did.


    Drip by drip, brilliant blue power rained down from the sky and filled his basin. Alex was only vaguely aware of the process ¡ª his full attention was focused on harnessing the power and drawing it free from the misty cloud.


    Time slipped by.


    The misty cloud shrunk.


    The Basin filled.


    Alex realized he had a very slight problem.


    The basin was full ¡ª and almost a quarter of the power still remained floating in the air above him. Drawing any more would just send it spilling over the brims of the bowl and into the lake below.


    Something told Alex that would do nothing but waste the energy. He hesitated for several long seconds. He''d never left power undistilled before, but it wasn''t like he had much choice. His mind released its hold on the power.


    The mist twisted above him. It collapsed in on itself, all the floating particles shifting to create a smaller ball that more properly represented the amount of power remaining. A relieved breath slipped from Alex''s lips. It would wait until he was done with the power that currently filled his bowl.


    With this much energy¡­ I wonder how much I can push my Mind Palace.


    There was only one way to find out.


    Alex lowered his head and drank the glistening liquid.


    Icy power poured down his lips and flooded through his body. It prickled against his skull and cloaked him in a freezing blanket. A single ripple passed through the dark lake beneath him. It rolled out from the basin and traveled through the reaches of his Mind Palace.


    A rumble shook the lake. Dozens of tiny ripples emerged from the space at its edge. The water broke, rolling away from a large white column as it broke free of the darkness and lifted into the air. It continued to rise until it towered easily ten times taller than Alex.


    The pillar was a pure, plain white, without any decoration or adornment. That did nothing to take away from its grandiosity ¡ª but Alex didn''t wait to admire it. He wasn''t done yet. The amount of energy in the basin had been only marginally impacted.


    He continued to drink. A thin twister of magic liquid twisted up from the surface of the water as it drained, keeping its connection to his lips.


    More ripples passed through the water. A second pillar broke through the dark lake, lifting into the sky as rivers rolled off its surface.


    It was followed by a third. The three made a triangle around the entirety of Alex''s Mind Palace. They were perfectly distant from each other and identical in every single way. By the time the third had risen, Alex had drained over half of the energy in the bowl.


    He made no move to stop. The advances to his Mind Palace had been immensely useful, and Meiderly''s warning not to advance to Initiate before he upgraded his mind as much as he possibly could still rung in his head.


    With the amount of power I''ve got here and how much less energy it takes to level up than it does to grow my Mind Palace, the smartest thing I can do now is make sure the Mind Palace is maxed out in preparation for reaching the Initiate Stage.


    Alex pulled more power through himself. The ripples passing through the lake below grew stronger, transforming into small waves. They crashed against the base of the basin and the pillars.


    Far in the depths below the lake, white chains rattled like thunder.


    No more changes seemed to be happening. That didn''t stop Alex. He could still feel energy flowing, and that meant it had to be going somewhere.


    Seconds ticked by.


    Sweat trickled down Alex''s forehead as the strain from the energy bit at him from within. It was getting harder to continue drinking. The power in him was pressing against his insides and seeking escape.


    The fuller his Mind Palace grew, the more it resisted power ¡ª and the harder Alex pushed.


    He shoved power into it like he was packing a tiny suitcase for a month-long trip. A dull hum built in his ears and power prickled against his skin. The basin was less than a quarter full now.


    The power thrashed against him, driving into his stomach like a physical kick. Alex doubled over, but he still didn''t stop drinking. He yanked on the magic even harder. A loud crack split through the air. He didn''t have time to check what it was. There was still room. There was still a ways to grow.


    A second crack split the air. Alex''s jaw clenched of its own volition. His eyes throbbed and his head pounded with a freezing headache. Every single part of him longed to release the magic.


    His hands held the rim of the basin so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Tremors shook his arms and ran up his shoulders.


    He drank once more.


    A third crack echoed out.


    A hammer of invisible energy slammed into Alex''s chest. It launched him from the top of the basin. He hit the watery ground with a pained grunt, the breath completely driven from his lungs. The world rang all around him.


    For several seconds, Alex didn''t move. Then he let out a groan. He gathered himself and blinked heavily before pushing himself upright.


    For a moment, it looked like his extra efforts had done absolutely nothing. Then he caught sight of one of his pillars. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There was a single, circular indent in its surface. Alex approached it, shaking off the last of the freezing cold and his confusion.


    The indent was perfectly smooth. There was no sign of the stone that had once been where there was now a fist-sized socket. Alex glanced over to the other pillars. They each bore the exact same impression.


    His gaze drifted over to the gem sitting on the top of the basin, then back to the pillars. He arched an eyebrow.


    One quick trip to the top of the basin ¡ª which was now empty ¡ª and back to the ground later, Alex lifted his Soul Gem up to compare it to the hole in the pillar.


    It was a near perfect match.


    "Not suspicious in the slightest."


    A faint pressure pushed up against Alex''s hands. He blinked, then tried to bring the gem a bit closer to the socket. He had no plans of actually sticking it in yet, but the pressure coming from the pillar grew even stronger when he brought the gem closer.


    It was like trying to touch the positive ends of two magnets together. Alex pushed a bit harder, but the gem ground to a halt nearly a foot away from the pillar. It stubbornly refused to move any closer, no matter how hard he shoved on it.


    Alex let out a grunt and let the gem lower. It seemed his Mind Palace had absolutely no plans of accepting the gem quite yet.


    At least I know what it''s for¡­ vaguely. I''m going to have to fish for information to figure out what this thing is for. At least it looks like this isn''t part of what I need to upgrade before I can advance to the Initiate Stage. It must be something I have to do after I get stronger.


    Alex walked back up to the edge of his basin, scanning the lake for any reflections within it. There was nothing. Its dark surface had returned to a perfect black. No more hazy apparitions hid beneath its surface.


    He climbed up to the top of the basin and sat down, then sank into meditation once more. Alex condensed the rest of the swirling mist into raindrops that fell into the basin, filling it just over a quarter of the way full with magical energy.


    Then his eyes opened once more. Alex looked down into the swirling water, taking a moment to make sure he hadn''t forgotten anything.


    Nothing came to mind. His Mind Palace was completely prepared. There was no reason to wait any longer.


    He drew in a deep breath, steadying himself, and then reached down.


    The water twisted up to meet his hand.


    Power slammed into him in a wave.


    Your Stage has advanced to Novice 8.


    Your Stage has advanced to Novice 9.


    Your Stage has advanced to Initiate 1.


    Your Mind Palace has evolved from Establishment to Illusory.


    You have unlocked [Riftwarped] Domain Qi.

 Chapter 60: Rewardmaxxing

    The System messages slammed into Alex one after the other, but his attention was completely fixed on the final one.You have unlocked [Riftwarped] Domain Qi.


    Riftwarped Domain Qi?


    That sounds fucking sick.


    But what the hell is it? When I was in the Nexus Point, one of the silhouettes mentioned Qi as well. He said I didn''t have it yet¡­ so this is what he meant. It gets unlocked when you reach Initiate Rank.


    Given the amount of stress that guy put on Domain Qi, It seems like I just got a huge power-up.


    Alex''s head tilted to the side as more pieces of a massive puzzle started to slowly slide into place.


    Even before the apocalypse had come, a true coincidence was rare. Things often tended to depend on each other in one way or another. That was especially when they happened at once.


    His Mind Palace was linked to his level. Meiderly''s warnings implied that advancing Stages would somehow cap or otherwise lock in the Mind Palace, which would be why it was important to completely fill it before progressing.


    That leaves me with two things.


    My new Soul Manifestation and this new Riftwarped Domain Qi energy. I''ll take a look at the former in a moment, but Domain Qi has to be related to either my Soul Manifestation, my Mind Palace, or possibly both.


    Probably both.


    Everything has to be connected somehow. The thing I need to figure out which threads lead where, and what I can do to optimize everything beyond the obvious ''just keep following Meiderly''s advice''.


    A new thought passed through his mind. He''d pushed his Mind Palace as hard as he could with magical energy, but was it possible there were other ways to make it stronger?


    The presence of the indents in the pillars implied that there were. Fortunately, they''d only shown up after he''d finished his Novice level Mind Palace ¡ª or as the System had referred to it, taken his Mind Palace from Establishment to Illusory.


    The name Establishment makes sense, but what does Illusory mean? Given what I know right now, it probably has something to do with the Riftwarped Domain Qi that I got right when I leveled up.


    His gaze flicked over to the letters of gold that floated in the air before him. He''d been ignoring them as he dug through his thoughts, but if he wanted to get any level of proper analysis done, he had to actually finish completing the level-up process.


    You have amassed 8 Units of soul energy.


    Please select an Auxiliary Skill to upgrade. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The corner of his mouth twitched up in a smile. 8 Units. He could barely contain his excitement.


    As Alex watched, the blue gems on the mantle of Alex''s basin shimmered with light. Black letters traced across the white marble surface.


    [Requiem to the King] (Novice 1)


    [Monster Medley] (Novice 2)


    [Riftwalk] (Novice 4)


    Alex studied his options for a moment. Of his points, 3 were from leveling up to Initiate 1 and 5 had come from the Unstable Nexus Core Shard.


    He hadn''t forgotten the message he''d gotten when he''d used the item. Something called a Singularity Core ¡ª the same skill that had somehow caused him to get Requiem to the King as his first Auxiliary Skill ¡ª had "enriched" the very same skill.


    Enriching is definitely a good thing.


    He was definitely spending at least one of his skill points to upgrade that, which left him with 7 more to play with.


    He''d already decided that he would be upgrading Monster Medley as well. Since it was a Novice 2 skill, it would cost 2 Units to upgrade, so he''d be left with five points and an interesting situation. Both Monster Medley and Riftwalk would be Novice 4 and thus cost 4 Units to upgrade.


    I can get either of them. Then again, there''s a chance I''ll have to use a point to upgrade my Soul Manifestation or something. I should probably make sure it doesn''t need something like 5 Units or some crap like that before I go using them on something else, as I''m pretty sure upgrading my Core Skill is the most important thing I can do.


    Alex summoned his status sheet with a thought and scanned it until he found his Core Skill.


    [Spatial Mirrors] (Initiate 1) ¨C Spatial Mirrors contain the Evoker''s bonded creatures. They can only contain bonded creatures that originate from the Mirrorlands. The creatures stored within Spatial Mirrors can be summoned at will. Upon death, the creature''s energy will return to the Spatial Mirror until it recovers.


    Available Spatial Mirrors: 3


    Domain Energy [Illusory]: Riftwarped Qi


    Hell yes.


    A grin split Alex''s lips. He felt like a pampered child on Christmas morning. Advancing to Initiate had earned him his third Spatial Mirror. It looked like it was going to be time to return to the Mirrorlands soon. He was steadily advancing closer and closer to having an actual army to call his own.


    There was only a small change to his Core Ability. A single line at the end ¡ª but that one line carried quite a bit of information with it.


    I already suspected this, but this just about confirms it. Domains, the Qi, and my Core Ability are all heavily linked if not the same thing. The Mind Palace almost certainly has a huge amount of influence over them, which is why Meiderly put so much focus on it.


    I still don''t know which element directly changes which, or if it''s all a soup where each ingredients affects something else. I suppose that, for now, all I can do is start hunting for information while making sure I don''t advance before every single part of my Soul Palace is completely at its peak.


    "So at the Adept Stage, I should unlock my actual Domain," Alex mused. A vision of Berith destroying the enormous Riftwarped Monster flashed through his head. If that had been a Domain, then even getting a portion of those powers would be incredible. "I wonder just what it is that this Riftwarped Qi can do¡­ but I can''t get ahead of myself."


    He dismissed his status screen with a wave of his hand and turned his attention back to his skills. The System had decided to be kind and didn''t demand extra Units of energy to upgrade his Core Skill. He''d gotten access to Riftwarped Qi energy entirely for free. That let him save everything to upgrade his Auxiliaries.


    And, of those abilities, Alex was starting with Requiem to the King. He had to figure out what the Singularity Core meant by enriching a skill. The instant Alex''s mind was made up, his Mind Palace responded.


    Black lines flowed down his mantle, running from the blue gem that aligned with Requiem to the King. Three small boxes appeared beneath the gem.


    (1 Unit) Synchrony: Summoned monsters regenerate faster while you are meditating.


    (1 Unit) Encore: Intensify the pull of your soul, summoning every regenerating monster back to the plane you currently reside in for a brief period of time.


    (1 Unit) Support Song: Empower your voice with magical energy and rally your summoned monsters, empowering all of them for the duration of your song.


    What the fuck is up with Encore? Bring every single dead monster back to life? That''s bullshit!


    I want it. Getting enriched is absolutely a good thing.


    Alex paused for a moment ¡ª just to make sure he hadn''t missed something good on one of the other two abilities. Support Song could not have possibly been farther from what he was aiming for if it had tried to be. Alex had never dismissed an option faster in his life. The absolute last thing he wanted to be doing in the middle of a fight is singing to his monsters and deafening everyone in a five mile radius around him with his horrible pitch.


    Synchrony was definitely a useful skill. Getting his monsters back faster was always going to be convenient. But compared to Encore, the skill was just mediocre.


    Alex could still hardly even believe his eyes when he looked at Encore. It was the first upgrade that Requiem to the King got, and not particularly useful if he only had a single monster, but when he had two, three, or more¡­ the ability''s potential was immense, and it only grew even more with every single extra monster he got.


    A vision passed through Alex''s mind. His entire army, defeated after a grueling fight ¡ª only to be ripped back from the clutches of death and return to the battlefield once more. Even if it didn''t last long, that was a trump card like no other.


    Alex selected the option without a millisecond longer of hesitation. If this was what the Singularity Core, whatever it may have been, did when it enriched an ability, Alex only knew one thing for certain.


    He had to get more Unstable Nexus Core Shards.


    Blowing out a slow breath to try and contain his excitement, Alex turned his attention back to the golden letters in the air before him. There were still seven points he had left to distribute. This was almost too much.


    He wanted to get back to the real world and test his new abilities out so bad that he was tempted to do it on the spot, but he still had more points to use ¡ª and he knew just what he was going to use the next four of them on. The most important thing he could do to grow his own power was to grow the power of his monsters.


    He had so many Soul Flames waiting to be used that choosing any skill over one that would make them grow even stronger still would just be foolish.


    Alex selected Monster Medley.


    The marble mantle wiped itself clean. A glimmer of light shimmered within the centermost blue gem upon its surface. As Alex was growing used to, black lines raced out from the gem and slithered down to form into new boxes.


    (2 Units) Elemental Affinity: Permanently empower a monster with an elemental affinity drawn from a Soul Flame, changing its form and granting it attributes of that affinity. A monster can only have one elemental affinity.


    (2 Units) Fusion: Fuse yourself with one of your summoned monsters at a continuous cost of magical energy.


    (2 Units) Harmonious Evolution: Fuse two monsters to transform them into an entirely new one. The potential of the new monster scales with the potential of the combined ones. Complementary abilities will be magnified, while competing ones will be reduced.


    Alex scanned over the options, the excitement filling him like a bubbling stew and threatening to spill out in a delighted laugh. Another set of great options ¡ª two of which carried the potential to make his Mirrorlands monsters even more powerful than they already were.


    These are awesome. They all seem pretty damn good... so which one should I pick?

 Chapter 61: The Rewardmaxxer

    Seconds ticked by. Alex went over the skills several times, trying to make sure he didn''t miss anything from their descriptions. Two of the options were directly related to improving his monsters, while the third was more of an active ability that would be useful in a fight.Purely based off his goals for the ability, Alex dismissed Fusion on the spot. What he needed now wasn''t short term power boosts but something that would let Glint and his other monsters continue to scale.


    Fortunately, he was at no shortage for that. Both Elemental Affinity and Harmonious Evolution were very promising looking growth-based skills. Alex was predisposed toward Harmonious Evolution off the bat, but he didn''t let himself make a choice too quickly.


    Elemental Affinity seemed like the safer of the two options. It would give his monsters a direct boost in strength related to the element they got. Simple and straightforward. Fire burned things. Air cut things. Water¡­ watered things. He wasn''t really sure what water would do to a monster.


    Either way, it was direct. It wasn''t going to turn around and blow up in his face. He wasn''t so sure the other could be said for Harmonious Evolution.


    The third and final skill offered in the list promised a way to combine and evolve monsters, but it came at the risk of potentially making something that was completely useless if he combined the wrong monsters.


    Alex drummed his fingers against his leg as he thought over his options. But, in the end, it proved to be a largely pointless exercise. He blew out a short breath and shook his head. His decision had already been made some time ago.


    I''ve never been one not to take a bet, and Harmonious Evolution might as well be calling my name. It''s not even an actual gamble. I just need to make sure I''m intentional with the monsters I combine. As long as I am, I shouldn''t end up with a result that''s just objectively worse than the two original ones.


    "I choose Harmonious Evolution," Alex said with a grin.


    The surface of the mantle had already changed by the time he''d started to speak. At the very instant his mind had been completely made up, black lines pulled back and retreated into the blue gemstone. The marble fell inert in wait for another command.


    A shiver ran down Alex''s back as he felt the magic settle within himself. His heart thumped in his chest like a racing horse. He was pretty sure the amount of adrenaline and excitement he''d gone through in the past few days was enough to kill a small animal.


    He swallowed and shook his arms out. He still had 5 Units left, which meant he had at least one more ability he could upgrade. Alex took a quick glance at his entire status screen.


    Alex Vaya [Human]


    Class: Evoker [Mirrorlands]


    Stage: Initiate 1


    Title Fragments:


    [Top Ranker]


    [Lone]


    Active Titles:


    [Unbound Mirrorlander]


    [Unmaker]


    [Anomaly]


    [3/5]


    Inactive Titles:


    Soul Manifestation:


    [Spatial Mirrors] (Initiate 1)


    Auxiliary Skills:


    [Requiem to the King] (Novice 2)


    [Monster Medley] (Novice 4)


    [Riftwalk] (Novice 4)


    Riftwalk and Monster Medley were both at Novice 4, so they would need 4 points. He could also upgrade Requiem to the King a third time¡ª or he could choose not to use the points at all and save them for later.


    A frown crawled across his face. Alex drummed his fingers on the smooth white marble that made up the rim of the huge basin in the center of his soul. His eyes flicked around the dark lake that surrounded him, running over the pillars and staring into what seemed to be the infinite shadow beyond.


    "I can''t stand around here forever," Alex muttered to himself. "I want to see what I can do after all these power boosts. I need to make decisions, so I''ll start by removing options. I can forget holding off on using the points. Sure, that would increase the challenge with weaker monsters¡­ but at this point, why wouldn''t I just seek out stronger monsters instead? I don''t have to restrict myself anymore. My hunting grounds aren''t the real world. They''re the Mirrorlands, and pretty much everything there is stupidly powerful. Why would I screw myself out of a good fight?"


    That was decided, then. He''d use the points.


    The only question remaining was where he''d use them.


    Unfortunately, that was a bit harder to answer. Riftwalk promised utility and the ability to fight while his monsters still lived. Monster Medley let him make his monsters stronger, and Requiem let him use them more.


    If it had been a decision in a vacuum, Alex feared he might have been sitting around and debating for the next ten minutes. But there was one small thing that his mind latched onto. Perhaps it was only a way to give himself a way to actually take a step forward, but his thoughts caught back on the most mysterious reward he''d gotten upon reaching the Initiate Stage.


    Riftwarped Domain Qi.


    He still didn''t know what it did, but it did have Rift in the name.


    Of course, that wasn''t really the best basis for making decisions. Alex didn''t particularly care. It wasn''t like he was going to lose access to a skill by picking a different one first. It was just the next thing he got access to.


    Considering he''d already leveled his other two abilities, it felt like a fairly safe bet. Thus far, every one of his abilities had been pretty powerful, and it would be nice to make sure he could still fight while his monsters were alive. Having them kill themselves constantly was honestly just a bit rude.


    With that all in mind, Alex selected Riftwalk.


    (4 Units) Mirror Image: Warp the space around you with rift energy, causing images of yourself to appear. The images will copy your motions perfectly unless otherwise directed. The number of images scale with the amount of magical energy spent. Images will disappear when they are hit by any form of attack.


    (4 Units) Spatial Screech: Use rift energy to rip a small partial portal into the air, releasing a loud, ear-splitting noise that will disorientate anyone in a nearby vicinity.


    (4 Units) Rift Break: Gather rift energy in the air before you and release it in a concussive blast. A portion of any magical energy caught in the zone of Rift Break will be consumed, causing the blast''s radius to increase. The size of the detonation scales with the amount of magical energy spent and consumes energy the larger it grows.


    You''re kidding me. How busted is Riftwalk? I mean, all of my skills kind of seem completely unbalanced, but these are some really good options.


    Alex read over everything for a minute. He had an interesting dilemma this time around. All three of the abilities were quite promising, and he wasn''t certain any of them was objectively better than the others.


    Rift Break definitely seemed strong, but there was nothing in the skill that said anything about stopping it. If it consumed magical energy that was caught within its radius, it could easily hit Alex as well as his target ¡ª and it could end up completely draining him in the process of going off if it grew enough. It could end up consuming all his power and leaving him with nothing. The ability sounded cool, but it could end up being a trap.


    My real power is my monsters. This is going in the wrong direction. It doesn''t help them. If anything, it might end up killing them.


    Spatial Screech was something between utility and offense. It looked like it would be most useful for catching enemies off guard, but it said nothing about preventing himself or his allies from getting their own eardrums destroyed. That could be handled with earplugs, but he couldn''t exactly give his monsters earplugs.


    And finally, Mirror Image was another utility skill, but it gave him a ton of extra survivability. Even if the images vanished after getting hit, they would buy him precious seconds in a fight. Being able to control them also came with a lot of potential uses.


    Mirror Image seems like it would be able to synergize with any other abilities I have. I can conceal where attacks are coming from and keep myself alive for longer while my monsters still alive. It''s just too versatile to pass over, and it''ll be useful long in the future while I can definitely get other offense skills at some point.


    Alex made his final decision of the day and chose Mirror Image. The surface of the basin''s mantle adjusted to his choice, then faded away. Blowing out a long breath, Alex rocked back on his heels.


    He still had 1 unit left over, which would have to wait until he next meditated and got some extra power to work with.


    Alex nodded to himself, satisfied with how things had played out.


    He couldn''t wait any longer. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was time to go back to the real world, where Claire was waiting. Alex needed her to get started with her meditation as soon as possible. Because, when she was done, they were going straight back to the Mirrorlands.


    Alex let himself slip out of his Mind Palace. His eyes re-opened in Room 221 and he blinked awake.


    Claire sat on the other end of the bed, her eyelids half-shut, but still awake and watching the door. Her sword''s tip bit into the ground and she leaned on its hilt for support. Her eyes flicked to Alex as he moved.


    "Done? Did it go well?"


    "More than," Alex replied with a shit-eating grin. A quick glance out the window showed that it was still deep in the night. The unnaturally bright light from the previous day had faded, and the enormous stars had shrunk down to a slightly larger than normal size. "Sorry for taking so long. I''ll take over watch while you meditate."


    Claire was too tired to respond. She just gave him a curt nod and let her eyes drift shut. Alex watched her for a moment, then reached down to the deck at his side. He pulled three cards from within it.


    One was empty, but the other two had monsters waiting patiently within them.


    He might have finished his own advancements, but now it was Glint and Spark''s turn.


    I can''t wait to see just how strong this will make them.

 Chapter 62: Qi

    While Claire meditated, Alex took a look over one of his Spatial Mirrors to examine the Soul Flames stored within it.Spatial Mirror


    Stored Energy:


    High-Mid Grade Novice (Floraking) - 1


    Low Grade Initiate (Riftwarped Crawler) - 1 S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Low-Mid Grade Initiate (Riftwarped Granite Soldier) - 1


    High Grade Novice (Corpse Burrower) - 1


    Low Grade Novice (Corpse Poker) - 1


    Mid-Grade Novice (Boneraptor) - 1


    Reward Soul (Conglomerate) - 1


    Bonded Creature: Shardwalker (Novice 7)


    There were quite a few Soul Flames, but Alex''s attention was mostly focused on the final two. The first, from the Boneraptor, was still an oddity. He had absolutely no idea as to why he''d gotten the soul when the Trial had sucked up every other one and mashed them together into a Reward Soul.


    Unfortunately, just like the last time he''d wondered about it, he didn''t have the faintest idea as to why it had happened. The only thing he could do for the time being was remember the coincidence and try to see if he could replicate it in the future.


    The Reward Soul, at least, was a much easier mystery. Alex didn''t know how strong it would be, but it had the stored up energy of many monsters. Even if they hadn''t been particularly powerful, there had been hundreds of them, not to mention the Crawling Tomb.


    I could split these between Glint and Spark¡­ but I kind of just want to push one of them to be as powerful as I possibly can, just to see how far they can get. And, if I''m doing that¡­


    "Glint, come out," Alex said, his quiet words bouncing through the dark room before fading away.


    His attempts to avoid making too much noise were unfortunately completely wasted by the sound of shattering glass as Glint stepped out through a portal and onto the wood before him.


    The Shardwalker was as intimidating as always. He stood a little taller than Alex sat, covered in glistening rows of mirrored blades. His long, gaunt arms hung low to the ground, the curved claws on his gray fingertips just barely missing the floor. The claws emerging from his feet weren''t as merciful. They dug into the planks and cut clean through them.


    Alex winced.


    I''m glad I didn''t give them a security deposit.


    "You hungry, buddy?" Alex asked. Glint stared at him, two empty yellow moons waiting for a command. Alex lifted the Spatial Mirror. He wiggled it like a box of treats. "I have some Flames for you."


    Still, Glint stared.


    Alex repressed a sigh.


    I don''t know if I should be happy or sad that he''s completely unresponsive. On one hand, it helps me not feel bad about killing him. On the other¡­ come on. At least laugh at my shitty jokes.


    "Here," Alex said, fishing the Floraking''s Soul Flame from his Spatial Mirror. It crackled in his hand, energy fizzling as the green orb buzzed against his skin. Alex lobbed it into the air.


    Glint moved like a striking snake. His glistening, fang-filled mouth slammed shut on the Soul Flame, swallowing it whole. Then he looked back to Alex, who had already fished the next Flame out of the mirror. He passed over the Riftwarped Soul Flames, saving those as well as the Reward Soul for last, and started to feed the others to Glint.


    The Shardwalker''s body changed with every flame he ate. The shifts were gradual, but grew faster with each successive bite. Moonlight lit within the mirrors covering him.


    Glass shifted. Shards adjusted their positions to align with each other in rows of razor-sharp spines, pressing free of his skin like the quills of a porcupine. His fangs sharpened and straightened even further, and the light burning behind his eyes grew deeper still.


    The Spatial Mirror in Alex''s hand warmed. He pulled his gaze away from Glint and glanced down at it.


    Spatial Mirror


    Stored Energy:


    Low Grade Initiate (Riftwarped Crawler) - 1


    Low-Mid Grade Initiate (Riftwarped Granite Soldier) - 1


    Mid-Grade Novice (Boneraptor) - 1


    Reward Soul (Conglomerate) - 1


    Bonded Creature: Shardwalker (Novice 9)


    Your Bonded Creature has reached the threshold to advance to Initiate 1. Would you like to evolve this Shardwalker? [Y/N]


    Alex blinked. There was no System message asking about the evolution ¡ª which meant he didn''t actually have to respond immediately. His head tilted to the side.


    Huh. That''s interesting. He''s reached a threshold amount of energy¡­ but that''s not the same thing as saying he''s capped out, is he?


    What are the chances that my monsters work similarly to my Mind Palace? If that''s the case¡­ advancing Glint now would basically be like screwing him out of all the potential strength he could have had if I''m patient.


    But if I''m wrong, I would just be wasting energy.


    Alex pursed his lips. He still had a single normal Soul Flame left in addition to the ones he''d been saving. He could try that one out at the very least. If it proved to be worthless, the loss would be relatively minimal.


    He pressed his hand into the Soul Mirror and drew the flame free, feeding it to Glint. The monster devoured the energy without a word. Then he went still. Alex watched his Shardwalker for several seconds, but nothing happened. The Spatial Mirror hadn''t changed either.


    Well, shit.


    "Did that make you stronger?" Alex asked Glint.


    The monster did not respond.


    Alex chewed on the insides of his cheeks. That was slightly less than ideal. He had absolutely no idea if it had done anything.


    That meant he only had two options. Either he could risk spending some of the stronger Soul Flames in hopes of seeing a change, or he could let Glint evolve now. As much as he liked bets, even if Glint did have the potential to grow more at this level, had absolutely no idea how much more energy the Shardwalker would need.


    There was a very real chance it would end up consuming the rest of his Soul Flames, and he could still have absolutely no idea if it had worked or not.


    Alex blew out a short breath.


    He''d gotten a lot today.


    A Title Fragment.


    The Riftwarped Domain Qi ¡ª even though he hadn''t had a chance to figure out what it did yet.


    Three skill upgrades.


    An upgrade to Glint.


    Alex could afford to be a bit greedy. He''d already gotten such a huge boost in strength from his meditation that he could take some extra risks.


    Alex plunged his hand into the Soul Mirror and drew out the Riftwarped Crawler''s Soul Flame. He studied it for a second, then tossed it to Glint.


    The Sharwalker''s mouth yawned open. It slammed down on the energy. Then it was gone, and Glint stood before Alex in wait once more.


    That was it.


    There was no change. No update to his mirror.


    Nothing.


    Alex grimaced. Then he reached into his mirror once more. He drew free the Granite Soldier''s Soul Flame. It was the strongest normal Soul Flame he''d managed to get thus far at Low-Mid Initiate Grade.


    He tossed it into the air like a scrap of trash.


    Glint bit down, and it was no more.


    Two yellow eyes bore into Alex. He suppressed a groan. Once more, nothing had changed. The only difference was that his Spatial Mirror only listed a single remaining Soul Flame. The Reward Soul.


    Alex pulled it free.


    This time, he hesitated longer. He wasn''t about to sacrifice a random Soul Flame. This was the culmination of hundreds of kills. The reward from a Trial. Minutes slipped by.


    Alex''s eyes narrowed. There would be other Trials.


    He tossed the flame.


    Glint ate it in a single bite. Alex watched the energy vanish down the Shardwalker''s gullet.


    A second ticked by.


    Alex''s eye twitched. He was about a second away from driving his head through a wall and letting out a groan of frustration when something flickered in Glint''s gaze.


    The dull yellow light that filled his eye sockets changed. It grew brighter, shifting from yellow to a dull silver, like the shimmer of the moon on a cloudless night. His heart skipped a beat.


    Out of the corner of Alex''s eye, he caught something written upon his Spatial Mirror shift. He jerked his gaze down to look at it. The final line had changed.


    Your Bonded Creature is 75% above the threshold to advance to Initiate 1. Would you like to evolve this Shardwalker? [Y/N]


    A delighted grin split Alex''s face. It was followed by a sigh of relief. He leaned against the wall and rubbed the bridge of his nose, dismissing the mirror with a thought. It transformed into a stream of silver energy and returned to the deck at his side.


    It''s not like I made that huge of a leap. It would be weird if monsters and humans were that different. It makes sense that you can advance before you''ve completely stuffed yourself full of magic, but that was still nerve wracking.


    But¡­ how much energy does Glint need to be completely full? Good god. He ate so many souls. I''m not too far from reaching 100% over capacity now, but what an immense amount of energy. That''s terrifying.


    Alex looked over to Claire. She still sat cross-legged on the bed, focused on her meditation. It would be at least a few hours before they could head out and test out their new abilities ¡ª and as tempting as it was, Alex wasn''t about to leave her unprotected because he was impatient.


    He dismissed Glint with a wave of his hand. The Shardwalker transformed into a stream of energy and flitted into his deck like a silvery snake, leaving Alex and Claire alone in the room once more.


    He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. He''d been doing a lot of that recently, but it was difficult to keep the excitement bubbling in his chest contained. There were just so many things he wanted to do.


    Fortunately, he didn''t have to wait to get started. Not everything needed a monster to test on.


    It''s time to figure out just what this Riftwarped Domain Qi is. I haven''t the faintest idea about it, but if it''s part of my Core Ability, it''s in me somewhere. I''ll spend the rest of the time until Claire wakes up seeing if I can hunt it down.


    Alex crossed his legs beneath him and sat down on the ground. He braced his back against the wall and placed his palms upon his knees. Then he sent his mind inward, searching for the power he had released within himself.


    Time ticked by.


    Alex wasn''t in meditation ¡ª he was still aware of the room around him ¡ª but his attention was digging his mind in search of new power. It was there, somewhere.


    Waiting for him to find it.


    And, deep within himself, his mind ran into something new. His thoughts brushed against something that responded with what felt like a jolt of electricity. Deep within his stomach, just behind his navel, was a burning droplet of power.


    It wasn''t magical energy. The power within it felt completely different. Electric and alive, rather than freezing cold.


    No, this was something else.


    It was Qi, and it responded to his call.

 Chapter 63: Qimaxxing

    Warm energy tingled within Alex''s chest. It crept through his body like a slow moving storm, forks of heat working their way through his limbs. He held his hand up to his face in awe.Arcs of purple lightning ran through his veins and lit his hand from within, almost as if he were holding a tinted flashlight up to the other side. He flexed his fingers, then held his hand out and tried to push the magic free.


    It remained exactly where it was. Alex''s brow furrowed and he tried to concentrate harder, but nothing changed. The energy felt like it was trapped within his body. He carefully climbed back to his feet and shifted his weight from foot to foot to see if the Qi had caused any physical changes.


    He could feel his body even more responsive than it had been before he''d sat down to meditate ¡ª but that was because he''d upgraded his Mind Palace. It didn''t have anything to do with the Riftwarped Qi as far as he knew.


    For that matter, is it even safe to have something called Riftwarped Qi inside myself?


    He didn''t feel any worse for the wear. The magic was just¡­ there. Sitting inside him. Waiting for something. Alex chewed his lower lip as he thought. He lifted his hand back to his face. It was lit, both by the energy within and by the light starting to spill in through the window.


    The sun had started to rise over the horizon, banishing the night and heralding the day.


    Seconds ticked by. Alex squinted at his hand, trying to access the energy in every way he could imagine. His efforts were unsuccessful. The Qi started to pull away and drain back toward his core.


    He fought to keep a hold of the power. It was like trying to scoop water with open hands. It slithered between his mental fingers and returned to its resting place, stubbornly refusing any attempts to re-collect it.


    How do I use this stuff? It''s got to need some sort of outlet, but it doesn''t look like I can just shove it out as it is. Maybe I have to do something else at the same time?


    It wasn''t like he had many other options to test. If the Qi couldn''t be used directly, then perhaps it was a way to empower his other skills. Something like an alternate energy source or an extra pool of power to draw from.


    "Glint," Alex whispered, though there was little point to it. The silence in the room wasn''t going to last long. "Come out."


    Glass shattered. Twinkling shards of reality rained down as mirrored claws raked through space, ripping it apart and forming a portal.


    Something lurched in Alex''s stomach. His core tightened as if he''d just been punched and he drew in a sharp breath. Power raced out of him in a river. Every droplet of Qi that he still had a hold of evaporated like a puddle in the desert.


    A loud, buzzing crackle filled the air. The edges of Glint''s shimmering portal crackled purple ¡ª not all too dissimilar from the ones that connected Earth and the Mirrorlands. The hair on Alex''s neck stood on end and he tasted iron in his mouth.


    A mirror-clawed foot hit the ground, slicing deep into the wooden planks beneath it. Stormy purple energy hummed within the shards of glass, lighting them up like precious gems. The rest of Glint''s body followed after the foot.


    Every single mirror that jutted from his body churned with energy. Crackles of purple magic arced across his skin and popped between his fingers. It raced across his teeth and vanished deep within his gullet. Glint raised his eyes to Alex.


    The Shardwalker''s eyes were silver no longer. They were two vortexes of swirling purple and black, twisting inward in an infinite spiral. The fragments of reality littering the ground at Glint''s faded away as the portal sealed shut behind him once more.


    Alex stared at Glint in surprise. His monster''s actual proportions were normal, but the energy filling his body made it evident that he was anything but. Glint''s fingers twitched at his sides in sharp, jerky movements.


    Slow-moving arcs of energy wormed up from Glint, crawling through the air as they sought purchase on any other surface. The floorboards buzzed as the energy burned them and the air was filled with a thick, earthy scent that would have been comforting if not for an acrid undertone.


    Pieces of Glint''s body shifted in and out of reality like they couldn''t decide which plane they resided in. His very position on the ground vibrated like a plucked guitar string.


    "Whoa," Alex breathed in awe. He extended a hand toward Glint, then thought better of it at the last second. He didn''t know what would happen if his finger touched a part of the monster as it was phased out when it was coming back into being ¡ª and he didn''t want to find out.


    "What is the Qi doing to you, Glint?" Alex took a step to the side to get a better look at his twitching monster.


    It¡­ kind of just looks like I just had him snort a bunch of magic cocaine. There are definitely some ethical concerns here. I hope OSHA didn''t survive the end of the world.


    "Can you control the whole¡­ flickering thing?" Alex asked, squinting at Glint. It almost seemed as if his Shardwalker had one foot in the Mirrorlands and one foot on Earth. "Cement yourself fully in this plane if you are able to."


    Glint''s vortexed eyes bored into Alex''s skull. The energy around him let out an angry crackle and scorched into the ground around him, raking across it like claws. A pungent stench filled the room as charred wood blackened.


    The Shardwalker fully solidified.


    "Can you do the opposite?" Alex asked.


    Alex''s ears popped. Glint vanished, disappearing from sight and leaving nothing but a buzzing, veiny outline of electric purple energy where he''d been standing a moment ago.


    So imbuing Glint with the Riftwarped Qi makes him slide in and out of this plane. Kind of like that ability I got offered a while ago, but for him instead of me. That''s interesting. I wonder what it does to my other abilities. I''ll have to find ¡ª


    Claire yawned.


    "I did¡ª"


    Glint snapped back into existence. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Claire launched herself nearly a foot into the air with a string of surprised curses. She nearly tripped over her own feet as she landed and gaped at the Shardwalker. "What the bleeding hell happened to Glint?"


    "I imbued him with Qi," Alex replied. Parts of Glint started to buzz and flicker in and out of reality again, but he noted that the energy filling the mirror shards had started to recede. Where there had once been pure purple glass had become veiny and reflective. The Rift energy Alex had spent on his Shardwalker was running out.


    This could be incredibly useful¡­ but Qi has to do more than this. The silhouette back in the Nexus Point put way too much stress on the importance of Qi Energy for this to be it, and that''s not even to mention the fact it''s got something to do with my Domain.


    Meiderly said I''d unlock that at the third Soul Stage. I guess this is like an intermediatory.


    "Qi?" Claire''s head tilted to the side. "What''s that?"


    "Did you reach Initiate Stage?"


    "No. I''m Novice 9," Claire replied. She blew out a breath and held a hand up, flexing her fingers. "I think I could have reached Initiate if I hadn''t spent the vast majority of my energy on advancing my Mind Palace like you suggested. I don''t think I''ve quite made it yet."


    "How much do you have right now?"


    "My big ass marble bowl thing with the slab behind it, a stairwell leading up to it, and one and a half giant pillars."


    "You''ve got a bit more to go, then. I had 3 of the pillar things. Also, if you keep shoving energy into them, you get some holes in them as well."


    "Holes. Useful."


    Alex shrugged. "Seemed like the right thing to do. I also got a gemstone thing from the rewards of reaching the top of the leaderboard. Did you get one as well?"


    Claire shook her head. "Nothing like that. Just got a bunch of energy. Can''t complain. It got me three levels in addition to the Mind Palace advances, and I was able to use that energy to upgrade Dhampir''s Awakening. Now my wings will actually function like real wings as long as I get enough energy to work with."


    "Wait. You can fly?" Alex''s eyes widened.


    "More like glide. They''re not that strong yet," Claire admitted. "At least, I don''t think they are. Haven''t had a chance to test it yet. I also upgraded Energy Thief to let me drain a bit of Life Energy when I get a good bite on someone. It''ll help me accelerate my healing mid-fight. Should be useful, considering I nearly got squished last time."


    "Nearly?" Alex raised an eyebrow. "There was no nearly about it. You got sat on by a giant cat."


    Claire grimaced. "I can pretend, okay? But you never told me what Qi was. Is it something I get at Initiate?"


    "Yeah. I''m not fully sure what it is yet, but it definitely magnified Glint somehow. I think I need to see him in an actual fight to figure out what Qi really does," Alex admitted. He and Claire both looked back to Glint. The power had almost completely drained out of the Shardwalker by now. Alex could feel it welling in his chest once more, but it would be some time before enough of the power had regenerated for it to be back to the amount he''d initially had.


    "To the Mirrorlands, then. I want to test out just how much stronger I am now, especially after the upgrades to my Mind Palace. Have you had a chance to eat?"


    Alex blinked. He had not. As a matter of fact, he''d completely forgotten about food. He tried to remember when the last time he''d eaten was. It had been the pancakes at Dorriv''s joint, which had to have been around a day ago.


    I think I might be on a bit too much adrenaline.


    But now that Claire had brought it up, his stomach panged in protest.


    "No," Alex said. He reached for his back pocket, where the crumpled up water bottle waited to be used. "I should probably do that. We can get some water and food from Dorriv on the way."


    Claire nodded. The two of them left the room and set out to find Dorriv.


    Excitement welled in Alex''s stomach. The Mirrorlands were practically calling his name. After all the boons he''d just cashed in, it was about time to see just how much stronger he''d gotten.

 Chapter 64: The Everblooming

    A low, keening wail slipped from the craggy lips of the Magma Golem as a black line carved across the monster''s twenty-foot tall body. Cracks raced throughout its form and huge chunks of molten rock plummeted down, crashing to the floor of the huge cavern.The monster crumbled to pieces, its cry lost to the thunderous roar of falling stone in a cave. A wave of wind rolled out from it, bearing the scent of hot sulfur and old earth.


    Absolution watched the corpse in silence, lowering his scythe as energy trickled into him. His lips thinned and turned down. An Initiate 8 monster, felled with such ease that he''d barely even gotten the power to justify the time it had taken him to clear out the rest of the dungeon.


    He scanned the ground for any magical items, but he suspected that, had the Magma Golem possessed anything worthwhile, it would have already put it to use.


    The hole in the center of his chest throbbed. A strange sensation, since there was nothing there with which to feel pain, but a sensation, nonetheless. Absolution''s frown grew further.


    He''d already reached the peak of Initiate 9 well ahead of schedule. His Mind Palace was built prepared to advance, and he''d gotten all 3 Aspects imbued within it.


    Everything was going exactly how he had wanted it to. There should have been no cause for concern.


    But instead of satisfaction, his thoughts had been nothing but troubled as of late ¡ª and he could pinpoint the exact reason why.


    Once the 3rd Initialization is dealt with, I am going to hunt Stargazer and this native of his down. He has dwelled on my mind for too long.


    Absolution turned on his heel and strode out of the dungeon. There was too much to do. Too much to prepare. The 3rd Initialization would not be far off. New worlds always took a little time to stabilize under the implementation of the System. It depended on how large the other planets they''d been merged with were ¡ª and this location had been part of a 50 planet merger. A relatively small merger for a new planet, which meant stabilization would likely occur in a few day-night cycles at most.


    If there was truly a native in this subsector that could pose a threat to me, then they will have been one of the ten in the top leaderboard. Stargazer was among their ranks, but the rest are unknown to me. I had hoped he would reveal something about this native''s identity, but Stargazer didn''t react to a single thing the Overseer stated. He knows he''s being watched.


    It was of no matter. Absolution had already memorized the names of the other eight leaderboard rankers. He would deal with each of them in time. Subsector 735 was far too large to waste time hunting for rats right now.


    Absolution left the dungeon a short while later through a rippling green portal. His foot landed in a knee-high field of yellow grass awash in bright sunlight. Warmth beat down on his back and heated the air around him in a faint haze ¡ª and something at the base of his neck prickled in warning.


    His eyes narrowed.


    A young woman holding an enormous staff stood in the field about twenty feet away from him. Her purple robes stood out in stark contrast to the grass around them. A huge, floppy hat covered her face, leaving only its lower half visible. There was a small scar running along the side of her lips amidst a sea of freckles.


    "You are an Anomaly," the woman said. Her name was concealed by an item ¡ª one strong enough to keep even Absolution''s eyes from making it out.


    "As are you."


    The air around Absolution crackled. Particles of frost twisted together into a cloud. Razor sharp blades of frost shot free from it and carved down toward him.


    Absolution shifted. The world bent around him, a single step taking him all the way across the field and directly up to the woman.


    His foot landed on the ground.


    A faint thrum of magic pulsed in his ears, even as he started to swing his scythe.


    She set a magical tr¡ª


    The world vanished an explosion.


    Lava burst free from the ground like an erupting volcano, swallowing Absolution in an instant. Grass burst into flame as it came into contact with the flowing molten rock. The fire spread in instants, passing by the woman harmlessly as it caught on the dry grass and ripped across the field.


    The lava flowed around the woman, giving her a wide berth as it rapidly solidified into stone. She lowered her staff. The flowing lava hardened at a rapid speed. Within moments, all that remained was a solid block of lavarock where Absolution had been standing, locked in place like a frozen fountain.


    Her whitened knuckles loosened as she lowered the staff. She drew in a small breath, the remnants of a nervous tremor still gripping her body.


    The woman turned ¡ª and Absolution''s fist slammed into her cheek. Blood splattered from her lips and she let out a cry as her head snapped to the side.


    Coils of gray Qi twisted off Absolution''s body. It pulsed behind his eyes and seeped from between his lips like smoke.


    That almost got me. She''s fast.


    The woman''s staff lit with flowing reddish-brown Qi and she drove it into the ground with a cry. Dirt exploded in a geyser of flame.


    Absolution folded the space behind him and shifted a dozen feet away.


    Three molten hands of lava, each the size of a small horse, clawed free of the ground. The woman thrust her staff forward. The hands burst into motion. Qi rolled off their surfaces as they shot out toward Absolution in a pincer formation.


    A shadow passed over him as the hands blocked the daylight out, crashing down like a wave of burning orange stone. His head tilted to the side.


    That''s a league above the last lava attack she used. Her Qi is powerful. Not too bad. Her Domain will be impressive. The heat coming from those things will melt me if they get close enough.


    Absolution drew on the Qi flowing through his own body and snapped his fingers. Gray lines carved through the air around him. They split open, forming dozens of small portals that melted together into a dome above him.


    The hands of lava struck the flat gray energy. If he hadn''t used his Qi, they would have shattered his magic and continued onward into him.


    Instead, their Qi clashed with a roar. The power coursing through the lava evaporated, a droplet of rain against the walls of a castle. Then the hands vanished, sucked through the portals surrounding him and swallowed without a trace.


    He folded the space between himself and the woman, closing the distance between them in a split second. Her eyes didn''t even have time to widen.


    Absolution''s knee drove up into her stomach with enough force to lift her into the air. His other hand slammed into her chest an instant later. The woman flew back and slammed through the stone formation, the air driven from her lungs. Rock crumbled down all around her.


    The staff on the ground twitched. Absolution tilted his head to the side as it leapt into the air and swiped at him, missing by mere centimeters. A roar of wind howled past him and gathered around the fallen woman.


    It detonated with a loud explosion, sending rock pelting out in every direction. Absolution lifted a hand, grabbing a stone before it could strike him in the skull. Others struck his shoulders and legs, but he paid them no mind.


    The woman staggered to her feet, wiping the blood from her cheek. Her staff flew back into her hand and she pointed it at Absolution. Her lips pulled back in a snarl. "How did you dodge?"


    "You know my fighting style," Absolution said, tilting his head to the side. "Someone sent you. That seems to be happening often as of late." Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The space between him and the woman vanished, even as her mouth opened to respond. She reacted with respectable speed. Her staff slammed down on the ground and stones detonated around her, rising up in a ring of jagged spikes.


    But Absolution didn''t take form at her side.


    He appeared above her.


    His leg whipped down and his heel connected with her nose with a loud crunch. She stumbled back with a cry of pain, tripping over her own spikes. They sank back into the ground an instant before the woman impaled herself on them.


    She rolled to the side as Absolution''s foot slammed into the ground where she''d been a moment before. Fire roared at the head of her staff as she pointed it toward him ¡ª


    Absolution shifted.


    A blanket of molten flame enveloped the space where he''d been standing. It was so intense that the air around the woman warped and shimmered with heat.


    He landed behind her. She twisted, but Absolution was faster. His leg snapped out and his heel connected with the fingers holding the staff, breaking them. The weapon spun from her grip. Before she could go for it again, Absolution''s hand darted out like a snake.


    It slammed into her neck, driving the breath from her lungs and slamming the woman into the dirt. Absolution lifted the woman into the air, grip tightening. She clawed at his hand, her legs kicking desperately, but her attempts didn''t so much as make him falter.


    "What family?" Absolution asked, his voice emotionless. "Or are you just an unlucky Anomaly?"


    "Everbloom," the woman wheezed.


    Absolution''s hand loosened.


    The woman crumped to the ground at his feet, gasping for air. She shoved herself to the side and her hand shot out. Her staff leapt across the ground, slapping into her palm. She staggered to her feet and pointed the staff at him.


    "That would be unwise," Absolution said. "The Everblooms are in dire straits. For her to send a representative here¡­ it seems you took a poor deal. It is a sad day when the Everblooms become nothing more than hired blades."


    The woman''s eyes widened. She wiped the blood from her face with the back of a hand and took a step back. "How did you¡ª"


    "Don''t give me so much credit," Absolution said. "It was not a difficult guess. Remove your concealing treasure."


    The woman''s lips thinned. She hesitated for a moment, then reached up to a thin silver choker that hung around her neck. The latch clicked and she dropped it to the ground at her feet. Golden words shimmered through the air over her head.


    Orchid - Elemental Mancer (Initiate 6)


    "Orchid," Absolution said. "Tell me, then. Who contracted your family to send you after me? I am disappointed I was judged unworthy of a more capable assassin."


    Orchid''s jaw clenched. She said nothing.


    Absolution quietly stepped over to where his scythe laid in the grass. He hooked a foot under it and kicked it into the air, grabbing it with a hand. His gaze drifted back to Orchid.


    "Is the secret so great that it is worth dying for?"


    "They will destroy my family. I have no choice. Everbloom''s future rests on my shoulders."


    "Then your silence will bury that future in this field," Absolution said.


    "What does it matter?" Orchid asked, her jaw clenching even tighter. "I cannot fail. I have no other options. This is the only way."


    "The other Outworlders are cut from this world for some time longer. Only after the 3rd Initialization will they be able to peer in, and it will take longer still for them to attempt to worm their way deeper. The only people present are you and I. There is no other here."


    Orchid hesitated.


    "You would let me leave, knowing I had tried to kill you?"


    "It is the nature of the weak to seek the death of the strong," Absolution said. "I cannot hold your inability against you. The only mistake you made was failing to kill me. Should you prove yourself useful, then I have no reason to end your life."


    The Mancer swallowed. Her weight shifted and her eyes darted around the field, but there was nowhere to run to. Nowhere to escape. And, when a scared animal was cornered with only a single way out¡­


    They took it.


    "It was the Starfallen family," Orchid said. "They granted me access to Planet 274-50 through their portal on the condition that I would hunt you."


    Absolution stiffened. "Did any of their members enter this Subsector?"


    "Not that I''m aware of. They promised me that it was just me."


    The corner of Absolution''s mouth twitched.


    Promised. As if the Starfallen would ever keep a promise.


    He still had time, but this was a surprising development. The Starfallen family¡­ it had been a long time since they''d made a move on a new world. And if they''d made a move, the other major families had as well. There were more players than he had expected. Something about this world had the attention of powerful players.


    And the more interest there was from Outworlders, the more the System counterbalanced it by increasing the potential of the world to give the natives a way to fight back against the resources the families could bring to bear.


    How fascinating. All the more reason I must ensure to harvest every resource this Subsector has to offer if I wish to save anything at all.


    "Tell me, Orchid. Did your Matriarch pass down her path to you?"


    Orchid''s features paled. "You know about it?"


    Absolution just watched Orchid in silence.


    She swallowed, then nodded.


    "Yes."


    "Very good," Absolution said. "Now tell me, what city have you taken up residence in?"


    "Valley Ford. It is large. I think the System will select it as a Hub City. It''s one of the largest locations in the Subsector."


    "How fortunate for you. You will do something for me. Keep an eye out for a native who has been to the Mirrorlands. And, if he appears, kill him."


    Orchid blinked. Questions played across her face, but none of them made it to her lips. She gave him a stiff nod. "I ¡ª very well."


    "The 3rd Initialization will be soon. Days at the most. I suggest you utilize that time wisely. I will not be so forgiving should you find yourself against me a second time. Choose your side well, Everbloom."


    His scythe flashed.


    Orchid''s lips were still parted mid-word when her body pitched forward, severed at the neck. Her head bounced off her back and landed in the tall grass amidst a growing pool of blood.


    Absolution turned and strode away, his mind already on other things. He would have to unlock his Domain as soon as possible.


    If the Starfallen family had set foot on Planet 274-50, then he had far more competition than he''d initially anticipated. With the 3rd Initialization, the Outworlder families would arrive in full force, and the System would ensure the natives had a way to defend their land. A way that Absolution would have to wrest from them.


    I must ensure I get a Town Token as quickly as possible. The greatest rewards are for those who take the most risk. Far too many times have I witnessed just how immensely useful controlling a portion of the world can be. The opportunities it provides are innumerable. There should be a token in one of the dungeons that appear after the Initialization completes, but even I do not know where their locations will be.


    The Starfallen family cannot be allowed to take another world. Anyone powerful in this Subsector must fall in line ¡ª or fall before me.

 Chapter 65: Terrifying

    Flowing blue grass stretched out before Alex as his feet fell on Mirrorlands soil once more. It was the same location the portal near Towntown had dropped him off last. He could see the warped city in the distance, the towering stack of street signs near its entrance rising into the twisting smoke far above like a landmark.Alex wisely stepped to the side as Claire emerged from the crackling purple portal behind him, stumbling before catching her balance. He held an arm out to her even as her eyes shot up, bloodshot.


    She latched onto it. Her fangs dug into his wrist and Alex repressed a grimace as Claire drank from his arm. He scanned the sky around them in search for any portals that would mark the arrival of a Riftwarped monster.


    Claire released his hand with a relieved sigh. "Thanks. I bloody hate portals. They wring me out like a wet towel."


    "I got to eat at Dorriv''s place, so I can''t complain about you getting a meal of your own." Alex said absently. He turned in a circle, frowning. "Do you see any portals forming?"


    Claire shook her head. "No. Huh. Maybe we managed to avoid notice this time around? Is it guaranteed that something finds us when we come in?"


    "I don''t think it''s guaranteed. Berith said that the monsters would be drawn by power when a portal opens, either mine or the power of the location. This spot is pretty normal, so maybe there wasn''t another Riftwarped Monster close to this location."


    "Huh. Well, guess that means we get to save some energy to fight later on," Claire said with a shrug. She started toward the warped city that loomed in the distance.


    As Alex turned to follow after her, a flicker of pink energy rolled across the grass. A dull, chittering buzz rang through the air. He and Claire both spun toward its source. An electric pink portal hummed in the air above them.


    Mandibles broke free of the portal, followed by a long, flowing insectoid body. Legs covered its length and swam in the air like oars as the monster emerged into the Mirrorlands. Purple energy arced and snapped around the monster as its eyes focused on Alex.


    Riftwarped Block-Eater Centipede (Initiate 1)


    The monster wasn''t anywhere near as large as the City-Eater Centipedes that patrolled the cities, but it was still easily three times as wide as a human and dozens of times longer. It coiled down toward Alex, chittering in hunger.


    "We spoke too soon!" Claire yelled, raising her sword before her and setting her stance.


    Alex reached into himself and called on his Qi. Warm energy rushed through his body, but before he could even try to summon Glint or Spark, another portal snapped open before the centipede.


    It slithered into the portal. Another disk of pink energy yawned open behind Claire. She flung herself to the side and hit the grass in a roll as the centipede burst free of the portal. Its mandibles ripped through the grass where she''d been, tearing a huge chunk of dirt free. The monster hissed in displeasure and turned courses toward Alex.


    "Glint!" Alex commanded, pushing his Qi into the command. "Come out!"


    The air before him shattered. Shards of glass rained down in a clattering rain as his Shardwalker emerged. The mirror shards jutting from his body hummed with rift energy. Pressure washed off Glint with enough force to press into Alex like a strong wind.


    Curiously enough, the effect where Glint had shifted in and out of existence had vanished. He seemed solidly grounded in reality. There was no time to wonder why yet.


    "Show me what you can do," Alex commanded. "Kill the Block-Eater Centipede. Normal rules for the fight."


    Glint lurched into motion. His claws flashed as he leapt for the Block-Eater.


    The centipede jerked to the side, slipping into another portal an instant before Glint could connect with it. Light illuminated Alex''s back as a portal snapped open behind him. He mirrored Claire and dove to the side.


    Mandibles snapped shut over his head with a loud crack. He hit the ground in a roll. By the time he rose again, Glint was upon the monster. His claws raked across the armor on its back with a loud shriek.


    The chitin rent like it was paper. Black blood spilled across the Shardwalker and the centipede screamed in agony. It thrashed violently, launching Glint from its body and pelting the Shardwalker into the ground.


    Alex was pretty sure that a blow of that strength normally would have killed Glint ¡ª but instead, the monster rolled back to his feet. Several of the mirrors on his back had shattered and impaled themselves in the ground, but he was still alive.


    Claire took advantage of the centipede''s distraction to bound across the ground and leap into the air, driving her katana into the wound Glint had made in the monster''s side. The sword bit deep.


    The centipede thrashed in agony. Claire''s eyes widened and she found herself with the same treatment as Glint. She lost her grip on the sword as the long monster bucked, launching her straight into the ground.


    There was a loud crack of breaking bone as she hit it. The breath left her lungs in a pained grunt. But, even as the centipede turned toward Claire, Glint leapt at it once again.


    A portal yawned open before the centipede and it slithered into it, slipping out of the way moments before Glint could connect with it. The Shardwalker landed on the ground and spun to look up into the air. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Block-Eater Centipede emerged from above a new portal far above them, but it made no move to descend. Dull pink energy gathered between its mandibles and formed into a shimmering orb.


    Alex activated Mirror Image.


    Purple energy crackled out from him like the branches of a tree blooming in real-time. It slammed into the ground and erupted with a brilliant flash. When the light faded, two perfect clones of Alex appeared beside to his side.


    "I don''t think that''s good," Claire said, pushing herself up to her feet. Black veins pulsed beneath her skin and she grimaced. "That thing is bloody strong, in case you were wondering."


    "Figured," Alex replied, and his voice came from all three of his bodies instead of just one. It almost looked like the centipede was charging a ¡ª


    The centipede''s jaws snapped shut. A beam of burning pink energy shot from its mouth with a loud crackle and carved straight toward one of his clones. The hair on Alex''s arms stood on end as his mirror image evaporated. The beam drove into the ground behind it, scorching it black with a loud hiss. Black smoke curled up from the patch of melted dirt and grass and an acrid smell filled the air.


    Purple magic gathered at the centipede''s jaws once more as it started to charge another attack.


    "Bleedin'' thing is cheating," Claire hissed. Black veins carved down her arms and pulsed beneath her skin. Two jet black wings burst from her back with a loud ripping sound, tearing straight through her shirt. She flapped them once, launching herself into the air toward the centipede.


    Its head snapped toward her, but it hadn''t finished charging up its magic yet. Claire slammed into the underside of the monster and drove her katana straight up into it. A scream ripped from the centipede as it thrashed.


    A pink portal snapped open before the monster and it swam into it. Claire dropped away an instant before she fell in. Her wings snapped open, slowing her fall before she could splatter against the ground.


    Another portal ripped open to Claire''s left with a loud pop. She tucked her wings in and dropped, hitting the ground in a roll, as the centipede emerged where she''d been moments before with a chittering screech.


    She landed on the ground beside Alex and prepared to launch herself back into the air.


    Alex turned to give Glint a command, but it never left his lips. His eyes widened in surprise.


    Rift energy swirled around the Shardwalker like a miniature storm. The purple Qi that Alex had infused Glint with zipped within his mirrors as if seeking an escape, and his eyes glowed like two miniature spotlights.


    The Shardwalker swiped his claw through the air. A loud, rending screech tore out as his claws carved a furrow through reality. An identical rip formed in the air directly above the centipede. The monster twisted toward it, but not nearly fast enough.


    Glint flung himself through the unsteady portal. He slammed down on the centipede''s head from above. Glint drove his huge claws straight through the centipede''s eyes and into its brain. Chitin and flesh rent like paper and the centipede thrashed in agony.


    The final remnants of Riftwarped Qi within Glint drained out and his appearance returned to normal.


    An instant later, jagged shards of glass tore free from within the centipede''s body. They sprouted from beneath the chitin like a parasitic fungus, ripping the huge monster''s body to shreds within instants.


    The centipede plummeted from the air ¡ª and straight toward Alex and Claire. Alex''s eyes widened. He and Claire both sprinted out of the way, narrowly avoiding the back end of the huge monster as it slammed to the grass behind them with a resounding crash. The ground bucked beneath Alex''s feet and he stumbled, nearly losing his balance as he spun back toward it.


    Glint stood victorious upon the monster''s body, blackened blood dripping from his claws and the glistening fangs in his mouth parted in what could almost have been considered to be a smile.


    Then there was silence.


    What the hell was that? Glint can fucking teleport and control his mirror shards?


    That must have been the Riftwarped Qi. It used up the purple magic when he used both of those abilities.


    No wonder that other ranker was so concerned with it. This is a ridiculous boost to Glint''s power, and I bet it affects other spells the same way.


    I do wonder why he wasn''t flickering in and out like he was back on Earth, though. I''ll have to test that.


    Energy flowed into Alex ¡ª a respectable amount of it, but not as much as some of the other fights he''d been in. They were getting stronger. The centipede would have been a nearly impossible fight before, but this time around, Alex hadn''t even needed to call Spark in.


    A Soul Flame flickered to life above the dead Riftwarped Block-Eater.


    Low Grade Initiate (Riftwarped Block-Eater)


    "Alex?" Claire asked, wiping the sweat from her forehead as her wings sank back into her body.


    "Yeah?" His voice came from two locations, both himself and his remaining clone speaking up at once.


    "Glint is bleeding terrifying."


    "Yup." Alex scooped the Soul Flame off the ground.


    For an instant, he felt a connection form to the centipede. Then it snapped shut, sealing itself off from him. Something about the Riftwarped Soul Flames prevented him from bonding to them¡­ yet. Alex wasn''t bothered. He needed energy to level up Glint and Spark anyway. He was confident he''d eventually find a way to break through the barrier and bond a Riftwarped Monster if he ever met one he really wanted to summon.


    Alex stuffed the Soul Flame into a Spatial Mirror. His clone mirrored the motion. Alex glanced at it, then back over to Claire. "You ready to go find the next one? That barely made me break a sweat."


    "That''s because Glint did all the work." Claire snorted and walked over to the centipede and grabbed her sword, ripping it free of the monster''s stomach. She flicked the blood from its blade, then nodded. "More than, though. I have to catch up to you."


    "Great," Alex said, turning his gaze toward the warped city. "Because I''ve got some more abilities to test and a new monster to get my hands on."


    A grin crawled across Alex''s features as they set off, Glint falling in at their side.


    I wonder what kind of summon I''ll be able to get this time around.

 Chapter 66: Hunting for monsters

    Over the course of the next hour, Alex and Claire made their way into the city and started to work their way through the monsters that lurked within its warped streets. It was a constant balance of seeking challenge, staying out of sight of the City-Eater Centipedes that swam through the air far above, and making sure they didn''t accidentally stumble straight into the territory of something so big that it could kill them with a single glance.They took out a number of monsters that they''d seen before as well as a fair few new ones.


    Alex had Glint kill 3 Corpse Pokers, 4 Corpse Burrowers, and 2 woody, humanoid creatures called Root Fiends on his own. He considered bonding with one of the Root Fiends, which had been high Novice monsters, but was in no rush to choose one when he still had more chances to recruit something more interesting. The Root Fiends hadn''t been particularly impressive.


    Claire killed a similar number of monsters herself, including several new ones that they hadn''t seen before, but none of them caught his eye as particularly interesting. The monsters on the outskirts of town simply weren''t as much of a threat as they once had been.


    They didn''t interfere in each other''s fights to avoid lowering the challenge to such an insignificant level that they didn''t get a reward for it. That did mean Alex didn''t get any souls for the monsters that Claire defeated, as he hadn''t participated in the fight, but he wasn''t bothered by that.


    Thus far, aside from the Initiate level Riftwarped Block-Eater Centipede that had greeted them at the entrance of the Mirrorlands, none of the monsters they''d fought had been strong enough for him to truly want its soul.


    Just fighting a single monster in the mid-Initiate levels would be more than enough to make up for everything he''d given up and then some.


    The problem was finding that monster. They''d grown past the absolute bottom of the food chain that dwelled within the Mirrorlands. That was an achievement in and of itself, but it meant they had to push deeper into the city in search of more appropriate opponents.


    Alex and Claire drew to a stop under the shadow of an apartment building that floated far above. Chunks of the building had fallen away and frozen halfway to the ground, suspended almost like a garden path trailing through the sky.


    What had once been a restaurant sat beneath the apartment. Nearly half of it had been ripped to pieces by a bleached tree that grew out of its center. Alabaster roots jutted up from the ground with chunks of masonry impaled upon their tips. Agonized faces pressed against the rough bark from within, forever frozen in their attempts to escape. The roof of the restaurant hung about ten feet above the rest of the building. It was held in place by the gray-leafed branches of the tree that bore through it like worms.


    Alex and Claire ducked into the restaurant, taking care to avoid the strange tree, to get out of view of the street. It was cover ¡ª but only relative cover. Nowhere in the Mirrorlands was ever truly safe.


    "We''re pretty deep in, now," Claire whispered. "How long have we been walking? About an hour?"


    "Something like that," Alex whispered back. His gaze alternated between the tree behind them and the street. A crackle of energy overhead announced the presence of a City-Eater Centipede passing by. They both fell silent until the monster vanished into a portal once more.


    An eerie wind blew through the Mirrorlands. It howled as it passed through the holes in the destroyed buildings and rustled the leaves of the enormous trees that permeated the city. Even though this was far from Alex''s first time in the Mirrorlands, he wasn''t any less on edge than he had been before.


    Everything about the warped world screamed danger to his senses. It was uncanny in every way that it could have been, and primal human instincts struggled to convince his adrenaline-riddled brain to panic.


    Minutes ticked by.


    Alex summoned Spark and told the Echo Wraith to watch the white tree behind them so he could keep his focus on the street.


    The wind continued to howl, and the rustle of the leaves grew so loud that it resembled a rumbling thunderstorm. It was so intense that Alex almost didn''t hear the car-sized spider crawling across the face of a building across from them.


    The crunch of the spider''s pointed legs driving into the sheer wall of the building as it raced across its surface was muted by the wind, but that did nothing to stop Alex''s eyes from working. He drew in a surprised breath, but his attention wasn''t on the monster''s size, nor was it on its size.


    It was on its face.


    Where there should have been the head of an arachnid, there was instead the face of a young girl. It was grotesquely sized to match the rest of the monster''s body, but the proportions and appearance were unmistakable. Long blonde hair hung around her ¡ª its ¡ª face, whipping behind the spider in the wind.


    The illusion of humanity was broken by the monster''s eyes. They were empty and sunken, two shriveled empty sockets devoid of sight so that it could be spared the agony of witnessing its own vile form.


    Barrow Puppeteer (Initiate 3)


    "I hate it," Claire whispered.


    "Me too," Alex muttered back, not taking his eyes off the monster. The spider had frozen in the middle of the building.


    Even as the wind started to die down and the rustle of the leaves relented in its assault, the spider didn''t make so much as a noise. It remained frozen in place. The monster was waiting for something.


    "Alex?"


    "Yeah?"


    "Don''t bond that thing," Claire said.


    "Absolutely no plans of it," Alex replied with a grimace. There definitely would have been a certain intimidation factor that came with showing up to a fight with a monster like that, but this was one of those things that he suspected would be far better served as a snack to Glint or Spark.


    The Barrow Puppeteer looks like an ambush predator anyway. What I need right now is something with some real survivability. A frontline. Well, that or a ranged monster. Both would be great. I''ve already got Glint for pure damage output. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Another minute ticked by. Alex was just about to suggest they attempt to attack the Barrow Puppeteer when the spider suddenly flung itself from the side of the building. It plummeted down, crashing onto the top of a building to the side of their hiding spot.


    There was a wet snik, followed by silence. Neither Alex nor Claire moved a muscle. They watched the rooftop in silence, waiting for the monster to re-emerge. Their patience was rewarded several long seconds later when the Barrow Puppeteer crawled back over the side of the building, descending to the ground with a limp, headless body made of wood clutched to its chest with two of its eight legs.


    All guises of humanity had vanished from the monster. Black blood coated its face, which had split apart down the center to reveal rows of sharp, yellowed fangs. The burrower''s face had split apart along its center line. Gummy, gray lips ran all the way back through the girl''s ears and disappeared behind her long hair. Loud crunching noises echoed from the monster and its entire body undulated as it chewed, crunching down on the remains of what seemed to be a Root Fiend''s head.


    "Effective," Claire whispered.


    Alex nodded in mute agreement. There hadn''t even been a fight. If this Root Fiend had been anything like the ones he''d fought earlier that day, it had been something around high-Novice tier.


    "I''m going to go for it," Alex said as the Burrower came to a stop in the shadow of a building and started to eat the rest of its meal. "This is the best time to attack. Maybe not the most challenge in killing a monster mid-meal, but I think it''ll put up a pretty damn good fight regardless. Also, I kind of just want that thing dead."


    "Tell me about it," Claire said. She readied her katana and gave Alex a nod. "I''ll back you up. I''m more worried about another one of those monsters dropping down on us out of nowhere than I am the one that''s eating."


    Alex nodded in agreement, then looked to Spark. "You''re lookout. Keep watch for any monsters in the area that might be drawn to the fight. Interfere and delay them for as long as possible if they spot us."


    The Echo Wraith made no indication to show it had understood Alex''s command, but he knew that it had.


    Alex and Claire started forth with Glint at their side. They crept along the edge of the nearest building, avoiding any open areas, and made their way toward the bulbous abdomen of the Barrow Puppeteer. Loud crunches continued to echo out from the monster''s jaws as it ate, blissfully unaware of their approach.


    They stopped about a building away from their target. Alex glanced down at Glint.


    I wonder¡­ can I use my Qi to empower Glint after he''s already been summoned?


    Now seemed like a pretty good time to find out. It wasn''t exactly quiet, but he highly doubted they''d be able to actually creep up the entire way to the monster. It would hear them coming long before then. If they were going to get noticed, it was better that it happened while they were at full strength.


    "Get ready," Alex whispered.


    Claire''s grip on her katana tightened and black veins carved down her arm, flowing into her wrist. She lowered her stance and gave him a curt nod.


    Alex extended a hand and carefully placed it on Glint''s clammy gray shoulder between two razor sharp shards of glass. He drew on the warm energy stored within himself and pushed it free, driving it out through his finger and into the monster.


    Arcs of purple Qi crackled within the mirror shards covering Glint''s body. They forked out, expanding within the confines of the shards, until they''d filled every piece completely. The Shardwalker''s eyes shifted from yellow to purple and power gathered around him, buzzing into the air and hissing as it burned into the ground at his clawed feet.


    "Go," Alex hissed.


    Glint''s claws carved through the air, rending it with the sound of shattering glass. Matching fault lines, full of buzzing purple energy, appeared in the air above the Barrow Puppeteer.


    And then three things happened in such rapid succession that they may as well all have been at once.


    The Barrow Puppeteer''s head jerked up with a hiss and it spun in their direction, legs clicking as they struck the paved ground.


    Glint launched himself through the portal and slammed down on top of the grotesque spider to rip it to shreds.


    The wall of the building to their side exploded. A burly, eight-foot tall humanoid mass of coagulated black sludge lurched out bearing a featureless bone-white mask with two empty eyes and a flat slit for a mouth where its face should have been ¡ª and it headed straight toward Alex and Claire.


    Blacktongue Dredge (Initiate 6)

 Chapter 67: Revenant

    Spark shot through the air and slammed into the Dredge before Alex or Claire could even twitch. A flash of electrical blue energy split the Mirrorlands and the Dredge let out a moan, lurching to the side. Its mask sunk into the thick sludge that made up its face for an instant before re-emerging as the monster swiped at Spark.The Echo Wraith was forced to float back to avoid the huge hand that hurtled through the air where it had been. The Dredge stumbled after Spark, swinging repeatedly in attempt to catch him.


    Meanwhile, loud screeches echoed out as Glint and the Barrow Puppeteer ripped at each other. Glint''s claws raked across the monster''s body while it twisted and screamed, trying to fling him free with its many legs.


    The Blacktongue Dredge abruptly shifted targets and spun away from Spark. It leapt, transforming into a river of sludge that arced through the air and crashed down toward Alex.


    Alex flung himself to the side, hitting the ground in a roll and springing to his feet. He used Mirror Image, summoning two copies of himself by his side with a flash of rift energy. Both the Blacktongue Dredge and the Barrow Puppeteer hissed in pain and surprise at the bright light ¡ª as did Claire, who let out a slew of curses.


    "Sorry!" Alex called.


    Claire didn''t reply. She launched herself at the Dredge and brought her sword sweeping down into its body. The blade sliced about a foot into the monster''s vicious body before grinding to a halt and going no further. She ripped the weapon out and leapt back as the monster reached for her, its fingers closing over air as she just barely managed to clear them.


    "Stabbing is not particularly effective," Claire warned Alex.


    A loud crash echoed through the street. Alex''s eyes flicked over to Glint and the Barrow Puppeteer. The two monsters had fought their way over to the side of the building, where the spider was repeatedly smashing itself against the wall in an attempt to dislodge the Shardwalker from its back. Glint had ripped the monster''s body to shreds, but it was surprisingly resilient.


    He couldn''t spend much attention watching his monster fight. The Dredge shifted its body mass into an arm, enlarging and extending it as the monster reached for Alex.


    Spark flitted through the air and brought his fists down on the Dredge''s hand with a resounding crack of magical energy. The arm tore free with a wet squelch. It splattered to the ground, losing cohesion and pooling in a thick pile. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Claire''s katana flashed several times in rapid succession. The speed of her empowered attacks was terrifying. Alex could barely even follow the strikes as they carved across the monster''s flesh, each one sending sludge splattering to the ground. She then thrust her sword forward, straight into the Dredge''s chest.


    A keening moan slipped from the sickly monster and its body quavered. It grabbed for Claire with its remaining hand.


    Spark''s fists slammed down on top of its head. The monster splattered to the ground, its hand faltering before it could find its mark.


    A rush of energy entered Alex. It was a respectable amount, more than any of the other monsters he''d killed thus far in the Mirrorlands. That was good. They''d made a lot of noise with the unexpected addition to their fight. Now they just needed to help Glint finish off the Barrow Puppeteer and they could relocate before anything too powerful came to check out the scene of the fight.


    Alex turned toward Glint.


    Then he blinked in surprise.


    His Shardwalker stood above the body of the Barrow Puppeteer. The hideous monster was dead. It laid in a filleted heap upon a spreading pool of sickly liquid at Glint''s feet, its entire body ripped to shreds.


    The monster''s Soul Flame floated above its body, waiting for Alex to claim it.


    What? But if that''s the monster that died, then how ¡ª


    Alex''s eyes widened.


    "The Dredge isn''t dead!"


    He and Claire leapt back. The puddles of sludge flowed together, twisting together and rising back up to reform the Blacktongue Dredge''s body. It let out a moan and stumbled forward, reaching for Alex and Claire with each of its hands.


    Spark rained blows into the large monster''s body. Each strike flashed with blue energy and sent large portions of thick fluid arcing through the air, but they only slowed it. Alex dodged out of the way as a hand crashed down where he''d been, sending droplets of black fluid flying everywhere.


    "Glint! Kill this thing!"


    His Shardwalker burst into motion. Glint bounded across the ground and leapt, crashing into the Dredge''s body like a very sharp toddler going in for a bear hug. He proceeded to rip into the sludgy monster''s body with reckless abandon.


    Every strike bit deep into the monster''s body and tore away huge chunks of its wet flesh. Claire and Spark re-joined the onslaught, unleashing everything they had into the monster. The dredge barely even seemed to notice. It swept a hand toward Claire, barely missing her and striking the wall behind her instead.


    Its hand smashed through the stone like there was nothing there. Glint severed its arm with one hand, then swiped at the monster''s face with his other. The Dredge collapsed into a puddle before the strike could connect.


    No sooner than it had fallen did the sludge bound to the side, flying straight over Glint''s head, and land on the ground several feet to Alex''s side with enough force to shatter the cobbled streets beneath it. The Blacktongue Dredge bubbled back up, its body reforming entirely without injury.


    "What the bleeding hell is this thing?" Claire demanded. "It won''t die! I can''t fight like this forever. I''m going to run out of blood."


    A low moan echoed through the street ¡ª but not from the monster they were fighting. Alex''s eyes flicked to the side.


    Two more Blacktongue Dredges stood on the other end of the street, empty-eyed masks staring in their directions.


    Blacktongue Dredge (Initiate 5)


    Blacktongue Dredge (Initiate 5)


    "And now there are three of them. I guess the Mirrorlands got offended we were having too easy of a time with things," Alex said with a laugh. He ducked as the Dredge swept an enlarged hand at him in a diagonal strike. The strike slammed into the ground to his side and Alex stumbled from the sheer impact of the blow.


    Letting out a gurgling moan, the Dredge lurched for Alex again, but Glint''s claws carved through its arm and sent it splattering to the ground.


    Claire unleashed a flurry of thrusting attacks on the monster. It collapsed back into a pile of thick fluid. Spark shot forward and brought his hands down on the pile, pummeling it with all his might.


    The Blacktongue Dredge flowed away, and Alex caught a glimpse of the monster''s white mask buried deep within its goopy body. There was a thin scratch along its side from one of Claire''s sword strikes. The monster rose back up near the two other Dredges approaching them. Claire''s scratch was still on its mask. It hadn''t healed.


    Alex''s eyes narrowed.


    "Get the mask! It''s the only part we haven''t managed to destroy yet! It must be protecting it."


    Glint shifted targets immediately. He leapt at the Dredge''s face. The Dredge immediately raised its arms to cover its face, but Claire and Spark joined in on the attack. They focused their attacks on the monster''s head, tearing through its defenses as fast as they could.


    Their efforts were working ¡ª but not fast enough. The other two Dredges were almost upon them. The monsters were just too annoying to kill. Now that the Initiate 6 Dredge was focused on defending itself instead of attacking, it was even more resilient than before.


    If the other two entered the fight, then it would be practically impossible to focus one of them down without getting caught by one of their slow but powerful strikes.


    He gathered his power and darted forward, stepping around the Dredge and ducking under a swing, before thrusting his hands forward and using Funhouse.


    Reality shattered before him. Cracks spread out like a jagged spiderweb and expanded until the patch was just over eight feet in diameter. Alex couldn''t force it any larger in the time he had left. The approaching Dredges lurched forward and swung at him.


    Alex dove out of the way. The Dredges passed into the warped space and were abruptly twisted together before being spat out in two opposite directions. They stumbled and moaned, the masks sliding across their bodies to relocate Alex.


    One of them leapt at him again. Its fists crashed down on Alex''s remaining Mirror Image clone, shattering it instantly. He backed up, keeping distance between himself and the two new monsters.


    "Spark!" Alex called, not risking a glance back. "Forget protecting yourself. Grab onto the Dredge''s mask and hold it still for Claire and Glint!"


    With that, the other two Dredges were upon him again. Alex danced around Funhouse, keeping it between himself and the monsters as best as he could. They didn''t seem to be intelligent enough to comprehend what the magic did. Their hands and bodies passed through it, only to be spun and sent stumbling out in other directions.


    Sweat rolled down Alex''s back and beaded on his forehead as thrill gripped his body. The Dredges were slow, but a single hit could kill him. He had to keep their attention until ¡ª


    Magic rushed into Alex in a river of energy. One of his monsters had died.


    A loud crack echoed through the air an instant later.


    Alex risked a glance back.


    The Initiate 6 Blacktongue Dredge stood frozen in place. Glint''s claws were buried deep into its body, having just sliced through its mask. Then the Dredge collapsed into a wet puddle. Energy gripped Alex''s chest from the kill and a Soul Flame materialized in the air above the dead monster.


    Yes!


    Alex strode over to the flame and plucked it from the ground, inserting it into a Spatial Mirror and turning to Claire with an excited grin.


    His elation was short-lived. A shadow passed through the air overhead. Everyone ¡ª the other two Dredges included ¡ª froze and craned their necks back to look skyward.


    The blood drained out of Alex''s face.


    Perched upon the roof of a building was what could have only been described as a living shadow. It was easily twenty feet tall and sported blackened armor that melded together with its body. He couldn''t tell where the armor ended rippling flesh started. Its eyes were two solid chunks of crystal-blue dry ice, smoking with indiscriminate hunger. The monster''s fingers transformed into long shadows, sinking down into the actual shadow it cast along the building''s wall and onto the ground.


    Forsaken Revenant (???)


    The monster''s shadow stretched out along the ground and met with the foot of one of the Dredges.


    There was a faint snick.


    The Dredge exploded.


    Its shattered mask clattered to the ground amidst raining droplets of black, vicious flesh.


    The hair on the back of Alex''s neck shot straight up. A primordial sense of terror welled in his stomach, borne from the very same warning that told humans not to venture into the dark.


    Freezing blue eyes turned toward the second Drudge.


    Alex spun on his heel. There wasn''t a word to be said. Claire was already at his side. They poured every scrap of energy they had into doing the only thing they could.


    Running.

 Chapter 68: The Riftwarped

    Alex''s feet pounded against the warped stone of the Mirrorlands and his breath came in short, poorly repressed gasps. He nearly tripped over a random root jutting out from the sidewalk, barely managing to hop over it in time to avoid coming into contact.Claire ran just ahead of him. He was pretty sure she probably could have left him behind with the enhanced abilities her remaining blood could give her, but she hadn''t pulled too far ahead. A fair portion of that was probably because, if Alex died, the way out of the Mirrorlands evaporated with him.


    Alex couldn''t risk throwing a glance over his shoulder. A moment of distraction would be enough to let him stumble into something littering the street, whether it was a random floating stone, a root, or a hole straight into super-hell.


    He and Claire just ran. They kept to the edges of the buildings, trying to stick to the paths they''d already traveled through before, and praying that none of the City-Eater Centipedes saw them.


    The memory of the Forsaken Revenant clung to Alex''s mind like the wet sludge that made up a Blacktongue Drudge''s body. Even though he couldn''t see or hear it, the mere thought of the monster squeezed his heart in his chest with a hand of frost.


    It was nearly five minutes before they dared slow. Alex and Claire drew to a stop in the shadow of a huge tree emerging from the side of an office building and doubled over, bracing their hands against their knees and scanning everything in sight for any traces of the Forsaken Revenant.


    "What the fuck was that?" Claire rasped between gasps for air, wiping her brow with the back of a hand.


    "I have no damn idea," Alex replied. He swallowed, glanced back in the direction they''d come, and shuddered. There was a difference between enjoying a good fight and¡­ whatever that thing had been.


    He had absolutely no desire to fight it. No desire to even see it again. Something about the creature was deeply twisted. A minute passed. He and Claire didn''t budge. They remained in their hiding spot, but the Forsaken Revenant didn''t make itself known again.


    A slow frown worked its way across Alex''s lips as his heartbeat started to return to normal and his mind pulled itself from the grip of the terror that had been gripping it.


    I''ve seen some scary shit before. Why was that thing so bad? It actually had a name, unlike the Riftwarped monster that Berith killed. I wasn''t nearly as scared of that thing ¡ª or Berith, for that matter ¡ª as I am of this.


    His frown deepened. Now that he actually had a moment to think, he realized he couldn''t remember what the Forsaken Revenant''s face looked like, or if it had even had one at all.


    "Bloody creepy," Claire muttered, pushing her hair out of her face and shaking her head. "Too creepy. Literally. Are you¡ª"


    "Yeah. Confused," Alex said. "I¡­ do you think it had some sort of ability that made us want to run?"


    "More like it just flipped a switch in our brains. Prey know a predator when they see it," Claire said with a shudder. "I don''t know about you, but I think I''d like to head back just about now. I don''t know if I want to be wandering around the Mirrorlands so soon after that¡­ thing saw us."


    Alex knew exactly what she meant. Even though the monster was nowhere to be seen, an edge of uneasiness still pressed against his spine. The only reason they were alive was because the Forsaken Revenant had gone after the higher Stage monsters before them.


    If they met it again as they were now, they would die. There was no question or doubt about it. Even if Alex had been able to bring the absolute brunt of his strength to bear against the Revenant, it would have killed them.


    "I think I''m with you on that," Alex said with an uneasy laugh.


    "Decided you don''t want to die fighting anymore?" The corners of Claire''s lips twitched in amusement.


    "I decided I don''t want to get slaughtered. There''s a difference between a fight that might kill me and one that definitely will. Anything with an unreadable level is definitely beyond what we can handle right now."


    "Agreed," Claire said. "And getting back earlier rather than later is probably smart anyway. I don''t want to miss the third Initialization Event."


    Alex nodded. He glanced down at the deck at his side, slipping the topmost card free and turning it face-up.


    Spatial Mirror


    Stored Energy:


    High Grade Novice (Corpse Burrower) - 4


    Low Grade Novice (Corpse Poker) - 3


    Low-Mid Grade Initiate (Riftwarped Block-Eater Centipede) - 1


    High Grade Novice (Root Fiend) - 2


    Mid Grade Initiate - (Blacktongue Dredge) - 1


    Bonded Creature: None


    Even though each mirror only held a single monster, they shared the pool of souls. And sitting at the bottom of the list of potential monsters was the one Alex had just killed before they''d gotten the attention of the Forsaken Revenant.


    The Blacktongue Dredge.


    It had been one of the most annoying monsters to kill that Alex had ever fought. He''d been looking for something that could keep monsters off him and act as a tank for the party¡­ and Alex was sure he''d just found it. He grinned to himself.


    Between the Dredge''s ridiculous strength and defense, it''s perfect for my needs. Sometimes ¡ª on very specific occasions ¡ª I love the Mirrorlands. I''d have hated to be a summoner back on Earth. The monsters in the Mirrorlands are just cooler in every way. Then again, I don''t think people are running into Forsaken Revenants back on Earth.


    "You going to summon a monster before we try to get out of here?" Claire guessed, looking from Alex to the mirror in his hands. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alex nodded.


    "We could end up calling a strong monster when I open the portal back to Towntown. Intentionally holding ourselves back on Earth is fine when we''re up against weaker monsters, but the Mirrorlands is insane. It''s best to have every trick we can, even if we don''t end up needing to use them."


    "I''m not the one that has to be told that not everything we do has to be borderline suicidal," Claire said dryly. "I''ll keep an eye out while you get ready."


    "Thanks. I''m going to do it in my Mind Palace to avoid making a ridiculous amount of light and sound. We don''t need more attention than we''ve already got."


    Alex sat down, crossing his legs beneath him, and focused his attention inward. It was a little difficult to slip into meditation when his heart was beating so fast with the mixture of excitement, adrenaline, and nervousness pumping through his veins like a slurry of drugs, but he eventually felt the world fall away around him.


    Darkness rose up to take its place. A black lake stretched out around Alex and a huge basin rose from its center, backed by a mantle and before a set of plain white stairs. Three pillars emerged from the lake at the edges of the lake, looming far above.


    The gemstone that he''d set aside previously still rested at the top of the stairs. Beside it, blue mist swirled in a large orb.


    Alex didn''t let himself get distracted. He didn''t have time to do a proper meditation right now, nor had he killed enough monsters to have a pressing need for it. Instead, he pulled the empty Spatial Mirror from his deck and placed a hand upon its surface.


    Energy pressed into his palm as the glass rippled at his touch. Alex located the Blacktongue Dredge''s Soul Flame. He drove his palm forward, pushing past the resistance, and it sank into the mirror''s depths. Chilly energy prickled at his skin and raced down his arm as it worked into his body.


    Alex''s teeth clenched at the uncomfortable sensation. His fingers found the Blacktongue Dredge''s Soul Flame. The chill became a biting frost, so cold that it almost burned. Alex''s hand tightened around the energy. It twisted and leapt in attempt to escape him, but his hold on it didn''t falter.


    He yanked his hand back.


    The Soul Flame burst free from the Spatial Mirror. It slipped from Alex''s fingers and lifted into the air, condensing down into a tiny marble.


    Thin lines of molten blue energy twisted around the marble as it started to spin, forming a miniature vortex within the air. Pressure blew Alex''s hair back and sent small waves rolling out across the surface of the black lake.


    Alex raised a hand before his face and squinted as the power coming off the marble grew stronger. The ripples turned to waves, lapping against the sides of his legs and the basin. Wind whipped past his head and gathered around the marble, spinning with such intensity that it turned a translucent white.


    A dull hum filled the room. It grated on Alex''s ears and made his jaw throb. The pressure changed; his ears popped. Alex''s stomach clenched and he slid back across the surface of the water.


    The light pouring out from the marble grew brighter until it was a deep ocean blue. It forced him to squint and peer past his fingers. His mindspace felt like it had been caught in a storm.


    Waves crashed against his legs and the sound of rushing wind and water mixed into a cacophony. His hair whipped furiously around his face and the world almost seemed to tremble as more power gathered within his Mind Palace.


    Alex squeezed his eyes shut just in time to avoid a brilliant flash of light and a loud whump.


    A final wall of pressure slammed into him with such force that it lifted him off his feet and knocked him to his backside. He skidded across the surface of the lake ¡ª still largely unsure as to how he was sliding on top of water ¡ª before he managed to get his feet out under him.


    Alex blinked furiously to rid his eyes of the dots floating before them and jerked his head to look in the direction of the Soul Flame.


    Oh, hell yeah.


    Standing in the center of Alex''s Mind Palace was a Blacktongue Dredge. The monster stood two heads taller than Alex and was made of familiar black sludge packed into a muscular, vaguely humanoid form.


    A bleached white mask with two horizontal crescents for eyes and an inverted one for a mouth covered the monster''s face.


    Deep blue veins ran just beneath the monster''s skin, pulsing with dull light. Those were definitely new. None of the other Drudges had anything but sludge in their bodies.


    Alex clambered to his feet, swaying unsteadily for a moment but not letting his gaze break from the newly summoned monster.


    "Hello there," Alex said, a smile stretching over his face as he approached the Dredge. The monster watched him silently, waiting for a command. Its presence was intimidating, just like nearly every monster from the Mirrorlands.


    This thing is great¡­ but what if it was even better? I''ve got one new ability that I haven''t had a chance to test out yet and a few extra souls to work with. The normal Blacktongue Dredge was already ridiculously strong.


    Alex glanced back over the souls in his mirror, and his eyes locked on one as another thought struck him. He fought to keep his excitement from running amok. It would be a huge let-down if the idea didn''t work, but it was too late to stop his racing mind.


    How powerful would my Blacktongue Dredge become if I combine it with another monster?


    There was only one way to find out if this would work.


    Alex drew on his magic and activated Harmonious Evolution.


    Crackling energy raced through his veins and gathered in his palms. The world shifted around him, falling into grayscale in an instant.


    The Blacktongue Dredge lifted into the air, its body twisting in and collapsing on itself until it was a black and blue ball of rippling flame floating in the air before him ¡ª the only source of color that wasn''t a pure shade of gray.


    Alex blinked in surprise, then glanced down at the Spatial Mirror in his hand. The flames within it each still bore their color. He reached into the mirror and plucked a Root Fiend''s flame free.


    It was a blackish green, like the color of rotting moss. A faint hum filled his ears as he held the flame up before him, and it started to tremble in unison with the Blacktongue Dredge''s flame.


    He quickly returned the Root Fiend''s flame to his Spatial Mirror. Swallowing back his excitement, Alex grabbed a different flame. This one was also black but had streaks of angry purple and red magic arcing through it.


    The Riftwarped Block-Eater Centipede''s flame.


    It started to tremble. He couldn''t summon a Riftwarped monster¡­ but perhaps there was a different way he could harness their power.


    My Dredge might get stronger if I combine it with another monster¡­ but how powerful would it become if I combined it with the Riftwarped Block-Eater Centipede?


    His excited grin grew wider.


    I''m going to find out.

 Chapter 69: Hideous

    Alex held the Riftwarped Block-Eater Centipede''s Soul Flame in the air before him, his gaze fixed on the mote of black light that was his Blacktongue Dredge. Gray stretched out in every direction, toning out the rest of his Mind Palace so the only things that still remained in full color was the energy of his monsters.He fought to keep his excitement under control and remain focused. He didn''t know how much concentration Harmonious Evolution would take, and he didn''t want to risk potentially damaging two of his strongest Soul Flames and creating a worthless monster.


    I suppose I''ll just have to ¡ª


    Wait.


    Alex would have slapped himself in the forehead had he not been holding a Spatial Mirror in one hand and a Soul Flame in the other. He had quite a few monsters. Nothing in Harmonious Evolution said there was a time limit on how often he could use it.


    There was absolutely no reason for him to use two of his strongest Soul Flames on his first attempt when he could test out how the ability worked on something far less important first.


    Almost got ahead of myself there. That would have been stupid. I can''t let myself make impulsive decisions just because they''re cool¡­ too often. A few cool decisions don''t hurt anyone.


    I''ll do a quick combination of two random monsters just to see how it works, then meld the Dredge and the Block-Eater Centipede right afterward.


    Alex returned the green and black flame to his Mirror. He then plucked out two more Soul Flames ¡ª one from a Corpse Burrower, and one from a Corpse Poker. They both had corpse in the name, but he was pretty sure the combination would be terrible. There wasn''t much actual synergy between them.


    And that''s fine. The best way to learn is to fuck things up. Once I know what doesn''t work, I can figure out what does.


    He released his Spatial Mirror, which vanished and returned to his side. The typical grey energy that marked its passing was invisible in the grayscale that ruled the world while Alex had Harmonious Evolution active. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lifting the two Soul Flames, Alex held them out before him. Faint energy pulsed from both of them, pressing against his hands and each other. He tried bringing the flames closer together and the resistance increased ¡ª though not by a significant amount.


    Both of the flames started to glow as they drew closer still. A faint purple aura emanated out from them and bit into the gray around them, tinging it with color. Alex squinted as he moved the flames until they were nearly touching.


    A high-pitched hum rose up into the air and the Soul Flames started to tremble in his hands, trying to fling themselves from his grip. Arcs of energy popped off their surfaces and formed into a miniature storm between them.


    It feels just like combining Title Fragments, but a bit easier.


    Let''s see how this turns out, then.


    Alex brought his hands together like he was clapping. He slammed the two flames into each other and squeezed his eyes shut as a brilliant flash lit up the gray world. A wave of electric energy washed over him and buzzed across his skin. It was followed by a wall of pressure that drove into Alex''s gut like a punch.


    He stumbled a step back and opened his eyes to find a brilliant ball of white light floating where the two soul flames had been. It pulsated with shifting energy, sending ripples of purple and black light washing out in waves.


    Alex held a hand up to block the light and squinted past it. He could see the vague form of¡­ something within the light. The shadow of a pointed beak the length of his arm. Dark limbs, each one nearly as tall as him, shifting and warping.


    The buzzing filling the air turned into a deep, thumping bass. The monster within the light grew darker, taking a more concrete form. Limbs snapped into place with loud cracks and flesh bubbled within the light, sliding to form over a new body.


    There were several loud splashing thuds as something heavy dropped down onto the dark lake that stretched across Alex''s Mind Palace. A pop filled his ears and his stomach clenched as the pressure around him abruptly shifted.


    The light vanished, the world returned to grayscale, and Alex''s face twisted in involuntary disgust.


    A horrible mass of flesh and feathers sat on the ground before him. The monster, like the Soul Flames, arrived in full color, but it almost didn''t matter. It was a pallid whitish-gray, with black nails at the end of gangly, clawed limbs jutted out from it at odd angles.


    A long yellow beak stuck out from a birdlike face, a thin blood-red tongue lolling from within it. It had a bulbous body that sagged under its own weight. Weeping wounds covered its surface and the sickly smell of rotted meat wafted from its body. The monster rose to its feet unsteadily, its beak clacking as it got its bearings.


    Corpse Mass (Novice 5)


    Fire erupted across its body no more than an instant later and it twisted in on itself, forming into a Soul Flame to float before Alex.


    Mid Grade Novice (Corpse Mass) - 4


    "Right," Alex said, wiping at his nose in a fruitless attempt to remove the lingering stench that still assaulted it. "Combination¡­ successful. They combined, but that combination was fucking awful. Also looks like it ended up at Mid Grade, while the components were High and Low Grade. It must have averaged their strength. That''s good to know."


    I did want to see what happened when two monsters I suspected wouldn''t mesh well together were merged. I guess I got my wish.


    The Corpse Poker and Burrower had both been tangentially related in what they ate, but their actual forms were very different. The former was a tiny scavenger bird, while the latter was more of an ambush predator.


    Their fighting styles and general traits were definitely too different, then. So the skill functions pretty much how I expected, and it doesn''t look like just being a Mirrorlands Monster is enough to make them similar.


    He nodded to himself. That lined up with what he''d originally expected, but it was good to confirm his guesses. His thoughts turned to the two monsters he actually wanted to combine.


    The Blacktongue Dredge and the Riftwarped Bock-Eater Centipede.


    They weren''t as different as the previous two had been. Alex wasn''t entirely sure which traits were the most important to share, but he didn''t feel like they had anything that would be directly in opposition to each other.


    The Riftwarped aspect might cause some something to shift, but I have no idea what and won''t have a way to find out until I test the combination. I don''t think there''s any way to figure out what that''ll be beyond just saying fuck it and seeing what happens.


    Eh. Fuck it. I''ve got a basic grasp on the ability now. Let''s see what this ability can really do.


    Alex drew a Spatial Mirror free from the deck and plunged his hand into its chilly depths, pulling free the Riftwarped Centipede''s Soul Flame once more. The black and purple fire crackled and buzzed in his hand as he dismissed the mirror and strode over to the Blacktongue Dredge, grabbing its Soul Flame.


    The pressure between the Soul Flames was immediately evident. His hands were pushed apart like he was holding massive magnets. Alex''s arms tensed, halting the monsters attempts to fight back.


    I wonder what a stronger opposition means. The last combination was bad and had an easy combination¡­ that could just be because they were weaker, though.


    Only one way to find out.


    Gritting his teeth, Alex brought the flames together. They fought back against him and desperately tried to slip free of his grip. He didn''t let them. Slowly, steadily, he pushed the two motes of light closer and closer.


    Energy ignited between them, a crackling storm surrounding his arms and buzzing as it brushed across his skin. Light spilled out as Alex brought the Soul Flames closer still. It burned the grayscale world away, forcing him to squeeze his eyes shut as the flames grew closer and their energy grew brighter.


    The resistance the monsters put up grew stronger the closer he brought them together. He could feel the warmth from the energy pouring out of them heating the air and warming his skin. It felt like he''d stepped out into a hot summer day.


    His teeth clenched tighter and Alex let his hands slack slightly, drawing on as much strength as he could muster. Even as the flames slipped back an inch, he drove his hands together.


    The momentum slammed the flames into each other.


    There was a brilliant flash. Pressure slammed him back several steps and he raised his hands before his face to protect it.


    Wind buffeted his hair and bit at his eyes. He squinted past his fingers. A ball of purple energy floated in the air around eleven feet in diameter, arcs of black lightning racing throughout it. The huge orb pulsated, thrumming with power.


    Something moved within the orb. The shadow of a centipede''s leg, connected to a huge, dark mass. Alex grit his teeth as the light grew brighter. Crunches and squelching, ripping noises tore through his Mind Palace.


    He fought to try and make out what the new monster was, anxiety twisting his stomach. It was hard to make out any details within the light. All he could do was wait.


    Seconds slipped by.


    The pressure finally pulled back. All the light vanished, sucked into the monster, and Alex drew in a sharp breath as he laid eyes upon his new monster.


    A towering, hunchbacked humanoid made of thick black sludge loomed before him. The monster was almost twice as large as the original Dredge had been. It was wider and taller, easily making it Alex''s biggest monster by a wide margin.


    Its mask was still made of bleached white bone, with two horizontal crescents for eyes and an inverted one for the mouth.


    Along its chest, running from just below its mask and down to its hips, was a gaping line. A ripple passed down the line and sludge-like flesh pulled back to reveal a vertical mouth running through the monster''s center. It roiled with rows upon rows of small, pointed teeth that would rip anything unfortunate enough to be caught within it to shreds.


    Two extra undulating arms rose up over the monster''s back, curling over its shoulders like Dr. Octopus'' robotic limbs. They rippled in eerie unison, made up of dozens upon dozens of undulating centipede legs.


    Purplish-red energy crackled like a miniature storm behind the eye holes of the monster''s mask. Ripples of it occasionally passed through its vicious body like a slow moving storm before being swallowed by the darkness once more.


    Riftwarped Devouring Dredge (Initiate 2)


    Alex swallowed heavily before his lips were pulled apart in a mixture of delight and revulsion. The monster was horrifying. It looked like it had been ripped right out of somebody''s fever-induced nightmare.


    It''s hideous.


    I love it.

 Chapter 70: The Threat

    Alex''s new monster stood upon the surface of the black lake as still as a block of ice. The final ripples of its arrival settled down and silence returned to the world. For several long seconds afterward, Alex couldn''t bring himself to move or tear his gaze away from his creation.The monster was massive. It was everything he''d been looking for and more. Not only would it be the perfect tank for him, but it was also terrifying. Anyone that had something like this barreling toward them was undoubtedly about to have a very bad day.


    Elation welled in his stomach. He''d actually done it.


    He''d combined his monsters ¡ª and more than that. Alex had combined a Riftwarped monster, getting past the limitation that stopped him from binding them. He still didn''t know what it was that prevented the connection in the first place.


    He suspected he''d find out at some point, but he was a little preoccupied at the moment. The Riftwarped Devouring Dredge was definitely a successful combination.


    Alex finally forced himself to move. He raised a hand, waving it in front of the monster''s face to see if it would have any reaction. The Dredge didn''t so much as blink. It remained frozen in place, awaiting a command.


    "You wouldn''t happen to be intelligent, would you?" Alex asked. He still had to make sure ¡ª every time he made a stronger monster, there was a chance they would somehow unlock a degree of thought.


    He wasn''t sure what he''d do in the case that happened, but it didn''t look like today would be the day. The Dredge didn''t acknowledge him in the slightest. He may as well not have even been there.


    Alex glanced back at his Spatial Mirror. There were still several monster souls within it. He could theoretically continue combining them ¡ª but he wasn''t sure if any of them had any proper synergy with the Dredge as it was now.


    Neither the Corpse Burrower nor Poker really lined up with the Dredge, even in its new form. They were just too different, not to mention considerably weaker. The Root Fiends weren''t all that much stronger than the other monsters and their wooden bodies didn''t seem like they would mesh particularly well with any of the elements in the Dredge right now.


    I think I''ve got exactly what I need right now. None of the remaining monsters are powerful or interesting enough to need to fuse, so I''ll save them for snacks to feed to Glint. Hopefully I can get him to evolve on his own pretty soon.


    Alex de-activated Harmonious Evolution. Color bloomed across the expanse of his Mind Palace ¡ª even though there really wasn''t all that much color in it beyond the dark lake and the white structures rising around him.


    He dismissed the Dredge with a thought. It melted into a stream of gray energy and flew through the air, pouring into the deck at his side.


    The preparations were done. He was ready to leave the Mirrorlands and return to Earth once more ¡ª and, if he was lucky, he''d take another Riftwarped monster''s soul with him on the way out.


    Alex pulled himself free of his meditation. His eyes opened to find himself in the Mirrorlands once again. He sat on the ground in the shade of a crumbling building floating far above them.


    Claire crouched beside him, her gaze scanning over their surroundings in search of any monsters and a hand resting on the hilt of the katana at her side. She glanced at him as he shifted.


    "Did it work?" Claire asked in a hushed whisper.


    "Yeah. More than. I used one of my new skills to combine two monsters. We can leave," Alex said, pushing himself up to his feet. "Any signs of that¡­ thing?"


    "No," Claire replied. She rose to her feet and sent one last glance in the direction that they''d come from. "It''s been around ten minutes. At this point, I think it gave up on us. We got lucky and weren''t strong enough to be worth chasing. I don''t think I''d press my luck, though."


    "With you there," Alex said with a nod. "Let''s head back."


    ***


    They reached the portal a short trip later. With the extra caution they took to make sure they didn''t draw any attention to themselves while the Forsaken Revenant could still be lurking around somewhere, they didn''t run into any monsters on the trip back. That was a welcome change. Alex had been expecting to run into something annoying on the way back.


    He and Claire left the warped city rising in the distance behind them and made it up to the thin purple fault in the hills. Brilliant blue grass swayed around it in a faint wind that prickled against Alex''s skin.


    Claire drew her katana and readied herself. Spark was still dead, but Alex still had two more monsters to work with. He summoned Glint and his new, unnamed Dredge, with a thought.


    Shattering glass announced the Shardwalker''s arrival as claws carved a rend through reality and Glint stepped out from within it. He came to a stop before Alex, waiting for a command.


    The ground to Glint''s side started to darken. Alex and Claire glanced down at it as thick black sludge started to pour out from beneath the grass, bubbling like boiling oatmeal. The patch of darkness spread out and Claire took a step back as the Dredge''s enormous form rose up from beneath the ground like it was emerging from within a swamp.


    Pointed legs burst from its back, spraying out sludge, and cracked together as they formed into arms that curled over its shoulders. The sharpened claws at the tips of the arms flexed, causing the rest of the arms to undulate.


    "Bleed me," Claire breathed, staring at the towering creature in awe. "What the fuck, Alex? This is yours?"


    "Hey, it''s got feelings," Alex said. "Don''t be mean."


    "It does?"


    "No." Alex scratched at the back of his neck. "I don''t think so. Still completely unintelligent. I check every time."


    "Right," Claire said, craning her neck back to look up at the monster. Her face twisted in a grimace as she spotted the huge maw running down the center of its body. "Creepy. What''s its name?"


    "Er¡­ what about Princess?"


    Claire stared at Alex. She looked from him to the monster, then back to him. "Princess? Really?"


    "I mean, think about it. I say my monster''s names sometimes in a fight. Who''s going to expect the lumbering sludge creature to be called Princess? Besides, it follows Pitbull rules."


    "It follows what now?"


    "Pitbull rules." Alex scratched at the side of his chin. "It''s like when someone has a pretty intimidating breed of dog called a pitbull and they name it Brutalizer. It sounds scary, but the dog always ends up being the sweetest dog you''ve ever met. But when the pitbull is called something like Cupcake or Princess, it always lives off a diet of toddler faces."


    "Right," Claire said, drawing out the word and squinting at Alex like he''d been dropped on his head. "Well, it''s your monster."


    "So she is," Alex confirmed. "How do you like that name, Princess? Is it good?"


    The Dredge didn''t respond.


    Alex was pretty sure that didn''t count as consent, but he was starting to get the idea that Princess was not particularly talkative. If the monster ever decided she didn''t like her new name, then he would change it. Until then, Princess she would be.


    "Right," Alex said. "Glint, Princess, I want to see what you''re capable of. Kill the shit out of whatever shows up. Focus on survival. Princess ¡ª your job is to absorb any attacks and keep our opponent''s attention off Glint, me, and Claire. Try to lock it down and damage it if possible, but do not prioritize offense over defense."


    "I''ll let your summons take this one so you can test them out," Claire said. "But you''ve got to give me a cool fight next time if you don''t end up needing my help."


    "Thanks," Alex said with an appreciative nod. He strode past his monsters and up to the awaiting portal. He lifted his hands, drawing on Riftwalk and pressing his hands into the line as power flooded through him.


    He dug his fingers into the purple energy and pulled. The crackling energy resisted him, but he was surprised to find it gave way easily.


    With a loud ripping noise, the portal tore open. A disk of spinning purple energy took form before him and a black sheen enveloped its face like a plane of tinted glass. Alex rapped his fingers against it, but it was as hard as steel. They''d been blocked off.


    What sounded like a loud zipper tore through the air above them. Alex and Claire both skipped back as a familiar-looking bundle of chitinous legs tumbled down from a portal to land with a rattling crash on the hillside beside them.


    The legs shot out, digging into the ground as the monster unfurled and rapidly righted itself. It had a crablike body with two, long, swaying eyes upon chitinous stalks. Five legs extended from each side of its hard-shelled body, which was lined from top to bottom with spines.


    A purple name burned in the air above the monster''s head, identifying it as the first Riftwarped monster they''d ever fought.


    Riftwarped Crawler (Initiate 1)


    The Crawler let out a chittering hiss and burst into motion, legs slamming into the ground like a dozen drums going off at once. It charged toward Alex ¡ª and Princess slammed into it like a freight train.


    Sludge splattered across the ground as the huge Dredge drove its weight down into the Riftwarped Crawler and slammed it into the ground. Several loud cracks split the air as some of the monster''s legs were shattered beneath it.


    The Crawler screamed and hissed, trying to rip itself free, but Princess''s body glommed onto the crab and held fast, completely locking it in place. The huge mouth on the center of her body split open and bit down on the crawler''s shell.


    The shell crunched. Dark blood sprayed from the crab as it screamed and thrashed. Its claws snapped at Princess, carving through her sludgy body. Thick black fluid splattered from her to the ground, but the damage was nowhere near significant. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    While Princess held the crab down, Glint advanced toward it. He waited for the right moment, watching the flailing limbs until an opportunity presented itself, then burst into motion.


    His large claws plunged into the top of the crab''s shell and punched through its carapace like nothing was there. Glint yanked them down. The shell barely even made a sound as he carved it apart.


    The Riftwarped Crawler''s limbs collapsed to the ground. Power trickled into Alex.


    Silence ruled over the clearing, broken only by the drip of blood from Glint''s claws to the ground below and the crunch of Princess'' chewing.


    Alex and Claire stared at the two summoned monsters in disbelief.


    And, in that moment, it struck Alex that they hadn''t just gotten lucky in avoiding monsters on their trip back through the city.


    The reason they hadn''t been attacked wasn''t because the monsters had all been preoccupied. There were no monsters in the alleys they''d gone through because the monsters that used them to avoid stronger enemies had vacated the area.


    Alex and Claire had become the threat.

 Chapter 71: The 3rd Initialization

    In the wake of what could only be described as the brutal slaughter of the Riftwarped Crawler, Alex gathered the monster''s Soul Flame and stepped through the portal together with Claire in a stunned silence.He donated some more blood to her upon their return ¡ª the System was definitely letting him regenerate that faster than normal, because he was pretty sure humans normally couldn''t get snacked on this easily ¡ª and the two of them made their way back to Towntown.


    The city was still covered in rubble and ripped to pieces from the attack. Calling it anything more than a crumbling wreckage would have been lying. The scents of battle had lifted from the city, and all the bodies that had been there earlier were gone. Not so much as a splotch of blood remained on the ground.


    People huddled behind the destroyed walls of buildings and watched Alex and Claire warily as they walked through the streets toward their room.


    The lobby of the apartment was emptier than Alex could ever recall it. Ben sat on the remains of a table, dark bags under his eyes and his head buried in his palm. Mary and several other survivors gathered around him, discussing something in hushed tones. Ben spotted Alex and Claire out of the corner of his eye. He glanced up at them.


    "Run into any trouble?"


    Somehow, I don''t think he''s asking about the Forsaken Revenant.


    "No," Alex replied. "Nothing too crazy. Did we miss anything?"


    "Isaiah and his group left. Weakened us by about half our strength, but I''d rather have a smaller group of reliable warriors than a bunch of turncoats." The corner of Ben''s lip tugged up into a bitter smile. "At least, I''d say that, but I don''t think Towntown is going to exist for much longer. Everyone worth anything wants to leave, and I''m not so sure that''s a bad idea."


    "Finding a larger settlement is just the safest bet," Mary said with a helpless shrug. "Look at us, Ben. We barely survived the event. If Alex and Claire hadn''t been here, we''d all be fucking dead. And because they were, we barely got shit in the way of rewards. We need to get a new base. Somewhere to regroup and gather our strength."


    "I''m not arguing with that," Ben said. "But what about the people who can''t make the trip? We don''t even know where¡ª"


    "You''re too nice, Ben," Mary said flatly. "You''re so concerned with the people that won''t pick up a weapon and try to defend themselves that you''re going to get the rest of us killed because of it. What happens during the third Initialization Event? What if another horde shows up?"


    "Then I''d assume the System is painfully unimaginative," Ben said. "If we had some semblance of a plan as to where we could go, I''d be more amiable to this. But as things are now¡­ we''d just be wandering off into the wilderness. Nobody knows where we are. Even if its still Earth, it might as well be an alien planet."


    Alex and Claire exchanged a glance as the other survivors plunged back into an argument. This wasn''t their fight. They quietly made their way over to the stairs and headed up to their room, not speaking a word until the door was shut behind them.


    "I think I''m with Mary," Claire said. "But we''ve already covered that."


    Alex nodded. "There''s no reason to stay here, if only because the monsters in this area aren''t particularly strong. I''ve seen some of the people we''re up against. We can''t afford to fall behind. I just don''t have the slightest idea of where to actually go. Even if Earth was exactly as it was, I have no clue where we are."


    "Can probably set out and look for a river, then follow it," Claire suggested after a moment of thought. "Cities usually get built near large bodies of water, and a river should connect to that."


    "Good idea. I''m for that. Tomorrow, then? I''ve still got some energy I want to try to put into my Mind Palace. Mind keeping watch?"


    "Sure thing. Go for it." It had been a bit since he''d gotten to practice with Funhouse, and the ability''s full potential would only really be unlocked after a painful amount of testing. This was as good an opportunity to work on it as any.


    Claire sat down on the bed and Alex drew on his magic. He went to cast Funhouse, then paused.


    He''d tested his Riftwarped Domain Qi on summoning Glint, but he hadn''t seen what happened when he used it on a different ability.


    Now seemed as good of a time to find out as any.


    He shifted his attention to the core in the center of his chest. Warm energy rushed forth and flooded his body and filling it with a gentle prickling sensation. Alex pushed it out from his palms as he activated Funhouse.


    The air before him shattered. Cracks ripped through reality and carved out in a growing storm before him. That normally would have been where the ability stopped, lying in wait for something to pass into its domain, but this time, it was different.


    Deep purplish-red arcs of lightning leapt between the shards of space and reflected off the fragments of reality. A low whistle filled the air as wind was sucked into and spat out of Funhouse''s domain from every direction.


    Qi drained out of Alex at an alarming rate. Funhouse continued to expand. Cracks carved through the air and he felt himself pulled toward the center of the ability. The force of the suction wasn''t quite enough to lift him off his feet, but it forced him to dig his heels into the wood and grab onto the bed.


    Alex grabbed the crumpled up dollar he''d been using to test the ability earlier and flicked it into the center of the crackling storm. It vanished within the fragments of reality, elongating like a noodle and stretching through space before getting shot out in the opposite direction in a blur.


    The dollar smacked into the wall with enough force to completely flatten itself.


    "What the bloody hell are you doing?" Claire hissed.


    Alex''s Qi ran out before he could try to explain himself.


    Funhouse crumpled. The cracks folded in on themselves and vanished with a pop as if they''d never been there. Claire''s hair fluttered down around her face, frazzled and tossed. Alex sent her a sheepish look.


    "Sorry," Alex said. "I was testing something."


    "Testing what? And since when did you have an ability like that? And are you going to do that again? Because, if you are, can you wait until I finish meditating?"


    "Don''t worry. I''m out of Qi for now, but it was worth it. I figured out exactly what Qi does!"


    Claire''s annoyance evaporated. "You did? What does it do?"


    "Well, I already suspected this, but this confirmed it. It modifies any ability you use it in conjunction with," Alex said with an excited grin.


    "Like a power boost?"


    Alex waggled a hand from side to side in the air. "I think it''s more than just that. It''s more like a twist. A power boost would have just made Funhouse bigger or stronger. It did that, but it also started pulling things in. That''s completely new. I did notice that the energy that permeates the Mirrorlands was showing up, both in Glint when I used Qi on him and Funhouse just now."


    "You think it''s giving your abilities traits from the Mirrorlands?" Claire asked. "Like it''s changing them to be Riftwarped, or something?"


    Alex gave her an empathetic nod. "Exactly. I don''t have any way to prove that yet. We need you to get Qi of your own to confirm my theory, but that seems accurate so far. I need to test out a Qi-empowered Rift Warp as well."


    Claire blew a strand of hair that had fallen over her face out of the way. "Now you''re making me impatient. I''m killing the next few monsters we run into on my own."


    "All yours," Alex said. "Sorry for the distraction."


    Claire scrunched her nose, then closed her eyes once more.


    Alex waited for a few minutes to make sure she actually got a chance to start meditating before he called on his powers again. Even though he was out of Qi, his normal magic was still waiting to be called on.


    Right. Back to the original plan. It''s practicing time.


    ***


    Hours ticked by. Claire was taking her sweet time with her meditation, but Alex wasn''t particularly pressed for time. The down time was a perfect opportunity to push himself farther, and it was surprisingly fun trying to map out exactly how Funhouse worked.


    The ability was not making things easy for him. Everything that passed through its domain ended up getting redirected so many times that it was agony to keep track of, but he was making headway.


    He''d never focused quite like he was now. His entire being was completely locked in on the cracks in reality, only pausing when he took brief breaks to let his magic recover in between tests.


    Night marched on. Huge stars twinkled overhead, showering Towntown with far more light than they had any right to. The moon shimmered far above, a silver eye watching over their every move.


    Alex was still practicing when a massive crash split the air.


    The world lurched beneath him and bucked like a violent horse. The ground vanished, leaving him suspended in the air for a brief moment before flying back up and slamming into his feet.


    He stumbled, pain shooting up his legs, and a thud marked Claire landing face-first on the ground beside him.


    Powerful tremors ripped through the entire apartment and rattled it violently, forcing Alex to fight to keep his balance. He clutched onto a wall, not even able to move, and desperately weathered the abrupt attack.


    Stars flashed outside as brilliant forks of blue lightning screamed and thundered far overhead.


    Claire let out a slew of nasally curses as she bounced and rolled across the ground, her nose broken from the fall. She managed to get her feet out from under her and dragged herself upright.


    She grabbed her nose and snapped it back into place, then wiped the blood from her lips before yelling to Alex. "What''s going on?"


    Golden light flashed in the air before Alex'' face before he could respond.


    Local Announcement for Subsector 735


    Part [3/3] of the System''s initialization has begun. Links between select Hub Cities are in the process of being established and System Approved Merchants will now be allowed to take up residence in Hub Cities.


    Outworlder Envoys have been approved for arrival in certain Subsectors.


    The adjustment period has concluded.


    Dungeon formation is no longer restricted. Dungeons will form at areas with high concentrations of magical energy.


    Global Leaderboards have been initiated.


    The merger of Planet 274-50 will complete at the conclusion of this event.


    WARNING: Region Bosses have been released. They will awaken over the course of the 3rd Initialization Event.


    [Trial Assigned: Cataclysmic Arrival]


    Objective: Defeat the Region Bosses before they can consume your Subsector.


    Sentence after sentence slammed into existence before Alex, nearly blinding him with their intensity. His eyes went wide and his heart thudded in his chest. Adrenaline still coursed through his veins from the earthquake that had just rocked the world.


    Links to other cities? Like portals? And what''s this about Region Bosses? S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alex''s thoughts were interrupted by a burning orange glow from outside. A rumbling roar like that of a furious dragon echoed out, only growing louder and louder.


    Alex''s gaze was pulled through the window and into the sky beyond.


    His lips parted in disbelief.


    A gargantuan, perfectly spherical meteor carved through the night above Towntown. It was easily the size of a city block and unnaturally smooth. Molten flame wreathed the meteor''s surface as it hurtled down, passing directly overhead and heading for the hills behind the town.


    "Get down!" Alex yelled, flinging himself beneath the bed and throwing his hands over his head.


    Claire dove down beside him and threw her hands over her head.


    The meteor screamed over the town and out of view. Its massive roar continued on for another second before an enormous, earthshaking crash went off in the distance like a detonating atomic bomb. Every piece of glass in Towntown that hadn''t already been broken shattered and disintegrated into dust.


    Alex and Claire were both thrown up into the bed as the ground bucked once more. A brilliant flash lit the night and barged into their room.


    It was followed just instants later by an immense wall of pressure. Alex''s ears popped. His hearing didn''t even get a chance to start ringing.


    The walls of the apartment ripped apart. He and Claire were lifted from their shelter and flung through the air like ragdolls as Towntown was enveloped in an enormous explosion, and then the world became a sea of debris and flame.

 Chapter 72: Opportunity

    Alex''s stomach was in his throat. He flew through open space, head ringing, the world spinning around him like he was a piece of laundry caught in a washing machine. Burning light still filled the sky, broken by the shadows of pieces of debris alongside him.He couldn''t tell up from down; left from right. His entire body throbbed from the force of the blast. If it hadn''t been magically reinforced by his Mind Palace, he would have been ripped apart by now.


    Alex desperately tried to gather his thoughts or wring back any semblance of coherent thought from the twisting vortex of shapes and colors around him.


    The ground hit him first.


    It arrived in a flash, ripping the momentum from his body. Alex couldn''t hear the snap of his bones, but he could certainly feel it. His arm, which had still been wrapped around his head, shattered in several places. A rib crunched as something heavy drove into his chest. The air was driven from his lungs in a wet wheeze.


    An immense wave of dizziness and disorientation slammed into him and, for an instant, Alex''s consciousness flickered and threatened to go dark. Pain tore through his body and his head slammed in conjunction with his heart. The only things that kept him aware were the magic filling his being and the adrenaline pumping in his veins.


    The loud ringing in his ears was split by the thunderous crash of debris raining down all around him. Tremors shook the ground and sent arcs of pain flooding through him with every involuntary movement he was forced to make.


    Alex''s body begged him to collapse into the darkness. He fought back against the sensation with all his might. Passing out here could mean getting buried ¡ª or getting hit by something even bigger.


    He had to move.


    His hands trembled. He clenched his teeth, grinding them in agony as blood trickled down the sides of his face and ran from lacerations covering his body. The world felt like it was a thousand miles away and growing farther with every second.


    Come on!


    Alex''s limbs stubbornly refused him. He could feel some of the damage trying to fix itself, but it was too difficult to move yet. His body simply didn''t have the energy to spare. He couldn''t move from where he laid on the cold pavement.


    A shadow passed over Alex. He caught a glimpse of a huge piece of masonry plummeting toward him from a half-shut, dust filled eye. His finger twitched. That was the full extent of the movement he could muster.


    Princess! Help me!


    The massive chunk of wall crashed down. It smashed against the stone next to him, the enormous explosion that marked its arrival barely audible to his damaged hearing. Tiny pieces of debris sprayed Alex, but it wasn''t over. The shadow of the wall hurtled toward his face as the rest of the stone fell toward his body.


    Darkness exploded around him.


    A chest-sized chunk of stone landed inches away from his face. Other pieces of debris crashed down around him. None of them found their mark on him. A new shadow rose over Alex. Sludge dripped from it, splattering against the ground.


    Alex managed to roll himself over with a groan. Pain shot through his body, but it was momentarily forgotten as he found himself staring up at Princess. She tossed a huge chunk of the wall away from her like it weighed nothing more than a paper plate.


    Surprise roiled in Alex, mixing with and briefly muting his agony. He''d managed to not only summon Princess without a word but had also managed to make her act in accordance with his will without saying a single thing.


    Does that mean¡­


    Princess reached down toward him. Her enormous hand dug through the ground beneath Alex and lifted it ¡ª and him ¡ª gingerly into the air. The scent of dust and blood soaked into the dirt and his clothes, thickening the air around him.


    His ears popped, a portion more of his hearing returning to him. Bones twisted and jerked in his chest as they slowly, ponderously, worked back toward their proper positions. Alex tried twitching his fingers. The attempt sent another flair of pain arcing through his body.


    Fuck me. What the hell just happened?


    Alex blinked furiously, one of the few things he could still do without making the pain worse and tried to get a better look around himself. Princess lifted him higher into the air. Roiling clouds of dust obscured the sky and drifted across the ruined street around him.


    He''d landed somewhere in the city, but he wasn''t even sure if Towntown could be called that anymore. The buildings had all been reduced to rubble. Pieces of steel and stone littered the ground and jutted up at odd angles, breaking through the dust like earthen fangs.


    Princess turned Alex in a circle at his mental request, then jerked to a halt as he spotted something at the edge of the hills beside the remains of the town.


    Wreathed in smoldering flame was the enormous meteor that had crashed down from the heavens. It was buried deep into the ground within a massive crater. Everything in the immediate area around it had been completely obliterated. Grass had burned away and the hill itself had been demolished and charred.


    Good god. What the fuck just happened? Is that huge thing one of the Region Bosses?


    A bone in Alex''s arm popped. He fought through a grimace, fighting to keep his thoughts focused. All the adrenaline in the world couldn''t have completely overruled the disbelief pounding in his skull, but there would be time to stand around looking confused later.


    Princess lumbered off at a thought, bearing Alex along with her.


    He needed to find Claire. He was hopeful that she''d had enough blood to survive the blast, but there was a good chance she''d need more. Alex just wasn''t sure if he had enough extra to go around right now.


    Every second that passed felt like an eternity. His eyes scoured through the rubble covering the ground as Princess crunched through it, each lumbering step grinding against wood, steel, and stone fragments.


    Alex would have called Claire''s name if he could breathe properly, but every single movement he drew in sent more pain spiking through his lungs and chest. It would be at least a few minutes before any part of him was properly back under commission.


    Fortunately, Alex''s body didn''t need to work.


    If he could control his monsters with just thought alone¡­


    Glass shattered and lightning crackled. Spark and Glint emerged beside Princess, then instantly set off digging through the rubble in search of Claire.


    Neither of the monsters was exactly built for a search and recover mission, but the extra bodies still helped. Glint and Spark set off in opposite directions in search of Claire.


    Alex''s body slowly repaired itself while they searched. Bones ground back together and flesh knit shut. It was slow and painful, but it was better than dying. He barely even noticed any of it. His attention was too focused on trying to find any traces of Claire. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    An uneasy sickness built in his stomach as his search turned up other people buried within the ruins.


    Not one of them was alive. It was a small mercy that he didn''t recognize any of them, but it didn''t bode well for the rest of the town''s survival rates.


    A shimmer of light caught the corner of Alex''s eyes, grabbing his attention. Princess turned him toward it.


    The white "star" that had fallen during the 2nd Initialization Event burned with moonlight like a miniature spotlight. It beamed into the air and vanished into the night sky far above, coils of misty silver power crawling out from it.


    And, standing at the base of the star, was a tall man with golden eyes. He had tanned skin and slick black hair that framed sharp features. Thin, metallic tattoos that matched his eye color ran down from his temple and along his cheeks before disappearing at the base of his neck. Sleek black armor covered his body and a curved sword hung from each of his hips.


    The man''s eyes lingered on Princess for several long moments. His posture tensed and unease warped his features as he muttered under his breath. "What wretched place in the Infinium did this horrid thing come¡ª"


    His eyes lifted to find Alex in the monster''s hand. He blinked in surprise.


    "Another Outworlder? You went down that easily?" the man asked, a worried frown furrowing his brow. He put his hands on the hilts of his blades. "Actually, no matter. How is it that you managed to arrive before me?"


    Who is this? Is he related to the Region Boss? Did he summon it? Hell, is he the boss himself? Shit. This is really bad.


    "Arrive?" Alex croaked, dust and blood gumming up his words. The longer he kept the man talking, the more time his body would have to heal. "What are you talking about?"


    Princess readied herself. Alex still couldn''t move properly, but he had his Qi and his magic. No matter who the man was, he didn''t plan on going down without a fight. He prepared to call his monsters back to his side.


    "What do you mean, what am I¡­" the man trailed off. His eyes widened in shock. "You can''t be serious. You''re a Native?"


    "Do I look native to you?" Alex asked through a grimace. His skin was the same tint as a sheet of paper and he had about as much culture in his family tree as an unused petri dish.


    "A Native," the man repeated in delight, staring at Alex like he were a choice cut of meat in a butcher''s shop. He adjusted his sleek armor, then cleared his throat and held a hand out. "Forgive me. I did not realize who you were. A valued one such as yourself can count themselves among friends in my presence. I mean you no harm."


    "What?"


    "My name is Finley," the man said, inclining his head and upper body in a slight bow. "I am a merchant from the Starlight Family. I did not expect to run into any Natives out in the boonies so soon. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."


    He extended a hand.


    Alex stared at it. He still couldn''t properly move the majority of his body. Finley cleared his throat and crossed his arms behind his back.


    "Right. Mercy. I did not consider your, ah, state. Perhaps you would be interested in purchasing a healing tincture?"


    So¡­ he''s not going to try to kill me?


    "Who are you?" Alex asked. "And what the hell is going on? I''d prefer answers to a healing potion."


    Finley pursed his lips. "I prefer not to give anything away for free, but I suppose I was rather rude, and its family tradition to make sure our first customer is a longtime one. I''ll give you three questions for free. As to the ones you just asked¡­ my name is Finley Starlight, from the Starlight Family of Planet 002-10. I am a merchant."


    Alex opened his mouth but caught himself before he could say anything. If he only had one question left, he couldn''t waste it on something useless by accident. Finley definitely seemed like the type of person to count asking the weather as one of his three questions.


    The merchant raised his eyes to the meteor rising in the distance. His face went pale and he pulled at his hair. "Oh, no."


    Alex arched an eyebrow. If he didn''t say anything, he couldn''t mistakenly ask a question.


    "I am cursed," Finley proclaimed, his shoulders slumping. "To answer your second question, from the looks of things, it seems I''ve gotten unlucky. Again. I chose the cheapest option onto your planet, and it appears that landed me in the wake of a Region Boss. Damn it all."


    There were so many questions that Alex wanted to ask, but he held them back. It didn''t look like Finley was about to attack him, which meant his priority was still finding Claire. He sent Spark off to search for her with a thought. The Echo Wraith left a floating shadow in its wake before darting away.


    "I see," Alex said. He couldn''t really think all that straight yet and didn''t want to accidentally waste his last question, so he settled for the only thing that came to mind. "That sucks."


    "Sucks?" Finley exclaimed, tugging at his hair "The understatement of this apocalypse, I''d say. This is terrible. My profits are ruined. Do you have any idea how much money I just ¡ª fuck. Forget it. Tell me, were you the weakest of this location? Perhaps the others all hid? Are there other Outworlders here?"


    "I don''t answer questions for free."


    Finley blinked. Then his eyes narrowed. "Fair play. I will give you an extra question if you answer mine."


    "Hardly seems fair. One question for infinite?"


    "Come, now. My knowledge is far more valuable than yours. Your apocalypse started¡­ what, a day or two ago? The only reason your information holds value is because nobody else is here right now. You''ve got expiring goods. I don''t."


    Alex''s legs shifted. His control was coming back ¡ª and Finley actually had a point. There was no way he was the only survivor of the explosion. If he waited until other people showed up, any leverage he had evaporated.


    Princess lowered him to the ground. He swayed, tingling pain twisting up his legs, but he could stand again.


    "I was one of the strongest people in this area according to the leaderboards," Alex said. "And you''re the first person I''ve ever met that''s called themselves an Outworlder."


    Finley winced and let out a groan. "Shit. If you got this injured by the Region Boss''s arrival, you can''t be higher than Adept tier. Shit. It''ll be weeks before you''re strong enough to take on the monster. By then, it''ll have ruined everything. Nobody will ever come to this shithole town. I knew I should have spent more money on a better transfer."


    Half the words Finley said felt like gibberish, but Alex committed them to memory as best he could anyway. His thoughts were finally starting to gather. Concern for Claire still tightened his stomach, but his monsters were actively looking for her and he wasn''t going to make much of a difference as he was right now.


    His thoughts briefly focused on Finley.


    The System message said something about merchants and Outworlders showing up.


    Alex swallowed, the taste of blood souring his mouth, and finally regained enough of his strength to wipe the dust and blood from his face. His hair rose to stand on end as realization prickled against his insides.


    This guy¡­ he''s from another planet? One that''s had a System for longer than this one?


    Holy shit.


    This might be a huge opportunity.

 Chapter 73: A Small Army

    Alex''s mind spun as he dug for the best questions. His head still spun from the damage he''d taken and a mixture of dust and blood coated his body, sparing no part. He could taste death in the air ¡ª though that might have just been the asbestos in the destroyed buildings.Princess held him up above the ruined ground and over Finley''s head. The heavily armored merchant watched him with poorly concealed distress. Most would have assumed he was worried about the wreckage of the town around them, but Alex would have put money that it was anything but.


    Finley didn''t care about the dead at all. The only thing he was concerned about was having landed next to a Region Boss. As scummy as that was, Alex was focused on it for an entirely different reason.


    Why is this such a big deal? Can''t Finley just leave and go to a new area? The System mentioned something about towns getting linked together. Even if Towntown isn''t one of them, there should be a way for him to get out of here.


    The way Finley had spoken earlier implied that he was considerably stronger than Alex. That might have just been a bluff, but Alex wasn''t so sure. Something else was at play ¡ª but he wasn''t so sure he wanted to blow one of his two questions on it.


    Think in the long term, Alex. With two questions, I can afford to at least try and use one of them as insurance for the future. The second question can be more related to what''s going on right now, but I can''t pass up the chance to get a huge leg up on everyone else.


    Finley definitely has knowledge about the System that I don''t. Even if he''s only one Stage above me, that would put him at Adept. Meiderly said I would unlock my domain at that Stage. That''ll definitely be important. I could ask him ¡ª


    Alex''s eyes widened.


    There had been one thing that Meiderly had stressed more than anything else. And, thus far, the eyeless man''s advice had yet to lead him wrong.


    "Right. I''ve got my first question," Alex said, coughing as dust bit at his lungs and stuck to his throat. "In detail, how can I make my Mind Palace as powerful as possible?"


    Finley froze in place. "What?"


    "That''s my question," Alex said.


    "I ¡ª the questions were meant to be about this!" Finley snapped, waving his hands in the air around him. "About the apocalypse. The Region Boss. Aren''t you confused?"


    "Yes," Alex said. He stared at Finley, waiting to see if the man would let something slip without making him waste another question.


    The merchant didn''t fall for it. His jaw clenched so tight that the veins in the side of his neck bulged. Then he blew out a sharp, bitter breath. "I''m fucking cursed. I knew it. I can''t answer that question, kid."


    Why?


    "That seems unfair. You promised me two questions."


    The corner of Finley''s lips quirked up. He hadn''t missed that Alex hadn''t been caught by the bait he''d set in hopes to get him to ask a potentially pointless question.


    "Because you asked for details. That would be sharing family secrets," Finley replied with a shake of his head. "But I hate to be made a liar. Bad for business ¡ª and trust me, you don''t want to make an enemy of my family by trying to force me into revealing secrets."


    "Probably not, but I don''t want to get scammed either," Alex said. He thought for a moment before adding, "I''ll accept an answer where you give me as much detail as possible while avoiding mentioning anything that is unique knowledge that only your family has access to." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That''s acceptable. The answer to your question is both simple and complicated. What Stage are you?"


    "Initiate."


    Finley blinked in surprise. "Initiate? Seriously? I ¡ª never mind. The most important thing you can do for your Mind Palace is to build it. Every single Stage gives you something different to work with. Novice gives you the foundations to work with. It''s the easiest step. Initiate lets you imbue the pillars with attributes of your choice. You''ll also be able to start putting together the palace. Make it as true to yourself as you can but push your limits. That''s it. The closer you can get to that, the more powerful your Mind Palace will be. That might sound pretty damn simple, but I promise that''s genuinely the truth. I can''t give you the Visualizations my family uses to form our Mind Palaces, so don''t even bother asking."


    Attributes. That must be what the Nightmare gem I got was. Fuck. So many answers, but so many questions. What do attributes do? I''d guess they somehow modify my abilities, but that''s what Qi does, so these have to be something else.


    And building the palace ¡ª well, that makes sense. Conceptually, at least. So energy I drink gives me the pieces to work with, but I''m the one that decides how to put them together. Does that mean architects get a ridiculous advantage in the apocalypse? And how do you make the Mind Palace "feel true to yourself"?


    Questions spawned in Alex''s mind like a virus had taken root, far too many to possibly ask all at once, but the piece of information he''d just got was invaluable. Thus far, it didn''t seem like most people even knew how important upgrading the Mind Palace was. Now Alex knew why Meiderly had stressed its importance.


    It was the basis of his power, and rushing through the ranks would leave him with shoddy materials to build with. Just what he had to build was still a little bit unclear, but he had a path forward ¡ª and Finley had made it clear he wouldn''t be giving Alex anything that belonged to his family.


    That said¡­


    "Second question," Alex said. "You mentioned something called a Visualization with a lot of stress on the word. That makes it sound like a physical object of some sort. Tell me where I can get the best one possible that does not already belong to your family."


    Finley let out a sharp burst of laughter. "You''re a little shit, aren''t you? That''s a real nasty question. Unfortunately for you, I''m a System Merchant, not an Outworlder with full rights. I don''t know where you''d get any fancy Visualizations. I wouldn''t be a merchant if I did. But if you''re looking for a normal one¡­ well, the best ones I know of would be in my spatial ring. I''ll sell a real basic one to you for 10 credits."


    "I don''t suppose you could at least tell me where someone would theoretically get their hands on a powerful Visualization, then? It feels like it falls in the bounds of my question." Alex wasn''t interested in Finley''s offer in the slightest. He didn''t have any credits, nor did he want something that people could buy for what seemed to be a relatively low price.


    "A dungeon, probably," Finley replied. "Or a really difficult monster. One that had one of its own. You might find it in a Core or inscribed on a magical item. Satisfied?"


    "Yes," Alex said. He shifted his weight, then sent a thought to Princess. The monster lowered him to the ground and he stepped off her huge palm. His body had regained the rest of its functionality. "Pleasure meeting you."


    I need to find Claire.


    "Whoa there," Finely said, holding his hand up. "That''s it? You''re just going to use me like a cheap courtesan and leave? We had a business relationship going. At least spend a few credits."


    "I''ve got no clue what a credit is." Alex scanned the surroundings for any sights of movement, but there was still nothing. Concerned tightened his chest.


    Ben¡­ Dorriv¡­ There''s no way literally everyone got killed, right? I liked them. I really hope they made it. The others too. They didn''t deserve to just get flattened.


    "May all the gods take a steaming shit on this planet. How damn early did I show up?" Finley demanded, flinging his hands into the air. "How do you not know what credits are yet? It gets announced at the end of the 3rd Initialization!"


    "That hasn''t ended yet," Alex said. "It just started, actually."


    Finley blinked. His hands lowered. "It¡­ just started? You''re telling me I managed to land with one of the first Region Bosses?"


    Alex shrugged in response.


    "How fucking unlucky am I?" Finley groaned, pulling at his hair. "You don''t have a single credit, then. Nothing. You ¡ª and everyone else here ¡ª is broke."


    "Seems like an apt analysis. I''ve got a crumpled dollar if you want that, but I''ve gotten a bit attached to it." Alex started around the glowing white meteor to see if Claire had somehow flown all the way behind it.


    Finley followed after him.


    "So the town is ruined, everyone is weak, there isn''t a single Outworlder here, and on top of that, you don''t have the grace to have even a single credit to your name," Finley said, ticking the points off on his fingers. "Let me guess. I can''t interest you in a loan either? I have fantastic rates. Very competitive."


    "Hell no. I''m not getting into debt in an apocalypse."


    "And he''s financially literate. Of course he is," Finley muttered under his breath. He cleared his throat loudly and raised his voice. "Aren''t you interested in anything? I''ll sell you more information."


    "For credits?"


    "Yes."


    "No. Not until I know what they are and how to get them. Thanks for the offer, though."


    "Don''t you think you should invest in yourself?" Finley asked, a terse note entering his voice. "I mean, you did see the enormous meteor crash down behind the town. Don''t you want to know what it might do?"


    I already know it''s got the Region Boss in it. Getting myself into debt in an unknown currency for info I don''t know if I need is stupid.


    A crackle from behind Alex caught his attention. He spun in time to see Spark fly out from behind a building, Claire holding onto his back with one hand and keeping her balance with the other like the Echo Wraith was a surfboard. She dropped down, taking several long strides across the rubble to come to a stop before Alex.


    "Claire!" Alex exclaimed, a wave of relief passing over him. Claire was surprisingly uninjured. She had a thin layer of dust covering her, but she didn''t look nearly as gaunt as Alex had expected her to. Either she hadn''t been forced to use a lot of blood, or she''d found something to drain on the way back.


    "Alex! I knew you''d make it," Claire said, grabbing him by the shoulders and giving him a small shake. She glanced from Finley to the huge meteor rising over the horizon, then grimaced. "Who is this? I''d ask what in the bleeding hells happened, but ¡ª well, the System already said."


    "I am Finley, of the Starlight family. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance," the merchant said with a slight bow. His eye twitched slightly as he straightened. "Perhaps you would be interested in purchasing something. Information, weapons, you name it, I might have it."


    "Might?" Claire asked.


    "You never know what kind of outlandish requests people might have," Finley said with a small shrug. He tapped his foot on the ground impatiently. "But perhaps I could make a suggestion? Information is never amiss."


    "He wants us to pay in something called Credits," Alex warned Claire. He took the opportunity to summon Glint back to his Spatial Mirror, as the monster still had yet to return.


    "Credits?" Claire frowned. "What are those?"


    "No clue," Alex replied. "And Finely hasn''t said yet."


    A sudden thought struck Alex and he blinked, a small frown pulling across his lips as Claire looked over to the merchant.


    Wait. Didn''t she last about a week in her world before she fell into the Mirrorlands? It only took days for us to get to the 3rd Initialization¡­ so shouldn''t Claire have seen this event already? She should know what credits are.


    "Ah. Thanks for the offer, but I''ll pass for now." Claire sent Finley a polite smile before turning her attention back to Alex. "We should get out of here. You saw the message, right? Connections are established between the cities. We can go somewhere a little less¡­ destroyed."


    "Hold on, now!" Finley stammered. "You two are the only ones here thus far. I ¡ª what if I gave you a discount? Half off any purchases. Especially on information."


    Why is he so insistent on selling us something? This is suspicious, but goddamn it, let me focus on one mystery at a time!


    "Claire¡ª"


    Alex didn''t get a chance to finish his sentence. A loud crack split the air like a gunshot. They all spun toward the source of the noise as the crunch of stone and grinding gravel carved through the silence.


    A hill of rubble shifted and rose into the air, sending pieces of masonry and former buildings crashing down to the ground.


    "Shit," Finley said, his face going pale. "The shop discount has dropped to 100%. Have some free advice. Don''t let that thing get anywhere near the Starstone, or we''re all going to be stuck in this backwater shithole. All we can do is pray that it''ll be weak and¡ª"


    A roar echoed through the ruins of the town. A huge doglike monster, easily twenty feet tall, burst free from the pile of rocks. The monster slammed down on the ground down the street from Alex, black saliva dripping from its grey lips and splashing to the ground in a small river. Its massive paws ended in jagged white claws and it was covered with a layer of black, dust-covered fur.


    Four red eyes glowed on either side of the dog''s head, and the barbed tail of a scorpion rose over its back, glistening with purple poison. Every single one of the monster''s eyes swiveled to look straight at the glowing meteor behind Alex and its lips pulled back in a snarl.


    [Field Boss] Mutated Chimera (Initiate 7)


    Field Boss? That sounds special.


    And with that level outside of the Mirrorlands¡­ this thing means business. Scary looking bastard.


    Alex grinned.


    A perfect opportunity to test how strong I''ve really gotten.


    "Ah," Finley said weakly. "Of course. Just my luck. A mutated monster. I fear I will never make a single sale. I have brought great shame to my family."


    "Maybe draw those swords and help us?" Claire suggested, cracking her neck and flexing her claws.


    "I can''t. I''m a System Merchant. I can''t fight on this world," Finley said, his shoulders slumping. "Run. Two Initiates have no chance against something like this. It''s a Field Boss, meant for a group of adventurers. The monster won''t kill me, but it''ll destroy the connection to the other Hub Cities to ensure the Region Boss gets time to grow stronger. I¡ª"


    "Thanks for the information, but we''ll take it from here," Alex said curtly. He glanced at Claire out of the corners of his eyes. It felt a bit strange for her apocalypse to have been so different from his when the System seemed standardized, but now wasn''t the time to press. "I don''t suppose you wanted to take this one on your own?"


    "Already found a few solo monsters before Spark found me," Claire replied, cracking her neck and flexing her fingers. "They''re lurking around town, hunting survivors. We can split this one. Looks big enough for the two of us."


    "Are you insane?" Finley asked, taking a step back as the Chimera prowled closer, its growl growing louder by the step. "You can''t beat that thing! You would need a small army of competent warriors to fight it!"


    "What a coincidence," Alex said, his lips pulling back into a full smile. Princess lumbered to stand by his side and Spark floated over to join them. The sound of shattering glass filled the air as Glint emerged alongside them. "That''s exactly what I brought."

 Chapter 74: Chimera

    A howl tore from the Mutated Chimera''s mouth like the wail of an air raid siren. Alex and Claire both staggered, clutching their hands to their ears. Finely barely even flinched ¡ª and neither did Alex''s monsters. Spark and Glint raced ahead of Princess as they made for the huge monster."I''ll make an opening," Alex said to Claire. "Wait for the right time."


    She gave him a terse nod.


    The muscles in the Mutated Chimera''s legs bunched. Its eyes focused on Glint and its lips pulled back in a snarl. The ground beneath it shattered as it exploded into motion. It blurred through the air and brought its claws down toward Glint.


    Dodge to the side!


    Glint flung himself at an angle, narrowly avoiding the huge paws as they crashed down where he''d been with a loud crunch. The Chimera pulverized a huge chunk of stone into nothing but dust.


    Spark arrived before the monster. He formed a shadow on the ground and lifted into the air, swinging his hands down in a dual strike for the Chimera''s skull. They connected with a thud ¡ª sending the doglike monster staggering.


    Swap!


    The barbed tail on its back whipped forward with such speed that the air cracked. Spark swapped places with his shadow before the attack even went off. His shadow exploded into swirling fragments of darkness.


    Alex extended his power toward Princess as his final ¡ª and slowest ¡ª monster arrived before the Chimera.


    I''ve used Qi when I''ve summoned my monsters, but it worked on Funhouse. That means it should work on any ability ¡ª so what happens if I use it on Rift Flood instead of when I directly summon my monster?


    Alex''s lips stretched in a thin smile.


    He drew on his Qi until the warm, buzzing energy filled his entire body like an ocean waiting to be called upon. Then he activated Rift Flood. A link snapped to life between him and Princess and power rushed out of him and into her.


    Princess'' body roiled. Rift smoke burst from bubbles that burst on her back. She ballooned outward, gaining nearly five feet in height as pulsing purple veins carved through the black sludge that made up her body.


    The undulating arms that extended from her back exploded in size, more than doubling. Hundreds of centipede legs squirmed in the air, peeling away from the center of the arms like they were blooming flowers.


    The Chimera didn''t look too pleased with the change. It hissed and swept a massive paw for Princess.


    The Dredge and she lifted her own hand in response. A shockwave passed down her arm and through her body. Sludge splattered from her body and across the ground and her form wavered ¡ª but it didn''t collapse.


    Princess'' hand wrapped around the Chimera''s paw, keeping the monster from pulling away. The tendril-legs on her back exploded forward, ripping apart to form into dozens of different squirming limbs and wrapping around the boss''s hand to bind it even further.


    His Dredge had transformed into some sort of wretched eldritch monster from a child''s nightmares.


    Holy fuck. She''s incredible.


    The Chimera''s barbed tail slammed through Princess'' chest and drove into the ground behind her with a loud crash. Sludge splashed across the ground, but Princess didn''t so much as flinch. Power pulsed in the veins running beneath her skin and the goop on the ground twisted up behind her, sliding back into her chest and reforming around the tail to pin it in place within her.


    A furious snarl ripped from the Chimera and it yanked on its tail. For a moment, Princess managed to hold onto it, but the tail exploded free from her a moment later in a spray of black liquid.


    The Chimera fought to lift its captured paw into the air. Strands formed in Princess'' body as she started to stretch apart. Despite her best efforts, the boss was still stronger than she was. But, in the brief few moments she held the chimera down, Glint was able to scale the side of the monster like a craggy cliffside.


    Alex could have had Glint attack well before, but that would have meant he landed a blow on a limb instead of somewhere where he could do actual damage ¡ª and now he was on the Chimera''s back.


    It realized what was happening, but not quickly enough. The monster''s head twisted to snap at Glint even as he struck.


    His claws flashed through the air as they ripped into the monster''s furry neck, carving through its matted defenses and carving deep into flesh. The Chimera''s many eyes went wide in surprise and pain and it screamed in pain.


    It ripped its paw free of Princess and slammed the other one into her sidelong, ripping through the Dredge''s entire body and sending it splattering across the ground. Her mask clattered to the ground.


    The Chimera shook its head furiously, dislodging Glint and sending him plummeting to the ground.


    Spark shot over to the falling Shardwalker, grabbing Glint by under his arms and tossing him to the ground in a roll. The Echo Wraith dipped to the side as the Chimera swiped a paw at it, but it wasn''t fast enough to avoid the sonic strike of the Chimera''s tail as it exploded forth like a gunshot.


    The Echo Wraith exploded into fragments, its teleportation still on cooldown.


    Glint darted for the Chimera again, but the monster was wary of him now. The wounds on the back of its head and neck wept blood that soaked into its dark fur. It hopped back a step, readying its tail over its head.


    Alex yanked on Glint with his magic. The monster exploded into a streamer of energy and flew back into him. Moments later, the Chimera''s tail smashed into the ground where the Shardwalker had been standing.


    He resummoned Glint with a thought, but the precious few seconds that the monster''s dismissal had cost him gave the Chimera enough time to turn straight toward Alex and Claire.


    "Alex?" Claire asked, her voice taut.


    "Working on it. Not yet," Alex said, his jaw clenched. "You saw its tail, right? That thing is an instant kill device against anyone other than Spark and Princess. You''ll never get close as things are."


    Glass shattered, raining down beside Alex as Glint emerged beside him.


    The Chimera exploded into motion ¡ª and Princess burst up from the ground like a black wave. Her entire body formed into a huge fist as it slammed into the boss''s chin, snapping it up with a loud crunch.


    Glint dashed forward, bounding across the ground toward the boss as fast as he could move.


    A howl of fury ripped from the monster''s mouth and it swiped its paw straight through Princess, splattering her across the ground once again. This time, Princes pressed the attack immediately.


    Strands of sludge grabbed at the Chimera''s foot and tried to bind it down. The massive boss''s tail drove into Princess, ripping her body to ribbons in a split instant. The monster ripped its tail free and drove its foot down on top of her instantly.


    A loud crunch echoed out.


    Her mask shattered.


    The Dredge''s body collapsed to the ground. She pooled before transforming into a stream of energy that flowed into Alex.


    She had died, but she''d bought Glint more time. The Chimera realized that too, but it realized too late.


    The Shardwalker launched himself into the air and slammed straight into the Chimera''s face. His claws ripped down across the monster''s features, shredding the boss''s face like confetti. One of its eyes burst under Glint''s onslaught.


    "Now?" Claire asked.


    "No. Not yet." Alex''s hands clenched at his sides. The Chimera was weakened, but it wasn''t downed. The monster''s tail was terrifying. They couldn''t afford to overextend when a single misstep would end either of them in a split instant.


    I should have Princess'' powers now, so I might be able to tank a hit, but I''ve got a better idea.


    An agonized scream tore from the Chimera and it whipped its head back and forth furiously. It staggered to the side and slammed its face straight into the ground. There was a crunch, followed by silence.


    Energy flowed into Alex as his third monster died. The Chimera lifted its face, wounded, bleeding, and partially blinded. Fury shone in the monster''s three remaining eyes and it stalked forward. Blood and saliva dripped from its mouth and formed a trail that marked its wake.


    Alex drew deeply on his power. He still had a fair amount left ¡ª there had been no reason to use Funhouse when the Chimera was so much larger than him that he''d never be able to envelop it within the ability''s radius.


    "Come on," Alex called. "You haven''t even landed a single blow on me yet. Isn''t that embarrassing? Some boss, getting fought off by a single Initiate Stage. You might have to get the boss bit scrubbed from your name."


    He doubted the Chimera had actually heard him, but it was pissed ¡ª and that was enough.


    It burst into motion.


    Alex snapped his fingers, and all the power he''d gathered exploded out of him in an instant.


    "Encore."


    The ground before Alex exploded in a spray of black liquid.


    Princess rose up from the rippling darkness and. She drove into the stunned Chimera''s. She wrapped herself around its front legs and slammed her weight into the monster, grinding its charge to a halt. The Chimera down bit on her shoulder, tearing a huge chunk of black flesh free, but Princess held fast.


    Electrical energy crackled and glass shattered. Spark burst out from a buzzing blue portal and grabbed Glint as he emerged from a jagged fragment in reality. The Echo Wraith spun once before whipping the Shardwalker into the air like they were acrobats in the world''s most dangerous circus.


    The Chimera''s remaining eyes went wide. It tried to flinch back, but Princess'' grip tightened on it, not letting the monster escape.


    A brilliant crack rang out as the sound barrier shattered. Glint''s body jerked as the Chimera''s tail slammed into his chest. The Shardwalker went limp, then exploded into particles of dust.


    "Now!" Alex yelled.


    Wings exploded from Claire''s back and she burst into motion. There was a brief moment between strikes where the Chimera had to retract its tail before it could attack again. And in that moment, Claire arrived before the boss monster.


    She slammed into its face with such force that it staggered. Bone crunched and blood sprayed across the ground. Claire didn''t wait to see the results of her attack. With a snarl, she drove her katana down straight through one of the Chimera''s eyes.


    Blood and bodily fluids sprayed from the wound. The Chimera screamed in agony, but Claire wasn''t done. She drove her hand down straight into the center of its skull, striking the location that Spark had hit at the start of the fight.


    Bone crunched beneath her empowered hands. Her claws carved deep into the monster''s skull and ripped a huge chunk of flesh free.


    Yes!


    The power flowing from Alex abruptly vanished.


    Encore''s time was up.


    Princess and Spark vanished with a pop.


    The Chimera staggered. Without Princess to interfere, it could move properly once again. Blood mixed with saliva and sprayed from the monster''s mouth as it roared and focused on Claire once more.


    Its tail lifted into the air.


    No!


    Alex left a shadow on the ground behind him and sprinted forward with a yell, trying to get the monster''s attention. The moment it turned its eyes to him, he''d have to swap back. There was no way for him to react fast enough to the monster''s tail. He would just have to predict it.


    But the Chimera wasn''t paying attention to him. It was fully focused on Claire. She''d thrust her right hand back behind her, and the blood coating the ground churned beneath them.


    The boss whipped its head to the side with a sharp snap. Despite Claire''s best efforts, she was launched into the air. Her wings snapped, stopping her tumble mid-air. The huge monster''s head turned to follow her path as it lined up a strike with its tail.


    Alex called on Glint''s powers as he closed the gap between himself and the Chimera. There were enough open wounds to attack the monster from within if he could get close¡ª


    Clair clenched her fist shut.


    Blood flowed upward from the ground in a smooth arc. Its surface shimmered as it solidified and sharpened, forming into a blade. The blood drove up through the bottom of the Chimera''s skull and burst out through the top of its head with a wet crunch.


    For an instant, the Chimera stood frozen in place. Blood dripped down the frozen blade running through its head. The monster twitched once.


    Then it pitched forward and crashed to the ground, dead.


    Power poured into Alex as he skidded to a stop, nearly overwhelmed by the wave of energy. Claire dropped to the ground beside him, breathing heavily. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Holy shit," Claire said. "That was almost worse than if I''d been fighting the whole time. My heart is going to explode."


    "It was well played, though, wasn''t it?" Alex asked with an adrenaline-fuled grin. "What a fight."


    He glanced back to the dead monster. A Soul Flame materialized above its body.


    Field Boss Slain. Rewards Earned.


    Alex''s grin grew wider.


    That''s what I''m talking about.


    Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted someone standing beside the glowing white meteor that had fallen in the center of town during the 2nd Initialization.


    Finley.


    The merchant''s eyes were wide and his mouth hung askew in abject disbelief. He lifted a shaking finger toward Alex and Claire, almost as if in accusation. Finley''s mouth worked as he tried to piece together what he''d just seen.


    In the end, he managed to force just a single, stunned word from his lips.


    "How?"

 Chapter 75: Valley Ford

    Dust twisted through the air as a wind blew through the ruins of Towntown, sending it dancing in streaming clouds. Light from the glowing white meteor behind Finley reflected off the dust and danced across the ground, illuminating it in rippling patches like the ocean floor.Finley gaped at Alex and Claire, his eyes flicking from them to the dead Chimera as if they couldn''t process what they''d just seen.


    "No free questions," Alex said with a tired grin, wiping his face with the back of a sleeve.


    He approached the fallen Chimera and reached out to the Soul Flame that shimmered on the ground beside its body.


    [Field Boss] Mid-High Grade Initiate (Mutated Chimera)


    Whoa. That thing is huge, and the name is different as well. It kept the Field Boss tag. This is going to be worth a whole lot of energy¡­ or possibly a really nice combination if I can work with it.


    Alex scooped the fire up and power prickled against his palms. Its power was definitely proportionate to its size. He summoned a Spatial Mirror and shoved the flame into it, depositing the magic for later before turning to Claire.


    "You okay?" sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "More than," Claire replied, rolling her neck and giving him a grin. "Wasn''t the tastiest thing I''ve ever taken a bite out of, but it wasn''t the worst."


    "I can''t believe it," Finley muttered, walking up to stand beside Alex as he stared at the fallen Chimera''s body. "Did you lie to me earlier? Are you higher than Initiate?"


    "No," Alex said. "Why would I lie about that?"


    "There are all sorts of reasons as to why. The power you just demonstrated was far from some middling Initiate should have been able to pull off ¡ª especially one that was asking me questions about upgrading their Mind Palace," Finley replied, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Are you trying to play me for something?"


    "I''ve got bigger things to worry about than that," Alex said, giving Finley a sidelong glance.


    Namely, Claire. I want answers. Something isn''t adding up, but I can''t quiz her here.


    "Would you be willing to prove it?" Finley asked, reaching for Alex''s shoulder but pausing before his hand could connect. "If you''re telling the truth, then I''ll make it worth your time. Very worth your time."


    "Why?" Claire asked, tilting her head to the side. "An offer like that doesn''t seem appropriate just to find out how strong someone is when they''re only a mere Initiate tier."


    "Look around you," Finley said tersely, drumming his fingers on the hilt of his swords. The merchant was nervous. Alex could see it the hunch of his back, the flit of his eyes. "This isn''t some genius game I''m trying to play at. You''re both Natives, right?"


    Actually, I''m pretty sure Claire would count as an Outworlder. She''s not from Earth ¡ª but there''s no need to mention that.


    "Yes," Alex said.


    "Then you have no idea how important this all is." Finley waved his hands around, but something told Alex he wasn''t indicating the rubble. "This is a Tier 1 world, ripe with resources. Magical power. Unique Titles, Visualizations, Paths, it''s all fresh. The System is the paradigm of evolution, and this is the freshest petri dish. And you ¡ªNatives upon your own world¡ª have both the biggest disadvantage and the highest potential out of everyone in the universe."


    "Whoa there. Slow down," Alex said. "Go over that again, but in more detail? And what do you mean by us having an advantage?"


    Finley smirked and shook his head. "Oh, no. I don''t think so. The only answer you''re getting is the one you need right now ¡ª and that''s the reason I need you. I am a System Merchant, the lowest form of Outworlder. I can''t fight unless attacked first. My power is heavily restricted and my contact back to my home planet has been completely cut off. The only thing I can do is sell resources. That means I need someone to sell those resources too. That''s why I need you."


    "Us and nobody else?" Claire arched an eyebrow. "I bet you''re popular with the ladies."


    "I wish," Finley grumbled. He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a defeated sigh. "The reason I need you specifically is not some marketing scheme. It is because there is no alternative. Among the things I am limited from doing is activating a Starstone. The two of you can leave this place and go to another Hub City, but I am stuck here."


    Alex''s gaze shifted past Finley and to the glowing white meteor behind him.


    "But surely other people could come here?" Alex asked. "And there could be other survivors here."


    "People will come eventually, to defeat the Region Boss. But in the near future? No. People gather at large or powerful cities. Such is the nature of life. Very few will come out into the middle to a ruined town like this before the boss awakens. And the ones that are already here¡­ do you imply they are strong enough to be able to afford my services?" It was Finley''s turn to arch an eyebrow. "There are most certainly survivors, but they are not powerful ¡ª which means they will earn little. Thus, I will earn little, and that cannot be allowed to happen. I must sell my goods."


    "Why?" Alex asked. "Can''t you just wait?"


    "He''s in debt," Claire said, her eyes sharpening. "Isn''t that right? You have to earn a constant stream of money to keep your debtors paid off."


    Finley''s jaw clenched. "Very good. I trust you understand my situation, then. I need your money. You need information and strength. We can help each other. I cannot afford to give you more information for free, but I trust we can form a business relationship."


    "I''m not sure we''re planning on sticking around here much longer," Alex said, nodding to the town around them. "There isn''t really much left."


    "I would expect not," Finley said. He bit his lower lip, then blew out a short breath. "What I am asking is that you return to this place. Within a week. No longer. If you do that, then I am willing to give you a gift. Something to prove that partnering with me will be worth your time."


    "What kind of gift?" Alex asked.


    Finely shook his head. "I will not answer that. The more information I give away, the more I lose. I am not asking much ¡ª only that you return to this place before a week passes. You will not have to buy or return anything unless you decide that you want to."


    Finley''s offer sounded good. Possibly too good. The merchant had a calm smile plastered over his features, but it was only skin deep. A bead of sweat trickled down the side of his face and there was panic buried within his eyes.


    Finley was terrified. It was difficult to tell if it was an act or not. If it was, Finley was the best liar that Alex had ever met. He was selling it perfectly.


    I don''t think I can poke any major holes in just promising to come back. Finley''s already given me some really useful information. The time to push my lead is now.


    "Will we have to pay to travel back?" Claire asked.


    "Yes," Finley said. "But you will be able to afford it. I can guarantee it."


    Alex and Claire exchanged a glance. Claire shrugged one shoulder, and Alex finally nodded.


    "Fine. I think that seems fair enough. We''ll come back if your gift proves that it''s worth working together."


    Finley blew out a breath. He turned his hand over, palm to the sky, and the air above it shimmered with faint blueish-purple energy. It warped like a mirage in the desert, then bent in on itself. A walnut-sized silver marble took form as the energy faded with a pop. Thin lines ran across its surface, splitting it almost like the streaks of a basketball.


    "Here," Finley said, holding the marble out. He dropped it into Alex''s hands.


    "What is it?"


    "A Harvester," Finley replied. He nodded over Alex''s shoulder to the dead Chimera behind him. "You wanted to know how to get Credits? Sell your shit. Merchants, other people, you name it. There''s a market for everything magical."


    "And this will help us do that?" Alex asked, holding the ball up and squinting at it. "How?"


    "You''re about to go to a Hub City. Likely a family-controlled one. I doubt any Natives have had a chance to get their hands on a Town Token and actually grow it to the point where they can establish their own city. It''ll be months before that happens." Finley plucked the ball from Alex''s hand and held it up.


    Town Tokens?


    "What''s a¡ª"


    "The families offer a great deal of things," Finley continued, not so much as missing a beat. "They will rip open your horizons ¡ª and they''ll enslave you in the process if you let them. There''s only one way you can get what you want without selling yourself. And that way is money. Credits. It makes the world turn, and you''re about to have a whole lot of it."


    Finley flicked the ball at the dead Chimera. The Harvester struck it in the side. There was a violent shearing noise, like an electric razor ripping through a head full of hair. Segments of the marble split apart and hovered in the air around it. A brief flash of purple energy lit the marble from within and the segments snapped back shut.


    The Harvester dropped to the ground with a clink.


    "You didn''t answer Alex''s question," Claire pointed out.


    "No," Finley agreed. "I did not. I''m already giving you the clothes off my own back like you were my own children. Stop trying to drag my underwear off as well."


    Alex walked over to the marble, grabbing it before it could roll away. The lines running across its surface had turned a dull purple. He brought it back over to Finley, still studying it.


    "I''m not sure I followed what this did."


    "Ripped the monster''s core out," Finley replied. "When it comes to value, the core makes up around ninety five percent of a monster for the common man''s purposes. The extra stuff¡­ well, unless you''re pinching pennies, there isn''t a reason to lug a wagon of corpses around with you until you can get an extradimensional space. A Harvester can only hold one core at a time, but any merchant worth their salt can pop the core out for you. Bring this to whatever city you''re going to and sell the core. It''ll go for a rather nice amount ¡ª a monster like this will be quite valuable to anyone with a crafting-based Class. Just save some of that money for when you head back."


    "If it''s so expensive, why don''t you buy the body off us?" Claire asked. "Or maybe we could trade?"


    Finley winced and coughed into a fist. "I¡­ am in a somewhat unfortunate spot with regard to Credits at the moment. I am in a slight want of them."


    "You''re flat broke," Alex said.


    "That would be one way to put it. I cannot trade either. I need Credits, not a body that must be resold. Somehow, I doubt anyone in this backwater location will be in a purchasing mood."


    "I see. Then we''ll sell it in the city." Alex studied the Harvester, then slipped it into a pocket and nodded. "Thank you. This is useful. I''ll get Credits for the core, I take it?"


    "Don''t accept anything else. There are too many dodgy currencies going around the Infinium," Finley said through a grimace. "Every single family tries to push their own, and every single one of them will pull the rug out from under you if you buy in. Only accept Credits. The System backs those."


    "I see," Alex said. "Thank you. That''s some really good information. You''ve mentioned families more than once. I don''t suppose¡ª"


    "Nope." Finley smiled. "That''ll cost you. Information is the most expensive resource I sell. You''ve already gotten your freebies."


    "Fair enough," Alex said. He couldn''t expect Finley to just give him everything for free. He''d already gotten more than enough to keep his mind occupied. There was no doubt in his mind that he''d be coming back, even if it was only to fulfill a promise. Breaking one would just leave a sour taste in his mouth.


    "Then be on with you. The faster you leave, the faster you come back," Finley said, nodding to the glowing Starstone. He coughed into a fist. "And don''t feel a need to wait the whole week. I would be quite appreciative if you returned earlier."


    "What about the other survivors?" Claire asked. "I saw some others before Spark grabbed me."


    "They''ll be fine for a short while," Finley said. "With the Field Boss dead, the monsters that came in its wake will have temporarily retreated. Anyone intelligent will make their way to me soon enough. I can''t do much, but I''ll tell them to use the Starstone at the very least. Perhaps a few more will come back in time to purchase something."


    Finley didn''t sound too optimistic about the whole thing.


    "We''ll be back," Alex said. He studied the white meteor for a second. "How do we use this? Do I just touch it?"


    "Together, yes. There won''t be many options at this point. Oh ¡ª avoid any city controlled by the Nightmarch."


    "Nightmarch?" Claire asked. "Is that a family?"


    "Yes." Finley''s expression went dark. "Scumbags. I can''t say more than that, but just trust me on this one. Avoid the Nightmarch like the plague ¡ª and don''t trust a single word out of their mouths."


    Damn it. I have so many questions. It sounds like the Outworlders don''t really like each other all that much. I guess inter-dimensional politics are even more insane than normal ones.


    Gah, I wish he''d told me what this big advantage Natives have is, but I suppose I''ll just have to buy the information later or figure it out myself.


    Alex threw a glance over his shoulder at the ruins of Towntown. Part of him was tempted to look for Dorriv and Ben, but even if he managed to find them, there was nothing that he could do. He had no healing abilities and the System would slowly fix them up anyway.


    All he could do is hope that they''d somehow survived the landing of the Region Boss and that they, too, would make their way out of Towntown.


    Claire stepped up to the meteor. Alex mirrored her motion. Excitement built in his stomach. They would finally have a chance to see how the rest of the world had fared in the Apocalypse ¡ª and to see where they stood among the other survivors.


    The two of them lifted their hands at the same time to press them against its rough, craggy surface.


    Something cold and wet prickled against Alex''s palm. A river of energy pressed through it and into his body, and the air around him shimmered as white letters traced themselves in the air before him.


    Towntown Starstone


    Connected Hub Cities:


    Valley Ford


    "Well then," Alex said. "Lots of options to choose from."


    Claire snorted. "Valley Ford it is, then. You ready?"


    He nodded.


    The glowing white letters exploded.


    Silver mist wrapped up from the ground beneath their feet, twisting up to form into a shimmering portal before them. Its surface rippled like that of a lake, but it was completely opaque and impossible to see through.


    Alex and Claire stepped through it as one.


    The world collapsed. Colors and shapes twisted together into a vortex, spiraling into the center of the portal until only darkness remained. A loud ringing filled Alex''s ears and a roar of freezing cold energy washed over him like a crashing waterfall. The floor dropped out beneath Alex and his stomach flew up into his throat ¡ª and then he was falling.


    And then, as abruptly as it had started, the sensation stopped. Alex lurched. Lines traced through the darkness, forming into the black and white model of a market square.


    Before the rest of the world could even completely take form, a familiar feeling greeted Alex''s mind ¡ª prickling goosebumps that rolled across his skin and gripped the back of his neck like a claw.


    There was another Anomaly near them.

 Chapter 76: Arrival

    Color exploded throughout the world, painting back over it in a flash. Solid ground materialized beneath Alex''s feet and his body jerked, any thoughts of an Anomaly temporarily suspended.He and Claire stood on a raised platform before a large white meteor. Moonlight bore down on them, inexplicably dancing and swaying over a massive market square.


    Men and women filled it, clad in armor and bearing weapons that ranged from blades to staves. While the majority of the people in the city had concealed their Stage, Alex saw a number of high level Novices scattered throughout the square.


    They had arrived at Valley Ford.


    Alex blinked in surprise as he took in his surroundings and shook off the final effects of the portal.


    The buildings around them were whole. Unlike Towntown, there were no chunks of skyscrapers or restaurants that had been stolen from their streets. Every single building had been intentionally placed, lined up in neat rows ¡ª but they were like nothing that Alex had ever seen.


    Beautifully carved stone flowed like frozen ocean waves to make the walls, coiling around blue glass windows. Calling their surfaces carved would have been like calling the ocean a puddle. The tallest buildings stood well over five stories tall, though the majority of them were two or three.


    Dozens upon dozens of bridges crisscrossed through the sky above them, connecting the buildings like strands of a spider''s web. Blue flags embroidered with whorls of gold fluttered from the tops of many of the buildings between the bridges.


    And, above it all, was a glistening lake. Alex blinked, then did a double take. His vision had not tricked him. Water flowed up from all around the city to gather in a lake suspended in the sky. There was no glass or container keeping it there. The water seemed to have just decided that it belonged in the sky.


    The moonlight passing through it shifted, turning to dancing beams of silver rolled across the city like rippling waves.


    "Whoa," Alex breathed, craning his neck back and staring up in awe. "That''s¡ª"


    "Keep it moving!" a loud voice barked. "You''re blocking the Starstone!"


    Alex glanced toward the source of the voice. A huge man bearing a large polearm and clad in heavy green armor stood to the side of the Starstone. He stood easily five feet over Alex and the few parts of his body that were exposed were covered in rippling muscle. The man''s skin had a faint blue tint, as if his entire body was severely devoid of oxygen.


    Claire and Alex both stepped down from the raised platform and onto the shimmering cobbled streets below. The guard didn''t so much as look in their direction a second time.


    "Friendly place," Claire observed, turning in a circle to take in the market square. "But¡­ this is what Earth cities are like? You never said they were so beautiful."


    "I don''t think this is an Earth city," Alex said, his neck turning on a swivel as they walked across the market square. Even though it was the middle of the night, light from oil lanterns spilled out from shop windows and vendors lined the sides of the streets. "I''ve never seen anything like this, but be on your guard. You remember the guy we first met in Towntown?"


    Claire''s expression sharpened. "You sense another one?" sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yeah." An odd mixture of scents ¡ª everything from oil to greased meat to salty brine ¡ª intertwined in the air and wormed into Alex''s nostrils. His brain was still yet to decide if he liked it or not.


    "What do we do?" Claire asked.


    "For now? Nothing. I just know they''re present, and that means they know the same. Our original goals haven''t changed," Alex said.


    "Guess there''s no point driving ourselves insane searching. Then the first move is probably selling the thingie we got. We can figure out what to do from there."


    The question nudged Alex''s mind back to what he''d been thinking about before they''d stepped into the portal. He repressed the urge to send a sidelong look in her direction.


    What I really want to do is get some answers to a few questions I''ve got for you.


    "Agreed," Alex said. "We can look for a place to settle in for the night and meditate as well. Something tells me that lodgings might not be free here."


    Claire nodded in agreement. The two of them glanced around the square in search of an appropriate merchant. There were a number of them, and Alex wasn''t sure which one would be the most likely to ¡ª


    "What about that place?" Claire pointed across the square.


    Alex followed Claire''s finger to look in the direction she had indicated. A wide, three story building made of white stone loomed near the very center of the market square. Dozens of people had gathered around and inside it and excited conversation rose from the crowd.


    "Looks like as good a start as any," Alex said.


    They made their way across the square and over to the entrance of the building. A pair of large double doors, made from the same flowing stone as the rest of the building, already hung open. Beyond them stretched a beautiful malachite-tiled room.


    Iron braziers hung from the ceiling, suspended on chains, and crackled with lime-green flame that danced across the room. They illuminated rivers of flowing water suspended in nothing but air that wound through the room and traveled up through holes in the ceiling.


    The walls were covered with an assortment of weapons, armor, and scrolls, all of which had been broken off into sections. At the back end of the room was a spiral staircase that led up to the second floor.


    A long counter ran along every wall but the one that boasted the building''s entrance. Clerks sat behind it wearing uniforms that could have been taken for gaudy flight attendant outfits. They matched the flags covering the city ¡ª largely blue, with golden whorls running down their sleeves and emblazed upon their chests.


    People stared up at the riches adorning the walls and murmured in awe. Many of them already sported what looked to be new weapons and armor purchased from the shop. While most of the staff were already occupied, Alex spotted a few open counters and made his way toward one of them.


    A clerk with short blonde hair sat in wait, her fingers interlaced and hands resting on the countertop before her. She gave them a beaming smile full of uncomfortably white teeth as they came to a stop before her.


    "Welcome to The Ocean''s Tide, courtesy of the Great Tide Family. We''re thrilled to make your acquaintance and deliver you the finest goods in all of the Infinium. The greatest treasures all flow from the ocean. What can I do for you today?"


    The woman''s voice was bubbly and energetic. There was a nonzero chance she''d pounded back a few dozen expresso shots before showing up to her shift.


    "I''m looking to sell something," Alex said, reaching into to his pocket and pulling out the Harvester.


    "Of course. At Ocean''s Tide, we sport the best deals in the city," the clerk said. Her wide, plastic smile didn''t so much as twitch and her voice kept a constant, flat note of manufactured excitement as she continued. "Our appraisers are a little busy right now. We only just moved into town, so please bear with us. I''m thrilled to share that we have a Grand Opening deal going on. We''ll be paying twice as many Shells as normal for anything you have to¡ª"


    "I''d prefer Credits, please," Alex said, opening his hand to reveal the Harvester.


    The clerk''s eyes went wide. Her smile evaporated like rain in the desert and she hopped down from her chair, walking around the counter and bowing slightly in respect.


    "Mention that you are an Outworlder before I get started on the marketing pitch," she said in a terse whisper. "Please, follow me. We would be pleased to deal with you on the second floor."


    "Hey, hold on," a large man standing at the counter beside Alex exclaimed. "I''ve been waiting here for an hour! Why''s he get special treatment?"


    A few other murmurs of annoyance ran through the people in the immediate area around them.


    "This gentleman is a personal friend of the establishment and has prior dealings with us," the clerk said without missing a beat. "We pride ourselves on rewarding repeat customers. Rest assured, you too will receive similar treatment should you continue to bless us with your patronage."


    Her words drove a blade through the heart of the man''s annoyance in an instant. He blinked, then scratched the back of his head.


    "Oh. I suppose that makes sense. It''s good to know you guys remember your customers. We''re the ones who pay you, after all."


    "Very true. We would be nothing without your generosity."


    Holy shit. She turned that around in a split second. What a load of shit, but damn if she''s not good at it. It looks like these guys are professional bullshitters, and they must think I''m an Offworlder because I know about Credits and have that Harvester thing that Finley gave me.


    The clerk started over to the stairs, then stopped to turn and send Alex and Claire a pointed glance.


    They hurried after her. She wasn''t exactly giving them a moment to rectify her mistake. And even if she had, Alex wasn''t particularly interested in waiting around like some shmuck for an hour when they clearly had people ready to pay out.


    The stairs came to a stop on the second floor, into a long, beautifully decorated hallway. Mosaics of beautiful shells and ceramic depicting the ocean waves covered the ground and wove up the walls. Light danced across them from black metal braziers that dangled from the ceiling well above their heads. A dozen white coral doors lined either side of the hallway.


    The Ocean''s Tide definitely wasn''t hurting for money.


    "We''ve only got one Merchant available at the moment," the clerk said apologetically as she came to a stop before one of the coral doors. "We really weren''t expecting another Offworlder this early on. Please excuse our lack of preparation. It will not happen again."


    Another Offworlder? Does that mean¡ª


    "Oh, please. We didn''t announce ourselves. I would have been more displeased if you did know we were coming. There''s a reason we keep a low profile," Claire said casually, her tone and demeanor shifting to become slightly haughty. "So long as your service is satisfactory, we''ll have nothing to complain about."


    The clerk smiled in appreciation. "We will ensure that you are well taken care of, Miss. The Great Tide family is thrilled that you have chosen us to serve you."


    With that, the clerk pressed her hands against the door. It swung open soundlessly to reveal a plain white room with a large pink coral desk growing out of the ground in its very center. Seated across from them was a tall, blue skinned man in fine clothes. He had thin, diagonal lines running along the sides of his neck and his features were flat and sharklike ¡ª but Alex''s attention wasn''t on him.


    He was focused on the woman in one of the several chairs across from him with her back to the door. A woman with a huge, pointed hat. It, and her robes, were purple and trimmed with flowing silver designs. Bright orange hair rolled down her back and a huge wooden staff leaned against her side.


    Even before she turned around, Alex knew there would be a small scar on the side of her lip.


    Goosebumps prickled at his back and the hair on his arms stood on end.


    Oh, shit. You can''t be serious.


    He''d seen this woman before.


    It was GoGently, the Rank 2 on their Subsector''s 2nd Initialization''s Final Leaderboard.

 Chapter 77: Who Are You?

    The blue-skinned merchant rose partially from his chair, sending it scraping back across the mosaic-covered ground. Surprise washed over his features and he splayed his hands out over the table. "Vivian. What are you doing? I''m in the middle of a meeting! This is most inappropriate. Remove them at once. You should not be bringing¡ª""Master Mako, these visitors have come bearing a Harvester," the clerk, whose name appeared to be Vivian, said, her tone terse. "They would like to sell it."


    The merchant froze mid-sentence. The expression on his face shifted at the flick of a switch and a welcoming smile split his features. "Ah, of course! The circumstances are a little unfortunate, but I would never be a poor guest to any soul who graced my doors. Please, come inside."


    Thoughts spun in Alex''s head like it had turned into a washing machine. He fought to keep his expression from revealing his thoughts.


    You can''t be serious. She''s an Outworlder? How the hell was she in the Leaderboards, then? I thought Outworlders only showed up after the 3rd Initialization!


    What''s she doing here? And what is she after?


    Shit, could she recognize me?


    No. That''s pretty unlikely, right? Unless she happened to use that identifying item on me back in the Nexus Point, my silhouette really shouldn''t be that recognizable¡­ but I might be in trouble.


    I''m supposed to be pretending to be an Outworlder, but I don''t know what they even really are.


    Several seconds of uncomfortable silence ground by.


    "You don''t mind, do you, Orchid?" Mako asked with the practiced smile of a car salesman. "I can assure you it will not interfere with our deal."


    "It''s your building. You can do what you want with it as long as you don''t try to stiff me on my Credits," GoGently ¡ª or Orchid ¡ª replied. She did not sound nearly as okay with the situation as her words would have implied. Her gaze bore into Alex and Claire like she was trying to peel their skin away with her eyes. "But I was unaware that there were two more Outworlders in the area. What family are you from?"


    "One that prefers not to air their laundry out in public," Claire replied curtly. "We don''t want to waste any more time than we have to."


    "A sentiment I can assure you that we all share." Mako adjusted his collar and nodded to the empty chairs in front of the desk. "Sit. Please."


    Alex and Claire moved to oblige the merchant. They sat down beside Orchid, who didn''t take her eyes off them for a second. Alex was tempted to scoot his chair away from the woman from keeping her from getting too good of a look at his face, but that would have been an insult at best.


    At least I''m using the Band of Shadowed Shroud so my face is partially covered.


    Mako cleared his throat and sat back down himself. "Well, then. I wouldn''t want to waste any time. Miss Orchid, have you decided on what you want in exchange for your offer yet? Will it just be Credits, or are you looking to purchase anything else?"


    "I''m still thinking," Orchid said, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair. "Feel free to help your new visitors. There''s no need to make them wait while I mull over your offer. It seems they wanted to sell you something."


    "That''s a kind offer, but we don''t need to intrude," Claire countered. "We can wait. Don''t let us bother you."


    "There''s no reason to delay for my sake," Orchid said. Her eyes narrowed. "We''re both customers here, and it''ll take me some time to figure out what I''m going to be purchasing. Don''t worry about me. I''m not interested in quarreling with the other families. We''re all here for the same reason, more or less¡­ right?"


    Orchid let the question hang in the air like a noose. It was clearly meant to be a trick question, but it didn''t work nearly as well when Alex had absolutely no idea what the Outworlder was talking about.


    Claire sent Alex a questioning look ¡ª but it was more than that. The pointed glance was so obvious that the others couldn''t have missed it even if they''d been half blind. She''d exaggerated the motion on purpose.


    Alex was confused for a moment before he suddenly realized what Claire was trying to do.


    Ah. She''s trying to give us some mystery of our own. If Orchid and Mako are trying to figure out what family of Outworlders we''re from and who we are, their minds will automatically skip past the bit where they wonder if we''re Outworlders in the first place. It''s like sleight of hand. That''s genius.


    I guess I have to play the part of the secretive boss. Shit. I should have watched more Godfather. How do I sound cool and mysterious?


    "There''s only one thing in this world I care about, and it isn''t you or your family." Alex thunked the Harvester down on the table between himself and Mako. "So long as you don''t stand in my way, you can do what you want."


    Big lofty goal. That seems like it should keep them distracted.


    Mako lifted the Harvester from the table. He pulled a small metal disk from out of his pocket and set it on the coral desk before him, pressing down on a small indent in its center. There was a small click as three prongs jutted out from it, curling up like the claws of a bird.


    The merchant set the Harvester on the claws, and a dull hum filled the room. Energy buzzed at the tips of the prongs and, with a pop, purple words scrawled themselves through the air above the humming metal marble. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Field Boss] Mid-High Grade Initiate Core


    Mako''s expression flickered for an instant, but it was impossible to tell exactly what emotion he''d felt.


    "This isn''t half bad," Mako said, leaning back and crossing his arms in front of his chest. "It''s only a Field Boss, of course. Not a bad find, but I fear it won''t be making either of us rich."


    The effect of his words didn''t quite hit home. While the merchant might have been an experienced salesman, it very quickly became evident that Orchid was not. Interest lit behind her eyes and she leaned forward, her gaze sharpening.


    She didn''t say a word. It didn''t matter. Alex and Claire alike caught the motion. So did Mako. The merchant grimaced, but it was too late. The Core was obviously worth more than he had let on.


    "I''m sure you''ll be able to come up with something worthwhile," Claire said.


    Mako''s lips thinned. He definitely wasn''t happy with Orchid, but he didn''t say so much as a word to her. Mako just coughed into a fist and pressed the beds of his fingers together. "Did you shatter your soul in order to arrive on 274-50? I could arrange for a decent Visualization in exchange for this."


    Shatter my soul? Is that something Outworlders have to do before they arrive here, like some form of balancing measure by the System? Finley did say that Natives were the ones with the most potential on this world¡­ but the way Mako posed the question implied it was possible to get to Earth without breaking your soul.


    Do I even want a ''decent'' Visualization? Finley said they''re what people use to form their Mind Palace. If all the stuff I''ve built so far is the foundations, I don''t want to ruin all that work by using something that''s only average. I think I''d rather just have Credits so I can choose what I''m getting myself.


    "I would prefer to be paid in Credits," Alex said. He paused for a moment, then tilted his head to the side. "Unless your family is running low on them at the moment?"


    Mako stiffened. "We are doing quite fine, and I can assure you that we will have no troubles paying for this core. If you wish to be paid exclusively in Credits, then I can offer you 50."


    "75," Claire said without so much as a breath in between Mako''s words and hers.


    "75?" Mako exclaimed, distraught. "This is just a mere core. It''s hardly worth¡ª"


    "A Field Boss core," Claire corrected. She crossed her arms in front of her chest.


    "Perhaps, but¡ª"


    "I''ll accept your offer," Orchid said abruptly, extending her hand. "Effective immediately."


    Mako''s eye twitched at the constant interruptions. He extended a hand to Orchid, and she grasped it. A shimmer of purple light passed between rings on each of their thumbs.


    "It was a pleasure," Mako said with a smile. "Our scouts have already identified a dungeon likely to possess this region''s Town Token. I will a map of it to you shortly. But, now that our business for the day is done, please¡ª"


    "80 Credits," Orchid said.


    They all stared at her.


    "What?" Mako asked.


    "80 Credits," Orchid repeated, jerking her chin for the Harvester floating on the table.


    "I ¡ª you ¡ª what? No! You can''t do that," Mako sputtered, slamming his hands down on the coral table with a thud. "You don''t even have that many Credits!"


    "I do now," Orchid replied. "You just paid me a fair sum. I''m offering 80 Credits for that core. I can use it."


    "90 Credits," Mako growled. "Watch yourself, Orchid. You do not want to make an enemy of me."


    Orchid let out a huff. She rose to her feet and her staff floated into the air by her side. She grabbed it, then lowered her wide-brimmed hat over her face. "All yours."


    With that, she swept out of the room.


    What was that about?


    Alex could hear Mako''s teeth grinding from across the table. He repressed the urge to bust out laughing.


    "So," Mako said, dragging the word out. "Perhaps we could ignore¡ª"


    "90 Credits," Claire said. She extended her hand.


    The merchant heaved a sigh and took Claire''s hand, giving it a shake. With his free hand, he reached out and plucked the Harvester from the clawed contraption. There was a high pitched whine and a stream of purple energy poured out of the Harvester, forming into a fingernail sized bead that the three claws clenched down upon.


    Mako released Claire''s hand and gave the Harvester back to Alex.


    "Ring?" Mako asked.


    Alex and Claire stared at him blankly.


    "Spatial Ring," Mako said, his expression narrowing in annoyance. He beckoned impatiently. "Come on. We''re all busy people."


    Spatial Ring? The things both Orchid and Mako are wearing? Ah, shit. I don''t have one. What do I ¡ª


    "Give us a clean one. No traces of the interaction," Claire said. "We''d prefer that our passing goes unnoticed."


    Mako''s head tilted to the side. He studied them for several long moments, then shrugged. "Very well. That will be 10 Credits. System pricing. No negotiation."


    "Done," Claire said. "So long as you don''t break your end of the deal. When we say ''no traces'', we mean it."


    "Fear not," Mako said with a wry smile. He waved a hand through the air like a magician performing a trick. A black ring materialized between his fingers and he extended his hand, palm up, to Alex. "Here."


    Alex took the ring and slipped it over his pointer finger.


    A tremor of energy prickled against his skin. The moment he sent his attention toward the new piece of jewelry, dim gold words shimmered to life in the air above it.


    Lesser Spatial Ring (Rare)


    Bonded Effect: The Lesser Spatial Ring contains a 5 x 5 x 5 foot cube of extradimensional space folded within it. Inanimate objects and up to 1,000 Credits can be stored within this space.


    Credits: 80


    "It was a pleasure," Alex said, rising from his chair.


    "Don''t you want to see any more of my wares?" Mako asked. "Information, perhaps? Weapons? I have it all."


    "Another time, maybe," Alex said with a small shrug. He had other things on his mind at the moment ¡ª and he wasn''t so sure he trusted Mako. Right now, he was more interested in actually answering a few questions rather than getting more of them. Making purchases when he didn''t know the value of what he''d just gotten was a dangerous move.


    "In that case, please return another day," Mako said. "We value your patronage greatly."


    Alex and Claire just nodded. They headed out of the room and down the stairwell, making their way through the still-crowded lower floor before stepping outside.


    "Let''s find somewhere to stay for the night," Claire suggested.


    Alex couldn''t have agreed more. They kept to the side of the market square to avoid the thicker crowds as they headed toward the main street in search of an inn or lodgings.


    As they walked past an alley at the edge of the square, Alex caught something out of the corner of his eye. Orchid stood within it, just a few feet away from them and cast partially in the shadow, watching him from under the brim of her large hat.


    He and Claire ground to a halt.


    "I didn''t have the Credits," Orchid said.


    Alex stared at her. "What?"


    "The Credits I offered for your core. I didn''t have that many. I was just driving up the price. You''re welcome."


    Alex blinked in surprise, and Claire beat him to responding.


    "Why?" Claire asked.


    "A gesture of good will. I have a proposition for you. Something that I believe will be mutually beneficial," Orchid replied, turning on her heel and starting into the alley. She paused several feet in and turned to look back at them. "I trust you''ll hear me out? The extra Credits I earned you should be more than worth the time I ask."


    Alex exchanged a glance with Claire. Their fake identities as Outworlders were tenuous at best, but if they could get any information from Orchid¡­ they couldn''t pass up on the opportunity.


    "You''ve got 10 minutes," Claire said. She stepped into the alley after Orchid, and Alex followed after her. It was wide enough for the two of them to walk side-by-side.


    "I won''t need that long. My offer is to the point. I¡ª" Orchid''s eyes abruptly widened. She lifted her staff, pale blue power gathering at its large end. "Behind you!"


    Something scuffed in the alley behind Alex. There was a wet thunk and he staggered forward as a force drove into his back.


    He looked down in surprise.


    What the hell?


    A sword protruded from the center of his chest.


    "No!" Claire yelled. She shoved Alex behind herself, but the alley behind them was empty. There was nobody there.


    "Invisibility," Orchid spat, driving her staff into the ground. A wave of frosty air rolled from its head and past Claire.


    The form of a man appeared, rapidly covered in whitening frost crystals. He let out a hiss of pain, and staggered back, raising his hands to protect his face. Claire''s fist slammed into his stomach and the man doubled over. Blood splattered across her and the ground.


    Black veins carved across her flesh and she drove her hand forward like a knife. It burst through the man''s neck, painting the wall behind him red.


    Alex''s stomach felt cold. He pressed his fingers to the edge of the sword. They came back wet ¡ª and blinked.


    "Don''t move a muscle. You aren''t dead yet," Orchid barked, striding toward Alex and reaching for her side. "We can get a¡ª"


    Alex ignored her. He reached behind himself and found the sword''s handle. His fingers tightened around it and he gave it a tug, sliding the blade out of himself with a grunt.


    The fluid on the blade wasn''t red.


    It was black.


    Alex held the sword up before him, then looked back to the dead man lying behind them in the alleyway. His chest squelched as black sludge dripped from the wound, sealing back over the hole until nothing but whole flesh remained.


    A wave of dizziness threatened to choke him. It took every single scrap of strength he had to stay standing. Practically all his magical energy had evaporated, having been drained in mere instants ¡ª but the injury was gone.


    Alex would have laughed if he''d had the energy to spare. Princess was still dead. Her powers had saved him.


    Orchid ground to a halt before him, her mouth hanging slightly askew in disbelief as she stared at the now-sealed wound.


    "How did you do that?" Orchid breathed in awe. "Who are you?"

 Chapter 78: Orchid

    Orchid would have said that she was well acquainted with evading death. The Everbloom family had been perfecting the Midnight Bloom Soul Manifestation for centuries. It was the namesake of her family.She had been trained personally by the Matriarch in the path of Midnight Bloom. Though her own strength had not yet advanced to the point where she could utilize her domain to activate the full strength of Midnight Bloom, she had gotten very good at using Domain Qi.


    Qi allowed her to activate the Epic rarity bracelet that hung around her wrist and bridged the gap in power ¡ª at least, temporarily. Of the 3 chances the bracelet gave her to activate the true power of Midnight Bloom, only 2 remained.


    But even Midnight Bloom could not do what she had just witnessed. It had taken her a whole day to come back to life after Absolution had killed her. The Matriarch herself took an entire minute to return after being struck down, though she had not died in hundreds of years.


    But the Outworlder standing before her had healed from a mortal wound in seconds.


    This man¡­ he didn''t even flinch from getting run through. Even now, he''s barely so much as moved a muscle. He''s so unconcerned with getting stabbed that acting on his own would have been more effort than doing nothing.


    Orchid bit back the urge to swallow. She could show no weakness. The man''s pale-skinned companion had looked terrified for a moment when he''d been stabbed. Orchid had believed that fear to have been for him, but now it was apparent that it was anything but.


    She feared what his reaction would be. What family is this monster from?


    I may have made a mistake in choosing him, but I can''t back out. I just invited them to speak. It would be an insult to change my mind now.


    What is wrong with this Subsector? First Absolution, then some insane Native using the Mirrorlands, and now this monstrosity.


    A horrifying thought struck Orchid.


    They couldn''t possibly think I ordered this attack, could they? That fool was clearly a thief waiting near the Ocean''s Tide and hoping to get lucky robbing all of us right after we left. He clearly thought his invisibility made him invincible. Amateur.


    "I apologize for this," Orchid said stiffly. "I had no association with this attack, but I should have expected more attention would be on us after leaving from the second floor of the Ocean''s Tide."


    The dark-clothed man''s gaze bore into Orchid''s skull like a blade. He had still yet to budge from his spot. He wasn''t even looking at her. His attention went straight through Orchid as if she were nothing but air.


    "What was this idiot thinking?" the man''s pale-skinned companion asked as she nimbly checked the attacker''s pockets in rapid succession. Everything the would-be assassin had other than his clothes was stripped away in practiced motions.


    This wasn''t the first time the woman had looted a body. She knew what she was doing.


    They couldn''t be from the Starfallen family, could they?


    No. That''s not possible. They promised me that they weren''t entering my Subsector.


    "I''ve seen it many times before," Orchid said, not letting any of the panic she felt show through in her words. "Invisibility makes fools think they are gods. We should leave. The commotion may have been overheard, and I do not wish to deal with the Great Tide family right now. They won''t hold us responsible for defending ourselves, but we''ll waste precious time."


    Orchid tapped her staff against the ground and sent her magic coursing free. The cobbled stone split apart and swallowed the dead man''s body, sealing back over it with a crunch and leaving no trace of his passing.


    She started down the alley. Orchid didn''t glance back to see if the other two were following her, but she was relieved to hear two sets of footsteps in her wake. It seemed that they weren''t going to try to hold her accountable and were still interested in working together.


    Though it may have been safer if they had remained behind. That no longer matters. What is, is. I will not fail my family. Even if victory comes at the cost of making a deal with an ancient monster like this, we must succeed.


    No matter how powerful their family may be, this is a fresh Tier 1 world. Momentum is everything.


    I will not fail.


    ***


    Every single step Alex took felt like it sent shockwaves rolling through his entire body. He had no idea how he managed to keep himself upright as he and Claire followed after Orchid ¡ª but he couldn''t let himself show any form of weakness.


    This was an opportunity to get more information. To learn more about the Outworlders and figure out what the hell was going on with the apocalypse.


    Alex was fairly certain that Orchid actually wanted to work together with them for something. She''d been too surprised at the attack for it to have been intentional, and she''d been the first out of all of them to react to it.


    There''s a chance that she was just putting on an act to win us over, but I''ll reserve judgement for until she tells us what it is she wants.


    Orchid led Alex and Claire down the alleyway and into a one-story house a few streets away from the market. While the exterior of the house was beautiful, it was considerably less impressive on the inside. The building only had a single room inside it. Layers of flowers had been laid upon each other in the corner of the room to make a bed. The centerpiece of the room was a large, circular wooden table surrounded by chairs.


    "So, what is it that you want to ask us for?" Claire asked, saving Alex from having to figure out how to speak through lips as stiff as cardboard.


    Some power was returning to his body, but it seemed it would be at least a few more minutes until he felt anywhere close to normal again. He lumbered over to the table and pulled a chair out, lowering himself into it without a word.


    "A dungeon." Orchid walked over to the far side of the table and sat down, interlacing her fingers and resting her forearms on its wooden surface. "As you heard from Mako, I have acquired the location of a Town Token." S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Outworlder let her words linger in the air. They probably would have been a lot more potent if Alex had any idea what a Town Token actually did or why it was important.


    "You want our help getting it?" Claire asked. "Why?"


    "My class is not one that performs well on its own for extended fights," Orchid replied. "And the Town Token is not going to be easy to take. Being able to create or upgrade a town is far too great of a boon for the System to release it easily. I would like to hire you to help me get to the Token."


    That caught Alex''s attention.


    Finley mentioned a Town Token as well. He said we wouldn''t be able to get one for months, but why would having a town be important to an Outworlder? I feel like it can''t just be because she wants a vacation home.


    "And what do we get out of this, presuming we''re interested?" Claire asked. "Are you going to sell the token?"


    "I am open to options." Orchid was clearly choosing her words carefully. "What I need is Credits. A lot of them. I''m not strong enough to defend a Town myself, but a lot of families would pay very well for the opportunity to try."


    Why? What the hell does a Town Token do that just building some houses somewhere doesn''t? It would be way too oblivious to just straight up ask. That would give us away.


    "Why us?" Claire asked.


    "You were here first," Orchid replied without a second of hesitation. "Speed of utmost importance. There hasn''t been a single town formed on 274-50 yet. Every single family is going to be racing to form theirs first, and the selling price we can get for the Token will be astronomical if we can do it before anyone else."


    "That''s an¡­ optimistic take," Claire said slowly. Alex could tell she was thinking on what question to ask that would give them the most information without revealing just how clueless they actually were.


    "I know it''s a long shot, but it''s not like clearing the dungeon won''t have other rewards. This isn''t some short task, and we''re ahead of the curve," Orchid insisted. She splayed her fingers out on the table and rose from her chair, leaning forward. "It''ll take weeks to get through the outer layers, and days for the final dungeon. The Town Token is the ultimate reward, but it''s the main one I care about. Help me get to the token and I''ll give you proportionate cuts of the sale as well as all the Credits we earn leading up to it. If we fail to get the Token, we split everything we earned three ways evenly."


    Whoa. That''s a really damn good deal for us, especially if we manage to get this Token. Orchid is desperate. Is she also in debt?


    Huh. Maybe that''s one of the restrictions the System puts on Outworlders. They all have to pay a crazy amount of Credits to stay on the planet.


    A little more of Alex''s strength returned. Working with Orchid was tempting. Very tempting. She''d dropped even more information in the short conversation they''d had with her. The longer they spent in her presence, the more she''d inadvertently reveal.


    But the more time they spent near her, the higher the chance was that Alex or Claire would slip up and she''d realize they weren''t Outworlders.


    I don''t know how strong Orchid is. At the very least, she''s got a lead on us with regard to understanding the system. Fighting her would probably be suicide, but if we don''t get caught...


    This could be another a massive opportunity. The Outworlders all think they''re coming here to play us, but we have a chance to play them instead.


    Alex would have struggled to avoid smiling if he wasn''t so tired.


    "So you want us to basically spend weeks looking for this dungeon?" Claire said asked doubtfully. "That''s quite a while."


    Oh, shoot. I almost missed that. Spending weeks grinding dungeons with her would be bad news. We''d definitely get caught at some point.


    Alex started to frown.


    "Forget the outer dungeons," Orchid said, sensing she was about to lose them. "I''ll hire some natives to deal with those. What I really need help with is the final network. The Great Tide family will be able to get me the general location of the Town Token based on its energy signature. The signal is muted because of all the noise from the dungeons that spring up around it, but even a weak one gives us the right direction to look. I''ll need your help once I locate that dungeon."


    "So you want a few days of our time to help you get the Town Token," Alex said, speaking up for the for the first time since they''d arrived Orchid''s house. He wanted to learn anything he could get from Orchid, but he had to be smart about it.


    I can''t afford to spend too much time next to her or she''ll definitely figure out that we aren''t Outworlders. Weeks would be impossible, but days¡­ we might be able to pull that off.


    "Correct," Orchid said.


    "Then I believe we might be able to help each other," Alex said with a smile.


    "Exactly the words I wanted to hear," Orchid said. She straightened her back and extended a hand, a small glint in her eye warning Alex that he might have missed something. "Then, as per custom, I am Orchid of the Everbloom Family. Which of the 14 are you from?"


    Ah, shit. That''s bad. Do I just make one up?


    No, that''s not going to work. She said 14. That must be how many families are on Earth. She knows their names, so I can''t just bullshit something.


    Alex was running out of time. He couldn''t just sit there staring at Orchid forever. A smile pulled across her lips as she watched him.


    "That''s right," Orchid said. "I know how many families made it onto 274-50. I have strong connections, Alex. You aren''t the only one with some leverage."


    The number of families here clearly has some importance, but I have no idea why. It doesn''t matter right now. Who the hell do I say I''m with? She seems confident that there are only 14, so she won''t buy it if I make something up.


    Finley mentioned a group called the Nightmarch family, but he clearly hated them. Pretending to be some massive asshole might go poorly.


    Maybe I could take Finley''s family name?


    No, shit. That won''t work either. He said his family was completely broke and couldn''t afford to send an Outworlder that could do anything other than sell shit. I''m obviously not part of the Great Tide family either. What else could I ¡ª


    A thought struck Alex. It was an old one, from back when he''d first been in the Mirrorlands. There was one other family that he''d seen the name of, though he hadn''t realized what it was at the time when it had been shimmering above a giant squid-vessel.


    I haven''t heard anyone use their name yet. I can''t just not answer Orchid. It would be too suspicious at this point. I''ve just got to take a gamble.


    "My name is Alex," he replied, reaching out to take Orchid''s hand. "Of the Starfallen family."

 Chapter 79: A friendly knock

    The world ground to a halt around Orchid. Blood pounded in her ears as she stared at Alex, his words echoing through her head on repeat. The sinking pit that had been forming in her stomach ever since she''d first met the strange Outworlder condensed into a block of lead.She could feel her grip tightening but could do nothing to avoid it. Her body had taken on a will of its own and her mind was nothing more than a prisoner within its flesh. The strangling hold of fear wrapped around her neck like a noose and started to tighten.


    No. This can''t be happening.


    Why would they send someone here? Did they hear that I failed to kill Absolution? That can''t be possible. There was no way for any family to get any information about 274-50 up until the beginning of the 3rd Initialization.


    My conversation with Absolution couldn''t have been overheard.


    Orchid''s skin felt clammy. Her tongue was thick in her mouth and her stomach clenched so hard that it hurt. Not a single one of those emotions made it through the frozen mask that was her face. She could not afford to show any weakness.


    I must approach this rationally. Panic will grant me nothing. Emotion will only hinder whatever path I choose to take. There is no proof that the Starfallen family would have sent someone here. They have no reason to.


    This could be an imposter. Someone attempting to use their name as leverage. I must determine if this is the case. Even the Starfallens would not hold me in contempt for testing their identity to ensure I did not reveal secrets.


    Orchid forced herself to relax. She pushed the embarrassment tickling the back of her mind away. If Alex was actually telling the truth, then she''d just bragged about knowing how many families had entered 274-50 by using information that his own family had given her. She wanted to sink into the ground ¡ª but she couldn''t afford the distraction any longer. Orchid forced herself back into the present.


    The entire internal monologue that had just torn through her mind had only lasted a second.


    Fortunately, it didn''t seem like Alex had noticed her thoughts. He barely even seemed to notice her at all ¡ª almost as if she were beneath his presence.


    Just like a Starfallen.


    The thought sent a wave of goosebumps rolling down her spine. She forced it down. An aloof attitude could be faked. There were other manners in which a true identity could be brought forth. Orchid released Alex''s hand and glanced to his companion.


    There hadn''t been time to see if the woman had picked up on Orchid''s hesitation. It was too late to find out now. The moment had passed. All that could be done was to forge ahead with the information she had.


    "And you are?" Orchid extended her hand.


    "Claire," the pale skinned woman replied, a soft smile playing across her lips. Once more, unease twisted in Orchid. Claire interlaced her fingers and made absolutely no move to accept Orchid''s proffered hand. "Of the Starfallen family."


    There should have been nothing to fear about Claire. She had not demonstrated any immense abilities in the fight. Orchid couldn''t see any powerful items on the woman, nor did she even have a storage ring visible.


    By all means, she just looked like a Native. But there was something about the way she carried herself ¡ª the slightest dash of contempt in her smile, the flatness deep within her eyes, the casual dismissal within her tone.


    It was like a queen¡­ or a monster.


    Could she be bluffing? If she picked up on my earlier hesitation when speaking with Alex, there''s a chance she noticed weakness and is capitalizing on it. But it was only an instant. There''s no way she could have figured out what I was thinking that quickly.


    "Then I am honored to be able to share my housing with you," Orchid said, inclining her head slightly.


    Neither Claire nor Alex responded. They stood as still as ice, completely ignoring the gesture of respect. There weren''t many families bold enough to do something like that. Even the stronger families still acknowledged when someone gave them face ¡ª and anyone from one of them would have been long since trained in the proper manner of interaction between families.


    The Everbloom Family might have fallen from grace, but it was far from trash. From almost every other family that could have arrived on this world would at least know its name. There were very few of them that were powerful enough to snub her completely.


    If Claire and Alex were from one of those families, they would have at least twitched as they repressed their instinct to return my bow.


    There were families that wouldn''t so much at look at hers twice as anything more than a pawn. The Starfallen were among their small number.


    Orchid fought the urge to swallow.


    This proves nothing. They could have rehearsed this.


    Alex and Claire''s silence ground down on Orchid''s shoulders like a millstone. Even though she''d been the last to speak, neither of them had said anything in the last few seconds.


    Perhaps I can determine information about their abilities. The Starfallen have access to some incredibly powerful paths.


    "We can discuss the specifics of the plan, then," Orchid hedged. "I will need to fill in our group once we locate the Town Token. Would you share your general class styles so that I can properly build the group?"


    "A group?" Claire let out a small laugh and shook her head. "We don''t need that. We will be sufficient. All you have to do is take us to the dungeon."


    What, without me? No. That''s ridiculous. She must mean the three of us.


    Even Absolution would be hard pressed to handle a dungeon with a Town Token in it. The magical energy that pours off an artifact that strong is the reason there are so many dungeons around it in the first place.


    Clearing the dungeon that a Token resided within would be leagues harder than a normal dungeon. Claiming to be able to deal with something like that without help was a slip up from an overconfident liar ¡ª or at least, it would have been if Orchid hadn''t just watched Alex get run through the chest and shrug it off as if nothing had happened.


    "I apologize for doubting your abilities. If you''re that confident, then I will gratefully accept. It''ll save me a lot of expenses," Orchid said, conceding the point. They certainly had the arrogance and confidence of the Starfallen Family.


    She had to change the topic to something more specific if she wanted to determine if these two were from the Starfallen Family or not. But, first, she had to buy herself some time to think. Orchid cleared her throat. "I will contact you when the Token has been located, then. In the meantime, since you are my guests, could I treat you to some food?"


    Claire inclined her head, but not nearly enough to be mistaken as a sign of respect. It was merely an acknowledgement. "We will not object."


    Orchid sent her mind into her spatial ring and drew forth several loaves of bread, cheese, and pies from within it. They materialized on the table before her and were joined shortly thereafter by an assortment of drinks.


    "Please," Orchid said, holding her hands out. "Help yourselves."


    ***


    "¡­but it''s been months since I have spoken about family matters with my Matriarch. We have difficulties, but I can assure you that the Everbloom family is as potent as it always has been," Orchid finished.


    "I am certain you will make that clear to us in due time," Claire said.


    Orchid started to nod. Then her eye twitched.


    An hour and a half had ground by since she''d procured the food. She''d been planning to use the time while Claire and Alex ate to determine a good strategy to really pick any potential holes in their story apart.


    But Claire hadn''t taken so much as a bite. Instead, she''d turned Orchid''s questions against her ¡ª and Orchid wasn''t even sure how. She couldn''t quite place at what point she''d started speaking about herself or the Everbloom family.


    In the meantime, Alex had been doing nothing but eat. He''d barely given her so much as a cursory glance in the last hour. It seemed that he was content to just sit back and listen.


    I''m being run in circles. I can''t let this keep happening. I''m going to have to be direct.


    Orchid cleared her throat. "If I may ask, why is it that you arrived in this Subsector and chose to come to Valley Ford?"


    "We came to Valley Ford because we have no desire to sell trash to our own merchant," Claire replied with a half-shrug. "And we arrived in this Subsector because some things need personal oversight."


    Orchid''s skin prickled.


    Trash? A Field Boss'' Core is trash? Damnation. I must have looked like an idiot pushing up the price of a core by 5 Credits to them. Of course they''d have contact with their own merchant.


    But why would they come specifically to Valley Ford, out of all the Hub Cities on 274-50?


    Could they be here to observe me?


    No. That can''t be possible¡­ but if they''re from the Starfallen family, they should know what my task is. Should I just straight up ask them? But if they''re not, I''d be giving away my affiliations. That would be less than ideal.


    Damn it all. Why can''t I figure out what either of them are thinking?


    Orchid was no stranger to reading people. She wasn''t a master manipulator, but she''d pulled a few strings in her time, and she''d been part of countless meetings together with her mother.


    She''d seen just about every trick in the book ¡ª but she couldn''t wring so much as a drop of information from the two before her.


    Even more direct, then. I have no choice.


    "I must admit, I did not expect your family to come here. I have everything under control."


    Claire''s head tilted to the side. "What makes you think we''re here for you?"


    Orchid blinked.


    They don''t know my task at all. Then they''re lying about who they¡ª


    Wait.


    Absolution is in this sector. Why would someone strong enough to draw the Starfallen Family''s direct ire be in an area of the world that was pointless?


    Her blood ran cold.


    Shit. Absolution isn''t their end goal. How did I not realize this? He''s just another Outworlder. Absolution is a side project. That''s why they sent me instead of one of their own. The real team is aiming to get to the top of the Subsector. They just want me to deal with him so they can focus on the real prize.


    Pieces of a puzzle clicked into place. It was so painfully obvious that Orchid wanted to bash her head against the wall. There was no reason a family like the Starfallens would be worried about Absolution if there wasn''t something they wanted to keep him from getting.


    "Then¡ª"


    "Our ultimate tasks are not your business," Claire said. There was a line of steel in her voice that warned Orchid not to press the matter so much as an inch further. "You deal with your family. They have enough issues, and your Matriarch can''t afford to replace you."


    That was a threat, but Orchid barely even registered it. Thinly veiled threats were commonplace when dealing with the higher members of any strong family.


    She knows a lot about my position. Even if someone really was planning to impersonate the Starfallens, there''s no way they would have known they''d run into me and prepared for that as well¡­ but damn it all, I can''t remember what information I just gave up while Claire had me talking.


    Did I reveal my position in the family at some point while we spoke?


    I don''t think I did. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Orchid swallowed.


    Claire had steered the conversation completely and hadn''t let up on a single piece of information herself or Alex. She''d even managed to wrench some information from Orchid in the process, though she hadn''t revealed anything too important.


    A skill like that could only belong to someone that had honed their wits against the most dangerous minds in the Infinium. Orchid refused to believe some backwater family would be able to train someone that could run circles around her so easily.


    Between that, Alex''s complete nonchalance and disinterest in her, and the Field Boss the two of them had sold to the Great Tide family¡­


    It was impossible to deny it any longer. All the signs were there.


    Claire and Alex really are from the Starfallen family.


    Orchid swallowed. Her nerves felt like they were being plucked like the strings of a harp. This had been supposed to be a simple job. Difficult, but simple. Go to Planet 274-50, kill Absolution, then wipe up the rest of the Subsector and relax until a way off the planet arose.


    Her stomach threatened to push its way out of her mouth and bile welled at the base of her throat.


    The Starfallen family hadn''t been supposed to follow her here. She wanted absolutely nothing to do with them ¡ª but out of every single Outworlder family that had arrived on 274-50, she''d somehow managed to locate them instantly.


    First Absolution turns out to be far stronger than I thought and I get myself killed instantly. Then I stumble straight into the Starfallen Family. I''m almost starting to wonder if I''m cursed.


    There was nothing to be done, and it wasn''t all bad. The only thing worse than being next to the Starfallen family was being enemies with them. At least she wouldn''t be in their sights as long as they were working together.


    "I¡ª"


    Alex''s eyes snapped up, the first flicker of actual interest he''d had throughout the entire time he''d been in the house. He rose to his feet.


    "There''s someone coming."


    Claire stood instantly. There wasn''t a second of hesitation in her movements. She trusted him completely.


    And, no more than a moment after Alex had spoken, a loud knock echoed through the room.


    Orchid grabbed her staff. She didn''t know how Alex had figured out they had company or who it could be, but she had no plans of trying to find out. The Starfallen family had many enemies, and the less she knew about who was trying to kill her, the less liability she''d have if anyone came knocking on her door later.


    "Excuse me," a man''s booming voice called from the other side of the door. "Is this a good time? I can come back later if you''d prefer."


    "Were you¡­ expecting company?" Orchid asked hesitantly.


    Alex stared at the door for a moment. "In a manner of speaking, yes."


    "Should I open the door?" Orchid asked in a whisper.


    Claire and Alex exchanged a glance. Alex slowly nodded.


    "Yes. Go ahead."


    Orchid stepped forward and pulled the door open.


    A man in his mid-20s stood on the other side, a sheepish grin on his lips. He was lean, with muscles that came through years of work rather than intentional training. A thick sea of stubble covered the lower half of his angular face and he had a bed of messy blonde hair that hung around his face and sank to his shoulders.


    He was clad in heavy leathers that had been ripped to shreds in battle ¡ª and it seemed he''d brought the weapons that had put those cuts there along in him.


    There was a large axe lodged four inches into his left side. Several swords sprouted from his back, and the point of a rapier stuck out of his stomach. Dried blood covered the weapons and large portions of his destroyed clothes.


    "Pleasure to meet you all," the man said, raising a hand in greeting. A dagger had been sheathed in the very center of his palm. He didn''t seem very bothered by his situation. His eyes swept over the room and locked onto Alex. The grin on his face grew. "And there you are. Knew you were in here. Do you have any idea how long I''ve been stumbling around looking for you?"


    "No," Alex said.


    "Me neither." The man tried to step into the room, but one of the swords on his back thunked into the doorframe. He moved back and grunted. "Damn. You mind coming out here? I don''t fit inside."


    Orchid fought to keep her face expressionless, but it was quickly becoming a losing battle.


    Matriarch, what have I gotten myself into?


    "It''s usually polite to say why you''ve come looking for someone before you ask things of them," Claire said tersely, watching the man with thin lips.


    "Oh, shit. Introductions! I knew I was forgetting something. I''m real sorry about that. Been tired recently. I''ve tried to catch up on sleep, but you know how it is. Anyway, my name''s Derek." The man gave them a wide grin, then turned to look straight at Alex. "And I''m here to kill this guy."

 Chapter 80: The Count

    For the past hour and some, Alex''s mind had been trapped in the remarkable phenomenon that he''d previously thought was constrained to painfully boring classes. Namely, he''d been completely and utterly zoned out and time had slipped through his fingers like grains of sand.That was equal parts because of the enormous amount of energy Princess'' power had drained from him and because he was trying to figure out just how much of that magic he could actually control.


    He''d tried stretching his arms beneath the table a few times to see if he''d suddenly become elastic, but that had proven ineffective, even after some of his magic returned. Princess ended up returning to life and re-inhabiting her Spatial Mirror a few ineffective tests later.


    It was around then that Alex realized he''d been staring Orchid down for the past hour or so. She''d definitely noticed it, but it wasn''t like he could un-stare her. That had left him in an awkward position.


    He''d had two options. The first was to look away, but that would have almost made the aforementioned sixty minutes of staring even worse, as it would mean he knew exactly what he was doing.


    The other was to keep staring at her.


    Alex ended up going with the second option. After all, she hadn''t gotten weirded out yet. Changing anything would have just brought more attention back to him and Claire seemed to have a good handle on the situation as things were.


    As to what those things were, Alex was a little less certain. Claire and Orchid were locked in a conversation about the Everbloom family now, but he had no idea at what point the topic had shifted.


    He''d just sat and stared at the wall behind Orchid''s head ¡ª desperately wishing the two would stop so he could do literally anything other than this.


    When the tingling at the back of his mind that marked the presence of another Anomaly had grown stronger, he''d nearly leapt out of his chair in delight. It was exactly what he''d been waiting for. His ticket to escaping the hell he''d mistakenly built around himself had finally arrived.


    He just hadn''t expected the Anomaly that had showed up to be quite so¡­ upfront about their plans ¡ª or to be stabbed full of weapons.


    "What?" Alex asked, half-wondering if he''d managed to mishear the man. Nobody strolled up and announced that they were planning to kill¡ª


    "I''m here to kill you," Derek said. The large man scratched at the stubble on the side of his face. "Is now a bad time? Are you busy?"


    Okay. I didn''t mishear him.


    The look that Orchid was giving Derek made it abundantly clear that this wasn''t some weird Outworlder thing. She was even more baffled than he was.


    "Eh. We were just wrapping things up. Now''s as good a time as any," Alex said, trying to hide just how relieved he actually was. Derek''s timing was so good that he may as well have been an angel.


    "Great!" Derek exclaimed, placing his un-stabbed hand on his chest and letting out a relieved sigh. "That''s good to hear. I showed up while the last guy had food poisoning. It was really rough. Stood outside the toilet for about an hour. Then I found out he''d cut a hole in the back of the room and run off by the time I got concerned enough to check on him."


    You got concerned enough to check on the guy you were waiting to kill?


    "A common issue, I''m certain," Alex said dryly.


    "Is it?" Derek frowned. "That''s annoying. How do you normally deal with it?"


    Right. No sarcasm with this guy.


    "Stand on the inside of the bathroom," Claire advised from behind Alex. "That way you can see if they make a run for it, and you can help get some liquids if they need them."


    "I thought about that, but¡­" Derek glanced at the axe sticking out of his side, then shrugged helplessly. "I don''t exactly get along too well with doors. Or doorways. Or hallways. Any tight spaces, really."


    "I think I may have suffered an occlusion in my brain," Orchid said, blinking heavily. Her staff wavered in the air and she stared at her hand as if she were trying to determine if it was actually there. "I do not believe I am hearing the words of this conversation correctly."


    "No, you''re hearing them right," Claire said.


    Derek cleared his throat. "If now is a good time¡­ could you step out of the house? There''s a doorway. I''d hate to damage it on accident."


    "Don''t you think we''d end up damaging the rest of the town if we fight here?" Alex asked, tilting his head to the side. He wasn''t even trying to stall for time ¡ª he genuinely wanted to know what the other Anomaly''s answer would be.


    "Oh, shit," Derek said, slapping himself in the face. "You''re right. I didn''t think about that at all! It would be pretty rude if we destroyed the street, and someone might get caught up in the fight. Do you think we could¡­"


    Derek gestured vaguely over his shoulder.


    "Take this outside of town?"


    "Yes!" Derek nodded empathetically. "Exactly!"


    "Do you want me to deal with him?" Orchid whispered hesitantly. "I''m certain something like this isn''t worth your time. It will be a middling problem for me to handle."


    "Absolutely not," Alex said with a firm shake of his head. He was not about to let someone else steal a kill on an Anomaly and prevent him from advancing his Unmaker title, which would let him upgrade an Auxiliary Skill the next time he killed an Anomaly.


    I''m still not actually sure this guy wants to kill me, though. He''s so polite. If he''s serious¡­ well, it''s a nice change from all the nutjobs I''ve met recently.


    "I''d appreciate that as well," Derek voiced. "I don''t really want to fight you, miss. Just¡­ er, what''s your name?"


    "Alex."


    "Just Alex," Derek finished.


    This might actually be the weirdest thing that''s happened to me since the apocalypse started, and that''s saying a lot.


    Claire caught Alex''s eye and arched an eyebrow. He just shrugged in response. There was no reason to be rude. Derek was an Anomaly. He wanted the same thing that Alex did ¡ª the winner of their fight would get stronger.


    "Let''s get to it, then. No point wasting time," Alex said, stepping out from the house. He prepared to call on his monsters if Derek tried anything, but the larger man just nodded in agreement.


    "I couldn''t agree more," Derek said, turning and starting toward the main road.


    Alex walked after him.


    "Find us later," Claire told Orchid. "We''ll be around town. I suggest leaving a little forewarning when you need our help. We don''t tend to stick around for long periods of time."


    "Understood," Orchid muttered, not sounding like she''d fully registered a single thing that Claire had just said. She just stared after them until they vanished from view, her mouth hanging askew.


    The three of them walked in silence for a minute. People stared at Derek, but the large Anomaly barely even seemed to notice. He hummed a happy tune to himself, his hands in his tattered pockets as he strolled through the city.


    "You know, you''re the first person to actually take me up on this," Derek said, glancing back at Alex. "Everyone else has just tried to kill me the moment I finish talking. Sometimes sooner. You''re a good guy. Your friend isn''t planning to jump me the moment we start fighting, I she?"


    "I''ll stay out of the way," Claire said as they reached a large gate at the edge of town. A small stream of people flowed in and out of it. "It does kind of seem rude to butt in at this point. Do you do this a lot?"


    "Done it a few times. Maybe I just got bad eggs," Derek replied with a small shrug. The three of them joined the line of people leaving the city, ignoring the looks as they drew on their way out.


    Alex drew to a stop as they emerged from within Valley Ford, the sound of roaring water slamming into him like someone had abruptly flipped a switch to turn it on.


    His eyes went wide as he got his first look at the city''s surroundings. It was at the base of an enormous valley. Perhaps the name should have given that part away, but Alex digressed.


    Rolling clay hills stretched out around them but came to an abrupt stop about fifty feet away from the city''s edges, which were all solid gray stone.


    Towering mountains with jagged, snow-tipped peaks loomed all around the city and the hills surrounding it. Waterfalls poured down their faces, joining into massive rivers at their bases. The water flowed naturally right up until it reached the edge of the city where the clay turned to stone, where it lifted into the air as if flowing through invisible tubes.


    The rivers all twisted together into an enormous spinning vortex above Valley Ford. It was the source of the thunderous sound, but the inside of the city hadn''t been anywhere near this loud.


    Derek yelled something, but Alex could barely hear him. He shook his head and held his hands up helplessly.


    The large Anomaly pointed toward the rolling stone hills away from town, then pantomimed walking toward them. Alex''s eyes lit up and he nodded.


    All three of them headed in the direction that Derek had indicated until the crashing water faded into a rumble in the distance. The trip took just under twenty minutes, and they came to a stop between two small hills.


    "How does this location feel to you?" Derek asked.


    "About as good as any, I''d say. This is an interesting place," Alex said.


    "Quite," Derek agreed. "I can''t wait to get a chance to properly explore the city. After this, I guess ¡ª but I don''t want to make plans while you''re waiting. You just about ready?"


    Definitely the weirdest thing that''s ever happened to me. It''s rather odd, actually. Derek is claiming to have killed other Anomalies. He''s stuffed full of weapons but isn''t acting hurt¡­ it feels like he should be relatively strong. I definitely didn''t see him in the Nexus Point, though. Was he from one of the other winner''s areas?


    Alex called his summons with a thought. The ground before him bubbled black as Princess emerged from it like a wraith escaping from hell. Glass shattered to his right; electricity crackled to his left.


    Glint and Spark joined Princess at his sides.


    Derek didn''t so much as blink.


    "Yeah," Alex said, feeling slightly awkward about the whole thing. It was considerably easier to start a fight when his opponent was already trying to kill him ¡ª though, Derek had flat out voiced his plans to do exactly that. Alex shook himself off and focused his attention. This was just a more civilized manner of doing what he''d already done. He couldn''t afford to be distracted when he was about to fight to the death. "I''m ready."


    "Wait, who starts? I haven''t gotten this far before. I think we need a count-down."


    You can''t be serious.


    "Claire?" Alex asked.


    "I¡­ uh, sure. Three. Two¡ª"


    "Wait!" Derek exclaimed. "Do we start on one? Or do we start on zero?"


    "I''ll say ''go'' after I finish counting down," Claire said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Is that fine?"


    "Perfect. Thank you."


    "I''m starting," Claire said. She waited for a moment to see if Derek would say anything else. When he didn''t, she started to count down.


    "Three. Two. One¡­ Go."


    Glint burst into motion. He bounded across the ground and lunged, his claws catching the light as they carved through the air in a blur. Derek didn''t even have a moment to react. One moment, the Shardwalker had been in front of him.


    The next, Glint skidded to a stop behind the Anomaly, blood dripping from his claws.


    Derek''s head slipped forward, severed at the neck, and fell off his shoulders. It landed at his feet with a soft thud.


    Alex blinked in disbelief.


    What? Just like that? He didn''t even try to dodge!


    "Huh," Claire said.


    "Did I attack too fast?" Alex asked. "I waited until the count was over, right?"


    "Yeah, you did."


    The answer didn''t come from Claire.


    It had come from the ground between Derek''s feet.


    The Anomaly leaned and grabbed his head by the hair. He lifted it back to the stump of his neck and thunked it down with a squelch, giving it a twist to set it in place.


    Alex''s eyes went wide.


    What the fuck?


    "That was a good opening attack. I didn''t even see it coming. I knew this was going to be a good fight." Derek grabbed the haft of the huge axe that protruded from his side and ripped it free of himself with a spray of blood and a grunt. He lowered his stance, readying the bloodstained weapon before him as a smile pulled across his lips. "But now it''s my turn." S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 81: Winning Strategy

    The hair on Alex''s neck stood on end. He''d just watched Glint cut Derek''s head clean off his shoulders, but the man had barely been inconvenienced. He had some form of immortality like Princess ¡ª but Alex didn''t see a white mask sitting around to target.Derek took a step forward. His grip tightened on the haft of his axe.


    Alex lowered his stance and sent a mental command to all of his monsters. Glint leapt back, keeping a wide berth around Derek as he raced to rejoin Alex. Princess moved to stand before them, her sludge-filled form bubbling as she rose to her full height.


    "Here I come!" Derek called, shifting his weight forward and bursting into motion.


    He charged Alex ¡ª at the speed of a strolling, middle-aged man. It would have been a relatively slow charge before the Apocalypse had made it so that people could strengthen their bodies to inhuman levels.


    It was so slow that Alex had time to blink in surprise. The charging Anomaly may as well have been underwater.


    Is it a feint? Or some sort of powerful attack that he has to move slowly to generate power for?


    "I''ve got you!" Derek yelled, raising his axe over his head ¡ª still about ten feet away from Alex.


    Princess stepped forward and punched Derek in the face.


    Her huge hand slammed him into the ground. Dozens of bones shattered as one with a loud crunch and blood splattered across the brown clay hills. Derek''s axe spun off to the side, clattering against stones before skidding to a stop several feet away from where he had fallen.


    Princess lifted her hand, then shook the blood dripping from her sludgy knuckles. The large man laid in a pulverized heap; a remarkable impression of a cockroach that had been squashed against the ground.


    Okay. Maybe that wasn''t a feint.


    A wet pop squelched out from the bloody mess. Derek''s body twitched. Then it lurched, shooting up to its feet. Muscles knit back together and blood flowed across them in a race back to its position. Broken skin sealed itself shut and the weapons in the fleshy mass quivered as Derek returned to his normal form within seconds.


    "Ouch," Derek said. "I was still attacking."


    "Were¡­ you planning on taking actual turns?" Alex asked, trying to determine if he was stunned, terrified, or impressed.


    "Yeah, kind of," Derek replied. He glanced at his axe.


    Princess smashed him over the head with both of her hands. There was a sickening crunch as he flattened. Alex and Claire both winced. Princess had flattened him into a human pancake. The only things that had survived her attack in one piece were the weapons protruding from his crunched-up form.


    Shit. I forgot to rescind the command to attack.


    The Dredge took a step back and lowered her hands. Derek''s body pulled itself back together within seconds, taking the weapons with it as he rose back to his feet. That was his third death ¡ª and his heart had definitely gotten crushed in the process.


    A flicker of unease built in Alex''s stomach.


    There''s no way he''s actually immortal, is there? Is he just playing with me? Or is this his actual personality?


    "Ow," Derek said, rubbing at his eyes. He squinted at Princess. When the monster made no move forward, he edged over to his axe and picked it up. "Okay. Now it''s my turn."


    "You¡­ can just attack," Alex said. "There aren''t turns."


    "Oh, right. I forgot." Derek lunged forward ¡ª and this time, he moved at about the speed of a normal human. It wasn''t a particularly fast attack, but it was better than his first attempt.


    Princess'' fist slammed down on Derek once more.


    The axe clattered across the ground.


    His body rebuilt itself. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He picked the axe back up, then wiped at his eyes once more. "You''re good."


    I¡­ don''t think I''ve really done much of anything, actually. I feel like I''ve walked into an alternate dimension. Well, I guess that happened when the apocalypse arrived. This is a new alternate dimension. What the hell is going on?


    Derek burst into motion again.


    Princess slammed her hand into his chest ¡ª but this time, there was no crunch. Derek let out a grunt and fell to one knee. He skidded across the packed clay, pushing back against Princess'' immense strength for a brief moment.


    Then her other hand fell on his head and flattened him.


    Flesh and bone rippled. There was a familiar squelch. Derek re-formed, his mouth already mid-way through a yawn before his face had even fully knit back together.


    He''s got to have a weakness, but what is it? Maybe we have to cut out his heart?


    "Sorry, sorry," Derek said. "I''m enjoying the fight. I promise. I''m just a little tired."


    Princess whipped a fist toward Derek.


    He leaned back. Instead of catching him directly in the chest, her blow hit Derek''s shoulder. The Anomaly staggered back, but he didn''t fall. Princess'' other hand crashed down toward him. He crossed his arms before himself.


    Princess'' fist slammed into his body, her sludgy flesh flowing around his crossed arms and driving straight into his chest. Derek staggered back, but his feet dug into the ground and he managed to maintain his footing.


    With a roar, he swung his axe.


    The blade flashed through the air and carved into Princess'' arm, severing it. She lurched back, putting space between them as a victorious grin crossed Derek''s face and he thrust his axe into the air.


    Wait. Is he ¡ª


    "Ha! I landed a hit!"


    The sludge on the ground bubbled. It lurched through the air and reconnected with Princess, reforming into a hand. Derek blinked. He looked from his axe to the monster. Then his grin grew wider. "Oh, sweet! Your monster can do that too?"


    Alex''s skin prickled.


    Princess lunged at Derek. He hopped back, evading her grasp, then swung his axe again. It thudded into the Dredge''s back and sent black sludge splattering across the ground.


    The Dredge drove her fist into his stomach and tossed him back, but Derek kept his grip on the axe as he was forced away. The weapon carved across Princess. She reformed, but the monster only had so much energy to work with ¡ª and it didn''t look like Derek was running out.


    Shit. There''s no doubt about it. Derek was either holding back at the start of the fight¡­ or he''s getting stronger.


    And, in the light of that realization, an excited grin pulled at the corners of Alex''s lips.


    "I''ve never had a fight like this before," Alex said.


    "Me neither!" Derek exclaimed. He charged toward Princess and bounded into the air, whipping his axe down like he were trying to split her straight down the middle.


    The monster flowed to the side and the axe slammed into the ground where she''d been standing with a loud thud. One of Princess'' centipede-leg arms shot out and slammed into Derek''s chest, driving straight through it.


    Derek ripped a sword out from his back and brought it down, cutting through Princess'' arm. He ripped his axe from the ground with his other hand and brought it crashing down on her other arm, severing it.


    "I''m going to use my other monsters now," Alex said, the grin on his features matching the one on the other man''s face. He couldn''t keep himself from warning Derek. The other man was just too genuine.


    "You can use all of them at once?" Derek''s eyes lit up with delight. He dodged a punch from Princess, and his axe flashed as he cut it across the front of her chest.


    Princess ignored the middling wound and lunged forward, slamming her body into Derek and pinning him to the ground with a crash. He struggled to free himself, but it was fruitless. The monster was still considerably more powerful than Derek was, even when she wasn''t empowered by Qi or Rift Flood.


    There was just no point making her stronger than she already was. It would just be wasting energy, and Alex had to conserve everything he had until he could figure out a way to actually deal with Derek.


    Could I stop his regeneration by just cutting him apart while he''s trying to reform? Maybe it can only heal so much.


    Glint and Spark both exploded into motion. Princess lurched back just as they arrived. Derek brought his axe to bear, but Spark slammed into him and ripped the weapon from his grip, flinging it to the side.


    Derek thrust his rapier at the Echo Wraith, and Glint used the opportunity to flit behind him and rake his claws through the back of the man''s neck, severing his head from his neck once again.


    Spark slammed his hands down on the Anomaly''s back, and Glint ripped into his body with reckless abandon. Derek''s remains slithered apart under their rain of blows.


    Then they lurched. As they always seemed to do, the pieces of Derek''s body pulled themselves back together. Alex commanded Glint and Spark to continue their attack, but the Anomaly continued to reform even as they ripped him apart. His body almost seemed like it was putting itself together faster the more damage it took.


    Metal flashed.


    Spark floated back, a deep cut running across the chitinous armor that made up his segmented body. Derek''s body knit itself back together in its entirety. He held two of the swords that had been buried in his back in his hands.


    Derek swayed in place and let out a huge yawn. His eyes fluttered.


    Princess reached for him.


    He blurred, vaulting through the air as his weapons carved across her back. Black flesh sloughed away from the monster and Princess stumbled, cut in a dozen different places.


    Spark left a shadow on the ground behind him and leapt forward in conjunction with Glint. The two monsters collapsed on Derek, attacking him from opposite directions.


    Light danced across blurs of metal in the large man''s hands. Spark flashed as he swapped places with a shadow, narrowly avoiding a strike meant for him. Derek had somehow grown faster again.


    What kind of ability is this?


    Alex extended his power toward his Shardwalker, letting Qi fill him. He couldn''t afford to risk keeping his full strength contained any longer. Even if he didn''t have a way to fight Derek yet, the man had just gotten too fast to continue the fight as things were.


    He''d yet to see what a Qi-empowered Rift Flood would do to Glint, but he imagined it couldn''t hurt.


    Alex activated the ability.


    Glint''s body bulged, more than doubling in size. Shards of glass shrieked as his back hunched and jaw elongated until his face resembled that of an anglerfish. His mirror shards, instead of turning a pure purple like they had when he was summoned with Qi, darkened around the edges and buzzed with reddish-purple mist.


    The power faded away as Glint''s form solidified. He loped forward, moving just as fast as normal despite his considerably larger size, and lunged.


    Derek dodged back as Glint''s claws raked through the air where he''d been standing. He brought his axe down on Glint''s back in a blur of metal. A ringing clang echoed out. The strike should have been more than enough to shatter the shards jutting from Glint. It probably would have killed the Shardwalker on the spot if he hadn''t been transformed.


    But, instead, Derek''s sword rang off the monster harmlessly.


    Glint drove his serrated claws into his target''s stomach. Blood spilled across the ground as he ripped Derek open with a snarl.


    The ground beneath the anomaly''s feet cracked. Even as blood poured from his stomach, Derek launched himself toward Spark. He ducked past Princess and slammed both of his swords through Spark''s chest before Alex or any of his monsters could react.


    But, in the brief moment where his weapons were lodged in place, Glint attacked once more. The Shardwalker leapt forward and raked his claws along Derek''s back, slicing him into ribbons.


    Spark died, transforming into a stream of power. The swords lodge in his chest fell through the air ¡ª but they never hit the ground. Derek grabbed both of them before the skin had even finished re-knitting itself across his fingers. He let out a massive yawn.


    "Sorry," Derek said, rubbing at his eyes with the back of his palm. He stumbled over his own feet before catching himself. Glint slashed at Derek and the Anomaly twisted to the side, avoiding the strike. "I''m paying attention, I swear. You have some scary abilities. Going to give me nightmares."


    Alex''s eyes narrowed. Derek wasn''t trying to be rude. That much was obvious ¡ª it went completely against the man''s nature. He was genuinely sleepy.


    Derek isn''t running out of energy. He''s still getting faster¡­ but he''s tired.


    Realization washed over Alex. That was how Derek''s power worked. He got stronger and faster every single time he died, but he got more sleepy with every death.


    The more I kill him, the more dangerous he becomes. But if I can kill him enough times to make him pass out¡­


    I win.

 Chapter 82: Decisions

    Metal rang against hardened mirrors as Glint blocked Derek''s swords. The Shardwalker skidded a step back through the packed clay, and the sunlight bearing down from overhead reflected from the mirrors covering his Rift Flood-empowered form.The Qi boost had turned Glint into a towering, hunchbacked monstrosity, but Derek was something else. He''d gotten fast enough to match speeds with the Shardwalker.


    "Your magic is incredible," Alex said as Princess reached for Derek, forcing the man to hop out of the way. Glint leapt forward and raked his claws across the Anomaly''s chest mid-air, but it wasn''t enough to be a killing blow. "Dying dozens of times every fight seems like it would really start messing with you, though."


    Derek pivoted as he landed. He drove his foot into Glint''s chest, sending the monster skidding back across the clay, then threw himself toward Alex. Princess exploded forward and slammed her body into his, driving him into the ground. Her centipede-leg arms slammed down on his skull and crushed it like a grape.


    The Anomaly''s body pulled itself back together. He rolled to the side to avoid another blow that slammed into the clay behind him. His swords flashed, carving huge chunks of Princess'' body away.


    "You figured me out," Derek covered another yawn, thrusting his weapons for Princess once more. She wasn''t fast enough to dodge, and one of them scraped along her mask. He hopped back before he could press the advantage. "This whole apocalypse has been so tiring. I accidentally slept through the Initialization thing, so I''m trying to catch up on lost time. It''s hard when I keep running into strong people, though."


    "What happens if you fall asleep mid-fight?" Alex asked. Derek opened his mouth and his hand shot up. "Actually, wait. Don''t tell me. You really shouldn''t tell people everything your power does. I don''t want to win just because you gave me the answers."


    "Then let''s find out which one of us gives out first." Derek turned straight toward Alex. His stance shifted and he lowered his body. The clay beneath his feet cracked as he exploded into motion.


    Alex released the power he''d been preparing into the air before him. Cracks carved through reality as he cast Funhouse, and Derek charged straight into its domain. The man''s eyes widened as he stumbled out in the wrong direction.


    Glint shot forward, raking his claws through Derek''s body and killing him while he was still distracted.


    By the time Derek reformed, there were three copies of Alex standing before him. His mouth dropped open.


    "No way! You can summon versions of yourself? That''s unfair."


    "Illusions," Alex said, his voice coming from all three of his bodies. "Two of them aren''t real."


    "Oh," Derek said. "Which is the real one?"


    "Illusions wouldn''t do me much good if I told you which ones were fake, would they?"


    "That''s a good point," Derek said with a knowing nod. He stabbed one of his swords into the dirt and scooped a handful of rocks up from the ground before him. "In that case, I''m going to start throwing things at you to see which one gets hit."


    On the sidelines, Claire pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why are you both telling each other everything you''re going to do?"


    "A gentleman always displays his weapon before he utilizes it in a duel." Derek flung his handful of stones in Alex''s direction. Princess moved in front of him. The rocks pelted into her harmlessly, and Derek frowned. "Aw."


    Why do I almost feel bad about blocking an attack?


    Derek''s sword flashed. It split straight through Princess'' center. The top half of her body sloughed off and splattered to the ground. Black sludge bubbled as she started to pull herself back together. It didn''t seem like Derek had figured out that she needed her mask to reform yet ¡ª nor did it seem that he had to.


    Alex''s eyes widened as Derek blurred. He dove to the side and a sword carved through one of his clones, shattering the power into fragments. Alex hit the ground in a roll and shot back to his feet, leaving a shadow in the place where he''d been standing.


    Glint and Princess both charged Derek, forcing him to change his attention to them to avoid dying again. He was getting close to his limit. The Anomaly alternated between blurring from the speed of his strikes to swaying in place, his eyes fluttering. It wouldn''t be many more deaths before he passed out ¡ª but Alex was far from fresh either.


    His energy was running thin¡­ and he was having the time of his life.


    "I''m going to throw my dagger at you now!" Derek declared, ripping the blade free from the back of his palm.


    Alex dove to the side as the weapon streaked through the air in a blur of gray above him.


    He swapped places with a shadow a moment before Derek''s sword drove into the ground where he''d been, but his final clone hadn''t been as lucky.


    "You can teleport too?" Derek''s mouth fell open in awe. "I''m so jealous."


    "You''re literally immortal," Alex protested. "How did you not manage to place on any of the Leaderboards?"


    Glint lunged at Derek. Mirror scraped against metal. Princess leapt to join the fray, and Derek ripped a third sword from his back. He drove it forward in a blur of motion ¡ª and a large crack echoed out. The mask in the center of the Drudge''s chest shattered.


    She collapsed to the ground in a puddle of black sludge that quickly faded from view. Energy entered Alex. At the same time, Glint found Derek''s neck with his claws.


    The other Anomaly collapsed to the ground, only to rise a moment later, his head hanging low and shoulders slumped like a slackened marionette.


    "I told you," Derek said, his words little more than a mumble through his yawn. "I fell asleep. I kept trying to fight this really strong monster. It didn''t work. By the time I woke up, it was all over."


    He and Glint lunged at each other.


    There was a flash of gray.


    The Shardwalker collapsed to the ground, transforming into a stream of energy and flowing into Alex.


    Derek turned toward him. He rocked back and forth. For a moment, it looked like he would collapse on the spot, he managed to right himself.


    "This¡­ was a good fight," Derek said. He shook his head off like a wet dog. The man was definitely on his last legs. It looked like the mere sight of a bed would cause him to pass out on the spot. Derek let out a massive yawn, then squinted at Alex in an attempt to focus. "I really enjoyed this."


    "So did I," Alex replied. He brought his hands together and drew on the final scraps of power he had.


    Derek exploded into motion. Chunks of dirt flew up behind him from the force of his movement.


    Mirrored shards rolled out from Alex''s palms like a silver wave. At the same time, he twisted his body to the side to minimize the area that Derek could hit.


    His arms jerked. Something slammed into him, and Alex staggered a step back as pain bloomed in his chest, inches away from his heart. Derek''s sword.


    The other man''s fingers slackened on the sword as his arm fell to his side. He''d been impaled upon the growing forest of glass shards.


    Alex took a step back, pulling the sword free of himself. Sludge dripped from the wound as it sealed itself. It wasn''t in nearly as bad of a spot as the last one had been, but he still shuddered as energy ripped out of his body, leaving him with nothing. He wasn''t so drained that his brain had turned to that of a slug, but his magic had dried up completely.


    "I¡­ should have realized," Derek muttered, swaying in place. "You get your monsters'' powers. That''s so cool. It was a good¡­ fight."


    He pitched back, crashing to the ground amidst a shower of shattering glass. The huge wound in his chest stitched itself back up ¡ª and Derek started to snore.


    Loudly.


    "That was¡­ certainly something," Claire said from the sidelines.


    Alex nodded mutely. Adrenaline still pumped in his veins. Derek had been moving so fast toward the end of the fight that Alex may as well have been fighting an afterimage. The other man''s powers were incredible. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Blood pooled around Derek''s body as Alex looked on. The other Anomaly wasn''t dead yet, but all the locations where he still had weapons jutting out of him had started to bleed ¡ª and the wounds showed no signs of closing back up.


    The immortality ends when he''s asleep, huh?


    "You''re right. It was a great fight," Alex told Derek''s snoring form.


    "Are you going to¡­" Claire trailed off.


    For several seconds, Alex didn''t respond. Derek was an Anomaly. The two of them had been doing their absolute best to kill each other just a few moments ago, but the fight had been fun.


    The System wants anomalies to kill each other. I''ve got absolutely no problem obliging it when the other person deserves to get killed, but I''m not some mindless slave to its desires that just kills everything that I get pointed at.


    "No," Alex replied, turning away from Derek and starting back toward Valley Ford. "I''m not."


    Claire blew out a breath and fell in alongside him. "Why? Not that I''m arguing with the choice, of course. He was kind of fun. You do realize he''s definitely going to come after you again though, right? Derek didn''t strike me as the type of person to just give up."


    "Oh, I''m counting on it," Alex said with a grin. "That fight was incredible. Killing Derek now would just deprive me of the chance to improve more in the future. That''s worth way more than an Auxiliary Skill upgrade. The best way to improve is to push yourself, and Derek was a really close match for me."


    "That''s an Alex answer if I''ve ever heard one."


    "It is, isn''t it?" They walked in silence for several minutes before Alex abruptly came to a halt. Ford was still a good walk away, and the roar of the vortex of water above the city hadn''t quite grown loud enough to drown out their thoughts.


    They were alone.


    Claire glanced back at him, confusion playing across her features. "Is something wrong?"


    The moment we get back to Valley Ford, who knows when we''ll get another quiet moment. I can''t count on it anytime soon ¡ª but I''m done letting things keep delaying me.


    "Wrong? I don''t know about that," Alex replied with a small frown. "Maybe you can tell me. I''ve been confused about something."


    "Yeah?" Claire asked. "What is it?"


    "Do you remember when we met a while ago?"


    Claire nodded. "What about it?"


    "You said you''d been in your apocalypse for around a week," Alex said, watching Claire''s expression carefully ¡ª not that he expected to find much in it. Court was her battleground, not his. "But it''s been less than a week on Earth, and we''ve already had all 3 of our Initializations. You should have known they exist. So why didn''t you say anything about any of them?"


    "I''m not sure what¡ª"


    Alex held up a hand.


    "A real answer, Claire. What are you hiding?"


    He locked eyes with her. Neither of them spoke for a long few seconds. They remained as still as statues, frozen in time and thought.


    Then Claire blew out a long sigh.


    "Well, shit." Her features went flat. Claire''s slight accent changed, losing what had almost been an Irish lilt and drawing closer to something far more serpent-like. "Getting caught by something so stupid is painfully embarrassing. That''s what a going without blood for so long does to a Dhampir ¡ª but well played for paying attention. I honestly didn''t even remember that slip up myself."


    Damn. So she really was lying. That¡­ kind of hurts, actually.


    I trusted her.


    How much does she know? And why didn''t she tell me? What''s the point of that? I don''t see what benefit she would get from hiding that information. Even if this was some sort of trick, she should have capitalized on prior knowledge she had on the Initializations to perform even better than she did. I''m missing something.


    "So are you going to answer my question? Saying I caught you isn''t quite going to cut it."


    "No," Claire said, reaching to her arm and pulling the bracelet off her wrist. "I''m not going to answer your question ¡ª not outright. I could. Don''t get me wrong. It''s not that I can''t. I won''t lie about that. But I would lose too much if I did. Even revealing this much is going to sting¡­ but I like you, Alex. And because of that, I''ll I tell you why I won''t answer."


    Her name and class shimmered to life above her head in golden letters.


    Claire - Dhampir Warrior (Novice 9)


    She lifted her other hand to her right ear, to the tiny silver earring within it, and removed it.


    The identification above Claire''s head rippled.


    Then the words started to change.


    "This is my real class," Claire said. "I stole it from one of the Nightmarch family''s Heirs when she came to my planet together with the System ¡ª and I stole a Trial she had along with it. If I ever reveal anything about the Nightmarch family that someone doesn''t already know, I''ll fail the Trial and lose everything that I worked for. No matter how much I like you, I can''t let that happen. I paid too dearly for this opportunity. I had to lie¡­ but for what little it''s worth, I''m sorry."


    And then the words above her head finished changing.


    Claire - Nightwhisper (Novice 9)

 Chapter 83: Trust

    Claire stood quietly as Alex stared at her, disbelief in his expression. In the best scenario, he''d been expecting that she had some goal like increasing the challenge they faced in the trials by not revealing exactly what was going to happen. In the worst, he would have guessed that Claire had just betrayed him.This hadn''t been anywhere on his radar of potential outcomes. Finley had briefly mentioned the Nighmarch family before, but the only thing he''d really said about them was how horrible they were.


    Alex swallowed down his surprise. "You stole a class? I didn''t even realize that was possible, not to mention changing your class''s appearance for other people. How much more did you know?"


    "Yes. You can do a fair bit with some items. If an ability doesn''t give you information, then it can easily be a lie. Only your powers are absolute ¡ª anything else can be manipulated," Claire replied. She slipped the earing back on, then returned the bracelet to her wrist. "It''s difficult to answer your other questions. I want to, Alex. I can''t tell you how long it''s been since I''ve had someone I genuinely wanted to rely on. But I can''t. I won''t fail this Trial."


    Claire stood quietly for several long seconds as Alex studied her. It was somehow even harder to read her expression now than it had been before. There was nothing in her expression. Nothing in her eyes. Just a perfect mask.


    "Can you tell me how?" Alex asked. "How you stole a class, that is. That has nothing to do with the Nightmarch family. And why didn''t you tell me any of this earlier?"


    She grabbed the bottom of her shirt and pulled it over her head in a fluid motion. Alex let out a curse and glanced away, only to glance back an instant later.


    Can''t take my eyes off a threat. That''s definitely the reason.


    There might have been the faintest flicker of a grin on her lips for a moment, but it was gone so quickly that easily could have been his imagination. She ¡ª fortunately ¡ª wore wrappings around chest that stopped just beneath her neck.


    Claire grabbed the top of the wrappings and pulled them down an inch, craning her chin up so Alex could get a better look at her neck.


    His eyes widened.


    A circle of black thorns was tattooed around the base of Claire''s throat. It stretched down toward her chest ¡ª but the tattoo was more than just ink. Blood trickled down her throat from where the drawn thorns bit into physical flesh and drew blood.


    Even as Alex watched, the tattoo tightened further around her neck. A faint grimace pulled at her features and she returned the wrappings to their normal place before pulling her shirt back on.


    "That''s why I didn''t say anything," Claire said. "The closer I get to revealing information, the tighter this becomes. Outworlders¡­ they''re all bound. The System won''t let them get a completely unfair advantage. Some of them have their power bases destroyed and torn back down to the start. Some of them want that."


    The only way she''d know that is if an Outworlder told her¡­ or if she was similarly bound. She must have somehow taken on the Nightmarch family''s restriction when she took their class.


    But if this is right¡­ that''s why outworlders aren''t just killing literally everyone and taking over the planet. Orchid is stronger than normal because she has knowledge and access to abilities, but she''s restricted somehow as well. Just like Finley, but in a different way. That''s really good to know.


    It means the Outworlders can be defeated. They''re just cheaters.


    I''d love to know exactly what that restriction is¡­ but Claire can''t speak more on it, because then she''d be revealing information on the Nightmarch family themselves.


    Honestly, what the hell is going on?


    "The class, then," Alex said. "You didn''t answer that one, but it doesn''t have anything to do with the Nightmarch family."


    "The Nightmarch family arrived on Ayrin with the System and made our lives hell. The System was already killing us, but they made it worse. There were only a few of them, but the strongest Dhampirs had already died. We couldn''t fight back. They killed everyone in their way and took every single resource before we could. They weren''t just thieves. They were cruel. They took what they didn''t even need, just to watch us suffer."


    "I see why Finley thought so poorly of them," Alex said, his lips thinning.


    Claire nodded. "And so I found an alternate path to victory. I joined up with the Nightmarch ¡ª and so did a lot of other Dhampirs. Nightmarch killed almost every single one of us. They worked us to the bone, then put us down for the tiny scraps of energy we would provide. But I acted like I didn''t care. I became too useful. Nobody wants to do laundry or clean, and so they stopped caring about me. I was too pathetic. So, when they started to die, nobody suspected me."


    Alex''s eyes widened. "You killed a bunch of Outworlders? How the hell were you just Novice 3? Or was that a lie as well?"


    "No. I didn''t kill them. Not myself," Claire said, shaking her head firmly. "I was nowhere near strong enough. I just pushed in the right places."


    "You somehow tricked them into killing each other, then."


    "Some of them. A little relocation of their wealth from one bag into another, followed by innocent observations. Building tension between people that vile is easy. You just have to point them in the right direction."


    "And you got a class from that? How?"


    "The Heir," Claire replied. "She was the strongest. I woke her up so she would survive the monsters I lured to the camp while they were sleeping, but it was a tough fight ¡ª and it left me with an easy fight. I ripped her throat out and drained every drop of energy she had. And as it turns out, some classes are earned. They''re unique paths to power that ancient warriors discovered called Inheritances. And when I ripped every scrap of power out of the Heir, I took her Inheritance with it. She was the only monster I killed during the duration of the apocalypse on Ayrin."


    Alex took several moments to process Claire''s words. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and drummed his fingers against his arm as he considered her closely.


    "What happened after that? How are you bound to the Nightmarch''s restrictions now? Did the System really just bind you the moment you got it? That seems ridiculously unfair. You earned the Inheritance."


    "That''s what the Trial is for," Claire replied. Her words sounded choked. "The Heir only had access to the Inheritance, not the full powers of it. The only way to unlock its full potential is to pass the Trial, which descends from a very powerful member of the Nightmarch family."


    "Wait. Doesn''t that mean you''re going to be bound to the Nightmarch forever?"


    Claire smiled, but it was pained. The thorns around her neck had crawled up past her shirt and were now visible as they reached for her chin. They were strangling her, but she continued to speak. "No. They''re not strong enough for that. An Inheritance is just a path to power. It might have originated from Nightmarch and the Trial is built off his desires, but so long as I fulfill it to the letter of the deal, the class will be mine and their restrictions on me will vanish. I''m not a real member of their family."


    "And what happened after that?" Alex pressed. "How did you end up in the Mirrorlands? And even if you can''t say what you used the Nightmarch family for, how did you use any of their power to do anything for the Initializations?"


    "The Heir had a way to communicate with the rest of the family," Claire replied. "And by the time the 2ndInitialization rolled around, I knew my people weren''t strong enough to defend themselves from the monster hordes. I convinced the Nightmarch that they needed to send warriors for a major event they''d missed. It worked. They¡­ I can''t say what they did or how they did it. It''s too closely related to the family. But it was enough to survive the trials. And when they thought they were coming to the Heir''s quarters to get a reward, I had the other Dhampirs ambush and kill them."


    "Damn," Alex said. She''d literally power-leveled the remaining Dhampirs by feeding them members of a powerful Outworlder family. That was as impressive as it was brutal. "And you?"


    "I didn''t participate myself ¡ª I was busy convincing the Nightmarch that I was really the Heir. It wasn''t easy and there was only so far I could stretch it. They eventually figured out what was up. One of their warriors came through prepared. My group weakened him, but he managed to yank me into the Mirrorlands as he tried to run back to his family. It failed, and a monster ate him just moments after we landed down there."


    "Wait. What?" Alex blinked. "He yanked you into the Mirrorlands? Why was there a path to..."


    He trailed off. The Mirrorlands. Berith had called them the cracks between worlds. The Outworlder families were somehow using them to sneak people into worlds they didn''t belong in. Claire hadn''t expressly mentioned it, but he could tell by the pain on her features that she was getting close to her limit. Blood soaked into the top of her shirt as the thorns squeezed her neck even tighter, and she had to clench her teeth to keep her breathing steady.


    "Why couldn''t you have said this earlier?" Alex asked. "I get you''re restricted, but couldn''t you have said exactly what you''re saying now?"


    "You figured it out. The less information I reveal, the less damage I take. They can''t just completely police me. I''m only filling in a few cracks rather than giving you the whole thing."


    Damn.


    "That means you know more that you can''t say, don''t you?"


    Claire sent him a flat smile and said nothing.


    Damn again. She can''t have too much information given that she was only with them for a week, but it means she could know more that she can''t share. I''m still pissed she didn''t share anything about this earlier¡­ but if I were in her shoes, I wouldn''t have said anything if it risked failing this Trial and costing her this powerful class.


    Alex was silent for nearly a minute. There was a lot of information to process, but standing around wouldn''t solve anything.


    "Does the Nightmarch family know you lived?"


    "Probably. They know the Inheritance is out there somewhere. They''re probably looking for me. Hoping I''ll fail the Trial so they can steal the Inheritance back," Claire replied. She scratched at her neck as if she was trying to pull the thorns free. "I have no plans of letting that happen."


    Alex nodded. As good as she was at lying, it seemed like she was telling the truth. She could have just given him some bullshit answer that would have been more convincing than this explanation, but she was actually trying to answer the questions that she could.


    I don''t know if I can completely trust her¡­ but I don''t think she''s working against me. She''s had opportunities to kill me and she saved my life in the Mirrorlands.


    "You tell me, then," Alex said. "Can I trust you?"


    "I already said this. I like you. I''d have been dead if you didn''t show up in the Mirrorlands, and I haven''t had an opportunity to do anything like this before. I''m not unique among the Dhampirs. I don''t want to lose this," Claire replied, her voice still in the flat tone that she''d taken on ever since he''d pointed out the inconsistency in her story. "My only quarrel is with the Nightmarch family, and you''re not with them." S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Then prove it," Alex said. "Give me something I can work with. There has to be something you know that could be useful to us right now and doesn''t make you fail your trial."


    "You''d be surprised," Claire replied. "But there is one thing. I was going to tell you once we were alone, but we haven''t exactly had a moment to do that."


    "And that is?"


    "The Town Token." Claire''s eyes sharpened. "When we find the token, Orchid can''t be allowed to take or sell it. You have to use it."

 Chapter 84: Tough

    "Use the Town Token?" Alex asked, tilting his head to the side. "It''s that important?""More than I can put into words," Claire replied. "Literally. I can''t say anything else. I really was only on Ayrin for the first week of the Apocalypse, so I don''t know the full extent of what it does ¡ª nor could I tell you if I did ¡ª, but what I saw was more than enough. The Town Token can''t fall into an Outworlder''s hands. You need to use it."


    "Why me specifically?" Alex asked, arching an eyebrow. "You suddenly feeling altruistic?"


    "Because the Nightmarch know my leaderboard name. Using the Town Token will put an enormous target on us. We won''t survive. But nobody knows who you are. Not yet."


    "Ah. That''s a more pragmatic reason."


    "Quite," Claire agreed. She hesitated for a second. She swallowed, as if the words she was trying to manifest were getting lodged within her throat. Finally, she managed to force herself to speak. "I¡­ may also feel a little guilty for hiding so much information."


    Alex blinked. That was actually something of a surprise. Claire''s entire society was built around lying. She''d flat out told him as much. It wasn''t like she''d tried to hide it. The entire point of Court was to be a giant game of lying and backstabbing.


    I''m not happy about being lied to, but this is literally what she was raised doing. She feels guilty for that?


    "Would you change anything if you could go back?"


    "No," Claire said without a moment of hesitation. "I have no way to know exactly how much I can reveal. I feel the Trial tightening the noose around my neck already. If I''d tried to say anything before you caught on yourself, I almost certainly would have failed. Your timing was good. I''ve¡­ found myself growing to dislike lying to you, but I cannot allow myself to fail this trial."


    That''s possibly the best answer she could have given me. She''s sticking to her guns. I may not be happy with getting lied to, but at the end of the day, she didn''t try to put a dagger into my back or sell me out. She has an agenda, and I can respect that even if I don''t like it.


    "Then that''s that," Alex said with a shrug.


    Claire blinked. She stared at him for a moment. "You mean you don''t care? I did not think¡ª"


    "No. I didn''t say that. I understand what you did. That doesn''t mean I don''t care," Alex said. "If I''m being honest, it pissed me off. Logically, you might have a sound reason for hiding information. But you got mad when I didn''t reveal my own information. That''s pretty hypocritical."


    To Alex''s surprise, Claire winced. He hadn''t expected her to really have much reaction to his words given how flat her tone had been.


    "Yes. I know." Claire averted her gaze. "It has been difficult. Adjusting to your mannerisms. My instincts have been honed over every year of my life to claw every scrap of power I can and hold it close to chest until the time is right. Normally, I would not have any problem with hidden information. It is natural. But with you¡­ it hurt. I did not like being kept in the dark. I was unused to a true partnership."


    "You still are. I don''t even know which you is real. Was the personality you had all the way up until now just fake? There just to get my guard down?"


    "No," Claire said after a second, her tone voice quieting. "Perhaps it was initially. I needed your help. But the longer I spent in that manner, the more I found myself growing attached to it. It is freeing to be able to simply¡­ be. Without worrying about a dagger in my back or slipping up and revealing information that I need to be hiding. I trust you."


    "And now? Why the switch in personalities?"


    "Because I have grown too comfortable. If we have this conversation while I am not guarding my every word the way I am right now, I will mistakenly reveal too much," Claire replied. "And then I will die and fail my Trial."


    Alex watched Claire for a few more seconds. Then he blew out a short breath. Claire couldn''t take anything back ¡ª and she''d already freely admitted that she wouldn''t, even if she could.


    He had no way to know for sure if she was telling the truth now. But, at the end of the day, nobody ever completely knew if somebody was telling them the truth or not. All he could do was go on the information he had and his gut.


    "No more lies," Alex said. "Not from me. And not from you. Anything you can share, you do. I''m not happy you lied. I haven''t completely forgiven you. That''s a hell of a lot of information you kept secret. Information that could have been vital, and you definitely could have given hints or breadcrumbs that worked around your Trial, just like you did now."


    "I know," Claire said simply. "I feared the risk was too great. I did not want to take it. Even now, I do not know what would have happened if I did what you suggest. Perhaps it is because I am selfish, but I do not want to be weak again. I will not allow it to happen."


    Alex extended a fist toward Claire. She looked at it in confusion.


    "What''s this?"


    "For one more try," Alex replied. "We''re in it pretty deep right now. Pulling a bunch of shit over the Everbloom family is already going to be difficult. I don''t want to do it alone. Frankly, I don''t think I can. I can''t bullshit anywhere near as hard as you can."


    "You are still willing to work with me?" Surprise flickered in Claire''s eyes.


    "I''m not exactly a paragon of justice and fairness myself," Alex said. "And you''re newer to being human than I am. I''m not saying I''m going to forget this whole thing, but holding a grudge isn''t going to do me any favors."


    Claire reached for his hand. Alex pulled it back, narrowing his eyes.


    "Fist bump," Alex said. "Don''t punch it this time around."


    "I remember," Claire said, knocking her knuckles against his as a small grin pulled at one corner of her lips. "I will do my best to avoid concealing anything from you that I do not have to."


    "I think that''s about as much as anyone can ever expect from anyone," Alex replied with a shrug.


    "Does this extend to personal life?" Claire asked, clearing her throat. "I understand the need to share information important to our survival, but there are certain personal aspects that I feel would be a bit¡ª"


    "Just the bits that keep us from dying and help us both get stronger, please," Alex said, raising his hands defensively before him.


    Claire let out a relieved breath. "Good. Then this conversation is done?"


    "For the time being."


    She relaxed. Something shifted in her stance that Alex couldn''t exactly place, but the steel left Claire''s eyes and her expression softened. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Should we head back to town, then?" Claire asked, her voice slipping back into its familiar, energetic lilt. "I know I''d be pretty hungry after a fight like that. Derek was really something else."


    Alex stared at her for a moment. The abrupt shift in the way she acted was¡­ disconcerting at best. That said, there was no reason for her to bother keeping up the energetic persona after revealing her colder side to Alex if it was fake. It was just extra effort for no benefit since he''d already seen her acting like a real Dhampir.


    The only purpose going back to acting casually would serve would be if it was a personal one and that Claire had been telling the truth about how she let herself act when her guard was down.


    Now that I think about it, she definitely acted similar to how she was a moment ago every time she started doing Court related stuff. Her story lines up. I suppose only time will tell if it lines up because it''s completely true or if it''s because she''s a great liar.


    Either way, she''s not a straight up enemy. She''s never tried to screw me over, and she hasn''t used the information she got from the Nightmarch family to claw ahead of me on the Initialization Trials.


    That''s enough for me to extend enough trust to someone who grew up in a society of master liars to give them a second chance. Hypocrite or not, she forgave me for keeping information to myself pretty quickly. The least I can do is see how things play out. Logically, she''s a very competent ally.


    And beyond that¡­ I really don''t want to lose another friend.


    "Food sounds like a good idea," Alex said. "But we shouldn''t just sit around after that. We can explore more of Valley Ford soon, but there''s one more thing I want to do before we get too busy here to allow for it."


    "What''s that?" Claire asked.


    Alex smiled. "We''re going to pay another visit to the Mirrorlands. I need some more monsters to properly evolve Glint ¡ª and I want to see just what you''re really capable of."

 Chapter 85: The ship

    Food, as it turned out, was actually surprisingly easy to get. The Ocean''s Tide had funded and supplied multiple different restaurants within Valley Ford.Alex and Claire chose the smallest of them, purely because it was the first one they found. It was a tiny, one story building with four tables in the front and a kitchen behind a tiny counter near the back.


    Meals within the restaurant ¡ª so long as they were kept to a reasonable size, according to the signs on the walls ¡ª were free.


    It seemed not everybody had been able to play by those rules. As Alex and Claire sat at a table while he ate a plate of mystery pan-fried fish, he found his gaze drifting to just below the signs.


    A piece of paper had been pinned into the wall by a dagger driven in all the way to its handle. Someone had drawn a sketch of a large, greasy looking man with a stubbly beard around his neck on the paper. The artist was clearly talented. Alex could almost make out the smug amusement within the man''s beady eyes.


    At the paper''s top, written in large, filled-in letters, was the word BANNED.


    I wonder if they had the food limit rule before that guy rolled up. Can''t blame a player for playing.


    Alex finished off the rest of his plate. The food had been surprisingly good for being free, though it might have just been that he was hungry. He and Claire both rose and headed out of the small restaurant, slipping past the other people eating. As they left, the stark difference between the people here and the ones that had been back at Towntown made itself even more apparent.


    Towntown had been full of survivors. They had been scared, trapped, and ill equipped, and it had shown.


    But the people in Valley Ford couldn''t have been farther from that. There was little fear in their stances. They spoke and talked with the casual ease of those who had come to terms with their lot in life.


    Calling them survivors almost felt like a misnomer. These people were prepared. Alex wasn''t sure exactly what to call them, but the shift in atmosphere was so stark that it was palpable. It had already been somewhat apparent when they''d been at the Ocean''s Tide, but it had become impossible to miss once they''d sat down to eat.


    I wonder how things are going in Towntown. I really hope Ben and some of the others survived. It would be beyond tragic if they made it all this way only to get killed by a meteor instead of an actual monster.


    They stepped out of the restaurant and into the streets of Valley Ford. Sunlight filtered through the flowing streams of water churning far above them and sent beams of light swaying across the ground in an endless dance.


    "Is it time?" Claire asked. "Or is there anything else you need to do first?"


    "It''s time," Alex said with a small nod. There was no point delaying any longer, and he didn''t know how long it would take Orchid to figure out where that Town Token was. There was always a chance she found it earlier than expected. The faster they could pay a quick visit to the Mirrorlands, the better.


    Maybe I can even get my hands on a core from a Mirrorlands monster. I don''t know what that would sell for. I don''t think I''d want to show it to the Great Tide family anytime soon. I saw the Starfallen family''s name in the Mirrorlands. That means there''s a possibility they could be there too. And if they are, I don''t want to give away that I can access the area until I figure out who might take offense to that.


    He drew on a sliver of his power and activated Riftsense. Slivers of faint blue smokey energy gathered on the ground before him and formed into a line that led out of the city and into the desert beyond. It was ¡ª quite fortunately ¡ª visible only to Alex.


    "Here we go," Alex said, turning the ability off to avoid wasting energy. They had their direction. "Let''s get moving."


    *** Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The trip back out of Valley Ford lasted for just around fifteen minutes. It was in the exact opposite direction as the one they''d gone the previous time, and it took them straight toward the nearest of the mountains looming over the city.


    Alex periodically reactivated Riftsense to make sure they were on the right track, but his need for it soon ran out. He and Claire came to a stop at the very base of the mountains, in the shadow a flat sheer cliff in the towering stone.


    A crack ran up the side of the mountain, no more than a few feet wide at its largest point. It rose so high that Alex couldn''t even see where it stopped, and it was deep enough that the only thing he could make out within it was darkness.


    The two of them stared at the vertical crack.


    "You can''t be serious," Claire said.


    Alex activated Riftsense. The line led right up to the crack.


    "This hole was made for me," Alex muttered under his breath as he approached the crack and peered inside it.


    "What?" Claire asked.


    "Nothing." He took a step into the crack, turning his body sideways to avoid touching the rough stone. He edged into the darkness, squinting.


    His efforts were rewarded by a tiny flicker of dim purplish-pink energy. It was nestled deep within the makeshift cave, but it was unmistakable. A portal.


    "Is now a bad time to say I don''t like tight spaces?" Claire asked.


    "You''re welcome to stay back if you don''t want to come. I''m sure there are some monsters that you can fight out here that will eventually get you halfway through Initiate by the time I''m an Adept."


    Claire grumbled a curse under her breath. "You''re being petty now."


    "Yes," Alex replied, reaching out toward the portal and activating Riftwalk. Power buzzed within his fingers as he dug into the portal and started to pull on it. For a moment, he was worried that there wasn''t enough room within the cave for him to pull the portal into existence.


    His fears turned out to be fortunately unfounded. With a grunt, Alex ripped the portal open. It was definitely getting easier to control his powers ¡ª or perhaps he was just getting stronger.


    "Bleedin'' hell," Claire muttered before squeezing into the cave after him and grabbing his wrist. "Just get us in there already, would you?"


    He chuckled, then pressed into the portal, dragging Claire with him as they were ripped away from Planet 274-50.


    ***


    Familiar blue grass materialized beneath Alex''s feet as he emerged from the portal, energy sloughing off his body like dripping water. He managed to avoid tripping over himself and stepped to the side in time to keep from getting bowled over by Claire as she arrived beside him.


    He wordlessly held his wrist out to her. She drank from him, then released his hand and gave him an appreciative nod.


    "Thank you," Claire said, licking her lips and scanning the air for any signs of a Riftwarped monster taking form. "Portals are very unkind to me. I don''t know why they drain so much of my power. It''s not fair."


    "Maybe it''s because Riftwalking is part of my class, but I''m bringing you along with me," Alex replied, summoning all three of his monsters with a thought. They were in a new area. He didn''t know how powerful the monsters here would be.


    The Mirrorlands were silent. Crackling magic twisted through the air above, but no portals were taking form beside them. That didn''t mean an attack wasn''t coming ¡ª but the portal back to Earth hadn''t gotten a glossy sheen over it either.


    A small frown slipped over Alex''s features. "Is there nothing this time?"


    "Is it always guaranteed for a monster to notice our arrival?" Claire asked.


    "No," Alex replied. "It''s just a chance. I was just getting used to it, I guess."


    They waited for another minute, their attention completely focused on the immediate area around them.


    No monster arrived, and it didn''t look like one would be.


    "Huh," Claire said. "I guess we got lucky this time around. Damn. I was kind of hoping for a big fight that would push me the rest of the way through Initiate."


    Alex started to nod, but the words died on his lips as he lifted his eyes away from the immediate area around them and to the distance.


    They''d been so focused on preparing for a Riftwarped monster attack that neither of them had raised their eyes past the rolling hills of blue grass and up to the massive city looming just a few minutes'' walk away from them. Its buildings were twisted like breadsticks and structures were ripped apart at the seams, held together in the midst of their destruction by invisible forces.


    A massive tree of white bark loomed above the entire thing, suspended by massive roots that curled down around the city like a cage before burrowing into the ground. A single, massive face was embedded within the center of the tree bark; eyes closed in sleep.


    A city was nothing new, but the rivers of water that flowed up and twisted around the tree as they traveled into the sky, vanishing within the churning energy far above¡­ those were unmistakable.


    Even as twisted and warped as the city was, there was no mistaking it.


    This was Valley Ford ¡ª or, at least, a version of it.


    As far as Alex could tell, the entire city was there. It hadn''t been broken apart into chunks and mixed together with other things. It was just a version of the city that looked like it had been through a few world wars and a curse from a furious nature mage.


    But his eyes could only linger on the city for a few seconds before they were drawn up to a glistening silver construct embedded near the top of the tree.


    D¨¦j¨¤ vu prickled against Alex''s skin. It was an enormous silver ship ¡ª or possibly a squid.


    Silver tendrils wrapped around the tree. They cracked the white wood and burrowed deep into the trunk, causing rivers of blue sap to pour down the bark''s surface. Purple flesh pulsated between the gaps in the ship''s silver exterior, inflating and deflating like a huge alien lung.


    The ship''s pointed tip was pointed straight into the air, and a dull beam of blue light rose up from it and vanished into the sky. For a moment, Alex thought it was the exact same one that he''d seen before ¡ª but he quickly realized that wasn''t the case. This ship was far smaller, less than half the size of the previous one.


    His thoughts were confirmed a moment later when a single name shimmered in the sky at the request of his gaze.


    Disruptor [Great Tide Family]


    "What the fuck is that?" Claire breathed, her eyes going wide.

 Chapter 86: Is that...?

    Neither Alex nor Claire moved for nearly a minute as they stared at the massive ship above the city. A Disruptor, if its name was to be believed."This can''t be a coincidence. The Great Tide is in the city back on Earth, and they''ve also got a squid thing out here," Claire said, dropping her voice to a hushed whisper as she squinted up at the Disruptor. "Have I ever told you that just about everything related to the Mirrorlands creeps me out?"


    "Probably," Alex muttered back. "What does a Disruptor do, though? The tree its attached to doesn''t really seem to be doing anything about it, and we''ve seen those things attack before."


    "Never one that big," Claire pointed out. "Maybe they''re like Dhampirs. Gets too difficult to move when they get old enough."


    "Possible," Alex allowed. He glanced around themselves to make sure nothing was sneaking up on them, then sent a mental command to all of his monsters to make sure they would keep watch. His gaze returned to the Disruptor. "It looks like its sending up some sort of signal, maybe?"


    Claire shrugged and shook her head, but not enough to pull her gaze away from the vision before them. "Maybe? I have no idea. There aren''t any City-Eater Centipedes in the area, though. Do you think that has something to do with it?"


    "We don''t know if monsters in the Mirrorlands are consistent between locations or not," Alex said with a shake of his head. "I don''t know if we can assume that there are City-Eaters in every single area¡­ but the lack of monsters in the sky could be something like what happened with Berith. Want to take a look?"


    "My curiosity would kill me if we didn''t. You mentioned seeing a big silver ship before when we were in the Mirrorlands. Is that¡ª"


    "Yeah," Alex said. "Same thing. Just bigger, and it belonged to the Starfallen family."


    "So that''s where the name came from. Let''s get closer and see if we can find any monsters in the city. If it''s completely empty¡­ I don''t know. It means there''s something insanely strong in the area. It might be smart for us to look elsewhere."


    "Agreed," Alex said. He wanted a challenge. He did not want to run into the equivalent of Berith again ¡ª especially if the new monster wasn''t chained down like Berith had been. The Mirrorlands weren''t like Earth.


    There didn''t seem to be any limit to the strength or type of monsters in the area¡­ but he was starting to put together some theories. It was still in the earliest stages, but the Mirrorlands might have lived up more to their name than Alex had initially thought.


    Meiderly called the Mirrorlands the wastebin of the universe, or something along those lines. I was thinking that everything here somehow fell in and got warped in the process¡­ but Valley Ford obviously didn''t fall through cracks in reality in the few minutes it took us to find the portal.


    I think the Mirrorlands are both. Shit falls down here, but it''s also a reflection of Earth ¡ª no. Not just Earth. The entire universe, I guess? But what does it mirror, and why is everything down here destroyed and warped?


    Maybe my theories are less a theory and more just a bunch of unanswered questions.


    "Let''s go," Alex said, starting toward the city. If he wanted to figure anything out, he was going to have to seek the answers out himself ¡ª and this was more than just passing curiosity. The Mirrorlands and their energy were deeply tied to his abilities.


    His monsters, his Qi, everything. The more he understood just what was going on in this strange dimension, the more he would be able to utilize the tools he had in the way they were really meant to be used.


    ***


    They arrived within the warped Valley Ford after just around ten minutes of walking. Alex and Claire moved at a steady speed, staying as silent as possible. The crumbling walls of Valley Ford greeted them, huge chunks floating in the air above their heads as they passed between the huge roots burrowing into the ground around the city.


    Princess led the way, while Glint and Spark flanked Alex on either side. Every single member of their ragtag party scanned the surroundings for any signs of a threat. The city was quiet, but the Mirrorlands always tended to be, right up until ¡ª


    A green blur shot from an alleyway as they stepped past it, shooting straight for Alex''s neck. He spun, catching a glimpse of long, pointed fangs and burning red eyes an instant before Spark slammed into the striking monster with a loud crunch.


    The two monsters hit the ground in a roll. A huge, snakelike tail tried to coil around Spark, but Glint leapt into action and his claws carved clean through the attacking monster''s body even as its name started to take form in the air.


    Scales sheared apart and the monster''s head hit the ground in a wet thump. The rest of its body went limp instantly. Princess lumbered over to stand over the creature as its half-formed name vanished from the air.


    Spark floated away from the corpse, a few small scratches on his chitinous armor but otherwise unharmed.


    Alex realized that the attacking creature was either a snake or a very sad looking lizard. He couldn''t quite tell which. It had a roughly ten foot body ¡ª now nine, after Glint had played the role of a rather irate barber in the presence of a customer that had finally caused him to snap.


    The monster''s head was exactly like one of a large anaconda, but its body was covered with tiny, nearly baby-like hands.


    As he watched, a green Soul Flame flickered to life over the dead monster.


    Pattering Snake (Novice 6)


    "Weird," Claire muttered under her breath, letting her katana lower. "Not too strong, though."


    "It wasn''t, but it''s an ambush predator. That might have gone a lot worse if Spark didn''t stop it. Good job, buddy," Alex said, giving his Echo Wraith a nod. Spark didn''t respond, but the meaning was still there. He wasn''t going to treat his monsters like robots on the very thin chance that the did actually have some degree of intelligence.


    A trickle of energy entered him. It wasn''t an insignificant amount, but he was going to have to kill a whole lot of snakes if he wanted to advance at any good rate.


    "Let''s keep going," Alex said. "If there''s a monster here, then it means this probably isn''t the same situation as it was with Berith. The Disruptor is something else¡­ but we can deal with that when we get closer."


    Claire nodded in agreement, and the two of them continued on.


    They made their way carefully through the streets of the warped Valley Ford, taking their time as they worked around the very edge of the city. The strongest monsters always seemed to gather toward the center of the cities. Alex had no reason to believe Valley Ford would be different, and he wanted to get a good idea of what they were up against before they got too deep to get out.


    They encountered three more Pattering Snakes on the way. Each of the monsters jumped from the shadows in a blur ¡ª and each one met a very swift, almost disappointing end. They had all roughly been around the same strength.


    "I don''t think this was the peak of the food chain here," Claire said as Alex collected the latest Soul Flame. "There are too many of them."


    "I think they might be more akin to the Corpse Pokers near Towntown''s portal," Alex said. They started back off, veering away from the very edge of the city and pressing a little deeper into its depths.


    A faint scent reached Alex''s nostrils. It was far from pleasant, something between warm compost and fish that had been left out in the sun for a day. The smell was distasteful, but it wasn''t completely oppressive.


    He and Claire did what any sane person would have done.


    They headed straight toward it.


    Claire sent him a glance as they continued on, then spoke in a muted whisper. "The Corpse Pokers¡­ weren''t those around Novice 2? That means this area is a whole lot more powerful on average than the one we were in before."


    They turned a corner onto a large street that Alex vaguely remembered. His mouth snapped shut as he prepared to answer her, killing any response he may have had.


    A huge root traveled down from the massive tree overhead and burrowed straight into the ground in the middle of the street before them. It was easily twenty feet in diameter ¡ª and was completely hollow. A large chunk of it had been ripped away, leaving a jagged edged hole that led to a dry interior.


    Burning within it was a molten green portal, floating innocently as if in wait. Shimmers of sickly energy rippled through its surface. A tiny ripple of Riftwarped energy danced across its surface before twisting into the green mass and vanishing. Rotted vines hung from far above it and dangled around the portal like strands of wet hair.


    Alex and Claire stared at the root in disbelief for several long seconds. Portals weren''t exactly something new in the Mirrorlands, but this wasn''t just any portal. It was a strikingly familiar one.


    He''d had seen something just like it back on Earth, where he and Claire had first run into Diego. There was absolutely no mistaking the portal. It was just too easily recognizable, no matter how little Alex had expected to find one in the middle of the Mirrorlands. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Is that a dungeon portal?" Alex whispered, his eyes wide.

 Chapter 87: Zeal

    Alex and Claire stood before the twisting disk of fluorescent green energy, staring into its depths as they tried to make sense of what they were seeing. There was no doubt about it. This was definitely a dungeon portal. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.A dungeon in the Mirrorlands.


    "I didn''t realize that was possible," Claire muttered. "What would a dungeon be doing here?"


    "I wasn''t really expecting it¡­ but why wouldn''t there be a dungeon here?" Alex asked. He tapped the black bracelet on his wrist. "I mean, it''s not like anyone ever said the Mirrorlands were completely barren. There are monsters here. Items too. Why wouldn''t there be dungeons?"


    "Does that mean a dungeon somehow fell into the Mirrorlands? Is it reflected from some dungeon in the real world? Or can they somehow take form here entirely on their own?"


    Alex opened his mouth to respond, then hesitated. That was actually a really good question. He didn''t actually know how dungeons worked. There had to be some rhyme or reason to them. Either the System just plopped them down or something caused them to form.


    He found it somewhat unlikely that the System would be intentionally forming dungeons in the Mirrorlands. Unless Meiderly had lied to him, this was where everything that fell between the planes and off the worlds within the Infinium ended up landing.


    But this portal didn''t look like it had just popped up randomly. It wasn''t like it was just floating in a random pile of trash or in the middle of the air. This portal was nestled in the trunk of a massive, hollowed out root.


    Could this somehow be reflected over from the Valley Ford? Other parts of the city definitely got here somehow, even if they''re warped and twisted.


    But if that''s the case¡­ doesn''t this mean there''s a dungeon somewhere within Valley Ford?


    "You know, there''s only one way to find out what this is," Alex said. "I''ve never found a dungeon that I haven''t tried going inside."


    "How many dungeons have you seen again?"


    "I''m going to go ahead and pass on that one," Alex said with a chuckle. "Are you coming in with me or not? We can always make a run for it if the dungeon is impossible."


    "You already know that I am," Claire said. "I''m not letting you harvest all the rewards for yourself while I sit around outside with my thumb up my bleedin'' ass."


    "That sounds like it could be a problem. You should get that checked out," Alex said.


    Claire glared at him. "Just get a move on, will you?"


    He chuckled and grabbed her by the wrist, keeping a connection between them as they stepped into the portal as one.


    Rivers of chilly, electrified liquid seemed to slither across his skin and envelop him as he plunged into the green energy. His ears filled like water was rushing into them, and his insides flip-flopped.


    The world inverted and folded in on itself. It shrunk down into a single point of dull energy in a sea of black, and there it remained for a heartbeat as Alex plummeted through nothingness.


    Then an explosion of color clawed its way back to life, ripping away the veil of darkness. Solid ground materialized beneath his feet; a craggy, uneven platform. It was like someone had put the world into a trash compactor to form it into a platform.


    Pieces of masonry jutted up from the ground like jagged teeth. They melded together with fragments of metal that might have come from a car, a paved road, and dozens of other pieces that seemed to have been ripped up from the planet and squashed together.


    And all around the platform crackled an ocean of burgundy, arcs of violet lightning splitting through the air. The distant roar of a thunderstorm echoed in Alex''s ears, joined by the occasional, earsplitting crack as a bolt passed close to the platform he stood on.


    The platform was suspended in the turbulent void of the Mirrorlands, held in place only by massive white roots that wove through its entire being, occasionally breaking through the crust of compacted trash. They ran up to another platform in the distance and stretched onward, twisting and winding their way to a maze of platforms.


    Pink and purple portals split open and snapped shut all around them like the clacking beaks of hungry birds seeking a meal.


    Shimmering letters formed in the air before Alex as he finished taking in their surroundings.


    The Cracked Steps [Ygg Entrance]


    "Whoa," Claire breathed, craning her neck as she looked around. The platform around them was devoid of any life beyond their own. The only thing on the platform other than them was the portal at their backs. "What is this place?"


    "I take it the dungeon you went through back on Ayrin wasn''t anything like this?" Alex asked, watching the glowing words dissipate before peering up at the nearest platform above to see if he could make anything out.


    "Nothing," Claire said. "This is beautiful. Just¡­ in a terrifying way."


    "It is," Alex agreed. A small frown flickered across his lips. "Did you notice that it doesn''t have a difficulty anywhere? It just said Ygg Entrance. The difficulty information wasn''t there."


    "I saw," Claire confirmed. She edged closer to the root leading up to the next platform, and Alex followed after her.


    Wind howled through his hair the closer he grew to the edge of the craggy ground. Alex had never been particularly scared of heights, but it seemed the Mirrorlands were doing their absolute best to challenge that. His stomach clenched, even as adrenaline prickled in his veins.


    Alex glanced over the edge and into the sea of churning energy below.


    His eyes widened.


    "Holy shit," Alex breathed. "Look at that."


    Platforms were scattered everywhere. There must have been thousands of them, all connected by the roots ¡ª but not from the same tree. Some of the roots were as thick as an entire building, while others were barely wide enough to walk across. The platforms had been arranged in networks ¡ª or perhaps each set of platforms were connected to their own tree.


    But, unlike the one that Alex and Claire stood on, the platforms beneath them were not empty.


    One of the platforms about fifty feet away from them bore a massive statue of a warrior holding a huge, diamond halberd. The statue stood over a black iron chest, guarding it silently.


    Other platforms didn''t bear the same scene, but they all bore something. Chests, riches, and more than a few monsters that Alex was too far away to identify despite his best efforts. Evidently, the System had limits to how far it would let him learn the name of something.


    He wasn''t even entirely sure he was looking at monsters, but there was definitely motion, and Alex doubted that anything other than monsters would be sitting around in the Mirrorlands. Some were fighting each other, while others just sat and waited.


    "Look over there," Claire said. Alex stepped back from the edge of the platform and followed Claire''s gaze up to the sky above them.


    A purple portal hummed in the air, near the third platform in the system of roots that their platform was connected to.


    "What about it?" Alex asked.


    "I swear I just saw a flicker of the Disruptor through it," Claire replied. "The one outside."


    Alex blinked. "An exit?"


    "It could be, but the portal was in the middle of the air above the Disruptor. I don''t think we''d want to jump out over there," Claire said.


    "Weird," Alex said. He approached the root running through the platform and gingerly put a hand on its surface. There were no faces on this one, and it didn''t respond to his touch. He glanced back to Claire. "Guess we can take a look when we get up there, huh?"


    Claire nodded.


    The root at Alex''s hands was fortunately rough enough that it had more than enough spots to hold onto as he ascended it, climbing toward the second platform. The tips of his fingers tingled as wind howled around him, a constant reminder that losing his grip would spell his end.


    Claire watched him climb for several seconds, waiting until he was nearly at the top to approach another root connecting the two platforms. She clambered up it like a spider, barely even slowing from her normal walking speed, and the two of them ascended to the next platform at the same time.


    Alex shot to his feet and summoned his monsters all around him, preparing to fling himself out of the way of an attack ¡ª but no such thing came.


    Instead, he and Claire both froze.


    Standing before them on the platform was not a monster.


    It was an elderly man.


    A long, white beard ran down from his wrinkled face, tanned from years in the sun. His hair was well combed and his eyes were two glimmering emerald pools that sparkled with intelligence. The man''s clothes were aged to the point that any color had long since left, but Alex could make out flowing patterns and intricate stitching that had managed to hold up through what must have been years.


    The man sat cross-legged on an old carpet, his palms turned up to the sky. A paintbrush rested at his side, but there was no sign of a canvas or paper.


    What the hell? I don''t see a special item on him¡­ so where''s his name and information? Does he have a ring concealing it or something?


    "Another person?" Claire asked, her eyes going wide in surprise. "What are you doing here?"


    "What does it look like I''m doing?" the man asked in a soft voice. Decades of experience clung to every single one of his words, as if every single one of them carried physical weight. "I am waiting."


    "For what?" Alex asked.


    "For you, of course." The man let out a quiet laugh. He stretched his arms over his head and let out a long yawn, then slowly rose to his feet. "I am waiting for those who walk the Cracked Steps. It has been some time since I have last seen a challenger."


    "A challenger?" Alex sent a mental command to his monsters, readying them. "We kind of just stumbled through a dungeon portal. Is¡­ this not a dungeon?"


    The old man''s laughter echoed across the platform like crashing waves. "I will be willing to answer questions should you take this step. I have waited far too long to dally on words when our might can do the talking. Let me witness your resolve."


    "Is this a one at a time thing?" Claire asked.


    "Oh, there''s no need for that," the elderly man replied. "And against two of you, I can have a little more fun. Are you prepared?"


    Alex and Claire exchanged a glance. This wasn''t exactly what Alex had been expecting, but a fight was a fight ¡ª and answers were worth more than gold when he had no idea what the hell was going on.


    "We''re ready," Claire said.


    "Delightful. Then allow me to introduce myself," the man said, flicking the brush in his hands. A shimmer of black ink trailed through the air in its wake. "I am Zeal, Disciple of the Empty Court. It will be my honor to enlighten you today."


    Alex blinked.


    Wait. The Empty Court? Isn''t that ¡ª


    "Soul Manifestation," Zeal intoned. He clasped his hands together around his brush and its tip shimmered. All the color on the platform twisted in on itself, collapsing until nothing but black and white remained. "A Dream of Light."

 Chapter 88: Domain

    Alex could have sworn he heard his heart thump in his ears. The world seemed to slow down for a flicker of an instant as all the color drained away from it and left the platform and everyone on it looking like they''d been sketched upon the page of a book.A wave of energy passed over him, threatening to crush his chest, but it passed as quickly as it had come. Claire didn''t seem to fare quite as well. She staggered and clutched her heart, her teeth grinding as she drew in a ragged wheeze.


    Oh, shit. This isn''t good.


    Zeal was at least at the Adept Stage. He had a domain ¡ª and that meant that he and Claire were in trouble.


    A smile split the old man''s face and he beckoned them onwards. Zeal didn''t seem even slightly threatened by their presence. He just looked excited to have a fight.


    I''ll oblige him, then.


    Alex sent Princess forward with a thought, not wasting a second in diving back and casting Mirror Image, causing two equally colorless clones of himself to shimmer into the air around him.


    He didn''t know what Zeal was capable of or what his domain could do. Before Alex could commit to an attack, he had to figure out what the elderly man''s magic actually did.


    Claire ripped herself out of her pain and darted back, raising her hands before her face defensively as she waited for him to make a move, clearly aiming for the same goal that Alex had.


    Charging ahead like bulls into a fight with an opponent like this was suicide.


    Alex had only seen a single domain in action, and that had been Berith''s, when the demon had deleted an unbelievably powerful monster from existence with little more than a word and a flick of his fingers.


    Go, Princess! Draw out an attack so we can see how to fight against this guy!


    The Blacktongue Dredge lurched forward and moved between Alex and Zeal. She lifted a hand and reached out for the old man ¡ª


    Zeal flicked his brush as if he were painting a stroke in the air.


    Princess'' body split in half.


    Gelatinous ooze spilled across the ground as the top of Princess'' form slipped forward and splattered to the white ground, staining it black.


    Alex blinked in surprise. Unease and awe welled within him. He''d seen Zeal move his brush, but he hadn''t seen an attack at all. There hadn''t been a shimmer of magic or a blade. There had simply been nothing.


    One moment, Princess had been whole. The second, she''d been sliced.


    Strands reached out between her two halves as she stitched herself back together. Zeal tilted his head to the side as the Blacktongue Dredge rose back up to her full height, her arms rippling on her back in displeasure.


    Approval lit in his eyes and he made no moves to press his advantage. The old man looked more than content to simply see what Alex was capable of.


    Princess lurched forward once more ¡ª and once more, Zeal flicked his brush through the air.


    The Dredge split apart at the head, a vertical line running straight down her middle. She shifted her mask to the side at the last second, pulling it away from the line of damage, but the two halves of her body collapsed to the ground, fighting to reform.


    Again, there had been no visible attack. The Dredge had simply been sliced apart at Zeal''s will.


    Shit. I think I''m figuring out how his magic works, but I need to make sure.


    Princess rose once more.


    "Go," Alex ordered.


    She lurched into motion.


    Again and again, Princess threw herself at Zeal. The old man seemed more than amiable to allow Alex the attempts to discern how the domain worked. He didn''t press back or attempt to attack him or Claire ¡ª but every cut Princess suffered drew more magic.


    Zeal handled the attacks with such casual ease that it looked like he was sparring against children. Every single motion he made was graceful and elegant, like the strokes of a dancer who had practiced their technique thousands upon thousands of times over.


    But Alex''s attempts weren''t for nothing. He watched Zeal''s brush closely, tracking every motion as best he could to make sure his theory was right.


    "Split apart," Alex whispered to Claire. "I''ll keep his attention as best I can. I think I can get us an opening."


    Claire gave him a sharp nod and darted off to the side. Princess reformed and lurched toward Zeal once more, an extra command loaded in her head.


    A smile crossed over the old man''s features. His brush danced through the air ¡ª and Princess threw herself to the side in a lurching roll the very instant he moved. One of her legs didn''t make the trip and splattered to the ground.


    Alex sent a mental command to the rest of his monsters as Princess rose back up to her full height, her leg re-attaching itself. It was time to change up his pattern.


    Glint and Princess dashed at Zeal as one. A flicker of concentration passed over the old man''s features and his brush danced from the Dredge to the Shardwalker. As soon as it was moving in the Glint''s direction, the monster hurled himself to the ground.


    Princess splattered apart, not fast enough to avoid the attack, but Glint was unharmed. He darted back to Alex as Princess started to reform.


    It was Alex''s turn to grin. His guess hadn''t been revolutionary, but it had been right. Zeal''s magic might have been invisible, but it still followed the direction his brush moved in. It was only as fast as he was.


    If I can predict what he''s doing, then we have a chance of getting close to him. There''s practically no way to pull that off without taking a bunch of extra wounds, but fortunately, I''ve got the bodies to spare.


    It''s time to make a real attack.


    Glint and Spark burst into motion together with Princess, taking cover behind the larger monster''s bulk as they flashed toward Zeal.


    "You said you were from the Empty Court," Alex called. "Is that¡ª"


    Zeal''s brush danced through the air. All of Alex''s monsters dodged out of the way, splitting in opposite directions to minimize the chances of them all getting taken out at once. Princess'' right half peeled away from her and a huge cut ripped across Spark''s shoulder, sending coursing blue energy leaking out, but all of his minions survived the attack.


    Yes! Go!


    Claire, who had looped around to Zeal''s back, exploded into motion in conjunction with Glint and Spark.


    They had an opening. Zeal couldn''t move his brush to attack every single one of them at¡ª


    Spark exploded, split apart by an invisible blade. Glint''s body split down the middle and shattered like a window of broken glass. Claire jerked back and hurled herself to the side. A deep wound carved down her shoulder and sent her blood spraying across the ground. She let out a hiss of pain and rolled to the side, shooting back to her feet and dodging to the side preemptively.


    Power flowed into Alex, its arrival nearly completely masked by the surprise that gripped him. He took a stunned step back.


    What the hell was that? There should have been no way for him to attack that many directions at the same time! He never did anything like that before!


    He sent a command to Princess, but the Dredge''s mask shattered before he could even finish instructing her. The monster collapsed into a puddle and drained away, sending even more magic into Alex.


    Zeal had killed every single one of his summons in a second.


    "You had the right idea," Zeal said with a chuckle. "But my domain would be a rather poor one if I could only attack a single thing at a time. That would hardly be worthy of calling a dream."


    Before Alex could respond, one of his Mirror Images shattered.


    Alex flinched back, then dove out of the way. He hit the ground in a roll, the craggy platform digging into his arms and side as he shot back to his feet. He couldn''t even tell if he''d avoided anything. Zeal''s magic was utterly without presence. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Bah," Zeal said. "That''s a very realistic replication of yourself, young man. But I think I''m done playing around."


    "So am I," Alex replied. He locked eyes with Claire, who stood on the other side of the platform. There was only one way they had a chance of beating an attack they couldn''t see or track. Zeal had just been playing with them, but he wasn''t out of cards yet.


    He still had one left to play.


    Surprise.


    Alex activated Encore.


    Glass shattered and electric energy roared. A pool of black bubbled where Princess had fallen, and every single one of Alex''s monsters ripped themselves back to life. He grabbed onto his magic and thrust it into Glint, mixing Qi and his power together as he activated Rift Flood.


    Glint''s body expanded as it doubled in size. His back hunched; shards of glass exploded out from within it as his jaw elongated. The teeth within his mouth pushed it open, growing so large that it could no longer close properly. Swirls of mist poured off his body, turned a dull grey by Zeal''s domain.


    The monsters all burst into motion, charging at Zeal without any regard to their survival.


    Alex and Claire joined them in the charge. They couldn''t afford to sit back and poke at him any longer. It was all or nothing.


    Spark shattered.


    Princess threw herself forward. Her mask exploded into fragments, but blobs of her form splattered into Zeal and drove him down under her weight. The elderly man was forced to take a step back under the onslaught.


    A loud, scraping shriek rang out from Glint. Glass ground against something¡­ but the Shardwalker didn''t falter.


    Alex''s strongest monster threw himself forward with a wordless hiss, his massive claws arcing through the air for Zeal. Alex thrust his palms forward, sending a river of glass exploding out from his own hands ¡ª and Claire drove her sword at his back.


    Zeal smiled.


    Ink exploded all around him. It bloomed like a pot had been spilled across the white paper of the world all around them ¡ª and Alex realized just how wrong he had been.


    A massive dragon coiled around Zeal, its body painted with what must have been a million different, intricate strokes. He could practically see the texture of the brush within the monster, but this was no mere drawing.


    Pressure rolled off the massive beast with enough force to make Alex''s eyes feel like fingers were trying to press into them. It made his throat clench and squeezed at his chest, but he pressed forward ¡ª and so did Glint.


    The Shardwalker''s claws screeched against the dragon''s skin, leaving deep cuts within its body, but failing to reach his true target. Alex pressed forward with a roar. His magic branched out from his palms and shattered against the drawn monster. It didn''t so much as cut into its scales. Claire''s sword rang off the dragon an instant later to no effect.


    Glint''s Qi-empowered attack had been the only one to anything.


    Shit. You have to be kidding me. How is this fair?


    "You have skill," Zeal said with a delighted laugh. "You were able to get this close without utilizing your own domains. I hold great respect for that ¡ª but you can go no farther without matching me in strength. Release your Soul Manifestations. I have only attacked with a single one of my dragon''s claws until now, but I will utilize my full strength if you do not respect our battle."


    "We''re not trying to be disrespectful here," Alex said, clenching his teeth. They were seriously outmatched. There was no other way to see it ¡ª but that didn''t mean he''d give up. There were still a few seconds left in Glint before Encore faded, and Glint had managed to injure the dragon. There was still a chance. He just had to find an opening. "I''d love to use my domain against you¡­ but neither of us have one."


    Zeal let out a bark of laughter, but his amusement fell away when he realized that Alex wasn''t smiling. "What?"


    "I''m only at the beginning of Initiate, and she''s still at the peak of Novice."


    The old man''s hands lowered slightly as his frown depend. "Are you telling me that¡ª"


    Glint exploded into motion. He flung himself over the dragon and reached for Zeal. A single one of his claws managed to snag the man''s robes, just barely brushing against his skin before the dragon snapped out in a blur.


    There was a crunch, and then Glint too was gone. Alex winced.


    Fuck.


    "You are lying to me," Zeal said, his expression darkening in anger. "I sense our path within you. That is why you were taken to my step. You are a fellow disciple of the Empty Court, and we do not permit the weak among our ranks. If your Mind Palace had been ill-formed, the pressure from my domain would have crushed you. Cowardice is not on our path."


    He senses ¡ª oh, you have to be kidding me.


    "Someone called Meiderly gave me a fragment of power from the Empty Court because we had an interesting talk," Alex said. "I¡ª"


    The rest of his explanation didn''t get a chance to make it from his lips. Zeal blurred, crossing the distance between them in a split instant as his hands slammed down on Alex''s shoulders and pinned him in place. The elderly man''s eyes were as wide as saucers.


    "Did you just say Meiderly?"

 Chapter 89: The Empty Court

    It struck Alex that he might have messed up. Meiderly had never said he was well regarded within the Empty Court. The eyeless man hadn''t really seemed like a particularly friendly individual. It was a bit too late to worry about that now. Meiderly''s name was the only thing that had given Zeal a moment of pause, and Alex needed every advantage he could get."Yes. I met Meiderly, and he told me about the Empty Court," Alex said, readying his magic as he searched for an opening. Even though Zeal was holding him by the shoulders, the massive ink dragon was¡­ somewhere. It was invisible, so Alex had no idea where it lurked, but he wouldn''t be able to land a blow until he knew where.


    Zeal completely eclipsed him and Claire in strength. There was absolutely no way they could realistically win a fight against the man. It had taken everything Alex had to leave just a single small scratch on Zeal''s arm ¡ª and the old man hadn''t even noticed that.


    That only pushed Alex''s desire to find a way forward to grow even more. He refused to let himself fall without a fight, no matter who he was up against.


    Death might be nearly inevitable in the Mirrorlands, but I''ll be damned if I go down like a wuss.


    But Zeal didn''t attack Alex. The old man''s gaze bore into his head as if he were trying to burn a hole straight through his skull.


    "Describe him," Zeal said. There was something more than an order in his voice, something that almost ¡ª but not quite ¡ª bordered on hope. "If you tell the truth, then tell me about him."


    "He didn''t have any eyes," Alex replied, thinking back to his meeting with the strange man. "And Meiderly wasn''t all that thrilled about meeting me. He was kind of a sarcastic dick for the majority of our conversation."


    "I''ll be," Zeal murmured, releasing Alex and taking a step back as he shook his head in disbelief. "There''s no mistaking it. You have met him¡­ and he liked you."


    "How can you tell that?" Claire asked.


    Alex shot a glare at her.


    Not the time, Claire. Whose side are you on?


    "He left the boy alive," Zeal replied, but it was clear that his mind was only partially there. His thoughts had drifted into the past. "Meiderly doesn''t leave anyone he dislikes alive ¡ª not after they''ve seen his face. I knew he still lived. Where did you meet him?"


    "He was my System guide."


    "A fragment of his soul? He must have owed a favor," Zeal murmured, a frown crossing over his lips. He ran a hand down his long beard. "For eons, we have heard nothing from Meiderly. Some of the Empty Court believed him to be dead. But this is proof. He still lives¡­ and he chose to make himself known to you. He saw something."


    I''m pretty sure that he just decided I was interesting because I managed to mistakenly break the System and miss my entire Class Tutorial and all the information I was supposed to have gotten.


    "It would be a shame if you went against all his efforts helping Alex out by trying to kill us now," Claire observed casually. "Especially considering your stage is way higher than ours. Kind of an unfair fight, really. Like kicking cute animals off the edge of a cliff."


    "Likening yourself to a cute animal is arrogant," Zeal said through a snort. He chewed on the insides of his cheeks. "But I did not expect you to be so¡­ fresh. There is no honor in defeating one that cannot even scratch you."


    Alex coughed. He couldn''t help himself.


    "Technically speaking, I did scratch you." His eyes flicked to the tiny cut on Zeal''s arm. The older man''s gaze followed his.


    Zeal blinked in surprise. He touched the tiny wound, then looked down at the speck of blood smeared across his fingertip. "So you did. I have spent so much time within the Cracked Steps that I did not realize just how great the suppression had become. My body has grown soft, but managing to land a blow on me at your stage¡­ that is impressive."


    Alex and Claire exchanged a glance. The way Zeal spoke about the Cracked Steps was really implying that this was more than just any mere dungeon.


    The old man''s hands blurred. Alex tensed, but he didn''t even have time to react as a clap rang out. Power rushed past his ears as color exploded out from Zeal''s palms and the world was returned to its proper shades.


    He blinked furiously to re-adjust himself to the vibrant swirls of energy that lit the Mirrorlands all around them. Alex fought down surprise that welled within him.


    He''s not going to fight us?


    "For what purpose did you come here?" Zeal asked, lowering himself back onto his carpet and returning to his seated position. "The Cracked Steps are too powerful for you at this stage. How did you enter?"


    "We thought this was just a normal dungeon," Claire said. "We just walked through a portal."


    "That does not make sense," Zeal said with a shake of his head. "The Cracked Steps span through every world, but you would not have been able to enter this location unless you had an artifact to pry open the pathway. You are claiming to have just found a portal to this realm lying in wait?"


    "Yes. That''s the truth," Alex said. "We just found a portal and walked through it."


    "That should not have been possible. The barrier between planes resists the presence of the Cracked Steps. Portals to this location cannot open under their own strength."


    "Why would we lie about that?" Claire asked. "It doesn''t really get us anything."


    "I am aware. But, regardless of the manner in which you arrived here, you will not be able to go any further. You cannot ascend the Cracked Steps without defeating the one you meet, and I will not allow my ascent to be halted."


    "What are the Cracked Steps, exactly?" Alex asked. "Is it not just some kind of big dungeon?"


    A laugh slipped from Zeal''s lips. "No. They are a pathway to the heavens. Or at least, they were. Now, they have fallen into the gaps in the universe and wind endlessly toward a goal that none have achieved. The Cracked Steps are a call to those who seek to refine their power through battle with like-minded individuals."


    "So it''s a dungeon that populates it with other people instead of monsters," Claire said.


    Zeal''s smile fell away. "That would be no different from any dungeon. They are all populated by those who resided on fallen worlds. The Steps are far more than a dungeon, but only one who walks them can truly comprehend their enormity. They are a path to enlightenment ¡ª or death. Whichever comes first."


    Dungeons are filled with things that died on other worlds? That''s¡­ kind of dark. I suppose it makes sense in a twisted way. The System recycles all the materials from worlds that somehow get destroyed and puts them toward other ones.


    "So that''s why you''re here?" Claire asked, clearly trying to fish for more information. "You''re trying to get past the Adept Stage?"


    Zeal let out a burst of laughter. "I am not an Adept. It has been a long time since I have been an Adept, but once you have walked the Cracked Steps for long enough, they enable you to focus your efforts on where you lack most. I have repressed my power to train it. An Adept would not have a domain as full as mine, but that should not be surprising. Outworlders very commonly follow this practice in order to visit young realms. How fresh are you?"


    Alex and Claire exchanged another glance. They''d been doing a lot of that as of late.


    "My world got pulled into the Apocalypse a few days ago," Alex said.


    Zeal''s amusement fell away in an instant. He stared at Alex for several long seconds. "Days?"


    "Yeah."


    "The Cracked Realm is present within your world just mere days after its Initialization?" Zeal demanded. "I see why Meiderly was interested in you. Something is deeply wrong with your planet for such a thing to be possible. The Steps should not have found a barrier in space weak enough to take form for months at the minimum."


    Okay. Technically, we came here through the Mirrorlands, but its sounding like you can get to these Steps from normal worlds, so it might not be a good idea to reveal that we found a way in through them.


    "Yeah, things have been a bit messed up. But¡­ could you elaborate on the Outworlders bit?" Claire asked casually. "Just what kind of restrictions does that put on you?"


    "I am not foolish enough to miss the nature of your question. This is unrelated to our conversation."


    "Don''t you feel a bit bad for trying to kill us? You didn''t even check to see if we had domains before you attacked. Is bullying children what you want to be known for?"


    Zeal squinted at her. "You ¡ª bah. The restrictions on Outworlders are not always the same, but their nature is. The System demands a fair fight. Worlds that are newly Initialized would be crushed by existing families within moments if there was not a power in place to restrain them. All that enter a fresh world must lower their strength. Those who are weak will destroy their Mind Palace and rip their levels apart to start anew with nothing but knowledge. The stronger will bind themselves and limit the strength they can access."


    "But doesn''t that still leave them with a massive advantage?" Claire pressed shamelessly. "Even if they bring themselves down to the level normal people start at, they know what they have to do, and have a ton of other advantages."


    "Of course. But for every advantage Outworlders bring, the System weights the favor farther for a world''s natives. That is why they are so careful. If they send powerful artifacts onto the world, the energy from those artifacts will draw an opposite reaction that grants a trial to Natives to grow even stronger. The more powerful Outworlders arrive on a planet, the more powerful that planet''s rewards for the Natives grow."


    "Wait," Alex said. "You mean that having a bunch of Outworlders show up on a world is a good thing for the Natives?"


    "It means the world has something that they very badly wish to possess," Zeal said with a nod. "Generally, families do not all send representatives to new worlds. The likelihood of that creating an immensely powerful cultivator that is unaligned with them is too high. But when there is something powerful enough to make the families ignore that risk¡­ they can become blind to the threat. The families will arrive at a new world en masse, and that world becomes a battleground for power throughout the universe around it."


    Alex swallowed. He didn''t think Zeal had any idea just how many questions he''d just answered.


    So Earth had something that all these Outworlder families want, and it''s causing the potential power I can earn as a native to massively increase¡­ but only if I can steal the thing that they''re all after.


    "Do you have any idea what kind of thing could cause that much interest?" Alex asked.


    A rumble shook the platform beneath his feet. Alex jumped, nearly losing his footing, and barely managed to stabilize himself before he could trip.


    Out of the corner of Alex''s eye, he saw a flicker of energy from the portal that Claire had spotted when they''d first arrived. She''d been right. It looked down upon the Disruptor from above.


    "What was that?" Claire asked, her eyes darting around.


    "A challenger approaches," Zeal replied. "And they have good timing. I do not blame you for seeking knowledge, but you will not survive if you remain in this location for any longer. Count yourself lucky that Meiderly''s power brought us together. Do not return to the Cracked Steps until you have gotten far more powerful."


    Another rumble tore through the platform, this one stronger than the last. Crackles of energy arced through the air overhead as a portal started to form above them. Waves of power rolled out from within it with enough force to threaten to suffocate Alex.


    Whatever was coming, it was powerful.


    "Thanks for the information!" Alex yelled as he and Claire raced for the roots and the platform below.


    "I suspect we will meet again. Seek the Empty Court ¡ª and remember one thing. Power comes not to the conquerors, but to those who have something to protect." S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    An earsplitting shriek tore free from the massive portal. Enormous black claws pierced free from the nebulous energy, each one the length of a telephone pole.


    Alex and Claire practically flung themselves down the roots, landing on the bottom platform with two thuds. Waves of magic poured into the air behind them.


    Energy bit at Alex''s back as they sprinted for the portal, grabbing each other''s hands as they flung themselves into the twisting green disk. As they flew through the air toward it, Alex craned his neck back to take one last look at the Cracked Steps.


    Zeal stood proud upon his platform, his worn robes and long beard rippling around him as power poured off his body. He held his brush before him in a casual pose, as if sizing up a canvas to determine where to paint the first stroke.


    "Soul Manifestation," Zeal intoned. Each word drove into the world like a physical blow, and Alex realized just how much Zeal had been holding back against them. For an instant, the elderly man glanced over to Alex. A grin played across his lips. He swept his brush down.


    "A Dream of Light."


    The world vanished in an explosion of white.


    Alex and Claire hit the portal even as it turned pale, and then they were gone.


    But as the portal ferried them back to the Mirrorlands, Zeal''s words rang in Alex''s head. They had been more than just a mere philosophical statement. He was certain of it.


    Something to protect that the Outworlders want, huh?


    It sounds like I need to get my hands on that Town Token even more than I initially thought.

 Chapter 90: Threshold

    Alex and Claire hit the ground in the Mirrorlands in a tumble of limbs. They skidded a foot before coming to a stop in the shadow of the massive root bearing the portal that led to the Cracked Steps, entangled together.Claire let a muffled groan out into Alex''s shirt. "Fuck. My head."


    "What happened to using ''bleed'' for every curse?" Alex cast his gaze around to make sure nothing was creeping up on them while they laid on the ground. His heart pounded heavily in his chest, though he couldn''t quite tell what the cause of it was anymore. Too many things had happened in too short of a time.


    "Give me a moment to get my brains re-arranged and I''ll give you all the bleedings you want," Claire mumbled back, not even trying to lift her head from his chest. "Zeal''s domain just rattled my damn skull like a shitty toy."


    "Really? I didn''t realize he hit you," Alex said as he untangled his limbs from Claire''s. She laid on top of him like a wet rag. He sent her a concerned look and prodded her in the shoulder. "Are you okay?"


    "He didn''t hit me," Claire said, finally pushing herself up and squeezing her eyes shut in pain. "It was his domain''s pressure. Did you really not feel it? My internal organs feel like they each got beat to a pulp."


    Alex blinked. He glanced down at himself as if expecting to suddenly realize that he was in pain, but there was nothing there. He really hadn''t felt much of anything at all when Zeal had used his domain. There had been a moment of unease right as the man had activated his Soul Manifestation, but that was it.


    "No," Alex said. "I didn''t feel much of anything. Was it a delayed reaction or something? Why did it only hit now?"


    "Because I wasn''t going to show this much weakness in front of an opponent, idiot," Claire muttered through clenched teeth.


    So either this is another front with her trying to get me to trust her, or she''s showing weakness because she actually feels comfortable doing it in front of me. I''d like to think it''s the latter. Only time will tell. Claire lost a fair bit of my trust when she lied to me, but holding a grudge isn''t going to do shit for anyone.


    Alex rose to his feet and pulled Claire up alongside himself, slinging an arm beneath her shoulders to keep her upright. He brought her over to a bundle of roots running throughout a destroyed town building, taking shelter beneath it while she recovered.


    She gave him a weak nod of appreciation as they slumped down against the wall. A little rest had the potential to go quite a long way ¡ª and Alex needed his monsters back before they started hunting anything again.


    They sat in silence as the minutes dragged by. Several times, monsters made their way through the street. There weren''t any City-Eater Centipedes in this location, nor did there seem to be anything quite as large as them, but there were a fair number of monsters between the high Novice and mid Initiate Stages.


    None of them noticed Alex and Claire. For that matter, the monsters seemed rather¡­ distracted. None of them were really paying all that much attention to their surroundings. They just wandered through the streets aimlessly. That didn''t seem like a very good strategy to survive when one resided within the Mirrorlands.


    Alex didn''t question their good luck. While he kept watch, he let his mind drift to other things ¡ª and while there were a number of them to think about, he found his thoughts turning to Rift Flood and Qi.


    Both the ability and Qi had the ability to change his monsters'' forms, but it didn''t seem like they worked the same.


    When he''d used Qi to summon Glint, the Shardwalker had come out flickering in and out of reality, and the monster gained the ability to rip a portal open and jump through it. When he used the normal Rift Flood on Glint, the monster just grew larger and stronger ¡ª and when he used the Qi empowered Rift Flood, Glint transformed into an even more warped monstrosity.


    When I used the Qi empowered Rift Flood on Princess, she also became huge. I''m pretty sure the same general effects hold true on all of my monsters. So there''s actually a pretty significant difference between summoning a monster with Qi or summoning them and then using Qi to empower Rift Flood on them. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Qi directly improves the magic of whatever its used on. When I use it on summoning a monster, it improves their magical abilities. When I use it on Rift Flood, it makes the physical empowerment much stronger.


    A small smile pulled at his lips. It might have been a fairly simple deduction, but it gave him an enormous amount of versatility to work with. Even if he only had enough Qi to use the buff once per fight, he could get a lot of mileage out of the same energy by optimizing it for every battle.


    Qi really is incredible. If its already capable of this much¡­ I really want to know what my domain and Soul Manifestation will be. I have to upgrade my Mind Palace and get to Adept as soon as possible.


    Alex let his head rest against the stone behind him as he cast his gaze around the root-covered clearing around them. His powers were one thing, but Zeal had given him a lot to think about.


    I do wonder why his domain didn''t affect me like it did Claire. Was it because my Mind Palace is put together better? Or something else entirely?


    The answer didn''t make itself known. Unless they found someone else with a domain to test against, Alex doubted it would. It would just have to wait. Fortunately, there was more than enough to occupy him.


    He''d never thought that the presence of Outworlders would actually improve normal people''s chances to get powerful, but he supposed that lined up with everything else the System did perfectly. When there were powerful opponents, there were big sticks to hit them with.


    Alex just had to find the stick before the Outworlders did. Something told him the System wasn''t going to make it easy for the Outworlders. It wouldn''t make much sense to have a way to fight back if the Outworlders had an easy way to just gather it all up for themselves.


    I wish I got more time to talk to Zeal. I really do need to find the Empty Court again. They seem like pretty stand-up people if Zeal is anything to go by. But getting that Town Token comes first.


    ***


    The rest of the hour passed quickly and without note. Claire shook off the effects of Zeal''s domain and Alex''s monsters regenerated.


    They''d only been in the Mirrorlands for a short while, so they proceeded to use the next few hours to methodically work their way deeper into the city while hunting every single monster in their path.


    There were a number of fairly strong enemies, some of them getting up to Initiate 4, but none posed a significant threat against the two of them, nor did any catch Alex''s eye as an interesting combination. That was fine ¡ª they were still worth a decent amount of energy.


    He couldn''t help but be slightly annoyed that none of the fights they ran into were strong enough to cause Claire to use any abilities that she hadn''t revealed previously. She mostly fought with her sword, empowering her legs to increase her speed whenever the need called for it.


    Alex couldn''t even be annoyed about it. She couldn''t say anything about what her class did ¡ª that would risk her failing her Trial. Using its abilities purely just to show Alex what they could do would probably cause her to fail as well.


    And thus, just under ten hours later and after a few more breaks in-between fighting, the two of them made their way back toward the portal they''d entered the Mirrorlands through. They''d gathered a lot of magical energy and resources. Staying any longer and not leveling up would just be pushing their luck. The deeper one got into the inversed Valley Ford, the stronger the monsters were. Anything stronger than around the middle of the Initiate Stage was still too great a threat for them to intentionally seek out.


    "Do you think you''ll hit Initiate after this?" Alex asked Claire, feeding Glint Soul Flames as they walked.


    "I''d better," Claire said. "I''ve got a lot of energy stored up. It should be enough to fix up my Mind Palace the rest of the way and make it to Initiate, maybe even Initiate 2 or 3. We''ll see, I suppose."


    "Nice. I''m going to put enough energy into my levels to get one more ability, then focus the rest on my Mind Palace," Alex said, fishing out another Soul Flame from his mirror and handing it to Glint. "I think¡ª"


    Golden letters sliced through the air before him before he could finish his sentence. He ground to a stop as they appeared.


    Your Bonded Creature is 100% above the threshold to advance to Initiate 1. Would you like to evolve this Shardwalker? [Y/N]


    "Alex?" Claire asked. "You okay?"


    A grin split Alex''s lips. "More than. We might have to take a quick detour before I open the portal and take us out of here. Glint just got enough energy for what should be a very interesting evolution."

 Chapter 91: Glintmaxxed

    Alex and Claire took cover in the ruins of a building nestled in the shadow of the huge roots twisting through the sky above the warped version of Valley Ford. They did a quick sweep of the main room to ensure that there weren''t any monsters lurking in wait before Alex sat down. He summoned Spark and Princess to help Claire keep watch ¡ª and to keep watch over Claire ¡ª while he slipped into meditation.He probably could have evolved Glint in plain view, but he had no idea how much sound or noise the process would generate ¡ª and he didn''t want to bring every single monster in the area down on top of their heads.


    Alex''s Mind Palace took shape all around him, dark water spreading across the ground as his marble basin rose up in the center of his soul. A large ball of swirling blue mist twisted above the marble bowl, thousands of misty motes of energy floating in wait for him to condense it into raw power.


    Three marble pillars loomed far above, spaced in a triangle centered around the basin. Each of them had an indent within their base sized perfectly for a Soul Gem. He had one of those ¡ª the Nightmare Aspect Gem ¡ª sitting on the top of the stairs leading up to the rim of the massive basin, but he still had no idea how they worked.


    Fortunately, he had a way to solve that problem. The Outworlders posed a threat, but they were also a solution. He finally had a way to get at least a few answers about the System. It wouldn''t be free, but he had 80 Credits to work with.


    I don''t want the Great Tide family to know just how clueless I am. They still think I''m some other Outworlder, and so does Orchid. But Finley is a totally different story. He can''t tell anybody about who I am and needs me to spend money so he can pay off his debts to the System. We''ll have to pay him a visit shortly after getting back¡­ right after I figure out just how much a Credit is actually worth so he can''t scam me into overpaying for information.


    Alex pulled Glint''s Spatial Mirror free from the deck at his side. He studied the glass card for a second. It hadn''t been that long ago that he''d first summoned Glint after being pushed into the Mirrorlands.


    Time had felt so compressed these past few days. So many different things had happened. He wasn''t the same person that Teddy had shoved into the cracks between worlds anymore. The world had changed ¡ª and now it was Glint''s turn.


    He ran a finger over the surface of the smooth mirror and words twisted to life within it.


    Your Bonded Creature is 100% above the threshold to advance to Initiate 1. Would you like to evolve this Shardwalker? [Y/N]


    "Yes," Alex said. It felt a bit strange speaking to the air, but it got the job done. The words in the mirror rippled and faded away. His fingertips prickled as energy gathered within the Spatial Mirror.


    Intense heat erupted within the glass shard. Alex let out a curse and dropped it, yanking his hand back even as the pads of his fingers sizzled. The mirror erupted with light a moment before it could hit the ground of his Mind Palace.


    Glint burst out from within the mirror, ripping through reality in a shower of shimmering glass shards. Viscous white energy twisted off his body in ropey strands and he doubled over, his clawed hands raking through the dark waters of the lake at their feet as a low hiss crawled from his mouth.


    Light lit within the Shardwalker''s body, pushing its way out through his skin and forcing Alex to squint. The light was so intense that it completely swallowed the details of Glint''s form, leaving behind only his general outline and shape.


    Waves of pressure drove into Alex''s stomach like physical blows. He grit his teeth as they pushed him back. Ripples turned to waves across the surface of the dark lake. Alex clenched his jaw and held a hand up in front of his face. The power gathering in Glint was so intense that it made his teeth rattle in his skull. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And then Glint started to change.


    The jagged spikes extending from his back cracked and shattered, sending the vibrant song of breaking glass carving through Alex''s soul. Glint''s torso lengthened until he stood at nearly seven feet tall. His gangly limbs remained at exactly the same length ¡ª and with his new height, they were almost the proper size for his form.


    Ripples passed beneath the white light enveloping Glint''s body. The long, jagged claws on his fingertips grew thinner and the claws jutting out of his feet vanished entirely. Alex squinted even harder through the light, trying to make out what was happening.


    A shimmer of silver caught his eyes. The light started to fade away and Alex''s breath caught in his chest as details of his Shardwalker began to emerge.


    This wasn''t a change anything like the previous upgrades Glint had gotten.


    A glistening mask made of a solid piece of mirror covered the top half of Glint''s face. It was perfectly smooth and glossy, contorting to his features like a wet cloth. It covered his eyes completely, coming to a stop just above his mouth.


    The skin on Glint''s face had grown even more gaunt beneath the mask. His fangs had shrunk and thinned into rows of short, razor sharp needles.


    His changes didn''t stop there. Where his back had been previously covered by jutting glass fragments, there was now a rippling cloak composed of overlaid glass fragments. They caught the light, sending it refracting across the surface of the lake in a shimmering dance.


    Glint shook himself off as the light faded. The cloak let off a faint song as it moved, parting from his back and rising up to stretch out behind him. It was connected to his back just behind his right shoulder ¡ª and Alex realized that it wasn''t a cloak at all.


    It was a massive glass wing.


    There was no sign of a second wing. Glint wrapped his body in the wing once again, concealing much of his form beneath it. The Shardwalker stepped to the side in a graceful motion like that of a dancer, then tilted his head curiously to the side in wait of a command.


    Your Shardwalker has evolved into a Glasmir and advanced to Initiate 1.


    Alex realized his mouth was hanging open and forced it to close again. Awe gripped his mind as he gazed upon Glint''s new form.


    The monster had become eerily elegant, a corpse dressed as a god.


    Whoa. I didn''t think that Glint could get scarier¡­ but I don''t think I could have been more wrong. He''s so close to almost looking like a human now, but at the same time, I don''t think he could possibly be farther from it.


    "Walk over here," Alex said, pointing to a spot on the ground beside him.


    Glint moved to obey. He practically seemed to flow into motion, no one movement distinguishable from the rest. The Glasmir arrived at the spot he''d indicated and snapped to a halt, freezing in place in an instant now that the task was complete.


    Something about the way Glint moved was completely alien. He had the grace of the dancer but razor-sharp precision that only a highly advanced robot could have achieved. The mask covering his eyes didn''t help to reduce the unsettling aura enveloping the monster.


    How did Glint know where I was pointing with that silver mask covering his eyes? Can he see through it? And more importantly¡­


    "Are you sentient now?" Alex asked. "Are you able to respond to me?"


    Glint didn''t so much as twitch. He stood as still as a statue in wait for Alex''s next command.


    Looks like he''s still the same Glint on the inside. No thoughts¡­ not yet, at least. At least I don''t have to worry about that, but if this was just his first evolution, what happens when I get him to Adept?


    "I suppose we''re going to need to see what you''re capable of doing now, huh?" Alex asked Glint.


    The Glasmir, unsurprisingly, didn''t respond. Glint just remained frozen in place in wait for a command.


    Alex reached to his deck, where Glint''s card had re-appeared. Glint''s status had updated within it, listing his new evolved name and his rank as Initiate. With a thought, Alex summoned his newly evolved monster back into the card.


    Glint disintegrated into a stream of energy that flowed back into the Spatial Mirror. Alex returned it to his side.


    He let his Mind Palace fall away from around him and returned to the real world. His eyes opened as he found himself back in the building in the Mirrorlands. Claire leaned against the wall beside him, a hand on the hilt of her sword as she kept watch.


    "Done already?" She asked in surprise.


    "I wasn''t powering myself up yet. That would take too long," Alex replied as he rose to his feet. "We can do that once we get back to the real Valley Ford. Spending 4 hours sitting around in the Mirrorlands is basically just asking for something to attack. I was just getting Glint evolved."


    "And that worked, I take it?"


    "It certainly did something," Alex said with a shake of his head. "He''s starting to get a little uncanny. I''m equal parts scared and excited to see what he''s capable of in a fight now. Let''s head back to the portal and we''ll see if it catches anything''s attention when we open it up."


    "Hold on. Can''t you just show me what he looks like?"


    "You''ll get to see what he''s capable of when we find a fight. If I have to wait to see what your class can actually do, then you get to wait a few extra minutes."


    Alex didn''t even try to hide the smug grin on his face as they headed out toward the portal leading back to Earth.


    Nobody had ever said he wasn''t petty, but he was just as in the dark to Glint''s new abilities as Claire was. He was actively hoping that something would try to stop them when he opened the portal.


    I can''t wait to see just what Glint is capable of now.

 Chapter 92: Glasmir...maxxing?

    Alex got his wish.He and Claire arrived at the portal back to Valley Ford a short walk through the Mirrorlands later. Just like the first time they''d gone through the outskirts of the city, there were almost no monsters present and their trip went entirely without interruption.


    And no sooner than Alex pried the portal open did a black sheen flash across its surface. It looked like their trip back to Earth wasn''t going to be quite as smooth as the one over to the Mirrorlands.


    Princess and Spark were already present by Alex''s side, but he summoned Glint with a thought as he scanned their surroundings in search for the Riftwarped Monster that opening the portal had called.


    Glass rang and shattered as Glint''s razor thin claws ripped through the air. He emerged from within the cracks in reality in a smooth, seamless motion. The monster was a Shardwalker no longer.


    Claire let out a startled curse. "What the bleedin'' hell happened? That''s meant to be Glint?"


    "He evolved. Glint is a Glasmir now," Alex replied, spotting a dull pink line splitting through the air on the ground a dozen feet away from them. "And no, I don''t know what that actually means. We''re about to find out."


    "He looks downright evil," Claire said with a shudder. "You''re completely certain that he''s on our side? The previous Glint was kind of cute, in an ugly gopher kind of way. Now he looks like something that you''d see behind you when you''re walking home at night."


    "Dhampirs think about things like that?" Alex blinked in surprise. "I kind of figured you guys were the things in the night."


    "There''s always something bigger."


    Energy crackled as the pink portal yawned open. Murky energy swirled within its depths, and Alex sent all of his monsters their commands for the fight. He wanted to see what the newly evolved Glint was capable of, but he wasn''t about to commit to anything until he saw what they were up against.


    There was a creaking groan, like the sound of an ancient tree ripping itself up from the ground. A knotted grey root emerged from the portal and drove into the ground, cracking the cobbled stone. Another root followed after it, and the portal bulged as a bark-covered monster pushed its way into the Mirrorlands.


    It was something in between a tree and a man, standing just over ten feet tall. Its thick trunk had long, barren branches with almost fingerlike endings jutting out of its body like arms. Two vertical cracks that Alex suspected to be its eyes burned at the top of the trunk with purple-pink rift energy.


    Below them was a large, horizontal rip through the center of the tree''s body. A circle of jagged teeth ringed the inside of the hole. He had absolutely no idea what use a tree had for teeth, but it seemed nobody had told the monster that.


    Riftwarped Treant (Initiate 6)


    A creaking groan emerged from the monster''s mouth. The many roots twisting at its base like the tentacles of an octopus shot forward and dug into the ground as the Treant launched itself toward Alex and Claire.


    Princess threw herself forward and slammed into the Treant. A loud crash echoed through the Mirorrlands as the large monsters drove into each other. The Treant''s fingers raked through Princess'' body, passing easily through her viscous form.


    The Dredge did nothing to hinder the other monster from attacking her. Instead, she pressed closer, wrapping herself around the tree and binding down as many limbs as she could ¡ª but it was a losing battle.


    There were too many branches to constrain, and the rapid attacks were tearing through Princess'' body as fast as she could rebuild herself. The Dredge was great at tanking large, powerful attacks that didn''t destroy her mask, but a ton of fast ones were a great way to waste her energy.


    Alex was pretty sure Princess could have handled the Treant herself if he used Rift Flood on her ¡ª but Princess wasn''t the monster he really wanted to see the capabilities of right now. The Treant was perfect to test just how much stronger Glint had gotten.


    He sent a mental command to both of his other monsters. Princess shoved the Treant back, patches of black goop splattering across the ground as she ripped the other monster''s limbs free of herself, then lurched backward.


    The Treant drove its roots into the ground to maintain its balance. Roots slammed into the ground and ripped large chunks of it free as the monster charged toward them. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Princess and Spark both distanced themselves, setting up alongside Alex. This was Glint''s show. The other monsters could wait at the sidelines in case the Treant turned out more powerful than he expected.


    "Go," Alex said.


    Glint flowed forward. He slipped past roots as they shot up from around the Treant, and the wing on his back snapped out as the other monster extended its spindly branches to reach for him.


    There was a shearing thunk. Glint moved past the Treant as if there had been nothing in his path. The tree monster''s arm thudded to the ground as Glint turned back toward it, his wing wrapping back around himself.


    A grating shriek of fury slipped from the Riftwarped Treant. Twisting purplish-red streams of magic roiled off its bark and small portals snapped open throughout the air. Its roots shot into them.


    More portals opened around Glint. The roots shot out, reaching to entangle him from every direction in a blindingly fast attack.


    Before Alex could even send a modified command to his monster, the Glasmir moved on his own volition. The wing on Glint''s back snapped out once again with a shrill, ringing note. Segments of mirrored glass slid against each other and re-connected.


    Alex''s eyes widened.


    Glint''s wing was changing. It turned long and thin, becoming a bladed whip attached to his shoulder.


    And even as it unfurled, the whip streaked through the air in a blur. Light from the Treant''s magic reflected off the rushing mirrors and danced across the ground. The other monster had absolutely nowhere to run. All of its limbs were already caught shooting through portals in an attempt to grab Glint.


    The only thing it could do was try to reach Glint before the whip reached it.


    And try it did.


    Roots sliced out from portals and toward Glint one after the other. They slammed into the ground with enough force to shake it slightly. The Glasmir let each one slip by him like it was nothing more than a passing gust of wind.


    Glint moved like a reflection passing through a wavy lake. By the time an attack was moving toward him, he was already somewhere else.


    Within a second, every single one of the Treat''s roots had missed and buried themselves in the ground behind Glint, who had emerged from the tangle without so much as a scratch on his slender body ¡ª and then it was his turn.


    There was a loud crack as his whip connected with the Treant''s body. The long, silver blade slithered back to Glint, snapping back into place on his shoulder and forming back into a wing.


    A large chunk of the monster''s trunk split and fell away. It let out a roar of fury. Glint slipped into motion once more and the two monsters launched themselves at each other.


    They collided with a crash. The air rang and the ground shook as the monsters spun around each other. Alex could barely even track the fight with his eyes. It wasn''t even because they were fast ¡ª it was something about the way Glint moved and the mirrored glass that made up the wing-whip.


    The light flashing off Glint made tracking his motions nauseating. Alex could barely track him for more than a few moments before he found his eyes instinctively shifting off.


    "He''s like an ambush predator creating his own distractions," Claire muttered. "It''s a type of camouflage. That''s fascinating."


    It was more than fascinating. It was effective.


    Even though Glint was an Initiate 1 matched up against an Initiate 6, the Treant was losing ground. Now that he was close range, he kept his wing as a flowing silver river at his back, protecting himself from attacks while he used his razor sharp claws offensively.


    The Treant''s body creaked as its mouth opened wide. Rift Energy burned within the tree''s depths as it charged an attack. Glint vaulted back an instant before jagged roots exploded out from the creature''s mouth, carving through the air where he''d been like a flood of worms.


    The roots raced across the ground, forcing Glint to retreat in a blur as they reached for him. He tried to get around the flow of magic, the Treant poured magic into the attack like there was no tomorrow. More and more roots emerged until a sea of them covered the ground around it and chased after Glint.


    It didn''t matter how fast Glint was if he couldn''t actually get close enough to the Treant to finish it off. Glint had put up an incredible showing thus far, but this was his limit against a Riftwarped monster 5 levels above him.


    At least ¡ª it was his limit as he was now.


    Let''s see what you can do when you''re jumped up with a little extra energy.


    Alex extended his magic toward the Glasmir.


    Then he activated Rift Flood.

 Chapter 93: Back to Valley Ford

    A connection snapped to life between Alex and Glint and he sent power coursing down it. Roots shot out for Glint, the sea of writhing wood around the Treant growing larger by the second.The mirrors covering Glint''s body rippled like sunlight reflecting off the surface of a gentle lake as Alex''s power flooded into him. Glint leapt out of the way of the roots and glass erupted from the back of his wing, more than doubling its length to the point where it almost looked like a long, flowing cloak.


    Silvered glass protrusions grew over Glint''s shoulders and knees. They were perfectly smooth and glossy, like pieces of armor that had been polished to perfection. The Glasmir almost resembled the corpse of some long-dead hero.


    He stood still for the briefest instant as the magic finished running the course of its changes on his body.


    Roots rose up in a wave and crashed down toward him.


    Glint exploded into motion. His enlarged wing screamed through the air, letting out a high-pitched whistle as it sliced through the roots before him as it unfurled into a what almost resembled a gossamer whip.


    It was impossible to tell where any of the individual segments of the weapon started or ended. The whip was a river of reflective metal, impossible to properly lay eye on for more than an instant.


    Glint snapped the whip and it sliced forward, twisting and churning as it swam through the air like an ocean current. The attack wouldn''t have gotten anywhere near the Treant in its previous form. Glint and the Treant were nearly twenty feet apart from each other.


    But in the new form, the whip sliced through several roots and bit deep into the tree monster''s side. It let out a grating scream. The creature pitched to the side and the flow of magical roots from its mouth faltered.


    Glint sprung forward. He slipped past the roots that reached up for him and the whip retraced, snapping back into its wing form with a loud crack ¡ª but he wasn''t done. No sooner than the whip had retracted did his wing shift forms once again, this time forming into a massive axe-blade.


    He arrived before the Treant and twisted his entire body as he swung the newly formed blade. The huge axe sliced through the air and slammed into the Treant''s side with a loud crash ¡ª and then it continued through, ripping through wood like it was paper.


    Splinters of wood flew up all around Glint as he spun like a ballerina. His axe had cut clean through the center of the Treant; its momentum so strong that the Glasmir had been forced to continue moving to avoid ripping its own arm off.


    The sea of roots froze like they had all been trapped in ice. For a moment, the Mirrorlands seemed to stand still.


    Then the roots crumbled away, transforming into motes of brownish-red mist and flowing into the air. Glint''s wing snapped back to its normal form. He turned back toward Alex and Claire, head tilted to the side in wait of his next command.


    "Bleed me," Claire muttered under her breath. "Your Initiate 1 monster can beat an Initiate 6 basically entirely on its own?"


    A small river of energy trickled into Alex. The Treant had been worth far more power than the majority of the other monsters they''d fought, but the amount of energy he needed for every level grew the stronger he got. It was still quite a healthy amount of power. He would have been quite thrilled about it if he wasn''t so stunned by Glint''s performance.


    Goddamn. I was expecting Glint to be stronger, but this is something else entirely. Overloading his magic was absolutely the right idea. Now that I think about it, the equivalent energy in Glint is probably something around Initiate 3 or 4 even though he''s only shown as Initiate 1.


    What would he be capable of if I was to use Qi while summoning him or together with Rift Flood?


    Alex shook his head in disbelief. "That was a lot more than what I was expecting. He''s becoming a bit of a menace, isn''t he?"


    "Menace isn''t the word I''d use," Claire said, squinting at Glint before blowing out a huff of air. "Why don''t your evolutions make your monsters cuter? That''s just¡­ unsettling. I don''t like looking at him."


    "I suppose this answers a question. Dhampirs are just as scared of other things that go bump in the night as people are of them," Alex said with a chuckle. "And don''t be mean to Glint. He''s got feelings."


    "He does?"


    Alex glanced back at his monster and scratched at the back of his head. "Well¡­ no. I don''t think so. But he might! You never know. He''s a perfectly normal and healthy looking Glasmir. I won''t stand for any criticisms of things he can''t change."


    "What are you, his mom?" Claire asked through a snort. "I think Glint is more than powerful enough to inform anyone when they''re doing something that he dislikes."


    "Do you want him to go around telling people what he doesn''t like?"


    Claire''s amusement fell away. She looked back over to the Glasmir. It was somehow even more impossible to tell what Glint was thinking now than it had been before. The glossy silver mask covering the top half of his face gave absolutely nothing to read ¡ª which meant everything was left to the imagination.


    "You know what?" Claire asked. "Maybe you have a point. I''m sure he''s perfect just the way he is. Just¡­ keep pointing him at the people we don''t like, would you?"


    Alex chuckled. He walked over to the dead Treant, where a greenish-black Soul Flame sputtered above where it had fallen. He grabbed the flame and placed it within his mirror, then pulled the Harvester that Finley had given him out of his pocket.


    The small orb was empty and devoid of a monster core now that he''d sold the previous one to the Great Tide Family. It was in need of a new core ¡ª and Alex had the perfect target for it.


    He flicked the ball at the dead Treant. It struck with a violent shearing whirr. The smell of burnt wood filled the air as the marble split apart and it lifted into the air, hovering in place. There was a flash of brilliant purple light and energy carved through the center of the Treant.


    The marble snapped back together, purple energy humming gently within it. It fell to the ground and Alex knelt, picking it up and tucking it into a pocket.


    "You going to sell that to the Great Tide again?" Claire asked.


    Alex scratched at the side of his neck. "Maybe. I''m honestly not sure how much a Riftwarped Core would go for ¡ª nor do I know if I want to reveal that we can access the Mirrorlands. I think we should try to use Orchid to fish for some information. I don''t suppose I can leave that to¡ª"


    Claire''s lips split apart in a grin. "Don''t worry. I''ve got it covered."


    "Great," Alex said. He glanced over to the portal that led back to Earth, then hesitated for a moment. He craned his neck to study the warped version of Valley Ford behind them. His eyes lifted to trace up the massive tree that stretched out above the city, and to the Disruptor that was lodged within it.


    This area of the Mirrorlands had been¡­ strange.


    That wasn''t saying much. Every single area of the Mirrorlands was strange. But something about this location felt different. The perfect recreation of the city, even though it had been destroyed and warped in typical Mirrorlands fashion, felt like it meant something more than just coincidence.


    "Something up?" Claire asked, noticing the expression on his face.


    "I was just trying to figure out what was going on with¡­ all of that." Alex gestured vaguely in the direction of the city. "This area just felt a little odd. There weren''t as many monsters as there were in other locations, and there weren''t any City-Eater Centipedes either. And then there was the Cracked Steps. Why could we see the Disruptor and the rest of the Mirrorlands through another portal? It didn''t seem like people normally enter the area through the Mirrorlands."


    "It''s too bad we couldn''t get a better look at it," Claire agreed with a frown. "I really want to know what a Disruptor is. Maybe that''s something else we can fish for information from Orchid about, but it might be a bit harder. We''ll have to figure out how important the Mirrorlands are first."


    "You don''t know what they are?" Alex asked. "I was kind of wondering if your¡­ uh, unique background let you figure any of that out."


    "The Nightmarch didn''t have any information about Disruptors that I saw," Claire said with a shake of her head. "Not that I''d be able to share it if they did. Not yet. I''ve got a lot that I want to talk about¡­ but until I complete my Trial, it''s impossible."


    "I know," Alex said. "But I''m going to hold you to that. Complete the trial soon, would you?"


    "Working on it," Claire replied wryly. "I''d tell you what I need to do, but¡­"


    "Yeah." Alex rolled his eyes. "Figured. Let''s just get back to Valley Ford, shall we? I''ve got some energy to cash in, and it''s just about time to figure out just what we can do with our Credits." sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Claire nodded, and the two of them stepped through the portal back to Earth as one.

 Chapter 94: Invictus

    The trip back to Valley Ford was a quiet one. A significant portion of Alex had been completely expecting Derek to be waiting for them when they emerged from the portal. The man had only fallen asleep after being defeated, after all. Assuming nothing had killed him, there was a good chance that the man would just come looking for him a second time.But he was nowhere to be seen. They were able to make their way back into the city without running into a single person that gave them more than a single glance. While they had stuck out a little in Towntown, in Valley Ford, the two of them fit right in. For that matter, they looked rather under-equipped in comparison to all the people walking around in full suits of armor and lugging around massive weapons.


    There''s no way the System gave everyone all this stuff. The Great Tide family is making a killing from their sales ¡ª either that or there''s just some random Smith that has enough materials here to work with.


    Now there''s a thought. I wonder if people can get Classes that aren''t focused on fighting. Could somebody get a Smithing Class? I would assume someone has to unless the System is literally just making every single piece of magical equipment in circulation ¡ª and that really wouldn''t make much sense. Someone, somewhere, has to be making stuff.


    "Let''s go check out the Great Tide''s store again," Alex said as they headed down the street. "See what they have for sale with Credits so we know the general scale of what they''re worth. Then we can head back to Towntown and pay Finley a visit."


    "So long as the prices back there aren''t too expensive," Claire said. "We don''t know what the fees for the portals will be¡­ but even if they''re small, imagine how much money the Great Tide family is going to make off them. Once more towns build up across the world, teleporting will be the fastest way to travel between them. Having portals is going to be like sitting on a gem mine."


    Alex was midway through a nod when a scream split the air. He and Claire spun toward its source ¡ª along with everybody else in the square around them.


    "There''s a horde!" a man screamed, skidding to a stop and fighting to speak past desperate breaths. "The city is going to be attacked! Prepare yourselves!"


    Then he took off running again, his calls echoing through the streets as he raced to spread the message throughout the rest of the city.


    There was a brief moment of silence as everyone processed his words. Then they burst into motion as one. People ran in every direction ¡ª some racing for the walls to see what was approaching, others making for cover to wait out the event.


    Alex and Claire didn''t even have to say a word. They both joined the crowd of people racing toward the edge of the city to see what was going on. The System hadn''t announced any sort of event, so Alex had absolutely no idea what to expect.


    The throng of people pressed over to the walls. Guards already stood atop them, but none of them looked very nervous. They did nothing to stop the people rushing up the stairwells to the top of the walls ringing the huge city.


    "Don''t push!" one of the guards barked. "Remain orderly. Melee fighters, if you wish to prepare for a fight, please make your way to the exits of the city. We do not anticipate our defenses being breached, but preparation never hurts. Please note that any damage done to Valley Ford''s interior will be charged to your accounts."


    Alex bit back a laugh. Charging people that were preparing to defend your city was ludicrous, but it made sense in a twisted way. There would be a lot of people that wanted the chance to get the rewards from fighting off a monster horde.


    Unless it was so big that it threatened the city itself, this was just an opportunity.


    People milled all about Alex, all trying to push to the front of the wall to get a look at what was coming. He and Claire squeezed their way through the crowd and managed to push up to the front, stopping at the edge of the wall to peer down over the desert stretching out around the city.


    It didn''t take long to figure out what the crier had been warning everyone about. A large cloud of dust rose in the distance, heading toward the city at a rapid pace. Alex could just barely make out hundreds of figures within the twisting dust.


    Are those a bunch of ¡ª


    "It''s a big ass herd of bulls!" a large, barrel-chested man beside Alex said through a roll of booming laughter. "Would you look at that!"


    "Can anyone make out how strong they are?" someone else asked.


    "From the size of that cloud, there have to be at least a hundred or so. No more than that, though," a woman observed. The adventurers stared at the stampede in a mixture of anticipation and excitement.


    The guards, however, couldn''t have looked more uninterested. Alex spotted one of them covering a yawn as he leaned on his halberd.


    Are they that confident in the people here? No. That wouldn''t make sense. Getting a whole town to Earth had to have been incredibly expensive. They wouldn''t bet something like that on a risk as huge as trusting random people to defend them.


    They''ve got to have another form of security. But what is it?


    Alex twisted around to look back at the town behind him. He couldn''t see anything through the thick crowd around him and Claire on the walls, but he was certain there had to be something. Maybe the family had a powerful warrior that would defend them, or there were traps laid around the city.


    "They''re getting closer," the barrel-chested man said. "I can''t see their damn levels through that dust cloud, though."


    "Let''s get to the ground. We aren''t going to get shit standing around up here," a man said, and several others voiced their agreement. A portion of the crowd peeled away and hurried down the stairs, heading for the nearest city exit.


    Alex was of half a mind to join them. There was no need to turn down free energy when it delivered itself right to his doorstep.


    But, before he could mention his thoughts to Claire, he caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye. He craned his neck back and raised a hand to block out the sun as he squinted into the sky.


    Then his eyes went wide.


    "What the hell is that?"


    Claire turned to follow his gaze, and her mouth dropped open.


    A river had peeled away from the ocean of water that churned above Valley Ford. It twisted through the air like a snake, and standing upon its head was a lone man with his hands crossed behind his back in parade rest. He wore beautiful blue robes trimmed with golden streaks. Long gray hair flowed behind him in the wind.


    The snake of water bore him through the air and stopped in the sky above the wall, allowing him to look down upon the approaching horde. His presence bore down on Alex''s back. Invisible pressure rolled off him, pressing on Alex even though the old man was easily a hundred feet in the air above him.


    Alex gritted his teeth. Claire muttered a curse and staggered. All around them, adventurers dropped to one knee. Almost all of the crowd had been forced down from his sheer presence alone. Other than them and the guards, who were all unaffected, only one or two others managed to remain standing.


    What is this sensation?


    The old man clapped his hands together, and the sound echoed through the air like rolling thunder.


    "Be at ease. It is a little too early for you all to be engaging with roaming hordes. The casualties would be too great. We value each and every one of your lives far too much to let you perish today. After all, if you die, who will line our coffers?" the man let out a jolly laugh, but his expression quickly turned serious. "I jest, of course. The Great Tide family greatly appreciates your dedication to defending our city ¡ª but today, it is I who will defend you."


    "What is this pressure?" Claire asked through clenched teeth. "It''s not like what Zeal was using. How strong is that guy?"


    Alex just shook his head. He had absolutely no idea.


    "Bear witness to the strength of the Great Tide family," one of the guards along the wall thundered. "Invictus, the Ruler of Valley Ford, has arrived to grant us victory!"


    "Do not put such praise upon me," Invictus said with a dry laugh. "Valley Ford defends itself. I am simply the director of its might."


    Invictus looked down at the horde, which was only a few hundred feet away from the city''s walls. A confident smile crawled across his weathered features and he swept his hands down.


    A ripple passed through the water swirling above the city behind him. Alex''s mouth dropped open as the huge ocean shifted. It rose up, thousands of tons of force suspended by sheer nothingness, and then crashed down with a roar.


    The unfathomable might of the water slammed down upon the charging horde with an earthshaking crash. Alex''s stomach leapt into his throat as the wall bucked beneath him. The magic had struck with such force that it had caused an earthquake big enough to hit the entire city.


    People cried out all around him, but he and Claire both managed to remain standing, their eyes locked on the scene before them in disbelief.


    Invictus lifted his hands. Where his features had previously been confident, there was now strain. A droplet of sweat rolled down the side of his temple.


    Water rose up from the ground like rain falling in reverse, gathering back into a huge river. Of the monster horde, there was no trace. Every single attacking creature had been flattened in a single strike. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For a moment, the huge river of water hung in place. Then it twisted back on itself, flowing back to gather above the city.


    Alex could barely believe his eyes. The display of might Invictus had just put on was incredible. A thought poked at the back of his head and a small frown flickered across his lips.


    That was almost too incredible. Am I just a conspiracy theorist? Or is a horde showing up and getting crushed before anyone even gets a chance to see how strong it is a little convenient for the Great Tide''s appearance?


    Either way¡­ fuck. No wonder Claire was so determined that I have to use the Town Token. Even if this was a show by the Great Tide just to flex their power, it was incredible.


    Invictus turned away from the remains of the horde. "I apologize for the panic. Everything is handled now. You may all return to your normal plans. And as an apology for the panic, we will have a discount for the next twelve hours! You may all enjoy twenty percent off all consumable goods."


    The elderly man glanced down at the wall of the city. Then he did a double take ¡ª and, in that moment, Alex realized it might not have been a good idea to remain standing when everyone around him and Claire had fallen to their knees.


    Invictus was staring straight at them.

 Chapter 95: The same idea

    Invictus was surprised.In a sea of kneeling Nativeworlders, their shoddy Mind Palaces unable to withstand the force of his connection with Valley Ford''s defense array, there were two that still stood. A boy who didn''t even look like he''d properly registered that the array had activated and a girl whose palace seemed to be slightly worse than his ¡ª but still far superior to that of the rabble around them.


    They both bore status obscuring equipment. He could have blown through the magical protection in an instant to reveal them, but he stayed his hand. At this stage of a newly inducted world, it wasn''t impossible for a native to get a Mind Palace this powerful¡­ but it was unlikely.


    There was a nonzero possibility that he was looking at Otherworders.


    Invictus only hesitated for an instant. He had been alive for too long to spare any more time than that, but it took him a moment to dig through his mind and try and remember if there were any unaccounted for Outworlders that should have still been present in Valley Ford. There were a few that had passed through the city, but an Assembly had been called almost an hour ago.


    An Assembly I very much need to be at. If I don''t get there soon, the other families will rip me apart and I''ll lose out on a huge number of Credits. But I can''t just leave two Outworlders sitting around while I leave. The risk is too great. I shut down the portals the moment we realized there was a Town Token in the area. There shouldn''t have been time for another family to send anyone through, which means if they are from a family, their arrival would have have to be by coincidence. But not many families would have sent people into the Great Tide''s area without any reason¡­


    Could they be Crestless Outworlders?


    Invictus dismissed the thought almost instantly.


    No. A Crestless wouldn''t be foolish enough to reveal themselves like this. Then¡­ who are they? I need to find out. There are too many things in motion to allow for a loose cog to bring all of our work crashing down around us.


    If they were Outworlders, he couldn''t afford to leave them wandering around the city while he was gone. And if they weren''t¡­ planet 274-50 was creating threats to compete with the families far faster than he had expected.


    No matter what they were, they had to be dealt with one way or another.


    He extended a hand toward them and a tendril of water pulled away from the rivers flowing through the sky to join the ocean far above. In a blur, the magic twisted down and formed into a rippling, translucent disk before his feet.


    Invictus stepped onto the watery platform and it lowered until it rested just a few feet above the top of the wall. The crowd parted around them as people dragged themselves out of the way, sending a mixture of awed, jealous, and fearful looks in his direction.


    He ignored them all. There were only two people whose reaction he was interested in right now. Finding out if someone was an Outworlder when they didn''t want to be known could be¡­ problematic.


    Everything would have been simpler if he had a few moments to speak to his subordinates. They had records of who had entered and left the city; records of everyone who had attended the Ocean''s Tide store and what they had sold and purchased.


    Fortunately, there were other ways to go about determining the identity of an Outworlder.


    "Welcome to Valley Ford," Invictus boomed, his words echoing through the air to grace the ears of everyone on the wall though they were only meant for the two standing before him. "I hope you can all place your trust in us. The world is changing, but the Great Tide Family endeavors to ensure that life is as safe and comfortable as possible for all those who have earned the privilege to reside within our walls."


    The crowd erupted with murmured appreciation and hurried nods. Invictus was certain he''d have gotten a similar response if he informed everyone that he''d had a particularly large bowel movement that morning.


    He could taste fear in the air. His demonstration had worked perfectly. The Nativeworlders had been given a taste of the power of Valley Ford. A fair number of them would remain in the city for as long as they could, accepting the Great Tide''s shelter ¡ª and staying out of their way.


    Not all of them, of course. Many would continue on as they had. Invictus wasn''t particularly bothered by that. There would always be road bumps. The more intelligent Nativeworlders would realize that sitting around and hiding within a city forever would only hinder them. And among the people that seemed entirely uninterested in promises of safety were the two that had garnered his interest.


    "Can we go now?" the boy asked in a low tone, scratching the back of his neck. His words would have been swallowed by the rumble of the crowd if Invictus hadn''t focused his Master Stage senses directly on him and his companion. "I was hoping to get a good fight in, but it looks like that''s dealt with, so I don''t just want to stand around here forever."


    "Wait until he''s done with his speech," the girl muttered in response. Her voice was ever so slightly louder than his, but both of them spoke quietly enough that it seemed they did not think Invictus could hear their words. "It''s not like we''ll have to wait in line to sell anything with the others. We can just go right up to the next floor and sell to the clerk up there."


    Invictus blinked. That did imply that they were Outworlders. If they knew about Credits, it was highly likely¡­ but it still wasn''t an absolute answer. Neither was getting to the upper floors of the Ocean''s Tide. It should have been limited to exclusively Outworlders, but if they were natives working with another family, it was possible they might have been able to deceive someone.


    Invictus made it a point to only trust work that he had verified himself, and that hadn''t failed him yet. He wasn''t about to change his strategies today. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I need to determine their purpose.


    "Off with you all. Don''t let your days waste," Invictus boomed, flicking his hands to dismiss the crowd even as his watery platform carried him forward. People streamed away at his command, rushing to take advantage of the twenty percent discount he''d placed on products that had been marked up by a few hundred percent before anyone had even laid eyes on them.


    A grin threatened to pull across his lips. Even through his curiosity toward the potential Outworlders, there were few things he enjoyed more than a good deal ¡ª especially when he came out on top.


    After all, when you control the supply, then the price is exactly what you want it to be.


    The two points of interest made to join the rest of the crowd, but Invictus had no plans to let them wander off. They might have been Outworlders. They might have been natives with a good source of information, or perhaps they were just lucky. It didn''t matter. Anyone, even members of another family, could be useful.


    After all, there were no treaties on a newly initialized planet.


    Invictus stepped off the watery platform, cutting off his new guests a moment before they could slip past him.


    "A moment of your time, please," Invictus said, crossing his arms behind his back as a polite smile crossed his features. "I would like to have a word."


    ***


    Alex held a straight face even as a grimace tried to pull across his lips. Invictus was not someone whose attention he''d been hoping to garner. It hadn''t even crossed his mind that he should have faked getting hit by the pressure along with the rest of the crowd.


    Shit. This is less than ideal. It''s not like we can easily distance ourselves from him now, but I doubt he''d want to make a big scene in front of everyone.


    The rest of the crowd continued to filter away around them. Alex could tell that a lot of people wanted to stay to see what was going on, but the guards on the wall drove away the last of the rubberneckers, leaving the group isolated on the top of the wall.


    It''s not like we had much chance to properly blend in after the first time we went shopping here, but this certainly isn''t going to help.


    Claire gave Invictus a winning grin. "We wouldn''t mind the delay so long as it gives us more of a discount."


    Invictus snorted. "I''m sure we can arrange something. You''re selling, yes? We can give you some extra Shells¡ª"


    "Credits." Claire''s voice lost a note of its cheer. "We prefer real currencies."


    "You are Outworlders," Invictus said. His expression tightened. "What are you doing? You shouldn''t be here."


    "Why not? Your people were more than happy to take a Core that we worked hard to get," Claire said, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "So you''re happy to take advantage of our efforts, but not to let us get a look at what you''re capable of? That hardly seems fair."


    "This is the Great Tide''s city," Invictus said, matching her tone. "What family are you from?"


    "One that would prefer not to reveal more than they have to." Claire tapped a finger against her outer thigh. "The scales are evened here. There aren''t any treaties, but there aren''t enemies either. Not unless you go looking for them. We aren''t here to cause trouble but go digging and that''s what you''ll find."


    Invictus titled his head to the side. "An interesting observation. Not one an ally would typically make. Care to tell me why it is that you''re lurking amidst the crowds instead of attending the Assembly?"


    Assembly? What, is everyone supposed to be gathered up in a big hall and sat in bleachers listening to someone give a vaguely inspirational speech?


    "We were waylaid," Claire said with a half-shrug. She was really good at sounding like she knew what she was talking about while simultaneously having absolutely no idea. Either that or she actually knew what the Assembly was from her time with the Nightmarch family and just hadn''t been able to tell Alex yet.


    Stupid Trial.


    "Waylaid," Invictus repeated. He didn''t sound amused. "I''m certain you were, and you weren''t just observing our defenses. Perhaps you would like to accompany me there, then? I will arrange for safe passage, of course. It''s my duty as a Town Ruler to ensure all Outworlders within the protection of my walls are granted safe passage to a location from where they can attend the Assembly ¡ª especially given the circumstances for this one. That Town Token is drawing a lot of attention from this area of the Subsector. There may be no treaties on 274-50, but I think we all know that doesn''t hold true once the planet ages. Your actions today will affect tomorrow, yes?"


    Alex made sure to keep himself from glancing at Claire. She seemed to have Invictus quite convinced she knew what she was talking about, and he was more concerned with figuring out exactly what it was that Invictus was saying.


    This Assembly was called for the Town Token somehow? Is it some sort of discussion between Outworlder families about it? How much are they cheating?


    If that''s what it is, there could be invaluable information there. If we can just sit in, we might overhear a ton of the information I''m missing about Outworlders. But if we make one misstep, our cover gets blown. Shit. This isn''t good, but I don''t think we have any good way to refuse.


    Claire seemed to have the same idea.


    "We''d be rude to refuse," she said. "Please. Lead the way."

 Chapter 96: Vile

    Invictus took Alex and Claire onto his water platform, which bore them all into the air and across Valley Ford over to a large, white-tiled building covered with glistening blue mosaics. The Town Ruler led them into a small room near the entrance of the house.It was plain gray stone, with a circle of glossy green stones inlaid in what almost resembled a runic pattern in the floor. The stones glistened in the light from a lantern that flickered with pale blue flame and hung suspended from a chain in the center of the room.


    Invictus reached into his pocket and rifled around it for something. Alex took the moment to steal a glance with Claire. She gave him the smallest of shoulder-shrugs. Invictus was powerful enough to have killed them where they''d been if he''d wanted to ¡ª and if the System actually allowed for that.


    Alex focused on his breathing to make sure it remained steady. He wanted to spin and glance around wildly, readying himself for the knife that felt like it lurked in every shadow. Summoning one of his monsters would have been nice as well, but he couldn''t afford to do any of that.


    Walking around with someone powerful enough to kill an entire horde of monsters was nothing short of terrifying. If Invictus realized that he and Claire weren''t actually Outworlders¡­ well, Alex was pretty sure the families weren''t the most forgiving sort. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Right now, the best defense they had was sheer, dumb confidence. It was clear that the Outworlders worked together to at least some degree. They wouldn''t be having big fancy meetings of some sort if they didn''t. That meant that his and Claire''s best advantage right now was a mixture of confidence and making sure they didn''t draw too much attention.


    Well, that and the restrictions on Outworlders.


    Alex still wasn''t sure as to the extent of those limits. Finley and other merchants couldn''t attack other things at all. Invictus obviously wasn''t a merchant, but he had no doubt that someone powerful enough to wipe out a monster horde in a single attack wasn''t just walking around unrestrained by the System.


    If that was possible, then no Native would ever have had a chance to fight back against the Outworlders. Something had to be staying Invictus'' hand. But, whatever the reason, it didn''t look like they were in imminent danger. There was no way to slip away from him now, so the best they could do was turn the situation to their advantage.


    "Ah," Invictus said, pulling a small pouch out and brushing it off. He undid the drawstrings and pulled out a pinch of ground up blue powder. "My apologies for the delay. I will open the soul-link now."


    I''m not sure I love the sound of that.


    Invictus snapped his fingers. The friction ignited the powder in his fingers, sending it up in a tiny ball of flames. Greenish-blue tongues of fire licked out from his palm with a crackle. He flicked it onto the ground and it splattered across the surface of the circle like water.


    The flames raced across the glistening stones and sank into their surface. A dull hum filled the room, joined by a distant ringing noise as light ignited within the tiled pattern on the ground.


    Alex squinted as the magic intensified and wind rolled out from the circle in a swirling gale, driving into his chest and trying to force its way down his lungs.


    A shimmer passed through the circle and there was a loud pop. The hair on Alex''s arms jerked upright as an electrical charge raced through the room. At the same time, a buzzing blue mirage formed in the center of the room, just beneath the lantern.


    It was something in between a portal and a projection. Vague forms made of condensing blue mist sat in what seemed to be a small auditorium, shifting and gesturing as muted conversation, too distant to make any of the words out, tickled the edges of Alex''s hearing. The edges of the projection rippled with energy that was reminiscent of the Mirrorlands portals.


    Invictus gave them a pointed glance. He made no moves, but Claire didn''t seem to mind. She grabbed Alex''s wrist and strode forward without hesitation. They entered the mist ¡ª and the world twisted.


    It flipped on its head and Alex''s stomach dropped out through his feet as color inverted itself. A howl tore past his ears and freezing cold fingers enveloped his body, shutting out his sight entirely.


    There was a sharp twang like the snap of a guitar string snapping. All the breath was knocked from his lungs as his eyes snapped back open and he inhaled sharply.


    They weren''t in Valley Ford anymore.


    He sat in a chair within an open-topped auditorium. The night sky rose above, lit by massive glistening silver stars that seemed so close that it almost felt like he could have touched them.


    Hundreds of stone seats just like the one he sat in were padded with plush cushions and arranged in a large, circular pattern. Each row of chairs was higher than the previous, making an inverted cone shape. At their center, in lowest point of the large room, was a silver-tiled platform.


    A few dozen of the chairs in the room seemed full. Not a single name appeared, though. Everyone must have had a concealing item or this location was otherwise defended from prying eyes. People were yelling and shouting about something ¡ª but before Alex could even try to get a look at what was going on or even properly situate himself, Claire''s grip tightened on his wrist and he was yanked out of the chair he sat in and to his feet.


    "Come on," Claire hissed as she pulled him away from the chairs they''d arrived at. She pulled a few scraps of a torn shirt out from her pockets and hurriedly wrapped them around her face. "We can''t stick around until Invictus shows up. We need to get lost in the crowd first."


    They wove past several rows chairs and headed down toward a group of people near the platform.


    "What exactly is going on?" Alex hissed. "Do you know what this¡ª"


    "Yes," Claire said in a low whisper. "And no. I can''t say. Damn it, Alex. I want to, but I can''t. My information won''t be that useful. Everything will be pretty obvious soon, but I haven''t even been to one of these before. Not worth damaging my chances on the trial over."


    He threw a glance over his shoulder in the direction of the chairs they''d arrived in. There was a fuzzy outline of a silhouette starting to form in the spot next to where they''d arrived. It would only be a few moments before Invictus arrived, but they were already gone. They slipped into the crowd and snagged chairs near the center platform, using a group of arguing Outworlders as cover.


    "You only managed to send one person onto 274-50. The Firesong family shouldn''t have even bothered showing up to this," one man was saying as he thrust his finger into the armored chest of another. "Really, the only thing you''re going to be able to do is sit back and watch. You might as well tap out or join in with another family to get some of the crumbs when all is said and done."


    "We only need one person to deal with a family like you. The Crimson family hasn''t managed to have any real significant winnings on any planets for over two hundred years," the first man said through a bark of rough laughter. "I''m not intimidated by your threats, Brandon. Now, if you want to put some action behind your words, the arena is open. I''d be thrilled to accept your challenge."


    The first man ¡ª whose name seemed to be Brandon ¡ª faltered. He let out a few words that Alex couldn''t quite make out but was fairly certain to be curses, then slunk away and flopped into a chair.


    "Isn''t Brandon kind of a¡­ normal name?" Alex whispered to Claire. "I was expecting something more."


    "Probably gets translated along with the rest of his language," she replied in the same tone. Her eyes were fixed on the empty platform below them.


    Alex nodded. He resisted the urge to look over his back to see if Invictus was behind them and focused his attention on trying to figure out what was going on. They''d clearly showed up halfway through some sort of meeting, but every conversation was about a Town Token.


    There was a lot more attention on the item than Alex had expected. Every single person in the room wanted it, but he didn''t get to listen in for long.


    "The Great Tide is here!" a woman yelled. Yells rose up from all the others in the room as they erupted in complaints.


    "Turn the damn portals back on!" a man yelled.


    "We''ll pay you ten thousand credits for the Token!" another called.


    "Oh, be calm," Invictus snapped, his voice ringing through the room like thunder. He leapt into the air, sailing over the chairs and alighting on the platform.


    Everyone abruptly went quiet. It was so sudden that it almost made Alex flinch. He could have heard a pin drop from across the auditorium. Alex slunk down in his chair, hiding behind the group before him as Invictus'' gaze swept over the room.


    "I''m just a little late," Invictus said. "We don''t have to become uncouth about things."


    "You shut your damn Hub City''s portals down." A woman emerged from the crowd and leapt down onto the stage, landing across from Invictus before straightening to reveal she stood nearly a head taller than him.


    Long black hair ran down her back and ended in what almost seemed to be wisps of shadow rather than flesh. Her skin was a tanned brown and her features soft ¡ª which couldn''t have been farther from the icy cold winter that was her voice. Two daggers hung at her sides, held against the gray leather armor that covered her lithe form.


    "They were damaged, Leah," Invictus said. He scanned the room, but it didn''t look like he found what he was looking for. His expression didn''t even flicker. The man was definitely a professional. "You know as well as the rest of us how problematic new integrations can be. Especially when 14 different families all arrive on a single planet. The System is not pleased with us."


    "It''s a wonder that all the lies you spit haven''t rotted out your tongue," Leah said. "The Token is near your city."


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about," Invictus said, holding his hands up. "We have no clue where the Token is. We''re a Merchant family, Leah. Not everyone is like the Gentle Shadow Family, with all your fancy machinations and plans. All we like is money. If I knew where the Token was, I''d be selling that information."


    "Then why did you shut down your portals?" Brandon, the member of the Crimson family that had taken a seat a few rows in front of Alex and Claire, said. "If you want us to believe you, then grant my family passage."


    "Fuck them. Grant the Firesong passage," the other man from earlier said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "I won''t believe anything else."


    "I''ll be more than thrilled to welcome any of you to Valley Ford as soon as the portals come back up, but there''s just nothing I can do about it yet." Invictus held his hands up in a placating manner. "We''ve always dealt in good faith, but we simply can''t do anything about this¡­ unless someone is willing to supply the materials to accelerate our repair of the waystation? The portals are unstable and can''t be used while it''s damaged."


    Alex glanced at Claire. He was starting to piece together what was happening. The Outworlder families didn''t know where the Town Token was yet, and Invictus had managed to cut off their access to the area of Valley Ford. They suspected the Town Token was somewhere near him, but they couldn''t get there to actually confirm for themselves.


    Controlling portals and travel between cities is ridiculously powerful. If these people are all Outworlders, they all have to be pretty damn strong ¡ª and they''re still beholden to Invictus being a prick. So far, it doesn''t even look like he''s stronger than any of them. They kind of act like they''re all roughly equals. It''s pretty clear they all know each other already. Invictus just has the cards. I wish I had more context, but I can''t ask anything without completely blowing our cover.


    "Liar," Leah spat, stalking toward Invictus like she was about to rip his throat out. She stopped an inch away from him, her lips so close to his that she could have kissed him ¡ª or ripped his throat out ¡ª with little more than a twitch.


    "Let''s not sling accusations around like that baselessly," Invictus said. He didn''t even acknowledge Leah''s proximity. There wasn''t a flicker of worry in his expression. He was either very confident in his defenses or he was a very good bluffer. "You''ve always been a bit¡­ acidic, Leah. Our families have a working relationship. Let''s not taint¡ª"


    "She''s right," a tall man clad in beautiful silver armor said, rising from his seat. His voice was somehow simultaneously as smooth as a still lake and as deadly as a striking adder. It sent uneasy chills down the back of Alex''s spine.


    A stout woman rose beside him, a large hammer in one hand and a tower shield in the other. She was clad from head to toe in matching silver armor, to the point where the only exposed parts of her actual body Alex could see were her rugged face and a few hints of wispy blonde hair beneath her raised helm.


    Almost instantly, a thought lodged itself in his mind.


    I don''t like him.


    "You''re from the Broken Sword, Drake," Invictus snapped, waving a hand dismissively. "Why would someone listen to a mercenary? Leah could have paid¡ª"


    "I have proof," Drake said. He strode forward to stand in the center of the silver platform and crossed his arms behind his back as he turned in a circle to look over the audience. The man''s features were thin and angled, with raised cheekbones that were oddly reminiscent of a snake. "But I will not reveal it until we remove the stains marring our ranks."


    Drake''s gaze turned until it was pointed right in Alex''s direciton. His stomach dropped, but he turned to realize that there was a man rising behind him. A heavy cloak obscured his entire form, but he carried a massive scythe at his side.


    Wait. Isn''t that ¡ª


    "Please," the man said, his tone flat as he rose from his chair. "I''ve been called far worse than a stain. Your family has no more power here than a Crestless. If you wish to call me to Challenge, then I will be more than willing to accept."


    He stepped forward and the world seemed to collapse before him. The man shifted, and his cloak fluttered to the ground where he''d been standing as he abruptly appeared on the platform across from Drake.


    His white pants were baggy and plain, tied taut just above his bare, gray-skinned feet. His chest was similarly colored and bare ¡ª but Alex was far more concerned with the enormous, melon-sized hole in its center.


    You can''t be serious.


    "Absolution," Drake said, his lip curling in distaste. "Your presence is distasteful as usual."


    "Accept the challenge and I will rectify the sour taste in your mouth, Hound," Absolution said, bringing the scythe up to rest it on his shoulder. "We will not need long. You may have a keen nose, but that will not keep me from cutting it off."


    "You''re scum, Absolution, but you aren''t my concern right now. I will accept your attempted insult as a compliment to my abilities. I am the Hound. My purpose is to hunt ¡ª and I smell rot in our midst."


    A few murmurs of confusion rose up through the crowd, and the unease in Alex''s stomach doubled.


    "No Outworlder would ever bear the corruption of the Mirrorlands out of its wretched domain. We''ve all seen what it can do, yes?"


    The blood rushed out of Alex''s face as voices of agreement rose up from the crowd. Absolution''s head tilted to the side. Nobody else seemed to know what Drake was talking about, but Alex did.


    And an instant later, so did Absolution. The man''s gaze snapped to follow Drake''s, landing on Alex. Something within his pitch black eyes shifted like the tides of a stormy ocean; hungry, deadly.


    "My problem is the infiltrator that was sitting in front of you, Absolution. Someone seeks to play us all for fools." Drake raised his blade. "There is a Nativeworlder bearing the vile energy of the Mirrorlands in a Harvester at his hip."

 Chapter 97: Bold

    Every single person in the room turned toward Alex and Claire at Drake''s words. Dozens of powerful Outworlders all turned their full attention toward them, bristling with malice."The one Stargazer spoke of," Absolution breathed, and somehow, his words cut through the noise to arrive at Alex''s ears as if he had whispered them from an inch away. "Bold."


    "Shit," Claire muttered, so quiet that only Alex could hear her.


    Alex felt like that was a bit of an understatement. There were more than a few choice words he would have liked to use right about now, but there was no time for any of them. The room burst into clamor as he and Claire both shot to their feet.


    This is some bullshit. How do they have some asshole that can detect Mirrorlands energy?


    He spun in search of an exit, but they were standing in the middle of an auditorium.


    "Claire," Alex hissed, his eyes darting around as he flexed his fingers at his sides and prepared to summon his monsters the moment someone approached. "How do we leave?"


    "I don''t know," Claire hissed back, the features he could make out over the makeshift face wrapping she had on deceptively calm. "Look for a way out. I''ll distract them."


    But there was nowhere to run. There was no exit circle. No glowing portal. No way out. Outworlders formed a circle around them, gazes boring into them like blades. Outworlders shouted things out, and Alex could have sworn he caught a glimpse of Invictus with a cold smile on his features before the crowd closed around them.


    A sickening thought struck Alex.


    That bastard must have realized we weren''t Outworlders at all. He brought us here to take attention off the fact that he''s blocking people from getting the Town Token. How did he know we weren''t Outworlders? Could he sense the damn Harvester as well?


    "This is a bit hasty, don''t you think?" Claire called, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Accusing someone of being a Native just because we have something we bought off an idiot is a bit of a stretch."


    "Come now," Drake said through a burst of laughter. "You can''t expect anyone to¡ª"


    "The Broken Blades are one of the 14, though they''re consistently ranked toward the bottom because their strongest members keep fucking killing each other over petty disputes." Claire''s features tightened imperceptibly. Her back stiffened and her hands clenched at her sides, nails digging into her palm hard enough to draw blood. She was in pain. A lot of it ¡ª and still, she continued. "I am of the Nightmarch Family, not some worthless Nativeworlder. Are you trying to start a war with us? We''ve never shied away from them before, mercenary."


    "What are you doing with a core from the Mirrorlands, then?" Drake demanded. "Why would you bring such a thing here?"


    "I was unaware that power was banned," Claire drawled, her voice dripping with ire. "Perhaps you should have left your sword at the door as well, coward. When riches are delivered to our hands, we take them."


    Tension dripped in the air. Nobody spoke for a long moment.


    "She knows a lot for a Nativeworlder," a woman finally said. "Are you sure about this, Drake?"


    "Where''s Sazaar? He''s the Nightmarch representative," another woman called.


    Oh, shit. Isn''t Claire on the run from the Nightmarch?


    "I''m here. Get out of my way, you lot of pigs," a smarmy voice replied from somewhere within the crowd. A short, balding man shoved his way through the people gathered around Alex and Claire. He drew to a stop before them and brushed off his wrinkled clothes as he squinted at her for several long seconds. Then he let out a bark of laughter. "Drake, you''re a frothing idiot. She bears our Path. The girl is a Nightmarch."


    Alex resisted the urge to blink in surprise. Sazaar hadn''t recognized Claire. Now that he thought about it, that actually made a lot of sense. She''d come from an entirely different planet, who knows how far away. If the families were big enough to be showing up at different planets, then their branches probably weren''t constantly communicating every single detail of what happened. It would take time for anyone to figure out exactly what Claire looked like, so she actually had a window of time where she was unlikely to have most people contest her on being part of the family.


    "What?" Drake exclaimed. "But¡ª"


    "What''s new," Brandon said through a snort. "The Hound being over-eager again. Maybe you should go back to the kennel. Could you imagine a Native somehow infiltrating an Assembly? Ridiculous. I don''t give a shit about people walking around with Riftwarped energy as long as it''s contained. It''s not like they''re spilling it across the floor. Now can we get back to the actual problem? There''s a portal that needs to be opened."


    "Hold on, now," Invictus said, a flicker of worry passing over his features before he smothered it. He knew control of the meeting was slipping away from him, but there wasn''t much he could do to stop it. "We don''t know for sure that they''re both Nightmarch. The boy could¡ª"


    "He bears the Riftwarped energy because he is the only one I trust to withstand it," Claire said, her tone leaving absolutely no room for discussion. "You''re wasting everyone''s time, Invictus ¡ª could that be because you thought you could pin everyone''s attention on us while you put a bounty on the location of the Town Token and put your family and all the adventurers in your city to work finding it?"


    "What?" Invictus stammered, his eyes widening. "I don''t know what you''re talking about!"


    "Perhaps you should clarify," Leah said, sliding effortlessly through the crowd and arriving before Claire. "Do you know something?"


    "Hold on. We can''t trust¡ª"


    The rest of Invictus'' sentence ground to a halt as Leah slipped forward, arriving before him in a split instant and pressing her finger to his lips.


    "Hush." Her words dripped like venom. "Not a word, Invictus. The girl is speaking ¡ª and I am liable to issue you a Challenge should you speak again before she is finished. You have already rejected one during our last Assembly. You will not be able to reject a second."


    Invictus paled and his mouth snapped shut. Claire had shifted the tide of the conversation. There were still a number of disgusted looks sent in their direction, but nobody was regarding them like they were intruders anymore ¡ª that is, nobody other than Absolution.


    The gray-skinned man hadn''t budged from his spot on the platform. His gaze bore into Alex, unblinking.


    Fuck. He''s not fooled at all, is he? We''re far from out of the woods.


    "Keep talking, Nightmarch," Brandon said. "What do you know about the Town Token?"


    "We came from Valley Ford. The Town Token is there. Invictus already has a path to it," Claire said with a shrug. "The portals work just fine. He shut them down to keep you all out."


    Angry clamors burst from the crowd as Invictus'' mouth dropped open in disbelief.


    "What? No! That''s a blatant lie!" Invictus exclaimed.


    "And why should we believe you?" someone in the crowd asked. "How do we know you aren''t just trying to cover your own hide? I say you''re suspicious."


    Alex caught Leah shooting Drake a sharp look out of the corner of his eyes. A moment later, Drake cleared his throat.


    "As much as I hate to say it, she''s right," the man ground out. "It appears that I was overzealous. That information is correct. It''s the same thing I was able to work out of my source."


    "What source?" Brandon asked. "How do you know anything?"


    "Because, unlike the rest of you, the Broken Blade spreads our resources to ensure our information isn''t limited to a tiny area of the Subsector. We''re mercenaries, remember?" Sarcasm dripped from Drake''s voice. "And one of our groups was successful in finding a lead. Multiple, actually. We''ll be more than happy to sell that information to the highest bidder."


    "What''s the damn information?" Leah ground out. "You''re getting on my nerves. If you want me to push Credits up your ass, you better make it worth my time. Who''s your source?"


    "A girl from the Everbloom family," Drake replied with a smirk. "My men captured her at some heavy losses. It took some considerable¡­ convincing to get any information from her. She is being problematic about the Token''s location, but I am certain we will pry it from her soon enough."


    The room fell still for several long seconds. An uneasy air settled into the room. It seemed like Drake had somehow made a faux pas, but something told Alex that being rude wasn''t going to get the man killed.


    His heart sank. He was pretty sure he knew who Drake was talking about. Orchid had gotten captured. It wasn''t like he and Claire were exactly friends with her, but she was a fantastic source of information, and she''d been nice enough.


    Losing her now was bad. They needed her to get them to the Town Token and for information about the other families.


    Fuck. Everything is going wrong. We''re barely hanging on by a thread here.


    For the first time since Drake had attempted to out Alex and Claire, Absolution''s gaze broke away from them. Anger burned within his dark eyes as they affixed on Drake''s face.


    Why''s Absolution pissed about this? Does he have something to do wit ¡ª


    Brandon crossed his arms in front of his chest and interrupted Alex''s thoughts. "You attacked another Outworlder? This early? Even if treaties don''t hold true, there are some things that just aren''t meant to be done. We''ll have it tough enough with the Nativeworlders once they get a chance to scale. We could have settled things in the Assembly."


    "Bah," Drake said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "The Everbloom barely number among the 14 at this point. They only had a single representative on this world. Do you really think they''re worth anything?"


    "Give the girl to me," Leah said. "The Gentle Shadow have ways of making people talk."


    "Let''s talk price," Drake replied with a practiced flash of a smile that was all teeth and no eyes.


    Invictus opened his mouth to protest, but a dozen furious glares immediately turned in his direction. He winced and shrank back, letting his mouth close again. He''d been completely outmaneuvered by his own distraction.


    Voices rose up as the Outworlders started to yell over each other.


    "What do we do?" Alex whispered to Claire, keeping his features as calm as possible. "We need Orchid¡ª"


    "I know." Blood dripped from Claire''s palms onto the floor. "I''m thinking."


    The clamor grew louder ¡ª and then it was snuffed out like a candle as Absolution drove the butt of his scythe down onto the ground. Every eye in the room snapped to look in his direction.


    "You attempt to sell one of mine," Absolution said. "She is not for purchase."


    Drake tilted his head to the side. "What are you saying, Crestless? Are you delusional? What claim do you have to the Everbloom?"


    "She is in my employ," Absolution said quietly, but his words carried through the hall nonetheless. "She is mine."


    Angry yells broke out again. The Outworlders seemed to like doing a lot of that. The room rapidly descended into an enormous argument as the shouts grew louder. Invictus tried to convince everyone that there was no Town Token near him while Drake worked to up the bid on Orchid''s life and information. The other families picked sides and joined each other in the descent to madness ¡ª but Alex noted that none of them threw a punch or any other form of attack. The argument was purely verbal.


    Alex and Claire were rapidly forgotten. Claire gave Alex a sharp nod and they made to slink away in search of an escape. The attention would turn back to them soon enough, and their story wasn''t going to hold up under too much scrutiny.


    But, before they could, the space before Alex suddenly seemed to realize that it was meant to have Absolution within it.


    The man took form from nothing, abruptly appearing in their path. Alex nearly leapt out of his own skin. His features were beyond unsettling up close.


    He could have passed as human, but there was a very distinct portion of his appearance that was anything but. The man''s mouth was unnaturally long, and his eyes were devoid of an iris. His ears had slight points and there were grooves running along his neck that almost resembled gills.


    Absolution''s hand drove down on Alex and Claire''s shoulders, grinding them both to a halt as he leaned forward, placing his head between theirs.


    "I know what you are," Absolution whispered. "One word from me will turn this entire room against you. You will not survive. The only thing the Families care about more than claiming power is ensuring others do not get it for themselves. They will unite against a Nativeworlder at the drop of a pin."


    Fuck. I knew he wasn''t fooled. He was staring at me way too intently.


    "Doing that won''t help Orchid," Alex said.


    Claire sent him a sharp look. He''d basically just confirmed Absolution''s words by opting not to deny them, but the unsettling man had already seen through their ruse. There was no point doubling down. It almost seemed as if he had information that everyone else didn''t.


    Claire had already done her part in convincing everyone else in the room that they were Outworlders. Now it was Alex''s turn.


    "No," Absolution agreed. His expression was as dark as a stormy night. "It will not."


    "We want her alive too. We''re working with her."


    Absolution''s eyebrow arched. "Working with her? Odd indeed. I am going to kill you."


    It was a matter of fact statement, spoken with no more emotion than as if he was placing an order at a restaurant. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You¡ª" Claire started, but Absolution spoke again before she could finish.


    "But I want Orchid alive more than I want you dead," Absolution said. "We are united against an enemy. I will open a path to Orchid. You will save her."


    "Won''t that turn every single one of the people here against all of us?" Alex asked. "A stealthy option might be the better¡ª"


    "They are already enemies. Nothing has changed," Absolution said. "Your deceit will be seen through soon enough. If you are still here, they will Challenge you. Then you will die."


    "He''s right," Claire said, dropping her pretenses. "Are you sure you can get us out of here and to Orchid?"


    "Yes. But there will be many that follow."


    If we get to Orchid, I could pull us into the Mirrorlands. They can''t follow me there¡­ I think.


    "If I can get to Orchid and find a way out of here, we''ll be able to save her as long as Drake''s people aren''t too strong," Alex said.


    "They will be heavily restricted. They have left the Disruptor''s zone. Do not fail. Orchid is mine. I will not allow her to experience the true-death while she still owes me a life-debt. I will open the way. Be prepared," Absolution said. He straightened and strode toward Drake and Mirian.


    Disruptor''s Zone? The thing we saw in the Mirrorlands? What does that have to do with¡ª


    "Drake!" Absolution boomed, driving the butt of his staff down as he arrived on the silver platform. "I Challenge you."


    The room fell silent as everyone turned to Absolution.


    "I was wondering how long that would take," Drake said with a dark laugh. "I call upon my First. Mirian, deal with the scum."


    Outworlders backed away from the platform, the argument temporarily suspended as they all watched with rapt interest. More than a few of them looked excited. None even looked worried about the delay on getting the Town Token. They were so confident that one of them would be the ones that got it that, so long as they were all here and Orchid was restrained, none of them were concerned about losing it.


    Alex''s jaw clenched.


    They''re so damn arrogant. It''s like they don''t see us normal people as a threat at all.


    The armored woman strode to stand before Absolution. She bared her teeth in a cocky snarl. "I accept your challenge in place of Drake. You''re too prideful. Did you forget how badly you were restrained for arriving on 274-50 as early as you did? It''s about time someone puts you in your place."


    "Perhaps," Absolution said, taking three steps back in synchrony with Mirian. He released his scythe, leaving it floating in the air at his side, and clenched both of his hands into fists. "But it will not be you."


    "A Soul Manifestation pose isn''t going to do anything when you''re still an Initiate. Allow me." Mirian smirked, then threw her arms back into the air. "Soul Manifestation. Armor of the Colossus."


    Energy roared all around Mirian. Her body expanded three times over, armor layering over itself and burning with golden light. The hammer and shield in her hand grew as well, igniting with brilliant gold flame.


    "A poor Manifestation," Absolution said. "You only change the area directly around yourself. It seems you failed to properly solidify your Mind Palace.


    Fury crossed over Mirian''s features. She slammed her helmet down over her face. "I''m going to crush you like a bug, Absolution."


    "No. You are going to die."


    "Kill him!" Drake snapped. "Enough talk!"


    "Oh, not quite," Absolution replied. His lips pulled back in a thin smile and he pressed his knuckles together before the hole in his chest. "Partial Soul Manifestation. Devouring Abyss."


    And then three things happened in unison.


    Drake''s eyes went wide in horror.


    A thrumming pulse of invisible power rolled out from Absolution and across the stage.


    And, within the hole in Absolution''s chest, a malevolent red eye twisted into existence.

 Chapter 98: Absolution

    Magic gathered around the eye in Absolution''s chest. Arcs of sickly red and black energy wove through its iris and burst from its surface like eruptions on the surface of the sun."Is something wrong?" Absolution asked, grabbing his scythe and shifting into a fighting stance. "You seem scared, half-core."


    Even though Mirian''s face was concealed by her helm, her feet scuffed across the ground as she moved a step back. She was definitely worried. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I''m not scared of someone like you," Mirian spat. She glanced down at her feet, then took a step forward as if to prove her own words to herself. "Cheap tricks aren''t going to win anything for you."


    A part of Alex wondered how correct Mirian was. He couldn''t sense Absolution''s energy in the same way that he''d felt Zeal''s. He was definitely weaker than the old man ¡ª but he also couldn''t sense Mirian, so she wasn''t anywhere near his level either.


    "Enough chatter," Drake called. "End him, Mirian. We don''t need any theatre on this one. Nobody here wants to see Absolution take any more breaths than he has to. Put the Crestless bastard down."


    Mirian charged forward with a roar. Her heavy footfalls rang against the ground like thunderous applause, each one striking the stage with enough force to shake it. She reared back and swung the massive hammer in her hands at Absolution''s head, aiming to kill him on the spot.


    The gray-skinned man vanished, and the hammer passed through the air where he''d been standing harmlessly. He reformed a few feet to the side. His scythe hooked out for Mirian''s arm and rang off her armor with a melodious clang.


    She let out a furious snarl and spun with the force of her previous blow, twisting in a full circle. The end of her hammer ignited in molten flame and it crashed back down for Absolution like a meteor. This strike moved with easily two times the speed of the last one.


    Once more, Absolution blinked out of the way. His scythe shot out and connected with Mirian''s armor a second time, and a second time it did nothing but ring harmlessly.


    Mirian swung her hammer a third time. She hadn''t lost so much as an iota of momentum from the previous two attacks, and her speed had progressed to the point where Alex could barely even follow her movements.


    She swung the hammer again and again. Every strike came faster than the last ¡ª if they could even be considered different attacks. It was more like one flowing attack that would have no end until her hammer connected with Absolution.


    Tongues of flame danced through the air as they were caught into a hurricane, twisting around Mirian''s entire body and casting their golden-orange light across the stage. She wasn''t even leaving a second for Absolution to get a real counter-attack in. All he could do was dodge.


    She''s got him on the backfoot. I don''t know what their ranks are, but it really looks like Absolution is at a pretty big disadvantage here. How is he supposed to get us a way to Orchid if he can''t get a moment to fight back against Mirian?


    "Ten Credits on Mirian crushing the Crestless idiot''s skull like a grape," a man in the crowd called.


    "I''ll take you up on that," a woman replied. "Absoltuion has been a thorn for years. If some worthless half-core could kill him, then they already would have. Do you have any idea how many people the Firesong family has lost against him, much less the other families?"


    "I''ll raise that bet to 20 Credits. He''s more restricted now than ever," another woman''s voice joined the argument. "Absolution is getting arrogant. He thinks he can play by the rules he likes and skirt the ones he doesn''t. Drake doesn''t train slouches. He''s done for."


    "Taken," a second man called. "I''m looking forward to getting your money."


    A dozen other voices rose up into the air, calling out bids of their own.


    "Fifty Credits on Absolution defeating Mirian!" Alex called, trying to disguise just how stiff his body was as he watched the gray-skinned man narrowly dodge yet another molten strike. It really did look like Mirian had him down to rights.


    "You''re on," a large, barrel-chested man said with a booming laugh.


    Claire shot Alex a look.


    "What?" Alex whispered. "It''s not like we''ll be paying them back anyway."


    An explosive crash roared through the room as Mirian''s hammer finally collided with something. Everyone spun back to the stage as a geyser of flame erupted from the ground where her hammer had struck.


    Fragments of stone and melted rock flew up all around her. A dim blue dome flickered to life around the stage as the pieces flew free. They struck the dome''s surface and froze in place, sending ripples across the energy making up its surface. The debris clattered down all around Mirian like rain.


    "There," Mirian said, pulling her hammer free from the ground without so much as a grunt of effort. "Good riddance."


    Everyone stared at her.


    Not because of the cocky words, but because Absolution was standing directly behind her, leaning on his scythe.


    "What are you talking about?" Drake asked. "You missed, you daft woman."


    "What? No I didn''t.," Mirian said. She craned her neck back to look up at the buzzing dome above her. "Put this thing down. The Challenge is over. Absolution is dead. His body is right here. Little burnt and squashed up, but its here."


    She nudged an empty spot on the ground with her foot.


    Alex''s skin prickled. Even though he was temporarily allied with Absolution, something felt deeply wrong. Anticipation and unease built in his chest like the tide receding in preparation of a tidal wave.


    What kind of magic does Absolution have?


    "He''s behind you!" Drake roared. "Turn around!"


    Mirian glanced over her shoulder, then back to Drake. "Are you rocked in the head? There''s nothing there."


    Absolution smiled. He tapped his scythe against the ground. Coils of black energy gathered around Mirian. Lines as dark as the night materialized all over her armor. They burned with power, connecting to form a complex pattern that definitely would have had a meaning if Alex could understand it.


    Mirian didn''t seem to notice the lines. She turned back and forth, alternating between squinting up at the dome and looking around herself.


    "Why won''t anyone let me out of here?" Mirian demanded. "The fight is over! Are you all insane?"


    "He''s right there!" Drake roared, thrusting a finger to point behind Mirian as Absolution walked up behind her.


    Mirian spun. Her eyes focused right on the spot where Absolution stood ¡ª and went right past him. She couldn''t see him at all.


    "It''s pointless," Absolution said. "I have already carved the scripture across her. Such is the drawback of so much armor. It is impossible to determine when you have been scratched by the tip of a passing weapon."


    He managed to draw that complex thing with his Scythe while Mirian was trying to smash his brains out? There''s no way.


    "Release your Manifestation!" Drake roared. "Now!"


    "Too late," Absolution said. The gills on his neck flared, and the dark smoke pouring off Mirian streamed into them. He drew in a deep breath, then let out a shuddering sigh. "The lamb has already been led to slaughter."


    Man, Absolution really likes his slightly edgy and ominous one-liners, doesn''t he?


    Absolution''s eyes shifted to Alex for the briefest of instants. For a moment, Alex thought the man had somehow heard his thoughts. Then he realized that there was a message in the gaze. It was a warning.


    It''s time. He''s going to do something to let us get to Orchid.


    Alex and Claire both quietly exchanged a nod and readied themselves. They had no idea what Absolution was up to, so the best they could do was to be prepared to take advantage of it before anyone else could.


    Drake opened his mouth to yell something else, but Absolution was already moving.


    His scythe flicked up in what could almost have been described as a lazy arc. It slammed into Mirian''s back, just like a dozen strikes before it had, but this one was different. Instead of ringing off the armor, it carried right on.


    That wasn''t to say the armor was pierced. Absolution hadn''t cut it at all. His scythe had passed right through the metal as if nothing was there, leaving it whole as it found its true target and lodged directly in Mirian''s heart.


    "The sacrificial blade always finds the heart of the lamb," Absolution whispered, his words cutting across the suddenly silent room. "Once death has set its sights on the sacrifice, nothing can stand in its path. Let that be a reminder to you all. Fat pigs with your mouths stuffed full of slop. May you all bathe in the rot."


    Then he ripped his scythe free.


    A gout of blood followed in its wake. Mirian collapsed, plummeting the ground as her body shrank, returning to its normal size. Alex didn''t even need to check to tell that the woman was dead ¡ª but it didn''t seem like Absolution was done.


    Before she''d even landed, Absolution thrust a palm forward. Black poured from between his lips and sank into Mirian''s body. Her flesh and armor bubbled, then warped. Two pillars rose up from her, formed of a conglomeration of flesh and metal.


    Black energy snapped into life between them, and a spinning portal yawned open. Absolution staggered, leaning heavily on his staff as a wave of exhaustion seemed to slam into him.


    God, that''s disgusting.


    The glistening blue dome around the stage collapsed. The fight was officially over.


    Claire and Alex exploded into motion. It wasn''t hard to tell what Absolution''s way out for them was. Alex had absolutely no idea how the gray-skinned man planned to survive the rest of the Offworlders, but that was his problems.


    Surprised yells rang out all around him as he shoved through the crowd.


    "Don''t let them get past you!" Drake yelled as they burst free and ran for the portal. "They''re working with Absolution!"


    But they were already on the stage by the time the words left his lips.


    Offworlders surged forward, but they were too late to do anything but watch Alex and Claire clasp hands and fling themselves into the portal.


    "Follow them!" Leah yelled.


    And instant later, all the sound from the Assembly was swallowed by the darkness.


    Alex hurtled through the void toward ¡ª presumably ¡ª where Orchid was held. He just hoped that Drake didn''t have any way to warn his people that they were coming. They weren''t going to have much time to act. The other Offworlders were going to be right on their asses. They''d have to grab Orchid and escape to the Mirrorlands as quickly as possible.


    Then the world was gone, and there was no more time for thought.

 Chapter 99: Tagalong

    Solid ground materialized beneath Alex in a bloom of grey.Stone. A cave of some sort, strewn with looming shadows crawling across rubble cast by orange torchlight.


    His stomach lurched up into his throat even as he hit the ground in a roll and thrust himself up to his feet.


    Claire rose beside him. They stood in a small room, across from two stunned men decked out in silvered armor. Behind them was a passageway with sunlight spilling in ¡ª they weren''t far from the surface.


    Neither of them wore bands to conceal their identities. Golden letters had already spawned in the air above them to identify their names and classes.


    Shale - Weaponmeister (Initiate 4)


    Winky - Shadowblade (Initiate 4)


    Oh, come on. I think the System felt like I was challenging it a bit too much by actively looking for more difficult fights. Two Initiate 4 Otherworlders. This isn''t the same thing as fighting a monster of the same stage. These guys are going to be a problem when we only have a few damn moments to fight before the rest of the Outworlders show up at our asses.


    Then again, I suppose I should be a bit relieved. As far as Otherworlders go, Initiate 4 doesn''t seem too bad. We have a good chance. We''d have a great one if we weren''t about to get run down by a horde of pissed off pay-to-win assholes, but I''ll take what I get.


    Behind the men was Orchid. Absolution had actually managed to pull it off. He''d gotten them a way out from under all the Outworlders noses ¡ª literally. They just had to find a way to snatch Orchid and run off with her before their pursuers caught up with them in a few seconds.


    Unfortunately, Orchid wasn''t in good shape. Bruises covered her arms and she hung suspended from the ceiling like a furious pinata. Someone had gagged her with a dirty cloth.


    A thick chain wrapped around her bruised wrists and connected to a stone in the ceiling. The chain continued along the rest of her body, binding her entire form like a constricting snake. Shimmers of faint blue energy twisted through the links of the chain.


    Orchid swung and struggled fruitlessly, trying to reach the wooden staff that leaned against the wall a few feet to her side. Her injuries clearly hadn''t made it to her spirit, but the motions weren''t doing much more than providing the armored men guarding her with amusement and the slightest of distractions ¡ª at least, right up until Alex and Claire arrived.


    Then that distraction bought the two of them the half-second they needed to finish rising to their feet. It gave Alex the moment he needed to call out to his monsters.


    Shale, a wiry man with several swords strapped to his sides and a tuft of hair at the very top of an otherwise bald head, was still midway through cursing in surprise when the sound of shattering glass filled the air.


    Glint flashed forward in a blur, cloak already transforming into a segmented whip. It carved through the air for Shale''s neck. There was a flash of gray and a loud, ringing clang echoed through the air.


    Torchlight reflected off Glint''s gaunt body as his whip retracted and returned to the form of a cloak at his side.


    Several swords had slid free of the sheathes at Shale''s sides and floated around the man as if held by invisible warriors. The brief moment of surprise had worn off quickly and both of the guards were clearly professionals.


    Winky, the larger of the two guards, drew a longsword that he had strapped to his back. "Who are you?"


    "Forget speaking, just kill them," Shale snapped. "They''re intruders."


    The swords around him flitted forward. They moved in a formation to strike from four different angles at once, blurring until they were nothing but gray streaks slicing through the air. It was an attack that almost certainly would have drawn blood on Alex if the two men hadn''t paused to speak.


    But they had paused to speak ¡ª and that had given the rest of his summons a moment to finish pulling themselves free from his Soul Mirrors.


    A black puddle welled up on the ground before Alex before exploding outward in a spray of sludge. Princess erupted from the ground and expanded her body, the squirming arms extending from her back wrapping around Alex and Claire.


    The swords slammed into her body, burying themselves deep into her with loud squelching thuds. One of them jerked to a halt just an inch away from Alex''s face, but none grew close enough to cut them.


    Winky''s sword shimmered. Then it vanished. He dashed around Princess, ducking under one of her large arms as she swept her hand at him, and lunged for Alex.


    Spark erupted into existence with a crackle and a flash. The Echo Wraith drove into the man''s side and they both tumbled across the ground with a slew of curses and crackling arcs of electric energy.


    Winky grabbed Spark and hurled the monster across the room with a roar. Spark sailed through the air and slammed into the stone wall with a loud crunch. The floating armor plates around his blue core shuddered.


    The Echo Wraith floated down to the ground, shaking himself off and refocusing on Winky as the man rose.


    "Fucking summoners," Shale snarled, flicking a hand back like a conductor. The swords ripped out of Princess'' body. "I''ve killed one of the adds. Finish that one off, then¡ª"


    Princess lunged toward Shale. The thin man''s eyes went wide and he hurled himself out of the way, hitting the ground in a roll and springing to safety just an instant before Princess'' hand slammed down on the ground where he''d been standing.


    "Go!" Alex hissed to Claire. "I''ll distract them! We need to get Orchid and find a portal to the Mirrorlands!"


    "What the fuck? The blob is still alive?" Shale thrust a finger toward Alex. The floating swords shot toward him again, spinning together like a drill.


    Princess lunged in front of the attack and Alex drew on his own magic, casting Funhouse in the air between himself and his Dredge. Reality cracked and white cracks raced out as fragments of the world crumbled in on themselves.


    Shale''s swords pierced clean through Princess'' body and continued on into the path of the spell. They warped and twisted before being spat out straight into the ground, where they drove home with four loud thunks.


    "The girl is going for the prisoner!" Winky yelled, twisting away from Alex and rearing back. He made a motion as if he was hurling something ¡ª and Alex was pretty damn sure it was the invisible sword that was still in the man''s hand.


    "Duck!" Alex yelled.


    Claire threw herself into a roll.


    There was a thud in the stone behind her. She shot back to her feet and arrived at Orchid''s side, black veins streaking down her arm even as she grabbed the chains holding the other woman.


    She let out a roar and gave them a sharp yank. The chains strained, but they didn''t break. Glint arrived beside her and reared back, his deadly claws glistening in the firelight.


    "I don''t think so!" Shale''s swords yanked themselves free of the ground. They shimmered, and shadows of the weapons appeared beside them, turning four to eight. Then they all shot forward.


    Spark thrust himself forward into the path of the blades. They drove into him, reaving through his armored body but failing to penetrate out the back.


    He exploded with a flash, transforming into energy.


    Glint''s hand carved down.


    Orchid dropped. Claire caught her and spun, sprinting for the exit of the cave.


    "Stop!" Shale yelled as his swords shot back to fly at his sides and he made to give chase.


    "Fuck you!" Alex yelled back, falling in alongside Claire and running for the exit. A portal still crackled in the air where they''d arrived ¡ª it didn''t look like Absolution had managed to close it, and there was something trying to come through. "Glint, Princess, distract them as long as you can!"


    His monsters exploded into motion. Alex didn''t wait to see how the fight would go ¡ª he knew they''d lose, but if they could buy him a few minutes, he could rip a portal to the Mirrorlands and get all of them out of here. His feet pounded against the ground as he and Claire ran, bursting free of the cave and out into a sea of rolling hills.


    Valley Ford and the mountains surrounding it rose in the distance. They were somewhere an hour or two of travel away from the city.


    Alex activated Riftsense as they ran, sending his senses sprawling out. A pathway illuminated itself on the ground as a line of misty energy appeared to point him toward the nearest connection to the Mirrorlands.


    "This way!" Alex yelled, racing up a hill in pursuit of the line with Claire at his side.


    "Bleed me, you''re heavy," Claire hissed to Orchid as they kept running. "Lose some weight. How does a twig like you weigh so much?"


    Orchid let out a response that was both muffled by the gag in her mouth and assaulted by being bounced on Claire''s shoulder like a sack of discount potatoes.


    They crested the hill ¡ª and Alex ground to a stop, heart pounding in his chest, mouth falling askew in disbelief.


    Oh, you have to be kidding me.


    Standing in the very center of the line they were heading down was a large man covered with dry blood and sprouting half a dozen weapons from his body.


    "Alex!" Derek exclaimed. "Is now a good time?"


    Alex paused to try and take a breath to find the right words to answer that question.


    A rush of energy drove into him.


    Glint had died.


    "No!" Alex snapped, bursting back into motion. He didn''t have time to wonder how the hell Derek had managed to show up here so quickly. The easygoing man wasn''t the type to attack him without provocation. Probably. "Now is a horrible time. Someone else is trying to kill us."


    "Oh. Do I wait my turn, or¡­"


    Alex and Claire had already run past him. Derek turned, then sprinted after them.


    "Hey!" Derek yelled as he ran, keeping pace with them effortlessly. "I don''t want to be rude! I haven''t been in this situation before! What''s the proper etiquette?"


    "Hold this," Claire snapped, thrusting Orchid into Derek''s arms.


    He grabbed the bound mage effortlessly and hoisted her above his head, holding the poor woman straight above him as he ran ¡ª somehow still moving just as fast as Alex and Claire were.


    Claire accelerated, moving faster now that she no longer had a payload. Derek matched her, and Alex poured all the strength he had into keeping up. They weren''t far from the portal now. He could see the end of the line near the base of a hill before them.


    "Have you been dying recently?" Alex asked as they ran. He didn''t have the mental capacity to worry about what was going on anymore. His only goal was getting them to the Mirrorlands before ¡ª


    Another rush of energy drove into him. He nearly missed a step but managed to right himself at the last moment.


    Princess was dead.


    "Yes," Derek replied. "I was choking on an orange for a few lives. I wanted to see if I could eat it whole. So, about the etiquette ¡ª"


    "You carry the princess and make sure she doesn''t get hurt," Alex snapped. They skidded to a stop before the portal. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "This is a princess?" Derek stared up at Orchid with widening eyes. "I knew she was beautiful, but I''ve seen a lot of beautiful people. You never know which ones are lurking royalty. They could be anywhere. I guess this takes priority over killing someone, though."


    Alex tuned Derek out. He drove his hands into the weakened space in reality, gritting his teeth as he pulled at it with all his might. Purple rift magic cracked and hissed as a portal stretched open.


    "Faster, if you can," Claire said tersely. "The clowns are on our ass, Alex ¡ª and they''ve got a small horde with them. Ten Outworlders. Most of them cloaked."


    "This isn''t helping," Alex replied through gritted teeth, but he doubled down on his power. They couldn''t win a fight against every single Outworlder family.


    His arms trembled. The portal bent and groaned. It desperately resisted him, clinging to every second that it could. Alex continued to push. Nothing else mattered. He couldn''t afford to let himself get distracted. An instant of hesitation would cost double its time in lost ground.


    Then, with a roar, he thrust his palms out.


    The portal snapped open.


    A sword screamed through the air toward Alex.


    Claire thrust him out of the way and it slammed into her arm. Blood splattered across the grass and she spun, staggering from the force of the blow. She cried out in pain.


    "Don''t move a damned inch!" Shale roared, sprinting down the hill behind them with Winky hot on his feet.


    "Go!" Claire screamed, planting a foot on Derek''s backside and kicking him into the portal. She grabbed onto the shaft of the axe protruding from his back with one hand before he could completely vanish into its depths.


    Alex grabbed onto her other hand a moment before she was yanked into the churning purple energy. He was lifted off his feet and yanked into the portal to the Mirrorlands ¡ª but not before he felt a hand clamp down on his ankle.


    Someone else had tagged along for the ride.

 Chapter 100: Getting started

    The sickly purple-red smokelit sky of the Mirrorlands yawned open above Alex. Tendrils of crawling grey lightning extended through it, fingers pushing through the jammy clouds and illuminating them even further from within.Then the world flipped over. Black sand replaced the sky, and then he was falling. He hit the unsteady ground with a grunt, but the hand clamped onto his ankle prevented him from rolling. The air was knocked from his lungs and he landed face-first into the gritty beach.


    He yanked his leg free, his fingers digging into the shifting ground beneath him in attempt to find purchase as he threw himself away from their unwanted tagalong. Alex managed to find his feet.


    The warped version of Valley Ford was off in the distance, separated from them by a field of rolling black sand dunes.


    Shale rose across from him, and Winky stood beside him. The latter of the two must have had time to grab onto the first one''s leg, and they''d both pulled themselves along on the trip to the Mirrorlands.


    Their faces twisted in disbelief and horror as they realized where they had arrived. Shale spun back toward the portal, which still buzzed behind them, and threw himself at it without an instant of hesitation.


    His shoulder slammed into a glossy black sheen covering its surface with a loud thud. He staggered back with a slew of curses, then spun back to Alex. The fear covering his features warped into fury.


    A sheen over the portal ¡ª there''s a Riftwarped monster coming. Where is it?


    "You little shit," Shale snarled, his swords lifting into the air around him. "What have you done?"


    "Whoa," Derek said, lowering Orchid and craning his neck back to stare into the sky. His mouth pulled open in unmasked awe. "This place is beautiful."


    "That''s a word for it," Claire muttered, drawing and readying her katana before her.


    "When did another one of you show up?" Winky demanded. He readied his hands as if he was holding the hilt of some weapon. Even though Alex couldn''t see it, he''d seen the man turn a sword invisible already, so it would have been foolish to assume the man wasn''t armed. "How many of you are there? What family are you from?"


    "It doesn''t matter what family they''re from. Kill the others, take the boy alive. He opened a portal to the literal fucking void. We need him to get us back out, because gods know Drake won''t come here on his own," Shale growled. He raised his hand and the swords twitched ¡ª and then he froze. His eyes went wide in realization. Amusement bloomed across his features and raucous laughter erupted from his chest. "Wait. Winky, we''re not on 274-50 anymore."


    Winky blinked. Then a cold smile pulled his lips apart. "You''re right. The Disruptor is right over there. No barrier between planes to separate it from us anymore. Do we push the Restrictions back?"


    In response, Shale clapped his hands together. He pressed his palms against each other and blew out a sharp breath ¡ª and a wave of pressure erupted around him, rolling out across the ground and blowing sand into the air in a small cloud.


    The golden letters above Shale''s head changed, and the ones above Winky shifted soon after.


    Shale - Weaponmeister (Initiate 6)


    Winky - Shadowblade (Initiate 5)


    Despite the worsening situation, Alex couldn''t keep himself from speaking. "Seriously? You went up one level? You were sneering about that? I can do that while I sleep. Literally."


    "We''re not that close to the Disruptor," Winky snapped, pointing at Alex with whatever invisible weapon he had in his hands. "I don''t want to hear shit from an Initiate 1. What are you even trying to do? Play knight and save the pretty girl? Was one not enough?"


    Orchid snarled something into her gag. Even though her words were completely muffled, it was somehow abundantly clear that she''d said, "Fuck you."


    "Speaking of Orchid, why is she not doing anything?" Alex hissed. "Help us bail your ass out, would you?"


    Orchid glared at him.


    Oh, damnit. She''s still gagged. Can''t respond.


    "Enough of this idiocy," Shale said. The eight swords floating around him hummed, and then Shale himself lifted into the air. Power twisted around his body and flowed into the weapons, connecting them to him with tendrils of white magic. The edges of the weapons lit with molten energy, hissing and crackling.


    And still, there was no sign of the Riftwarped monster that had sealed the portal. There were so many things to keep track of that Alex felt like he was going to die from the stress of trying to predict where the monster would pop out before Shale could even try to stab him.


    "Kill them!" Shale roared.


    He swept his hand down.


    His swords flashed forward, streaks of grey and white.


    The ground exploded ¡ª but not from his attack. A massive worm burst from the sand beneath Shale''s feet and swallowed him whole. Rippling purple skin covered with segmented scales flashed through the air like a passing train as the monster, easily four times as thick as a human, rose up into the air without so much as shaking the sand around it.


    Riftwarped Sandmouth (Initiate 6)


    The worm arced through the air and twisted, preparing to plummet back down into the sand and vanish as gracefully as it had arrived.


    It unfortunately never got the chance.


    There was a flash of light from within the monsters mouth followed by a loud crack. The worm twisted and thrashed midair. It fell back to the ground, crashing to the sand with a loud thud instead of slipping back under the dunes.


    The monster thrashed desperately. Scales bulged around its head, growing to the beat of loud cracks. Then they shattered and Shale stepped free of it, dripping with green ichor and covered with large scratches. Fury gripped his features ¡ª and he was so focused on his anger that he didn''t even see the sheen covering the portal fade. A few moments later, it snapped shut.


    Alex''s heart started to beat faster, and he couldn''t keep a thin smile from crossing his features.


    He killed a Riftwarped Rank 6 that easily? I guess he was inside it, so that helps, but shit. Pretty badass way to pull that off. We might be fucked, but this is going to be fun.


    Shale didn''t waste any more words. He flicked his hand. The swords blurred forward in streaks of light, heading straight for Claire.


    Sand exploded beneath the Dhampir''s feet as she burst into motion. Wings snapped out from her back and she launched herself into the air, rearing back before whipping her katana through the air and flinging it like a spear.


    The weapon flew with surprising accuracy for Shale''s throat.


    He clapped his hands together, catching the blade by its flat inches before it could connect with him. His lips pulled back in a smile and he ran a hand along its surface. White magic twisted along the weapon and it lifted into the air, joining the others floating around him.


    "Oh, that''s just unfair," Alex muttered as Claire landed on the sand.


    "Life isn''t fair," Shale replied through a sneer. "That phrase is from 274-50. Heard a native say it when he was robbing a child, and I have to say, I quite liked it."


    "Excuse me?" Derek asked.


    Everyone ignored him.


    "I''ll deal with the boy," Winky said. "You can kill the other two. Shouldn''t we keep the prisoner alive?"


    "At this point, I don''t care," Shale replied. Then he swept his hand forward and the swords flashed toward Claire again.


    Alex didn''t have any more time to watch the fight. Winky charged toward him with a roar, rearing back in a two-handed swing with his invisible weapon.


    Extending a hand, Alex cast Funhouse in the air between them.


    Winky let out a slew of garbled curses as he passed through its zone. His body twisted and elongated before snapping back to its normal proportions before Funhouse spat him out straight into the air.


    His momentum carried him about an inch straight into the sky before he plummeted back down, falling right back into Funhouse''s domain before being spit out ¡ª unfortunately ¡ª right on the other side of it and right in front of Alex.


    Winky staggered as a wave of disorientation passed over him.


    "What the f¡ª"


    Alex used Spark''s power to bind a shadow where he stood and then lunged forward. He thrust his hand into Winky''s chest, right above where the man''s heart was, a blade of mirrored glass jutting out from his palm.


    But his hand didn''t even get close to the armor. About a foot away from Winky, the glass shattered against something invisible. Alex''s palm met it a moment later, and an invisible spike drove straight through the center of his palm.


    Black goop splattered across Alex''s arm and chest. Energy drained from him as Princess'' power activated and he snarled in anger.


    Winky swept his hands through the air and Alex ducked. Wind howled over his head as the invisible weapon passed over him. He dodged back, putting distance between himself and the Outworlder.


    "You like that?" Winky asked through a cold grin. "Lots you can do when people don''t realize what''s around them. It''s easy to get their focus on one invisible threat and get them with another one entirely."


    "You shouldn''t go around telling people your strategy," Alex said. "It ruins the thrill of figuring it out yourself." S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Save that for Drake. He''s going to want to have a long talk with you after you take us out of here," Winky replied, lurching forward.


    Alex swapped spots with his shadow. Winky''s hands passed through nothing but darkness.


    "Excuse me," Derek called again, but everyone was still a little too preoccupied to answer him. Alex heard the sounds of battle rising up from Claire and Derek behind him, but even with Princess'' magic shielding him, he had to focus the entirety of himself on the Outworlder before him.


    Winky reached to his side and pulled several things from his waist ¡ª all of them invisible. Then, grinning, he started to throw them.


    Alex tried to dodge, but there was only so much one could dodge when they couldn''t tell what it was that they were dodging.


    A sharp point slammed into his shoulder, ripping through it and sending a spray of black sludge across the ground. Another one caught him in the leg.


    He managed to close the distance between himself and Winky again, but his glass shards shattered against whatever it was the man was using as an invisible shield around himself. This wasn''t just a fight against an Initiate 5. They had all the experience ¡ª and just as importantly, equipment ¡ª of an Outworlder family.


    "Would you just stop already?" Winky snarled as Alex ducked away from him once more, the wounds that Winky had left already largely sealed at the cost of a large chunk of his magic. "What kind of class do you even have? Take your cloak off."


    Alex didn''t get a chance to reply. Claire slammed down beside him and black sand pelted his legs.


    "Disorient him for me. I need him weakened," Claire hissed. Her body was covered with long, painful looking cuts and she favored one leg heavily, but she was still alive. Despite the deep wounds, almost no blood had left her body. She was keeping it inside herself with her blood control ability ¡ª but that wouldn''t be able to last forever.


    Then she was off again, bounding away as a sword slammed into the ground where she''d been a moment before.


    Winky flung something at Alex again, forcing him to dive to the side.


    Get some of his blood, huh? I need to find a way through the invisible spikey armor around him. Looks like it''s just about time to call the gang back for a few seconds.


    "Give up," Winky said, pulling several more invisible throwing weapons from his seemingly endless supply. "You''re just wasting time."


    "Actually, I''m just getting started."


    Alex drew on every scrap of Riftwarped Qi he had churning within himself.


    Then he activated Encore.

 Chapter 101: Eyes

    Alex wasn''t prepared for the enormous amount of power that vacated his body like it had become a flat puddle abruptly exposed to the full strength of the desert sun. His heart clenched, sputtered; lungs constricted. Every single vessel in his body felt like it shriveled in the lack of the magic that poured out from him and into the Mirrorlands.There had only been a single thought on his mind when he''d activated Encore. Claire needed Winky off balance. He didn''t know why, but She wouldn''t have asked for it if it didn''t make a significant difference in the fight ¡ª so that was what she was going to get.


    That one thought etched itself into Alex''s brain, frozen in place with the rest of the body as Riftwarped Qi and magic poured out from him in an unrestrained deluge. It was the only thing that he could remember for a split second.


    And in that second, the air shattered. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thin claws raked through the air and Glint''s lithe form stepped out from a fractured portal. The Glasmir''s claws glowed with purple-red Riftwarped energy and faint ripples passed through his reflective cloak. Clouds of it marred the silvery mask covering the top half of his face, crackling with cracks of gray lightning like a contained storm.


    Black sludge bubbled up from the ground beside him, but what rose up from it was not the Princess that Alex remembered. Instead of a humanoid form came a long, centipede-like creature. Black sludge wept from its body, allowing only flickers of glowing violet carapace plates to shine through before being covered once more. Princess'' mask was positioned where the Centipede''s mandibles and mouth should have been.


    Long, gangly legs jutted out from Princess'' new body and clicked against the ground, Riftwarped Qi crackling along their lengths.


    Beside her, a crackle of blue lightning heralded Spark''s arrival. And ¡ª like Princess ¡ª Spark arrived different. The first part of the Echo Wraith to appear was a large, buzzing ball of blue lightning. Black plates of armor snapped into being all around it in rapid succession. Riftwarped Qi imbued them, staining the air in their proximity a dull pink.


    Spindly strands of energy snapped out from the ball, connecting to each plate. The plates spun around the ball like a slow-moving tornado, picking up speed as a storm crackled to life all around the blue orb in Spark''s center. Crackling purple eyes appeared within the cloudy magic that made up the Echo Wraith''s amorphous body.


    Winky''s lips parted in disbelief. For a brief instant, he stared, trying and failing to comprehend what he was looking at.


    "Impossible! Your monsters died!" Winky protested. "You couldn''t have them back already! I saw them¡ª"


    The monsters attacked.


    Glint''s cloak transformed into a snakelike blade that was whistling through the air like a sliver of light before Winky''s words had even finished leaving his lips.


    The Outworlder raised his hands defensively before himself. The Glasmir''s blade slammed against his invisible weapon, ringing out in a clear note. Winky staggered a step back from the force of the blow.


    A flicker of surprise clouded his features.


    Then Spark was upon him. The chunks of armor hurtling through the air around the crackling storm snapped together in rapid succession, sending loud cracks ringing out through the Mirrorlands as they formed into a hand that was easily six feet long, held together by veins of Riftwarped Qi.


    The Outworlder''s eyes widened.


    Then the hand clenched into a fist.


    Winky raised his hands defensively. Power gathered around him, and a ripple passed through the invisible defenses that surrounded him. The spiked orb that protected the Outworlder rippled like oil had been spilled in the air, becoming vaguely opaque as he poured magic into it.


    The massive glowing gauntlet slammed down directly on top of him.


    There was an electrically charged boom. The ground around Winky exploded, sending fragments of dirt and stone spraying in every direction.


    And, with a loud crunch, the opaque barrier surrounding the Outworlder gave way.


    Princess shot toward Winky like a runaway freight train before he could even try to recover from the previous blow. Dozens of glowing legs reached up to cover her mask an instant before she drove straight into the damaged barrier surrounding him.


    Magical spikes ripped through her sludgy body, sending it splattering across the ground, but Princess didn''t so much as slow. She plowed straight through the magic, ignoring the huge furrows that tore through her body, and collided with Winky''s stomach.


    He doubled over in a pained wheeze as Princess flew straight up into the air, legs swimming through it like water and leaving trails of Riftwarped Magic sparkling in their wake. She slammed Winky straight into his own defenses, flattening his face against them a moment before she drove clean through the magic and ferried him into the air.


    Winky twisted and brought an invisible blade down on Princess'' body with a roar. It severed the back half of the centipede in a single strike, sending it plummeting to the ground, but Princess barely even seemed to notice.


    Princess turned back toward the ground and started to accelerate. Her legs wrapped around Winky''s body, locking down upon it like burning prison bars and pinning him directly between herself and the approaching dirt.


    The Outworlder''s eyes went wide and he struggled furiously to free himself. He managed to rip one of her legs off, but it was too late to break free. He let out a roar of fury an instant before they slammed down with such force that the ground beneath Alex bucked.


    And then it was Glint''s turn once more. With the few seconds of existence Encore had granted to him, the Glasmir flowed forward. His cloak wrapped down around his arm and he flicked it back before sending it racing forward like a whip.


    Winky, who was just starting to claw back to his feet and swaying unsteadily, registered the blow coming too late.


    He crossed his arms before his face. Alex was almost certain that he''d formed some form of invisible shield, but it didn''t matter. Glint hadn''t aimed for the Outworlder''s neck. After all, his vitals were the locations that he was mostly likely to protect.


    Glint''s orders weren''t to kill Winky.


    They were to weaken him.


    And thus, his whip slashed across Winky''s leg. It bit through the man''s clothes and cut deep into his skin, spilling crimson across the ground. Winky snarled and staggered, his balance giving out.


    "Now!" Alex roared, spinning to Claire.


    Then he froze.


    Claire''s fight was not going well.


    Shale stood across from her, swords spinning around him and a cocky smirk on his lips. Claire was in bad shape. Her body was cut to ribbons and her clothes were soaked through with blood. She''d managed to keep herself from bleeding out with her abilities, but she was clearly on her last legs. Shale was too powerful for her to deal with on her own.


    Shit. I really hope that she''s got something good stored up, or we might be fucked.


    "Excuse me?" Derek called. "I¡ª"


    "Would you shut up already?" Shale snarled. "I''ll deal with you when the time comes, Nativeworlder scum. I am busy."


    "Claire!" Alex yelled. "Now!"


    Claire''s eyes snapped to him, then shifted to Winky. A cold grin split her features and she blurred.


    The Outworlder tried to bring his invisible weapon to bear, but he was still heavily disoriented and injured from the full onslaught of everything Alex could bring to bear. He stumbled and missed Claire as she coiled around him like a snake and bit down on the side of his neck.


    Winky cried out in pain and shoved Claire back. Her fangs ripped free from his neck in a spray of blood and he swung his hand through the air.


    Claire skipped back and the ground before her feet parted as Winky''s invisible weapon bit into it. She stumbled to a stop beside Alex, nearly tripping over her own feet. He caught her by the shoulders before she could fall.


    The Dhampir didn''t say a word. She closed her eyes and leaned against him, her features creasing in concentration. Alex didn''t know what, but she was trying to do something.


    "You bitch," Winky snarled as he clasped the wound on his neck. "What are you doing, Shale? Why did you let her get away from you?"


    "You are not scared of a Nativeworlder," Shale said, derision dripping from his tone.


    "Excuse me?" Derek asked once more. Orchid squirmed on his shoulder, but he still didn''t put her down. "It''s not very polite to tell someone to shut up. I''m trying to be nice here. I was actually in queue to have a fight with Alex before you came, so if you would wait your turn¡ª"


    "Stuff it," Shale growled. The swords around him started to spin. "I''ll kill you first if you don''t shut your damn mouth, you big stupid oaf."


    "I''m so fed up with this shit. I''m ending this." Winky strode forward, thrusting his hands out. His shoulders shuddered as something heavy ¡ª and invisible ¡ª materialized in each of his hands.


    Claire''s eyes snapped open, and Alex''s breath froze in his lungs of its own volition.


    Hers were the eyes of a monster. They''d turned as black as a starless night.


    She pushed away from Alex and stared straight at Winky as he advanced toward them, shifting from a brisk walk to a charge.


    Then Claire lifted a hand toward him and clenched it into a fist.


    "You have no eyes."


    "What are you¡ª" The rest of Winky''s sentence was lost in an agonized scream.


    Both of his eyes burst in a spray of fluid, leaving behind nothing but weeping sockets. He staggered, and the indents of two huge axes appeared on the sand beside him as he stumbled over his own feet and crashed to the ground in a spray of sand. The Outworlder clawed at his face desperately as he continued to scream.


    What the fuck?


    Claire wiped the blood from her lips and spat on the ground.


    Shale swept his hands down and his swords howled through the air like arrows. Alex snapped back into the present. He lunged forward, dragging Claire out of the way of several blades and closing the distance between them and Winky.


    Then, with a snarl, he thrust his palm forward and drew on the scraps of his magic. A spine of glass burst from his palm and drove straight through one of Winky''s hands, continued into an empty eye socket, and ran through his skull to pin it into the sand beneath.


    Winky jerked. His back arched; he stopped struggling. Energy flowed into Alex in a refreshing stream. He had absolutely no idea what the hell Claire had just done, but he didn''t care.


    Shale''s features were considerably less confident than they had been a moment ago. Alex could practically see him trying to remember if Claire had managed to bite him at any point. The man''s features grew stormy and his swords swirled around him defensively.


    "Scum," the man snarled. "If you think you can get away with stealing from the Broken Sword, you are sorely mistaken. You will suffer for taking our property."


    "I''m starting to lose my patience here," Derek said.


    "Sorry, Derek," Alex said absently, not letting his eyes leave Shale. The man could attack at any time, and he had nearly no magic left to work with. "I''ll happily have another match with you after we deal with this prick."


    "I don''t have much left," Claire whispered to Alex, her lips barely moving as she spoke to avoid letting Shale pick her words up.


    "You didn''t happen to get a chance to bite him, did you?"


    Claire''s lips twitched in a pained smile. "No. And even if I did, I don''t have the energy to do much more. I''m using everything I''ve got to avoid dying on the spot."


    Shale ran his hands along the surface of a sword. It shimmered, then started to vibrate in the air like a buzz saw. If anything, that just felt like overkill. He was already in considerably better shape than Alex and Claire.


    "I would take my time with the lot of you, but I still need you alive," Shale growled to Alex, cracking his neck. His eyes landed on Claire. "But you, monster girl ¡ª you are going to suffer."


    A howl of fury ripped through the Mirrorlands. It was like the rage of a thousand tortured sinners had slipped free of hell at once. Everyone ¡ª even Shale ¡ª flinched and spun in search of the monster.


    There was a squelch, followed by the loud whump-whump of a massive axe spinning through the air. Shale''s swords crossed before him in a flash and the axe rang off them with a resounding clang, flying to land on the ground beside him.


    Derek let out a rattling breath and lowered his hand, his lips pulled back and teeth bared in a snarl. His right eye twitched. He lowered Orchid to the ground, setting her down gently before taking a step forward.


    "Sorry, miss. I''ve got to put you down for a moment," Derek growled, ripping a broadsword out of his back in a spray of blood. He pointed the blade at the Outworlder. "You are insufferable."


    Shale flicked his hand.


    One of the blades flying behind him flashed. It slammed into Derek''s neck, burying itself up to the hilt.


    Derek didn''t even flinch. He grabbed the hilt of the blade and pulled it free. He flicked the blood from it, his breathing growing heavier.


    Shale blinked in surprise. "What in the¡ª"


    "I hate people like you," Derek said. His voice had changed, grown lower and throatier in pitch. "Is it so hard to be polite? To wait your turn, or to at least answer my god damn questions?"


    Shale flicked another sword at Derek.


    It ran clean through his eye and jerked his head back. Derek kept speaking, not even bothering to right the position of his head or pull the blade free of its new sheath.


    "I''ve had it to my limit with this," Derek said. "People have always been pricks, but ever since the apocalypse, I''ve run into so fucking many of them. It''s like you''ve all forgotten manners."


    "What kind of freak are you?" Shale demanded. "How are you alive?"


    "No, no, no." Derek shook his head. Veins bulged in his neck and he shifted his stance, lowering himself to the ground and digging his hands into the black sand. "You don''t get to start asking questions now. It''s too late for that."


    "You think I''m scared of you?" Shale asked through a scoff. "Changing your attitude and crouching like a dog isn''t going to do anything but humiliate you."


    "You''re just like all the other anomalies I ran into." A point pressed against the skin on Derek''s back, then carved free of his body to reveal a sword protruding from the center of his spine. Several other blades followed after it in a line. "I couldn''t teach them manners. I wonder if you''ll be any different."


    Dull red lit behind Derek''s eyes.


    The confidence on Shale''s face evaporated.


    Alex''s skin prickled.


    Orchid squirmed desperately on the ground, managing to catch her cloth gag on a sharp rock. She ripped it free and drew in a ragged breath.


    "What are you doing? Run!" Orchid screamed. "He''s an Incarnation!"

 Chapter 102: Incarnation

    Orchid''s warning came too late for anyone to react. Derek exploded forward, kicking up black sand behind him as he loped across the Mirrorlands desert, one of Shale''s swords still lodged in his face and the other clutched in one of his hands.Shale thrust his hands forward. Every sword around him trembled, then leapt into motion. They split through the air with a howl and slammed into Derek one after the other, each collision making him stumble.


    A blade carved his arm off. Another one lodged itself in his knee, while a third slammed into his shoulder and spun him around.


    Before Derek''s arm could even hit the ground, strands of red sinew burst from his shoulder and latched onto his falling arm. They yanked it through the air and re-attached the limb with a wet squelch.


    He stumbled through the hail of strikes, then continued his charge. He''d been slowed, but he hadn''t so much as missed a single step. Shale took a step back and yanked his hand back to him.


    Only a single one of the swords ¡ª the blade that had cut his arm off ¡ª responded. It flew back to fly despondently alongside Shale. The rest of them didn''t even twitch.


    Shale''s features went pale and he opened his mouth, but Derek didn''t give him the chance to speak. Even though he hadn''t stopped moving after getting stabbed, he was far faster than he had been at the start of fight. Some of Shale''s attacks had killed him.


    Derek closed the distance between himself and the Outworlder in instants. He drove straight into the other man with a roar. Shale ran him through the heart with his final remaining sword.


    The blow did nothing more to stop Derek than swatting a bear would have.


    Shale leapt back as the other man swung his own sword at him, narrowly avoiding the strike. He tried to reach out for his swords again, but Derek didn''t give him the opportunity to do anything.


    His fist crashed into Shale''s stomach. The Outworlder doubled over with a wheeze, only to catch a knee straight to his nose. It shattered with a loud crunch, sending blood splattering over Derek''s already-soaked body.


    Derek could have run Shale through then and there, but he didn''t. Instead, he brought the hilt of a sword down on the other man''s skull. Shale staggered back with a gasp of pain.


    "What do you say?" Derek roared, whipping his elbow up into Shale''s chin and knocking the man''s head back with a crack. Blood sprayed through the air in its wake. Derek threw his sword to the side and drove his fist back into the Outworlder''s stomach. It connected in a meaty thump before the other man could even respond.


    Shale fell back, landing on the sandy beach. Derek stomped on his stomach and Shale folded up around his foot, eyes bulging so far out of his head that they threatened to pop out. Derek grabbed the man by the hair and hoisted him up before himself like he was holding a doll rather than a human.


    "I asked you a question!" Derek screamed. He gave Shale a furious shake. "What do you say when someone was waiting their turn and you butt in front of them in line?"


    Shale''s lips trembled as he tried to form a word. That evidently took too long, because Derek slammed his forehead into Shale''s. The Outworlder screamed in pain.


    Alex and the others could do nothing but stare in disbelief. This was such a far cry from the peaceful, placid Derek that he''d met just a short while before that he could hardly believe they were the same person.


    "Answer the question!" Derek screamed.


    "I don''t know!" Shale rasped, his voice nasally and choked from the blood dripping down his throat. "I don''t know!"


    Derek let out a roar. The muscles in his back rippled as he twisted his entire body and drove Shale''s face into the sand. Then he lifted the man''s head and slammed it back down twice more.


    He hoisted Shale once again.


    A final flicker of defiance and anger twisted the Outworlder''s face. His hands twitched at his sides and clapped together before himself as if he were trying to shake his own hand.


    "Soul Manifestation. Silver rain."


    Alex stiffened.


    Nothing happened.


    "The Disruptor isn''t that strong yet," Orchid''s voice rang out, cold amusement dripping from her voice like poisoned honey. Her earlier warning about Derek being an Incarnation ¡ª whatever that meant ¡ª seemed to have evaporated from even her own mind.


    Derek slammed Shale''s face into the ground once more, hammering it into the sand with several punches to the back of his head. Then he grabbed him by the hair and hoisted him back up. Bloodsoaked sand peeled away from Shale''s face in sheets.


    Derek and brought his mouth close to the other man''s ear.


    "What do you say?" Derek whispered.


    "Sorry," Shale half choked, half-sobbed. His features were barely even recognizable anymore. His nose was twisted at an angle and blood marred his heavily bruised, sand-covered face. There wasn''t a scrap of the former pride that had gripped him.


    The anger evaporated from Derek''s features in a split instant. A huge grin split his lips.


    "Oh, well why didn''t you say so? Your apology is accepted. I did get here first, but I know it can be exciting to have a fun fight, so I don''t mind letting you go first."


    Derek plucked Shale up from the ground in a princess carry. He strode right up to Alex and Claire, then dumped the man unceremoniously on the sand before them before brushing his hand off.


    "Please, continue. I wouldn''t want to get in your way."


    "Incarnations," Orchid muttered under her breath, and Alex had absolutely no idea if she was disgusted, awed, horrified, or some combination of the three.


    Shale''s lips worked and he gasped, spitting up sand and trying to gather enough air to say something.


    Alex pointed his palm at the man''s skull. A glass spike pierced out and thunked straight into Shale''s eye. The man jerked, then slumped back, dead. Power trickled into Alex from the kill ¡ª a fair amount considering how strong the Outworlder had been and how little he''d participated in the fight against him.


    There was a long moment of silence.


    "Huh," Derek said. "If he was so weak, he really should have waited his turn. It''s a bit embarrassing to get killed that easily after being such a brat about going first."


    Derek knelt and wiped the blood covering his knuckles off on the sand beside Shale. The blades protruding from his back slid back beneath his skin with a wet squelch, and he shook himself off before walking back over to Orchid and crouching beside her. With a grunt, he scooped her bound form off the ground and slung her over a shoulder.


    "What are you doing?" Orchid demanded, squirming fruitlessly.


    "I put you on the ground," Derek said. "That was rude. I don''t want to get your clothes dirty."


    "My clothes are the least screwed thing about me right now. They could use a little dirtying," Orchid snapped. She hesitated for a moment. "Thank you for carrying me, though. I appreciate it. I owe you a debt."


    "It''s no problem," Derek said with an easygoing shrug that bounced Orchid on his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "My good friend asked me to help you out, so how could I say no?"


    Alex blinked.


    Not that I''m complaining, but when did we become good friends?


    "I don''t mean to be rude, but I think I might be a bit drained of energy at the moment," Alex said. He couldn''t deny that there was a rather uncomfortably large portion of himself ¡ª a rather insane one ¡ª that really wanted to see what he was capable of against Derek when they were both going all out. Unfortunately, now was definitely not the time for that. He was completely drained of energy. "If we fight now, every single one of us are going to be stuck here."


    "Oh, it''s fine," Derek said with a smile. His eyes lowered to Shale''s corpse and his features darkened. "You know, I was thinking about it a bit. Especially after this asshole. Everyone I''ve met since the world ended has been a giant dick. You know, you''re the first one to actually fight me like a gentleman. Can you believe that?"


    Yes.


    "Seriously?" Alex asked, injecting disbelief into his tone and trying to keep himself from laughing. He couldn''t tell if Derek was insane or not, but he supposed anyone who was going to survive the apocalypse had to be at least a little bit off their rocker.


    "Seriously." Derek gave him a straight-faced nod. "I know. It''s a shocker. But I was thinking ¡ª the System said I have to kill other Anomalies to get stronger. I want to get stronger so I can fight more and beat some manners into this crummy world¡­ but I don''t really want to kill you anymore. It''s way too hard to find someone worth spending time with. It would be a real bummer, you know?"


    Orchid looked from Alex to Derek. She squirmed once, trying to free herself from her bindings, then gave up and slumped over the large man''s shoulders with a sigh, resigned to her fate. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I couldn''t agree more," Alex said. The vestiges of the adrenaline that had been pumping through him started to wear off and he gave Derek a grin. "I''d still like to spar with you, though. We had a great last fight."


    That awoke Orchid from her resignation almost instantly. "That''s right! You fought the Incarnation before! How did you¡ª"


    "He won," Derek said. "It was a very good fight."


    Orchid''s gaze shifted back to Alex. She swallowed heavily. "I¡­ I see."


    "Derek, do you think you could set Orchid down?" Claire asked, leaning heavily against Alex for support. "We should really untie her already."


    Derek blinked, then hurried to comply. He grabbed one of Shale''s swords and jabbed it into the chains, trying and failing to cut them free.


    "They''re Suppressors," Orchid said, her face pressed into the sandy ground. "There should be a key on Shale."


    Alex spotted a keyring on the man''s belt after a moment of searching. He pulled it off and tossed it to Derek, who set about freeing Orchid. The chains fell away from her and she let out a huge sigh of relief, rubbing her wrists as she sat up.


    She pushed herself to her feet, then studied Alex for a long moment before lowering herself in a bow.


    "Thank you. I did not expect the Starfallen family to go through so much effort to save me, especially when you are attempting to conceal your presence."


    I''m honestly kind of surprised Orchid still thinks we''re with the Starfallen family, but I bet she must think that we''re just pretending to be Nativeworlders to conceal ourselves from the other families. It''s the literal exact opposite of what we''re actually doing, but things are so twisted that we might actually be able to stick to that story.


    "We had a little help from Absolution," Alex said. The more truth there was in a lie, the easier it was to pull the fake bits through as well. "There was an Assembly where we found out that the Broken Sword decided to overstep their bounds. He drew attention to himself while we got you."


    Orchid blinked in surprise. "I was worth that much?"


    "I take deals I make seriously," Alex said. "And I believe there was a Town Token that you agreed to help us get."


    A small smile pulled at Orchid''s lips. She wiped some of the blood from her face and gave him a nod. "I did do that. Still, I did not expect to be saved. I will not forget this. If you can get us back to 274-50, then we can get to work immediately. I''ve made progress on locating it and I believe I''ve narrowed down the potential area. Getting the token will be even easier now that we have an Incarnation on our side."


    The hell is an Incarnation? The System hasn''t mentioned anything about that, but she called Derek one during the fight. I''d love to ask, but I don''t think I could pull that one off without revealing how little I know. I''ll have to talk with Claire about it later when she isn''t here.


    Derek didn''t seem to know what Orchid was talking about either. He just scratched at the side of his neck, then adjusted the position of a dagger jutting out of his chest.


    "I don''t really like picking sides," Derek said through a frown. "Makes it less fun, and there were some things I have to deal with. Still have other anomalies to hunt. You know how it is."


    Orchid paused, then mirrored his expression. "Wait. You mean you aren''t working together?"


    "He just happened to swing by trying to kill me at a good time," Alex provided. "That''s it."


    "Smelled you," Derek said, tapping his nose sagely as if that was meant to answer anything.


    "If you weren''t allied with us, then why did you help?"


    "Alex asked me to." Derek answered like the response was the most obvious thing in the world. "You don''t have to throw your life in with someone to be polite."


    "Right," Orchid said slowly. "You''re interesting, Nativeworlder. Has anyone ever told you that? Are you sure you don''t want to throw in with us? I can guarantee power and¡ª"


    "No thank you. Maybe another time," Derek said with a small shake of his head. "I don''t mind helping out every once and a while, but I don''t want to get kenneled. I''ll get stronger with or without anyone''s help, so I''m just going to go where my nose takes me. Maybe it''ll be here. Maybe somewhere else. Who knows."


    I love this guy. He doesn''t give a shit about anything other than being polite and ambling about killing people.


    "I think the first thing we''re going to be doing is resting for a little while," Claire said tersely. "I''m not in the best shape to do much of anything else right now."


    "Feel free to sleep. That goes for everyone. I will not allow anything to take any of you while you rest," Derek promised. "As pretty as this place is, I''d like to get out as soon as possible."


    "Just so you know, I can''t get you back to earth quite yet," Alex warned. "There are a bunch of people that are going to try to kill us when we return, so we''ve got to prepare a bit before returning."


    "That''s fine." Derek shrugged. "I can be patient. I don''t mind going on vacation for a little while. Do you want to sleep now?"


    I''d be willing to bet nobody has ever called a visit to the Mirrorlands a vacation before.


    "I think relocating first would be a better idea," Alex said with a shake of his head. He nudged Shale''s corpse. He didn''t mention that relocating would also buy time for his monsters to respawn. "This body is going to draw monsters. In the Mirrorlands, that could be a big problem, especially as we are now. Let''s get somewhere safer, but resting for a bit is a good idea. With Orchid here, nobody can get the Town Token before we do ¡ª and I want to level up before we deal with the poor sods waiting for us back on 274-50. We set the terms of the fight, not them."


    Orchid examined Alex with newfound respect. "You mean you''ve been holding onto your energy instead of using it to ease your restrictions? That''s¡­ bold."


    Alex just smiled in response.


    If you think that''s bold, then we''ll see what you think when you realize that I''m not even a Starfallen at all¡­ but right now, with the amount of energy I''ve gotten since the last time I''ve advanced, I think I''ve got quite a few goodies waiting for me to cash in.

 Chapter 103: Forerunner

    Fortunately, Alex and Claire were the only ones of the group that had spent any amount of time within the Mirrorlands. Neither Derek nor Orchid had the slightest clue about what locations would be safe, so they could do nothing but crane their necks and stare in awe as the group walked.That made it pretty easy for Alex to kill just around an hour wandering aimlessly. He carried Claire on his back in a piggyback so she could focus on her magic and keeping her badly damaged body in one piece until her passive healing repaired enough to let her rest. His magic-empowered body barely noted the extra weight.


    They left the black sand beaches and headed parallel to Valley Ford, sticking to any cover they could. Even though much of the Mirrorlands in this location was largely flatlands, there were still occasional jutting boulders or stray white-wood trees that littered the landscape amidst a few rolling hills and distant mountains.


    Alex''s thoughts drifted as they walked. Today hadn''t gone at all how he''d thought it would. He''d been planning to be back in Towntown by now, selling things to Finley. Now, that definitely wasn''t happening. He was going to need to find a different way to get access to a portal, because Valley Ford sure as hell wasn''t going to be letting him and Claire use theirs.


    His gaze lingered on the Disruptor in the distance. Even though they were quite far from the Riftwarped version of Valley Ford, the silvery ship was still easily visible perched upon the massive tree in the distance.


    Crackles of power twisted around the Great Tide''s machine, portals yawning open and pulling shut lethargically.


    Interestingly enough, he''d learned quite a bit today, and all entirely on accident. The fight against the Broken Blade members had been surprisingly enlightening. It hadn''t cleared up every single bit of his confusion, but it had shown starlight in what had been a cloudy night.


    The Disruptors had been sent by the Outworlder families to somehow allow them to use more of their power. The closer one was to a Disruptor, the less the System constrained them ¡ª which logically meant the Disruptor''s purpose was actually quite straightforward.


    Its name gave it away. It disrupted the System in an area, allowing Outworlders to slip free of their bindings. The longer the machine ran, the more the invaders would be able to wrest back of their original strength.


    Alex still had no idea just what the extent of the bindings was. It definitely lowered the max level of everyone, binding skills and their Soul Manifestations, but from the other things he''d heard about restrictions, he strongly suspected there was more to it than that.


    It was tempting but he couldn''t just go asking Orchid about it. She was too useful on their side. He didn''t need her turning on them ¡ª at least, not before they got the Town Token.


    But, as his thoughts drifted to the Outworlder woman, he couldn''t help but notice that she looked every bit as awed as Derek as they wandered beneath the molten skies of the Mirrorlands. Her lips were parted and her eyes flicked all around, trying to take in their surroundings all at once.


    Has she never been to the Mirrorlands? I thought this would have been something that the Outworlders could pull off, considering they''ve got giant ships here. Maybe that''s something Claire can broach with her. I''m sure she''s already working on finding an angle of approach¡­ at least, if she''s still fully conscious. She took a really bad beating while keeping Shale distracted.


    Alex''s lips thinned at that thought. They were getting strong, but it wasn''t enough. They needed to get stronger. In the span of one falling tower of cards, the number and strength of their enemies had exploded exponentially.


    Restrictions or not, if we''re going to fight against the Outworlders, I have to keep pushing. They''ve got the advantage of complete knowledge, but their potential is restrained while ours is limitless so long as we have challenge.


    We''ve taken the right steps so far, but things have to accelerate.


    That might have been an endless quest, but there was one thing in particular that Alex''s mind was set on. He''d seen the power that Berith could bring to bear ¡ª and what Zeal had been capable of as well.


    Alex needed to evolve his Soul Manifestation to get a domain.


    Meiderly had said he''d unlock that at the 3rd rank, but Absolution had used something called a Partial Soul Manifestation. That had to mean there was a way to access it before reaching the Adept Stage, and Alex was determined to figure out how.


    The hour slipped by, and he felt magic drain out of him, returning to his monsters as they reformed within his Spatial Mirrors.


    They were in the shadow of a looming boulder with a perfectly flat face that jutted up into the sky like a tooth in a sea of waving gray hills, all cast under the shadow of a mountain range.


    Crackling magic swirled at the mountain peaks where they met the twisting energy that swam across the sky of the Mirrorlands, sending off streamers of distant, howling energy. He could see distant forms moving on the mountains but wasn''t close enough to make out anything concrete.


    "What are those?" Derek asked, squinting at the mountain. "Do you think they''re friendly?"


    "No," Alex said. He made his way over to the base of the boulder and glanced around. There weren''t any obvious signs of a monster lying in wait. They weren''t too close to a city, which the Mirrorlanders seemed to prefer gathering at, but he wasn''t going to assume that made them safe. "Nothing in the Mirrorlands is friendly. This seems as good of a spot to rest as any."


    "There aren''t any trees," Orchid said with a small frown.


    "We don''t want to be near those. They try to kill you." Alex lowered Claire so she sat against the rock, then sat down beside her. He summoned Glint with a thought. The Glasmir shattered a hole through reality and stepped through the falling pieces to stand over him and Claire.


    "I should have guessed," Orchid said, lips pursed. "But I do not have my staff."


    "I don''t think breaking a branch off one of the trees is a great way to get a new one. They probably won''t like that, and we really aren''t in shape to fight anything we don''t have to right now."


    "Could I not steal a branch and run away?"


    "A lot of them are pretty slow, but that''ll probably end up summoning a guardian of some sort."


    "You know a lot about the Mirrorlands."


    That was a statement, not a question. Alex tilted his head to the side, but it wasn''t exactly like he could deny Orchid''s observation. He''d literally ripped a portal open to them just a short while ago.


    "I know some," Alex allowed. If Orchid was surprised by that revelation, then traveling through the Mirrorlands definitely wasn''t complete commonplace for Outworlders.


    He wished that Claire was awake so she could help him navigate the conversation, but she was still too focused on keeping herself from dying.


    "You''re bold, but I suppose I shouldn''t expect anything else from your family," Orchid said, slumping back against the stone beside Alex and gingerly touching her face. The bruises had already started to fade, but it was clearly still raw. She nodded to the spatial ring on his finger ¡ª the one he''d gotten from the Great Tide family during his first visit to their store. "I don''t suppose you happen to have a staff in there?"


    "Afraid not."


    "Not even a stick?"


    "Nothing. Why?"


    "That''s just cruel." Orchid squinted at Alex out of the corners of her eyes. When he didn''t respond, she heaved a sigh. "I''m a Mancer. Do you know what I''m capable of doing without my staff?"


    Oh, come on. I mean, I did tell Orchid I didn''t want her doing anything when we got the Town Token so Claire and I could get all the experience and growth, but I wasn''t being this literal.


    "Nothing?" Alex guessed. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I''m not that pathetic," Orchid said despondently. "But not far from it. I can''t do much without a staff. Most of my power is stored in it. Making a new one will be a massive pain, but I don''t think I''m getting my old one back."


    "Something will crop up soon enough," Alex said noncommittally. If anything, this actually made things a bit easier for him and Claire, though missing Orchid''s firepower when they went up against any more people from the families would be a big problem. "How long does it take? Are you going to still be weakened by the time we return to 274-50?"


    "Depends how long that takes, but it won''t matter. With us out of the limelight, the families are going to be looking for the Town Token, not wasting time trying to kill me or who they believe to be random Nativeworlders. They''re not idiots. The Town Token is far more valuable."


    Meaning we probably aren''t going to have a horde waiting for us at the portal when we return. That''s good¡­ but only if we can get to the Town Token before they do.


    "Logically," Alex said with a knowing nod. "Well, take a moment to rest and meditate. Glint, keep an eye out on things for us, would you?"


    His Glasmir didn''t respond, but Alex knew that his command had been heard. And with that, he closed his eyes and sank into himself, plunging into the depths of his Mind Palace.


    A black lake bloomed; three marble pillars rose to loom over him as a massive white marble basin took form in the center of his soul. A staircase lifted up from the darkness, sending black water sloughing down its steps as it ground to a halt at the edge of the basin.


    A massive ball of swirling blue mist churned above the basin, waiting to be condensed and used. The amount of power stored within it made Alex''s skin prickle. He could taste electricity on his tongue ¡ª which was a rather odd sensation, as he never would have thought such a thing could be tasted.


    Wind brushed through his hair and curled around his clothes as he ascended the stairs leading to the edge of the basin. At their top was the fist-sized Nightmare Aspect Gem, glistening gently in wait. He still didn''t know what it would do, but he wasn''t going to stick it into the matching holes in the pillars until he did.


    Fortunately, he had more than enough to do right now. In addition to all the magical energy he had waiting for him, he also hadn''t had a chance to cash in the rewards from killing the Field Boss back in Towntown.


    Alex reached out to the glistening black gemstone glowing with light upon the top of the marble basin''s mantle. Black lines twisted out from it as soon as his finger touched with the stone.


    Field Boss Slain.


    Rewards Earned.


    Accept Rewards [1/1]?


    "Yes," Alex said, excitement bubbling up in his chest.


    Golden light carved through the air before him.


    Title Fragment Acquired.


    Forerunner: Granted to the one who claims the first kill on a Field Boss in a newly Initialized world.


    Holy shit. The first one? This is definitely going to be a really useful title. I didn''t realize we were that fast, but I guess the Field Boss did basically show up directly on top of us.


    If it''s based off that, it''ll definitely be something that helps me fight powerful monsters¡­ and I''ve still got the Lone title fragment from clearing the Razor Forest out on my own, not to mention the Top Ranker fragment.


    Should I combine any of them? Or wait to get another title first?

 Chapter 104: The Title

    Alex studied the golden words that made up his status screen floating before him, sharp and bright against the darkness of his Mind Palace. He''d managed to amass three Title Fragments. Lone, Top Ranker, and Forerunner.He tapped a finger against his leg. There was some primal monkey part of his brain that wanted to smack things together until they worked ¡ª but a slightly smarter ¡ª if considerably smaller ¡ª part of his brain that had a much better plan.


    I really want to use Lone, but I don''t think either of the two titles I have right now is the best combination for it. It definitely has an enormous amount of potential. Any Title with Lone in the name is probably going to end up being something that can scale really hard. It should be put together with a fragment that is really likely to give me a huge edge.


    Putting it together with Top Ranker would be a waste. I don''t want just a flat boost to Lone, I want it to hyperspecialize. Using together with Forerunner could work a bit better¡­ but the Forerunner achievement came from being the first person on Earth to kill a Field Boss.


    There''s no way for me to know if it''s going to give me a combat boost or not. If they were the only two options I had, I''d probably combine them. It definitely wouldn''t be a bad combination.


    But if I combined Top Ranker with Forerunner¡­ then I just magnify the results of whatever it gives me. It would also let me save Lone for another Title Fragment that fits it better while still getting something good now.


    He made his mind up. And, as soon as he did, black letters scrawled across the surface of the marble basin in the corner of his eye.


    Would you like to combine any of your Title Fragments?


    "Yes."


    Black lines traced down from the gem at the top of the basin. Darkness bloomed across its surface like ink rising to the surface of water as words took form upon the marble.


    Lone


    Top Ranker


    Forerunner


    Alex selected his choices. The backs of his palms tingled and his fingertips buzzed like he''d stuck them into a live electrical socket. Two motes of light slipped out from the stone and twisted up to float before him.


    He reached out to the motes and felt power press back against his hands as he placed his palms upon them. The force was faint but constant. Just like the last time he''d combined two Title Fragments, it seemed that they were not particularly eager about being pushed together.


    And that was their biggest mistake. If they''d wanted to remain separate, then they should have chosen any other form of resistance. There were few men that could resist the urge to smack the positive ends of two magnets together ¡ª and that was exactly what the titles felt like.


    Alex drove his palms together, drawing on all the extra power that the System had infused his body with since the start of the Apocalypse. That was quite a considerable amount, and he felt it almost immediately.


    The last time he''d tried to combine titles, it had been quite difficult. The energy had put up a serious fight and he''d had to fight furiously for every inch he could claim.


    But this time around, the process was smooth. His hands pressed together steadily, relentlessly, and the Title Fragments'' attempts to resist him evaporated in the wind. Wind blew his hair back and ripples passed over of the surface of the lake. The misty blue energy swirling above the basin churned and undulated as waves of energy emanated out from Alex.


    His palms connected with a clap. The motes of energy collided and exploded in a brilliant flash of light. Power surged and drove into his hands like tiny blades of glass, drawing a surprised curse from his lips as he was momentarily blinded.


    Holy shit. I didn''t expect them to combine so easily!


    Alex blinked the stars away from his eyes. A single black line sat upon the basin before him.


    A new Title.


    Ascending Forerunner: Attune with the fluctuations of power on your plane caused by the awakening of powerful monsters. While this Title is equipped, you will be able to sense the location of monsters at the rank of [Region Boss] or higher as they awaken.


    Wait. What? That can''t be right.


    Alex stared at the words for a long second, trying to see if he was misreading something. They looked so inconspicuous, betraying the immense potential the Title was promising him. If he understood what the Title was saying, then it meant he''d know where every single Region Boss was.


    Nothing in the skill said anything about range. It didn''t imply it would get stronger with him either, which meant it was a flat benefit. Even more than that ¡ª the Title would let him do more than just tell where the bosses were.


    The description said he''d sense their location as they awakened.


    Not after they awakened.


    As.


    It let him know when they woke up.


    Alex''s heart started to beat faster and, for a moment, his mouth almost started to water as he contemplated what a skill of this strength actually meant. The most obvious benefits were already immense.


    He''d be able to show up to every Region Boss fight that he wanted to. Nobody could hide their locations from him. The Title would warn him when he had to go over and ensure he always had a chance to wrest experience and rewards from it.


    When he got strong enough, he could literally hunt Region Bosses. They wouldn''t have any way to hide. Even the most secret, well concealed monsters would be laid bare before him.


    But there was more to the Title than that.


    It wasn''t like he could kill every single boss ¡ª but he wouldn''t need to. Information about the monsters would be beyond valuable.


    Thus far, it didn''t seem anyone had figured out there was a Region Boss in Towntown. That meant the Outworlders didn''t know where every monster had popped up¡­ but they''d absolutely be willing to pay immense amounts of money to find out.


    I could charge ridiculous prices for the monsters'' locations if they''re too out of the way for me to deal with myself.


    Wait, fuck that. I could recruit people to my side and use the bosses as a way to catch them up and compete with the Outworlder families. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alex swallowed heavily. He held tightly onto the edge of the basin to keep himself from falling off in his excitement. It would have been deeply ironic to manage to die inside his own Mind Palace.


    The Ascending Forerunner Title was basically a key to a city of gold, so long as he had the strength to take it. There were so many possibilities to strength that came from the Title that he was certain he couldn''t think of all of them in a reasonable amount of time.


    Even as that thought passed through his mind, his eyes still lingering on the words upon the basin, his eyes widened slightly.


    Alex hurriedly reread the start of the skill.


    It didn''t specify anything about Planet 274-50.


    He had no idea if Region Bosses existed in the Mirrorlands, but he didn''t know why they didn''t. There had to be at least one or two of them somewhere. And if that was the case, there was nothing to imply the Title wouldn''t work just as well in the Mirrorlands as it would on what had once been Earth.


    Alex looked up to the twisting ball of magically charged blue mist above him. He swallowed heavily, summoning his status screen just to confirm that the title was actually there. Then he dismissed it once more.


    As badly as he wanted to return to the Mirrorlands right now and test the Title out to see how it worked, he was far from done in his Mind Palace. He had a huge amount of magical energy stored up. Enough to give his Mind Palace a significant boost and get him a few levels while he was at it.


    He had three Units of energy left over to work with from the last time he''d advanced in levels. Leveling twice would get him enough to advance Monster Medley and Requiem to the King ¡ª and that wasn''t all.


    Alex hadn''t forgotten Absolution''s display back in the Assembly. He''d watched the man practically dismantle his Outworlder opponent, ripping through her domain even though he was supposedly weaker than her with his Partial Domain.


    There was precious little information for him to call on, but it didn''t take a genius to realize that if a full Domain came at the third stage, Adept, then a Partial Domain could be made before then.


    And if that was the case, then he was determined to get his hands on it.

 Chapter 105: Gap

    Plink.Alex sat in meditation at the lip of his basin, his legs dangling over the edge as he focused on the swirling blue mist far above. Droplet after droplet condensed from the cloud of magic and rained down into the bowl.


    Plink.


    Even though he was deep within his own thoughts and focused completely on his goal, the sound of the falling liquid echoed through his soul and reached even the deepest crevices of his mind.


    There was something oddly opening about meditation. He''d never really had a chance to give it a proper try before the apocalypse, and even now he''d only done it a few times ¡ª and yet, Alex was starting to find that he rather enjoyed the sensation.


    It wasn''t just sitting around doing nothing, nor was it suddenly some immense sense of inner peace.


    Meditation was simply silent.


    Another droplet hit the water gathering at the bottom of the basin. Alex idly noted that this one was more of a plip than a plink.


    He wouldn''t have minded sitting there for a few more hours, just listening to the water fall. Meditation was one of those things that didn''t sound particularly enjoyable until he was already halfway through it.


    But, no matter how enjoyable occasional meditation could be, he was pretty sure he''d run out of patience if he did it without purpose. The silence wasn''t quite as fun if he wasn''t getting stronger from it.


    The droplets continued to fall. Time slipped by Alex and he immersed himself in his power until the sound finally stopped and his soul fell completely quiet.


    He opened his eyes.


    Then he blinked.


    His basin was just over three-quarters full.


    Given how much energy he''d gotten since the last time he''d leveled up, that was far from an insignificant amount. There was an immense amount of power stored within the marble bowl and waiting for him to call upon it.


    He obliged.


    As always, Alex started by advancing his Mind Palace. He extended a hand down toward the crystal blue water and a tendril reached up toward him, coiling past his arm and rising up to his lips.


    He drank deeply. Ice coursed through his veins and flowed through his entire body, driving into his muscles like a thousand different minuscule needles.


    The surface of the lake below rippled. Pressure built around Alex with enough force to make his teeth start to chatter. That was new.


    Waves rolled away from the basin, vanishing into the darkness. Each one came stronger than the last.


    Far in the distance, heavy metal rattled.


    Berith.


    It had been a while since he''d thought about the demon that had given him access to Riftwalk. The monster still lurked deep within his soul ¡ª and the more power Alex gathered, the closer to the surface of the lake Berith came.


    White flashed beneath the dark waters, the links of a massive chain clanked as they slithered under its surface like a writhing snake. There was a deep, brassy thud. The chains abruptly jerked taut.


    Power burned in Alex''s chest and worked up his throat. Something shifted deep in the darkness, beneath even the chains, and new waves broke against the uniform ones, sending the surface of the lake into chaos.


    There was something beneath even the chains, buried so far underwater that he could barely make out its marble surface. It was far too deep for him to make out details, but Alex could have sworn that it was a door.


    He forced his gaze back over to the water in his basin. He''d already consumed half of the magic he''d gathered up and was starting to eat into the other half. If he continued drinking, he wouldn''t have enough magic left to level up.


    Alex released the magic reluctantly. Relief washed over him as the icy spikes removed themselves from within his body and the flow of magic halted. Strength still churned within him like a raging ocean, but it slowly started to settle down as his body adapted to it.


    The ripples in the lake faded until its surface was still once more. No trace of Berith''s chains or the door remained in the darkness. It was flat and black once more, an impenetrable mirror that showed nothing but the muted reflection of his Mind Palace.


    That door¡­ how much power does it need to completely emerge? I used so much magic. I can feel that my Mind Palace is stronger, but this is the first time that there wasn''t an apparent change. Maybe I missed it?


    Alex carefully made his way down the stairs and waked in a circle around the basin. He couldn''t see anything different. Whatever that door was, it had consumed almost all of his magic ¡ª and nothing unimportant was going to be that power-hungry.


    He made his way up the stairs, thoughts churning.


    Could the door be related to getting my domain? But it''s shown itself before I''m an Adept. There''s no way that there isn''t going to be a single change to my Mind Palace throughout all of Initiate Stage.


    Finley did say this was the time when I would imbue the pillars with aspects ¡ª but that isn''t all there is to it. He also said I''d be able to put my palace together. That implies I should have some actual stuff to put together, but as things look right now, the door is going to consume as much power as the entirety of the Novice stage if not more.


    That doesn''t seem to match up with what Finley said. There''s no way everyone is spending this much power on a Stage that''s meant to be about combining pieces¡­ S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So what''s going on?


    Is this something that Berith has caused, or another thing entirely?


    The answer didn''t come to him. Alex drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. That was fine. He''d still gotten stronger from imbuing his Mind Palace with magic. Spending more now was tempting, but not tempting enough to pass up on a level up.


    I''ll have to store a bunch of energy up and see if I can push the rest of the way the next time I meditate.


    But, for now¡­


    He extended his hand to the tendril of water that still rose from the center of his basin. As soon as it made contact, power drove into his palm.


    The rest of the basin exploded upward like a massive wave, crashing into his palm and flowing into his body. He drew in a sharp breath. By the time he let it out, the feeling had passed. Golden words bloomed through the air before him.


    Your Stage has advanced to Initiate 2.


    Your Stage has advanced to Initiate 3.


    You have amassed 5 units of soul energy.


    Please select an Auxiliary Skill to upgrade.


    The three smaller blue gems on the on the mantle of his basin glistened as they lit with bright energy from within, and black letters appeared on the marble once more while the three blue gemstones upon its surface glistened with energy.


    [Requiem to the King] (Novice 2)


    [Monster Medley] (Novice 4)


    [Riftwalk] (Novice 8)


    Wow. Leveling really does get a lot harder the stronger you become. Still, getting 2 levels after all the energy I just dumped into my Mind Palace is pretty nice. I''ve got a total of 5 Units to work with.


    That''s 3 levels away from upgrading Riftwalk ¡ª but I wasn''t planning on advancing that one next anyway. Right now, the choice is between Monster Medley and Requiem to the King.


    About time I got an easy decision. Medley is a good skill, but my summons have gotten a bunch of advancements recently. Requiem to the King is my trump card. I can''t leave it lagging behind.


    Alex grinned and made his selection without a moment of hesitation, selecting Requiem to the King.


    Black lines flowed down the mantle from Requiem to the King''s gem. They formed into boxes and words etched themselves into the marble within them.


    (2 Units) Exhume: Rip the energy from recently slain foes to bring a summoned monster back to life. The amount of energy required for this ability to activate scales with the target monster''s strength.


    (2 Units) Lasting Notes: Your monsters are reinforced by Rift energy upon their summoning, making them resistant to most afflictions.


    (2 Units) Dissonant Departure: When a summoned monster dies, they destabilize the area around them with Rift energy and cause an explosion that scales with their remaining magical power.


    "Goddamn," Alex muttered under his breath. The silence of his Mind Place was such that he could hear his heart beating in his ears. He wanted to hit himself over the head for not upgrading Requiem to the King earlier.


    Logically, the ability was only useful once his monsters were actually strong enough to capitalize on ¡ª but that time had more than come, and these abilities were incredible. He could see each of them being a really solid choice.


    Fuck, these are awesome.


    He couldn''t have all of them, though. A choice had to be made.


    Lasting Notes was the least flashy of the three, but he didn''t know exactly what ''afflictions'' were. Something told him that the System wasn''t going to see getting cut as an affliction. It was probably quite a useful ability in the right situation, but it wasn''t exactly groundbreaking. There was also the slight but important drawback that was the nature of the ability. It revealed his monsters had Rift energy immediately, which was less than ideal when dealing with Outworlders.


    That left Dissonant Departure and Exhume. The former of the two was basically a kamikaze button.


    It was a great way to make sure that his summons did as much damage as possible to whatever they were fighting. His combat style often ended with at least one of his monsters dying, so it would get a lot of use.


    Alex''s attention caught on the last part of the skill. The damage scaled with their remaining magical energy. The stronger they were when they died, the more damage it would do. That was great in a situation where he was intentionally killing a monster, but that meant the ability would be less effective in the majority of normal scenarios.


    There was also a chance it would interfere with the amount of power he''d get to use himself when his monsters died.


    I don''t want to build a skill that doesn''t synergize well with the rest of my kit. Having a ''you''re coming with me'' ability is always great, but I think scaling with remaining energy knocks this down a peg. I also don''t want to risk making Requiem to the King worse.


    And that left Exhume. An ability that let him straight up bring one of his dead monsters back. It was easily the one he was most excited about, and a second read-over only served to increase his delight.


    Unlike Encore, which brought all his monsters back for a very short period of time, Exhume let him keep the monster that came back. That meant, theoretically, he''d be able to continuously bring his monsters back from the dead so long as he had magical energy and a steady stream of enemies to kill.


    It would give him a way to fight in sustained battles for much longer. If he continued focused on making each of his monsters as powerful as possible, he could already see how immensely useful this skill would be now, not to mention the future.


    This is so unbalanced. I could fight an entire army on my own so long as my monsters can keep killing enemies. Sure, the monsters have to be strong enough to fight the enemies in the first place, but this is just too great to pass by.


    Alex dug through his thoughts to see if he could find any obvious issues with the skill that would make it worse than it seemed, but he found none.


    Exhume was perfect.


    Alex made his choice on the spot. The skill carved itself into his status. His heart beat with excitement as he turned back to look over his Mindspace.


    His energy had been used. His Mind Palace was stronger, and he had another skill that was just begging for him to try it out and he had a mind to oblige it.


    On top of that¡­ If I can get my hands on this Town Token, I should get access to portals. That would mean I''d be able to utilize the new Title I just got and teleport around to the Region Bosses that it reveals to me.


    A laugh bubbled up in Alex''s chest.


    He was starting to understand just what Zeal had meant when they''d spoken about the risks Outworlders took when too many of them showed up on the same planet. The System was pouring opportunity into the world to give everyone a chance to fight back. Alex planned to take every single scrap of that strength he could get.


    The gap between him and the Outworlders was burning away.


    I can''t wait to see how much stronger I''ve gotten.

 Chapter 106: Heist

    Alex''s eyes opened and he found himself sitting in the Mirrorlands once more. Glint stood over him, the Glasmir''s solid silver mask rippling with light reflected from the twisting clouds of purple and red energy overhead.He rose to his feet, grimacing as he found a small crick in his back that had likely been caused by the less than optimal position he''d chosen to sit in. Alex stretched his arms over his head and shifted from foot to foot.


    The camp was quiet, sheltered by the shadow of the large boulder they''d taken up temporary residence beside. Claire sat to his side, her eyes closed in meditation. The wounds covering her body had completely sealed up, but her new set of clothes had been completely ripped to shreds ¡ª though the most important bits had fortunately been spared.


    Orchid and Derek were beside her. The former sat with her legs crossed and her hands upon her knees, apparently in deep meditation.


    Derek was sprawled out across the ground, limbs pointing in every which direction, tongue rolling out of his mouth and doing a remarkable impression of roadkill.


    It seemed everyone had opted to let Glint keep watch while they caught up on sleep or missing power. That was definitely a smart move by all of them. The Mirrorlands might have been their savior from the Outworlder families for the time being, but it was also the trap waiting to slam shut on their necks.


    Every scrap of power they could wrest before facing the Mirrorlands could end up being instrumental.


    At the thought of power, a small frown tugged at Alex''s lips. He''d equipped his new Ascending Forerunner Title, but he didn''t feel any different. Disappointment prodded at the edges of his thoughts.


    Does it not work on the Mirrorlands? That doesn''t make sense. It didn''t have anything in the description about a range or a limitation to where it works. There''s no way there aren''t any monsters that are stronger than a Region Boss in the Mirrorlands. I''d be willing to bet the giant City-Eater Centipedes are just as strong as some of the most powerful bosses on 274-50.


    Alex''s confusion and frustration didn''t get to muster for long. No sooner than the thoughts had passed through his head did he feel what could only be described as a gentle tug on his mind.


    It was so gentle that he barely even clocked it, little more than the faintest breeze on the inside of the own skull. He blinked, the sensation having come and gone so quickly that he couldn''t actually tell if it had even happened ¡ª


    Another gentle tug drifted past his mind. This one came from the opposite direction. Alex turned to look toward it, hoping he''d catch the sensation and hold onto it, but it was gone before he could even blink.


    A third flicker of power took its place, only to vanish immediately afterward. And that was it. Over and over, minuscule brushes of energy danced around him. They were so faint that he had to stop and wonder several times if they were actually happening or if he was just making things up in his mind.


    Even when he was completely certain that the sensations did actually exist and he wasn''t just delusional, they were still so gentle that could have completely ignored them should he have had the desire to.


    Alex stood, baffled, as he tried to figure out what was going on. Disappointment continued to build in the back of his mind. This wasn''t what the Title had told him it would do.


    Did I get scammed? Or is this the extent of the reveals that I''m going to get? If that''s the case, this ability is fucking useless! Having a flicker of an instant to tell me the general direction that a monster exists is hardly going to He read back over the description, then glanced around as if expecting a giant message from the System telling him to smile for a camera.


    He found nothing but his resting companions and Glint''s empty expression.


    The urge to start walking in circles and muttering to himself was strong. Every thought was easier when one was in idle motion. Unfortunately, that was also a great way to draw unneeded attention to themselves.


    Random fights with monsters wasn''t what any of them needed right now ¡ª especially while half of them were still mid-meditation.


    Alex was forced to cross his arms in front of his chest and lean against the cold stone boulder, his lips pursed and fingers tapping against his sides as he dug through his thoughts in search of a solution.


    He couldn''t see any obvious loophole in the Title. That didn''t mean there wasn''t one, of course. He wasn''t a genius¡­ but it didn''t really seem like the System to slip some incredibly bullshit terms and conditions into a Title for no reason. It could have just given him something else. Fiddling with it would have been pointless unless the System had a personal vendetta against him.


    I''m pretty sure I didn''t offend the System, so that doesn''t seem likely. I don''t even think its intelligent enough to get offended. Should probably look into that at some point. The fallout of the System actually being sentient and having feelings would be¡­ interesting, to say the least.


    Alex''s lips turned down in an annoyed frown.


    But not nearly as interesting as having my damn Title scammed out of me. I can''t believe that would happen. It seems too rude. There has to be another way this¡ª


    Another distant brush of energy caressed Alex''s mind and sent his train of thought careening off the tracks. An idea lit like a spark in a dry storeroom and he blinked in surprise.


    Wait.


    He froze, waiting for the gentle brush of wind against his mind. It came just as he expected. Alex latched onto it, thrusting his focus in its direction. The side of his skull prickled and his head throbbed like he''d just eaten a massive bite of ice cream.


    A buzzing energy ignited within his head. The tiny force ballooned out into a powerful pull, strong enough to make him take an involuntary step in its direction before he stopped himself.


    Alex''s eyes widened.


    He could feel¡­ something. It was hard to say exactly what, but there was a presence grinding against him like a millstone. Its source was off to their left, past the mountain ranges and looming in the distance.


    Alex couldn''t have placed exactly how far it was with miles, but he knew instinctively that if he had a map and had enough time to study it, he''d have been able to point out the exact location of the monster that he was feeling ¡ª but in a lack of that, he could still feel the exact spot where his target resided. If he''d wanted to, he could have strolled right up to the monster''s doorstep.


    Excitement ballooned in Alex''s chest, but it was tempered by realization. He let his mind release the connection to the monster and it evaporated instantly, leaving him with nothing but the gentle brushes of wind-like energy against the outer reaches of his mind.


    He swallowed heavily.


    It wasn''t that his Title didn''t work. It wasn''t that there were no Region Boss level monsters in the Mirrorlands.


    The reason he hadn''t been able to pick anything up initially had been because there were too many of them.


    Every single direction held so many immensely powerful monsters that his Title was completely overwhelmed. It couldn''t so much as feed him one thread of new information before another one in the exact opposite direction canceled it out.


    Holy shit.


    I knew the Mirrorlands were insane, but this is something else. There''s no way there are this many ridiculously powerful monsters on Earth, right? Even the Field Boss Claire and I fought was a pretty tough challenge. If there are this many monsters far stronger than them in the Mirrorlands¡­


    He couldn''t even finish the thought. Alex couldn''t tell if he was excited, terrified, or some mixture of both.


    "How''d it go?"


    Alex turned as Claire rose to stand behind him, brushing her backside off with a dirtied hand. Even though the wounds covering her had sealed shut, she was still covered with grime from the fight.


    "Perfectly," Alex said.


    "Really? You were staring off into the sky like you watched someone punt your gopher into the atmosphere."


    Alex bit back a laugh. "I just realized that the Mirrorlands were a whole lot scarier than I initially thought. Actually ¡ª correction. I knew they were scary, but now I''ve slightly quantified it on accident."


    "You have?" Claire blinked. "How?"


    "Not here. Not now." Alex sent a pointed glance at their other companions. Orchid''s features were peaceful and Derek definitely looked passed out cold, mouth open to catch flies and tongue lolling out like that of a dog.


    Derek definitely looked asleep, but Alex wasn''t going to risk it. There was no way to tell if the others were actually awake and paying attention or not. He wasn''t about to go spilling secrets when they were around.


    Claire nodded. "If it''s important, then probably a good idea. Sounds like getting stronger went well, then."


    "It went very well. I''ve got exactly what I wanted," Alex confirmed with a nod. "And I''m fully rested up as well. I''m good to go. What about you?"


    A smile pulled across Claire''s lips. She extended a hand, keeping it between herself and the others so that only Alex could see it. A crackle of black energy twisted across her fingertips before vanishing into her palm.


    His eyes widened.


    Qi?


    "Initiate 1?"


    "Just barely," Claire confirmed.


    Damn it. I want to know what her Qi is, but even if she can reveal that without failing her class trial, we shouldn''t do it while others have a chance of overhearing. I have no clue how important Qi types may be.


    "I''ll look forward to seeing what you''re capable of, then," Alex said, sitting down in the shade of the boulder to wait.


    Time wasn''t on their side, but it wasn''t exactly working against them either. The Outworlder families didn''t know where the Town Token was. Orchid had the best lead on it, so giving her and Derek a little longer to recover before they set back out was better than rushing ahead and losing a fight so badly that they had to take a second break.


    And so time ticked by. For a few minutes, neither of them said anything.


    "Say," Alex broke the silence but kept his words to a whisper. "I had a question. Do you happen to know anything about how Disruptors work?" S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Claire sent him a glance out of the corners of her eyes before answering in the same hushed tone. "Not more than you. Why?"


    "I''m just thinking a bit. They weaken the area around them to let us use more power," Alex said, tossing the us in there for Orchid in case she was listening in. "But that effect carries over to the real world. It''s just lessened by the distance between planes."


    "Logically," Claire agreed. "There''d be no point doing it if it only effected the Mirrorlands."


    Alex nodded along. "Right. There''s a connection between the planes. That''s obvious in the presence of Valley Ford and all the other cities that exist in both 274-50 and the Mirrorlands. But not everything gets copied over. What do you reckon determines if something gets copied?"


    Claire pursed her lips. "That''s an interesting thought. I''m not sure. I''d guess random, but I don''t think that''s how the world works. Random is too convenient."


    "I don''t think it''s random," Alex said. "There''s definitely a pattern to it. Valley Ford copied over nearly perfectly. I''d guess it was the Disruptor causing it, but there was no Disruptor in Towntown. That said, the city in the Mirrorlands overlaid over Towntown was different."


    "That''s true." Claire was silent for a few moments in thought. "Magical energy definitely passes between the planes. It has to, or the Disruptors wouldn''t work. Their purpose is to weaken the restrictions on Outworlders, not to bridge the connection between the Mirrorlands and 274-50."


    "That''s what I was thinking as well," Alex said slowly. "So¡­ magical energy. Do you think it''s a reasonable guess to assume that the more magically potent an area is, the more it gets mirrored over?"


    "A bit of a leap, but it seems like a decent guess. I wouldn''t go betting on it. Why would there have been a city corresponding to Towntown if that was the case?"


    "Well, it was still a town according to the System. That has to carry some magical significance."


    "That''s a good point, actually," Claire allowed. "Okay. I get the feeling you''re going somewhere with this."


    Alex nodded. "I am. If a city has enough magical presence to get mirrored here¡­ do you think an item that has the potential to create a city could cause the same thing?"


    Claire''s eyes widened. "You want to find the Town Token''s location in the Mirrorlands rather than on 274-50?"


    "I''m going to take you coming to the same idea that I did as a sign that I''m not completely off my rocker," Alex said through a growing grin. "If I could find a way to rip open a portal right to the token, we could steal it right out from under the familes'' noses."


    "You can do that?"


    Alex and Claire both spun to find Orchid leaning back on her hands, staring at them with wide eyes. Their conversation must have gotten loud enough for her to hear it. But, as Claire turned back to Alex and her gaze was hidden from the other woman''s, she winked.


    She wanted Orchid to hear us?


    "Yes," Alex said. There was no point denying it now, and Orchid''s tone wasn''t accusatory.


    It was excited.


    "Gods above and below," Orchid breathed, scrambling to her feet. "That''s brilliant. I didn''t even think that was possible. I suppose I shouldn''t underestimate the Starfallen family. You must have paid a deep price to properly prepare an item to access this place. Using the Mirrorlands like this is so ludicrous that nobody would ever consider it."


    Whelp. Looks like my theory was right. All I''ll have to do is find a way to get through to 274-50 when we find the Town Token¡­ but it looks like we''ve got a plan.


    Derek sputtered at all the noise. His eyes cracked open. He rubbed at his nose, yawning. "What''s the racket about?"


    "It''s time to head out." Alex grinned and offered a hand to the large man. "We''ve got a heist scheduled."

 Chapter 107: The Dungeon

    Orchid took the spot at the front of the group and led them through the Mirrorlands in search of the Town Token. Even though their current position didn''t perfectly match up with where they would have stood in 274-50, Valley Ford and the mountain ranges served as a reference for where they were.At least, Orchid seemed to think so. She walked with purpose, parallel to the mountain range looming in the distance, her gaze only drifting when she went to check their position. They left the sandy plains around Valley Ford and continued onto rolling clay hills, keeping low to the ground to avoid accidentally drawing the attention of anything that might have been looking for a snack.


    There were fortunately few monsters that roamed the plains of the Mirrorlands. The farther away from a city they got, the less monsters there seemed to be. A massive creature occasionally flew overhead or a tremor shook the ground as something passed below, but their ragtag team was left unbothered on their walk.


    Alex was surprised to find that the Mirrorlands were strangely serene when they weren''t trying to kill him. The twisting clouds of energy far above made the ground look like a multi-colored seabed reflecting a prism''s range of light. It was like he''d gotten trapped in the middle of a surreal painting.


    Something about this place was just¡­ comfortable. The sky was beautiful. The temperature was just right. A gentle wind cooled his skin and bore the scents of foliage that had never existed and a thousand different homes, ripped apart and reassembled.


    Even the smattering of twisting trees, their bark bulging with faces whose silent features twisted in eternal agony, seemed right at home. This was just how things were.


    I don''t remember liking the Mirrorlands this much the first time I showed up here.


    That was a disturbing thought. It pulled Alex right back into the present mid-step. He could still remember his heart pounding when Teddy had shoved him through the black obelisk. The warped buildings that had once been his college town.


    And yet, as fresh as those memories were, something about them felt distant. Almost as if they''d happened to someone else. A small frown tugged at the corners of Alex''s lips.


    When did I start getting comfortable in the Mirrorlands? I''ve known they were a fantastic place to train and grow stronger for a while, but this is different. For some reason, this place almost feels like¡­


    Home.


    "Ma''am?" Derek asked, his voice cutting through Alex''s thoughts and pulling his attention over to the large weapon-ridden man.


    "Who?" Orchid asked, glancing back at him when nobody responded after a second. She pointed at herself. "Me?"


    "Yes," Derek said. "Princess had a few too many syllables, and I was getting tired saying it every time. I hope you don''t mind."


    Orchid''s cheeks reddened and she quickly turned away. "We are allies for the time being. Orchid is fine."


    Alex and Claire exchanged a glance. The Dhampir raised an eyebrow and Alex barely managed to keep himself from laughing.


    Damn. Derek has game.


    "Orchid, then," Derek said. He didn''t seem to have noticed Orchid''s reaction. "While I was fighting the rude guy, you said something about me. That I was an Incarnation."


    Orchid nodded, though she didn''t stop walking. Her gaze was affixed on a group of hills in the distance.


    "What about it?" S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I''ve never heard that word before, and the System hasn''t mentioned anything about it either," Derek said. "What is an Incarnation?"


    Alex''s eyes widened. He nearly threw his arms around Derek, even in spite of the fact that touching him would probably have resulted in getting cut to ribbons by all the weapons sticking out of his body.


    Yes! He asked Orchid about Incarnations without me even asking him to! Derek, you''re a genius!


    Orchid glanced over to Alex. He kept his face impassive and gave her a slight shrug, as if to say he didn''t care what she did. If she was looking at him, she was probably checking for approval to reveal information to a Nativeworlder.


    Please. You''ve got my permission to reveal every single Outworlder secret that you''ve got. I can promise that I, your favorite Starfallen family member, will never get mad at you for being so generous. Can''t speak for the rest of the family, though. I fear we''ve gotten just a bit estranged.


    They may have no idea who I am.


    Alex''s lack of an answer seemed to be enough for Orchid.


    "An Incarnation is an aberration," Orchid said. "A person whose soul is incorrectly formed, or one who has developed an abnormality."


    "You think my soul is messed up?" A note of hurt entered Derek''s voice.


    "It''s not an insult, but I wouldn''t expect a Nativeworlder to know that." Orchid spoke in a matter-of-fact tone. There wasn''t any insult harbored in her voice. She just didn''t expect people who were native to 274-50 to understand anything. And, to Alex''s mild annoyance, she was entirely justified in the thought. Orchid continued, entirely unaware that there were 3 people learning from her rather than just one. "Souls are incredibly adaptable. When they get more power, they adapt and grow. That''s how we get stronger."


    "But there''s something wrong with mine?" Derek asked. "I don''t feel like there''s anything wrong with me."


    There are enough things wrong with you to fill a psychology textbook twice over.


    "You''re too hung up on something being wrong. As I said, souls are adaptable. When one is malformed, it evolves to thrive in its new form. That''s an Incarnation. Their souls are different. Some things work better. Others work worse. The extent to which that holds true depends on the Incarnation."


    "I''m not sure I understand," Derek said through a frown. "What does that actually mean?"


    "It means you''re dangerous," Orchid said. "Incarnations are unique. Their souls don''t work in the same way that everyone else''s do. Their physiques or abilities can change and evolve. Think of it like this. Incarnations'' souls can change their class instead of the other way around. Instead of the System stating what powers you can get, your soul twists what the System gives you into what it wants. It means you can gain abilities and powers outside the standard boundaries of the System."


    "Doesn''t everyone get to choose what powers they get, though? Are a bunch of people walking around with the same abilities?" Derek asked.


    Orchid shook her head. "No. Classes tend to get quite unique the more powerful the people get. The more powerful a normal person gets, the more their class becomes theirs rather than something the system assigned to them. But Incarnations are completely unique. A lot of people believe that ancient Incarnations were somehow responsible for the genesis of the System as a whole, but that was so long ago that any information about it is lost to the ages."


    "So¡­ why were you scared of me?" Derek asked. "You''re saying I''m just unique now, but you spoke like I was a monster before."


    "Because when I say Incarnations are unique, I meant it. The more in tune they are with their soul, the more dangerous they become. Your class is berserker adjacent, right?"


    Derek nodded.


    "I''ve seen an Incarnation berserker kill an entire horde of monsters with nothing but his bare hands in seconds, only to turn around and rip his own team to shreds a moment later because his soul drove him mad with hunger. He ripped his own wife apart," Orchid said in a grim tone. "Having a powerful soul is not always a blessing. The aberration that makes you unique can warp your personality and mind, driving you insane ¡ª and when the rest of us are weakened by System restrictions, there was a very real chance you killed everyone here."


    "Oh." Derek was silent for several long seconds. "I don''t feel insane."


    "Not every Incarnation is insane. You seem to be mostly in control of your mental faculties, but I had no way to know that. I just felt your soul ignite with power and realized what you were. You''ll be highly sought after by the families when they realize what you are. Incarnations are always in high demand. It doesn''t matter how insane or dangerous you are when you''re paid well and pointed in the direction of an enemy."


    "I''m not so much a fan of that. I don''t like working for people."


    "That''s what everyone says until someone gives you an offer you can''t refuse. You''ve only seen a tiny glimpse of what the universe really holds," Orchid said. She trailed off and shook her head. "I still remember when the System arrived on my planet¡­ and when I left it. Everything you know just crumbles to dust."


    Derek grunted. Neither he nor Orchid spoke again, and they all continued their walk through the Mirrorlands in silence. Minutes turned to hours, and still they all remained silent.


    Alex mulled over Orchid''s words. The explanation had been enlightening in ways that he hadn''t expected. He still didn''t have a perfect understanding of what an Incarnation was, but his thoughts were largely caught over one line.


    Orchid had said Incarnations had souls that modified the class they got.


    When I first got my class, something called a Singularity Core changed the ability I got. It happened again to give me Encore when I leveled up Requiem to the King. That definitely counts as changing my class.


    Could I be an Incarnation as well?


    But she didn''t say anything about me being an Incarnation, and she could sense Derek. What does that mean?


    Orchid abruptly came to a halt at the top of a hill.


    "Gods above and below," she breathed.


    Alex followed her gaze ¡ª and his eyes went wide.


    The hill below them dropped off at a steep angle, leading down to a large cave. Twisting streams of red and purple energy crawled across the surface of the cave like sluggish electricity, twisting and warping as they circled around a green portal.


    "A dungeon!" Derek exclaimed.


    "Not just a dungeon," Orchid said, disbelief dripping from her words. "There should have been dozens of them around here, all formed around the excess energy seeping out of the Town Token. I''ve been wondering where they were ¡ª but I just figured it out."


    "Figured what out?" Alex asked.


    "The other dungeons weren''t magically weighted enough to get re-created in the Mirrorlands. Their influence over the planes overlaid in their area wasn''t enough. All but this one¡­ which means we''ve found what we''re looking for. This is the dungeon that the Town Token is in."

 Chapter 108: An Idea

    The green portal crackled before them, the cave it resided within pulsating with Riftwarped energy that matched the color of the churning sky. Orchid had been true to her word. They''d located the Town Token''s dungeon ¡ª but they''d done it in the Mirrorlands instead of Planet 274-50.Alex tried not to look too smug as they all stared at the portal, but it was pretty hard. His theory had been right. The thing that determined if the Mirrorlands copied over something from the other planes was how much magical power it had.


    Bah. I can''t be too happy because I bet Outworlders already know this. We need to be careful around Orchid. If she figures out that we''re not actually part of the Starfallen family, we''re going to have trouble.


    Granted, she doesn''t have her staff anymore so she''s not as dangerous as she could have been, but I''d really prefer to keep her on our side for now. She''s got so much useful information. The more we can learn from her, the better.


    "And we can go back home after we get this token thing?" Derek asked.


    "Yes," Alex said.


    "Can''t we just find a way back now and then do the dungeon from the Earth side?"


    Orchid was shaking her head before Alex could answer. "No. We don''t know how far along the other families are. They could be near or already in the dungeon. If we popped out of a portal right in front of them, they''d have a huge advantage and we''d be likely to get killed on the spot."


    "Ah. Right. Here it is, then."


    "Sorry for forcing you to come along," Alex said. "I know you didn''t sign up for this."


    "Oh, it''s okay," Derek replied with a cheerful shrug. "I really don''t mind. It can be fun to tag along. I did owe you for not killing me, after all."


    "Do you find it at all odd that I''m slightly surprised that you like killing people at all?" Claire asked. "You''re so¡­ polite. When I think of the type of person that enjoys murder, you aren''t what comes to mind."


    "I don''t like murder," Derek said defensively. "I just enjoy life, no matter what it is. I didn''t want to kill anybody before the apocalypse. Well, I did consider attacking people every once and a while, but I''m pretty sure everyone has the same thought at least once. But I''m an Anomaly. That means¡ª"


    "Seriously?" Orchid asked, peeling her gaze away from the portal. "You are?"


    "You knew I was an Incarnation and not an Anomaly?"


    "Anomalies are just people that were doing something they weren''t meant to when the world initializes. The only ones that can sense them are other Anomalies or people with skills specifically to hunt Anomalies," Orchid said with a shake of her head.


    "Don''t tell me that being an Anomaly is bad?" sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The System doesn''t like them, but it has nothing to do with who you are. Let me guess. You were fiddling with an area of warped energy when the System initialized on 274-50."


    "I tried to stop a bowl of food from falling into one of the giant black pillar things," Derek admitted sheepishly. "I was unsuccessful."


    "That would do it. The System has to Initialize over stages to avoid ripping a new planet apart and killing everyone on it on accident. There are zones of uncontrolled energy during the Initialization ¡ª ones that even the System can''t do anything about. If your soul gets impacted by them while the System is preparing to give you a class¡­ there you go. Anomaly."


    "And the System doesn''t like Anomalies?"


    "Well, maybe like is the wrong word. The System doesn''t have emotions as best as most people can tell," Orchid replied. "But it gives anomalies the task of killing each other to keep their numbers low. It''s another part of the System equalizing challenge and opportunity. Anomalies tend to be more powerful than normal classes due to additional energy infusing their soul, so the System makes it more dangerous to be an Anomaly. Pretty simple."


    "I see," Derek said. He scratched at his chin. "I guess that''s why the System told me to kill other Anomalies. But as I was telling Claire, I kill Anomalies because they''re trying to kill me. It''s not murder if we both agree to fight, is it?"


    "I suppose not," Claire allowed. "What would you have done if someone said they didn''t want to fight?"


    "You know, nobody has ever actually said that yet. I''d probably find someone else. No point fighting someone that doesn''t want to fight, but I''d imagine a different Anomaly will end up killing them at some point."


    "That they will," Orchid said. "Anomalies are sworn to a life of constant fighting¡­ but that''s not really any different from the rest of us. You''ve just got more people aiming for your head. Now, the town token¡ª"


    "Yeah." Alex nodded, looking back to the portal waiting before them. "I think it''s time. Is everyone ready?"


    "I still have no staff," Orchid grumbled. "I''m not going to be very useful and I don''t know how much more powerful a dungeon in the Mirrorlands will be than one on 274-50. Do you have experience with this already?"


    "Yes," Alex lied. "You can just stand back. Your job is just to guide us to the Token. You don''t have to do anything else."


    We''ve got a functionally immortal tank with us already. So long as we''re capable of dealing with the dungeon on our own, I don''t want to split the experience and rewards any further.


    "I''ll happily take you up on that."


    They all made their way down the steep side of the hill and up to the churning green portal awaiting them.


    "Ready?" Alex asked, taking Claire''s hand. She did the same to Orchid, who grabbed Derek.


    "More than. I can''t wait to see what a dungeon in a place like this is like," Derek said with a grin. "Thanks again for the invite. Question. The monsters here aren''t intelligent, are they? Do I have to ask if they want to fight? Because the ones back on Earth never answer me."


    You can''t be serious. Derek has been asking every single monster you fight if he can kill it?


    "I''d imagine everything here is going to be more than happy to fight you." Alex replied.


    Derek''s grin grew wider. "Perfect."


    And with that, they stepped into the portal as one.


    The world collapsed and reformed in a split instant. Alex''s stomach lurched up into his throat and colors exploded in every direction, repainting over the Mirrorlands. Cracked white stone raced beneath his feet, rising up to form chest-high walls.


    Distant thunder crackled and his lungs constricted as the smell of old moss, dust, and rot assaulted him.


    The four of them stood on a towering fortress wall. Thick purple mist chock-full with magic all around them. It swallowed up the ground and rose up in walls all around the castle as if the whole thing had been built within a cloud.


    A massive, weathered castle rose up in the center of the cloud and cast its shadow over the wall. It was one of the largest buildings that Alex had ever seen. Towers pierced through the churning clouds overhead and broken stained glass windows glistened with reflected light. More rose partially before ending in rubble, ripped apart by some ancient war. Wisps of twisting magic occasionally coiled past the structure, crackling wherever they touched the old stone.


    Alex could do nothing but stare for a long second.


    In its prime, the castle must have been incredible. Even now, with huge cracks running through its stone and rotted vines twisting through its entirety like a parasite, it ripped the words from Alex''s mind before they could form on his lips.


    Across from them was an open doorway. It looked like a door had once adorned it, but now all that remained were ancient, broken hinges and a dark room beyond, illuminated dimly by a dying green torch. A familiar buzz of energy at Alex''s back drew his gaze. The portal they''d come through floated behind them in wait of their return.


    He blinked as words shimmered through the air before him.


    Shadowloft Keep (Adept)


    "Whoa," Derek said, looking around in awe. "This dungeon is immense. It''s nothing like the ones I''ve seen back on Earth."


    "It''s certainly imposing," Orchid agreed, her hands flexing at her sides. She was definitely feeling the loss of her staff more than she''d let on. "The Town Token should be in the final room. It''ll be guarded by the boss. Let''s go."


    "Why?" Derek asked.


    They all looked to him.


    "What do you mean, why?" Orchid asked.


    "Why would the boss guard it?"


    "Oh. That''s what happens if your planet falls," Orchid said. "You become one with the System. It doesn''t waste resources. Every living being on a fallen planet becomes warped and changed, then used to generate challenge."


    "You mean every monster in a dungeon used to be someone?" Derek asked.


    "Or something," Orchid replied. She paused for a moment. "A few of them still are someone. If you''re strong enough, you can maintain your soul through the change. I''ve seen it happen. Some monsters retain sentience and break free of their dungeons in a new world. It''s rare, but it can happen. But don''t worry about that right now. We might be ahead of the other Outworlders, but that doesn''t mean we can dally. This dungeon will definitely be harder than the one they have to go through, and this is a race."


    Derek looked like he wanted to pry Orchid with more questions ¡ª and if Alex was honest with himself, he did too. There was just so much to learn from her. Unfortunately, that would just have to wait until after they got their hands on the Town Token.


    "She''s right," Alex said. "Let''s go."


    "I''ll take the lead," Derek said. He moved past everyone and started into the dark room. Alex summoned all of his monsters, practically doubling the size of their group, and they all followed after the berserker.


    Generally, Alex would have put Princess in the lead ¡ª but Derek actively grew stronger by getting killed, so it probably wasn''t a bad idea to get him buffed up a few times before they made it to the boss of the dungeon.


    Their footsteps echoed through the dimly lit darkness. The weak torchlight fought desperately, but it was a losing battle. Something about the darkness in the room made even the light from the Mirrorlands behind them unable to push its way in. There were so many shadows around them that it might as well have been night.


    He could barely even see the end of the room beyond a dim light about fifteen feet away that marked another open doorway that led to an area with more light. Alex and his monsters all scanned the area for anything lying in wait as they advanced. It was practically worthless. It was just too ¡ª


    Something scuffed in the dark. There was a rush of wind and a wet thud. Princess lurched to move in front of Claire. She shuddered. For an instant, Alex spotted massive gray claws carving through her body, each of them as long as a leg.


    Princess splattered to the ground and the monster that had attacked her vanished back into the darkness in a blur.


    Orchid let out a slew of curses that the System couldn''t quite translate and dove to the ground. There was a woosh of wind and a flicker of claws as they passed by where she''d been. Then the monster was gone once more.


    "Get to the wall!" Claire hissed. "Don''t leave yourself open!"


    They all rushed to follow her suggestion, pressing their backs to the stone. Princess pulled herself back together and rose before Alex while his other two monsters flanked her, scanning the darkness in search of their neigh-invisible attacker.


    Alex''s blood thumped in his ears and his heart pounded with both adrenaline and fear. The monster they were up against was blindingly fast. He could only catch brief glimpses of it between attacks.


    It also clearly knew how to bide its time. Seconds dragged by in silence. Alex shifted his weight from foot to foot.


    "Does anyone have light magic?" Alex asked.


    "I would if I had my staff," Orchid muttered. "We could run for the door."


    "And leave our backs open?" The derision in Claire''s voice was enough that she didn''t have to say more about what she thought of that plan. "We need to catch it when it attacks."


    "How?" Derek asked. "I haven''t even seen it for more than half a second!"


    And therein laid the question. The tension in the room tightened as they all waited with bated breath, squinting into the all-consuming darkness in wait for the monster.


    But it was patient. Nearly a minute dragged by. No further attacks came. The only thing Alex could hear was the sound of their breathing, and the only thing he could see were the edges of the faint torchlight just a few inches away from his feet.


    There was only so long they could stay on guard before their attention started to fray.


    Do I just send Princess and Spark out to force the monster to show itself?


    "I''ve got an idea," Claire whispered. "But we''ll have to be fast. We need¡ª"


    There was a loud woosh.


    The torch snuffed out, and the entire room plunged into pitch blackness. Only a single mote of light remained from the doorway in the distance.


    Then a shadow passed over that as well. The world became nothing but an endless night ¡ª and only a single thought passed through Alex''s mind as his sight was completely confiscated from him.


    Oh, shit. This might be a bit more exciting than I''d expected.

 Chapter 109: Crown

    Orchid''s curse echoed through the pitch black darkness of the castle room. Feet scuffed against the ground and Alex''s blood pounded in his ears, threatening to drown out the sounds of the nameless monster waiting for its opportunity to strike."I cannot see anything," Derek declared helpfully. "I am going to start swinging and hope I hit something. I would recommend staying farther than an axe''s range of me."


    "Nobody can see where you are," Orchid snapped. "Don''t start swinging unless you see something! Just distract the damn thing. I can deal with darkness, even without my staff."


    "My eyes are not working at the moment," Derek said. "What if I feel it instead?"


    Alex''s teeth clenched. No matter how hard he strained his ears, he couldn''t hear anything. He sent mental commands to all of his own monsters, pulling them closer and readying them for an attack.


    Even the light from within Spark wasn''t enough to pierce through the dark. He was just a glowing blue mote in the shadows. This darkness wasn''t natural. It was far too oppressive, like they''d been dropped into a sea of ink.


    He had no clue if any of his monsters could see anything, but he couldn''t take the risk of extending them and leaving himself and the others open. They had to wait for an opportunity to strike. It was like the Shade that he''d fought with Claire ¡ª but this time around, they didn''t have any matches.


    "How are you going to feel it when you can''t see where you''re going?" Orchid demanded. "Just stop talking for a moment so I can concentrate! This is very difficult without a staff."


    "Hold on. I''ve got an idea," Derek said. A foot scuffed against the ground and Alex felt Derek move past him. "Aha! I found it! Softer than I thought."


    "That''s me, you idiot," Orchid snapped.


    "Oh," Derek said. "Whoops."


    A snick echoed through the darkness. Something wet splattered against Alex''s face. Princess lurched over him, using her body like a shield, but the attack was already done ¡ª and it hadn''t been targeted at him.


    Something heavy thumped to the ground.


    A flash of orange light ripped through the darkness.


    Orchid lifted her hands, an orb of molten lava twisting above her palms. The magical darkness pulled back from it like it had been burned. There was a hiss of pain as she revealed a hunched monster dressed in ragged clothes.


    It was a foot shorter than Alex, with fingers that extended into claws the length of short swords. Several warped, shrunken heads jutted out from its body around its neck area, and its legs were nearly twice as long as its torso. They bent backward at the knees in the wrong direction, leaving the monster in an odd position between crouching and standing.


    Night Ripper (Initiate 8)


    Blood dripped from the Night Ripper''s claws and splattered against the ground. The monster let out another hiss of pain and lurched back, diving into the shadows ¡ª and leaving Derek''s headless corpse on the ground before it.


    Orchid''s eyes widened, and Alex was surprised to find genuine distress in them. He hadn''t expected her to care much at all about Derek. The other Outworlders hadn''t given him the sense that they gave a shit about anyone living on their native world.


    "Go," Alex ordered, pointing in the direction the Night Ripper had retreated. Orchid''s magic hadn''t managed to completely illuminate the whole room, but the number of places left to hide had drastically decreased.


    Spark and Glint led the charge, bounding across the ground. Glint''s wing snapped out, transforming into a shimmering bladed whip that sliced through the air with a shrill hum. There was a wet thud, followed by several hisses of pain.


    The gangly monster launched itself out from the darkness. It lunged at Glint, claws extended ¡ª and Spark slammed into it like a freight train.


    His Echo Wraith''s fists slammed down as one into one of the Night Ripper''s heads, caving it in. He swapped places with a shadow as the monster tried to counterattack, and its strike passed through nothing but rippling darkness.


    Then Princess was upon it. She threw a huge hand forward.


    The Night Ripper''s long legs extended like those of a frog. It leapt into the air, springing for Alex, and Claire jumped to meet it. She flashed through the air, black veins twisting down her right arm. She swung her katana at its neck in a blur.


    A loud clang echoed out as her blade struck the monster''s claws, screeching against them but failing to cut through anything vital. She dropped to the ground behind the monster, which landed directly beside Derek''s corpse and the still shocked Orchid.


    Without a noise, the Night Ripper leapt at Orchid, having recognized her as the source of the offending light.


    There was a wet thunk.


    The monster slammed to a halt in the air, limbs jerking forward and flopping still at its sides. A huge axe head protruded from the center of its chest. It let out a weak hiss and twitched once before falling limp.


    Derek ¡ª still devoid of anything above his severed neck¡ª let the axe lower.


    Energy trickled into Alex. It wasn''t a small amount by any means. The Night Ripper had been fairly highly ranked in comparison to them, but they''d had a large group. More importantly, a Soul Flame flickered to life above its corpse. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alex scooped it up and deposited it into a Spatial Mirror.


    Derek''s hand felt across the ground until one of his fingers located an ear. He snagged onto it, bringing the head back over to its proper position. It squelched as he plopped it back on and twisted it once for good measure.


    "Found it," Derek said, rising to his feet and wiping some of the blood from his throat.


    Orchid stared at him in disbelief.


    "I ¡ª what? You''re alive? Your head¡ª"


    "It''s okay. I got it back," Derek said, giving Orchid a thumbs up. "Nothing to worry about."


    Alex felt a moment of pity for her. She''d seen Derek get run through the heart, but there was a pretty significant conceptual difference between that and watching someone''s head get cut off, only for them to brush it off like nothing had happened.


    "That was well executed," Claire said as more light returned to the room. The weak torches sputtered back to life, illuminating cracked old stones around them. It was just a normal room now. The Night Ripper must have had an ability that made it so dark.


    Orchid clenched her fist and the orb of magma sputtered away. She hesitated for a moment before shaking her head and holding a hand out to Derek. That made Alex''s eyebrows twitch upward.


    And now she''s helping him up? An Outworlder? She really doesn''t fit in that well with the crowd we just saw in the Assembly ¡ª though, then again, they were the same ones that tried to kidnap her. Suppose there''s no lost love there. I really need to figure out what the dynamics are between the Outworlders.


    "Do you really have no weaknesses?" Orchid asked.


    "Naps, mostly," Derek replied through a small yawn. He accepted her hand and Orchid stumbled as she was nearly pulled off her own feet. Derek clambered up, still holding Orchid''s hand but getting functionally no use from it, and gave it a firm handshake. "I get tired at the worst times."


    She stared at him as he released her. Alex was pretty sure Orchid had no idea how true Derek''s words were.


    The immortality ends when he falls asleep. Still, he makes an incredible tank. Almost makes me wonder if all that noise he made a moment ago was an intentional bait to get the Night Ripper to attack him.


    "We should keep moving," Claire said. "Time crunch, remember?"


    The others all nodded. They gathered themselves and, after one final look through the now-normal room around them, they continued deeper into the castle.


    No more than a few minutes later of pressing through the darkness did Claire abruptly grab Derek by the shoulder with one hand and hold her other up in a sharp motion.


    "Wait," Claire hissed.


    They all froze, eyes darting around in search of what she had seen. All Alex could spot was the dark corridor that they were currently halfway through. The dark wasn''t so strong that anything could have hid within it ¡ª at least, as far as he could tell.


    "What''s wrong?" he asked in a low whisper.


    "That," Claire replied, nodding to a cobbled tile in front of them.


    They all stared at it.


    "You don''t like the design?" Derek asked.


    "No. It''s a trap."


    "It looks like a tile," Derek said.


    It really does, but I think I''m going to go with Claire on this one. It definitely looks like she knows something.


    "Can we get around it?" Orchid asked, looking just as confused as the rest of them.


    "I''m working on it," Claire replied. Her brow furrowed and she stared up at the ceiling in thought, tapping a finger against her thigh. "It might take me a bit. I can''t figure out how everything is connected, but there''s definitely¡ª"


    Click.


    Everyone spun to stare at Derek, who had leaned against the wall to rest. The stone against his elbow had indented half an inch.


    Before any of them could react, a spear burst out from the wall in front of Derek. He swore and jumped forward, narrowly dodging it ¡ª and landing straight on the tile that Claire had indicated a moment ago.


    It slid down.


    A thin slot split open in the ceiling and an axe swung free, slamming straight into Derek''s shoulder. He let out a curse and stumbled several steps into the hallway. Each step was rewarded with another click, and everyone else could do nothing but watch in awe and horror as Derek tripped-staggered down the rest of the hall.


    Arrows flew. Spears burst forth and gouts of flame shot out from concealed holes. Derek didn''t manage to dodge a single one of the traps. He bumbled his way through every single one of them, practically rolling by the end of it, and thudded to a stop against the far door.


    "Ouch," Derek said.


    "Are you okay?" Orchid called.


    What do you think?


    "I have some extra holes. They''re ¡ª oh, wait. They''re gone." Derek slowly rose to his feet. He nudged the ground where he''d just stood, but the stone was still indented. "Hallway seems safe, though."


    Claire stared at him. Then she ran a hand through her hair and shook her head. "Let''s go. Only step on the lowered tiles in case Derek somehow managed not to trigger something."


    ***


    They continued to press across walkways and through rooms, making their way through the dungeon before reaching the central building of the ancient castle and beginning their descent through it.


    Monsters lurked around every corner. They were everywhere, and they all seemed like they would have enjoyed cheap horror games. There were more Night Rippers, a spiderlike creature called a Dropfang that clung to the tall ceilings with eerily human hands, and even a species called a Floormouth that blended in with the ground perfectly until they were all standing on top of it.


    Fortunately, Derek accidentally stepped on one of its eyes and the monstrosity started thrashing around in agony, giving them a chance to attack it before it could get its surprise attack off.


    Alex couldn''t help but feel like hiding on the floor was a poor evolutionary strategy if ones'' eyes weren''t tough enough to get stepped on, but perhaps that was why they only met one of those.


    The odd group forged into the dungeon, defeating every monster in their path. Orchid stayed largely out of the way as per their agreement, but Derek lent a helping hand whenever anything got too close to him. Their efforts rewarded Alex with a steady stream of magical energy, largely on account of the high Initiate Stages that their opponents were.


    It came at little surprise to anyone that the dungeon got considerably harder the further they went. The monsters lurking in wait rose to get as strong as Initiate 9, and each fight came harder than the last. They had to pause multiple times to gather their energy, let Alex''s monsters revive, and recover from their wounds, but still they pressed on.


    And, after what felt like a day of grueling battle but was really more like twelve hours, the four of them arrived at a high-ceilinged circular room with an enormous pair of wooden double doors at its end.


    The doors were trimmed with old, tarnished silver. Scratch marks marred their surface and the age had worn the wood away. Scrapes along the floor marked the pathways of the doors where they opened.


    "This has to be the throne room," Claire said.


    "The boss will be here," Orchid said without a speck of doubt in her voice. "Ready?"


    "No point hesitating now," Claire said. "Let''s go."


    Princess and Derek both moved forward as one. They grabbed the huge handles on the doors and strained. The others all tensed, readying themselves as the doors ground open, scraping against the stone with a dull roar to reveal a lengthy room beyond them.


    It was indeed a throne room. Weathered tapestries covered the walls and the ceiling was vaulted, an enormous chandelier dangled in its center. A faded red rug ran all the way down the room, leading up to a huge stone chair at its end.


    And within the chair sat a skeleton clad in heavy black plate armor. What had once been glossy obsidian was marred and greened. A broken sword, still nearly as tall as Alex, rested against the throne, a shimmering shard of black crystal embedded at the bottom of its pommel.


    Alex exchanged a glance with the others. They all shared a nod and, as one, they stepped into the throne room.


    Two dim green lights lit within the skeleton''s eye sockets like burning torches. Its body shuddered and its head raised to look straight in their direction.


    "Another comes in search of the heavy crown," the skeleton said, its words echoing through the room in a weary whisper.


    Alex''s eyes went wide.


    What the fuck? It speaks?


    Bone ground against metal as the skeleton rose from the throne. Molten red words ignited over its head.


    The Night King (Adept 1)


    "As all who came before you, it shall be carved into your bones." The Night King wrapped a hand around the huge, broken sword leaning against its throne and lifted it into the air before it. It lowered the blade until its pointed tip was pointed at Alex and the others. "The burden of rule is death."

 Chapter 110: Charge

    An echoing bang rang out as the massive throne room doors slammed shut. It was rather clich¨¦, but that did nothing to stop Alex from stumbling at the wind from the force of their closure. Goosebumps ran across his skin.There was only one way forward now.


    "This is where your help comes to an end," Alex said, pushing his surprise at the sight of a speaking boss monster down. He couldn''t afford to get distracted now. Even if the System hadn''t identified the Night King as an Adept 1, there was an invisible pressure that gathered around the monster like a cloak and set his senses on edge. "Stay back."


    "You won''t have to ask me twice," Orchid said warily.


    "Question," Derek said. "Am I allowed to try to kill you? Because that sounded like a challenge, but I just wanted to make sure it wasn''t a miscommunication. You can never be too careful."


    "Come," the Night King commanded. "Be ferried upon the edge of my blade unto the next life."


    "That''s definitely an invitation," Alex said, sending a slew of mental commands to his monsters. "Go at him without reserve, Derek. Anyone spouting off one liners like that is probably desperate to die. He''s had to have been sitting here bored out of his mind for ages if he''s come up a fancy speech like that."


    "Yes!" Derek crowed.


    "Bleeding hell. What is it with monsters that have no fucking blood?" Claire demanded as she readied her blade. "And Derek, just wait for us to back you¡ª"


    Her sentence was lost as a delighted howl filled the air. Derek bounded forward, each of his steps covering a dozen feet at once. He ripped his axe free of his chest and bounded into the air to bring the weapon down right on the Night King''s head.


    The Night King reared back, its entire body twisting as it shifted its position. Its heavy sword reared back in a slow, almost ponderous movement that somehow still only took a moment.


    Then the skeleton swung its sword. The massive blade screamed through the air, somehow seeming to move both fast and slow at the same time, and slammed into Derek like a bat striking a squeaky ball.


    Derek launched backward like he''d been shot from a cannon. He sailed through the air and slammed into the doors behind them with an echoing bang before pitching forward. The axe tumbled alongside him and clanged to the ground just as his body splattered beside it, pulverized.


    Pops and squelches echoed out as Derek pushed himself up from the ground a second later, letting out a groan and grabbing his axe.


    "I''ve made a discovery. His sword isn''t very sharp, guys," Derek provided helpfully. "It won''t cut us!"


    I don''t think that''s going to matter for anyone other than you, Derek.


    "Plan?" Alex asked, glancing at Claire out of the corner of an eye.


    "It''s a goddamn skeleton," Claire snapped. "I want to bite something! I''ll look for an opening. You¡­ do your thing, I guess. I''ll let you know if I think of something smarter, but I don''t know what that thing is capable of yet."


    The skeleton took a ponderous step forward. A loud screeching scrape rang through the room as it dragged the huge blade along the floor behind it, sending up a shower of sparks. It advanced toward them, burning green eyes affixed and unblinking.


    "Princess," Alex ordered.


    Then he drew on his Qi and cast Rift Flood. They couldn''t afford to play around with a monster like this. Adept 1 was so far above their league that a single mistake could end up spelling the end for them.


    His Dredge shuddered. Her body bubbled and bulged as purple veins lit with energy within it. She enlarged; the spindly legs protruding from her back split apart and multiplied until a sea of grasping centipede legs swayed upon her.


    Princess loped forward, using her huge arms in conjunction with her legs to propel herself forward like a charging gorilla.


    The Night King swung its sword.


    It slammed into Princess, carving clean through her body and shattering the grasping limbs on her back. Even as she was split, her hand continued toward the other monster''s face.


    At the last moment, the skeleton shifted to the side. It ducked out of the way of the strike, letting it pass by it harmlessly. Princess'' two sludgy halves splattered against the ground behind the King.


    It took a step forward past Princess to continue its advance toward Alex and the others.


    Princess'' other hand shot out, grabbing the Night King by the leg. Strands of black sludge connected her two halves back together and she heaved, trying to yank the monster off its feet.


    The skeleton didn''t even budge. It turned back and brought its sword down, slamming it straight through Princess'' back and into the stone beneath her. Alex winced as black sludge splattered across the ground.


    It''s really fucking strong. Anything other than princess would have gotten instantly killed by a single blow, much less two.


    "I got this!" Derek yelled.


    He charged forward.


    A moment later, he was sailing through the air again. The doors banged, and he splatted to the floor a moment later. Alex suppressed a sigh. Derek was great, but strategy was far from one of his strong suits.


    He adjusted his orders to his other monsters as the Night King pulled its blade out of Princess. She remained unmoving and the monster turned away, satisfied she was dead.


    As soon as it put a few feet of distance between them, all of Alex''s summons burst into motion.


    Princess exploded up from the ground and drove into the Night King''s back, wrapping around the monster with her entire body. Glint and Spark raced forward, and Alex activated Rift Flood on the Glasmir.


    The mirrors covering Glint''s body shimmered. Glass protrusions burst out of his wing, elongating it into a flowing cloak. Glossy glass armor tipped with spikes shot out from his knees and shoulders mid-run.


    Glint''s cloak snapped out, transforming into a snaking whip that raced through the air for the Night King''s neck. The attack sliced through the air in a blur, only giving the other monster an instant to react. It ripped a hand free of Princess, unable to free the rest of its body, and lifted it before its face defensively.


    Glass scraped against armor with a loud shriek. Glint''s attack cut deep into the Night King''s arm, but it failed to completely penetrate the black metal covering it.


    Spark arrived before the monster, leaving a shadow to escape with before unleashing a hail of blows into the larger monster''s chestplate. Each one sent a crackle of electricity arcing up ¡ª but the Night King barely even seemed to notice.


    It slammed a hand down on Princess'' head and shattered her mask. Her body sloughed away and splattered down all around the skeleton. In the same motion, the monster twisted and brought its sword crashing down for Spark.


    The Echo Wraith swapped spots with its shadow an instant before the huge weapon carved through the air where it had been.


    Instead of waiting to raise its sword again, the Night King stepped forward. Its hand shot out to grab Glint. The Glasmir blurred to the side, narrowly avoiding the other monster''s grip, and slashed at its arm with his claws.


    They screeched against metal, leaving deep furrows within it, and the Night King shifted to the side. Bone creaked and it whipped its sword around, sending the blade blurring through the air.


    Glint leapt back. The massive weapon howled past his chest, narrowly missing, and he landed safely out of range.


    Adrenaline pumped through Alex and a droplet of sweat rolled down his neck. He was sending commands to his monsters nearly as fast as he could think, but this wasn''t enough. Princess had already gone down ¡ª she hadn''t been quick enough to avoid the skeleton''s sword. He needed to get a better opening.


    Drawing on his magic, Alex poured energy into preparing Funhouse. The best way to land a good blow on the huge boss monster would be to get it off balance. It was just large enough to be barely at the limits of his power if he made the spell as powerful as possible.


    There was only one problem.


    That meant getting up close.


    "Cover me as best you can!" Alex yelled, his heart pounding in his ears as he sprinted forward.


    "I got you!" Derek called, sprinting alongside him and overtaking him in just a few steps.


    The Night King swung his sword.


    "Don''t got you!" Derek''s voice howled past Alex as the large man rocketed back for the third time.


    Claire blurred past Alex as the skeleton raised its sword again. Black wings protruded from her back and her veins had turned the same color. She brought her katana down on one of the scratches that Glint had left in the Night King. Her sword bit deep into the monster''s arm ¡ª and lodged in place.


    She gave it a jerk, but the sword was stuck fast.


    The Night King''s other hand shot for Claire in a blur.


    Alex closed the last of the distance between himself and the boss, getting into range. He thrust his hands forward and unleashed Funhouse. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Reality around the skeleton shattered. Fragments split the air and its entire body shifted as it was suddenly redirected to the left. Instead of grabbing Claire, was spat out to Alex''s right ¡ª which was not where he''d been hoping it would go.


    He lifted his arms before himself an instant before the back of the Night King''s hand slammed into his chest.


    The world snapped. One moment, he was in front of the skeleton. The next, his back slammed into a wall; the breath exploded from his lungs. Pain shot through his arms and he dropped to the ground face-first. A pained wheeze slipped from between his lips.


    Loud ringing shook his skull. The world spun around him. He could feel the cold stone pressed against his cheek and something warm trickling down the side of his face. His arms didn''t respond properly to his commands ¡ª but the pain vanished as quickly as it had come.


    Black sludge crawled across the ground before him as his body pulled itself back together. Magic drained from him at the automatic use of Princess'' powers. He shoved his hands against the ground and rose again, his teeth gritted.


    His team hadn''t wasted the moment he''d bought them.


    Glint''s wing-blade carved through the air with a shrill scream for the second time. It slammed into the King''s hand, right next to where Claire''s sword still remained ¡ª and sliced clean through it.


    The arm crashed to the ground with a resounding bang, denting the floor from the weight of the armor covering it.


    A wave of shadow exploded out from the Night King. Spark threw himself forward at Alex''s mental command, putting himself between the magic and Claire an instant before it collided with her.


    His body shattered, ripped to shreds in a split instant, but he absorbed the brunt of the attack for her. She was still thrown back and sent tumbling across the ground until she slammed to a stop against a wall.


    Glint brought his cloak up a moment before the magic hit him, but he was hurled to the opposite side of the throne room.


    "Shit," Claire groaned, staggering to her feet. "Thanks for the save."


    Alex didn''t get a chance to reply.


    Green energy flashed within the King''s eyes. It lifted its sword with its remaining hand, then stabbed it straight down into the ground before it.


    Verdant energy exploded out from within the weapon, lighting the gem at its hilt up like a star. Dark smoke poured out from within the sword and washed across the surface of the throne room like black mist.


    "End your slumber. I command you." The Night King boomed, its words echoing through the halls. "I command you, rise!"


    Magic thrummed. Smokey black hands shot up from the ground, their forms solidifying, and dug into the ground. Dozens of shadow soldiers rose up within the mist. Their eyes burned with molten green light.


    The Night King grabbed the hilt of its broken blade and ripped it free from the ground ¡ª but it was broken no longer. It was now nearly twice as long as it had been before, the missing piece completed by twisting darkness.


    "Purge them," the King commanded.


    Oh, shit.


    The soldiers charged.

 Chapter 111: An opening

    The Night King''s warriors may have been made out of shadows, but the weapons that materialized within their hands were solid, glistening obsidian. Distant light caught off their pitch black swords and long, barbed spears. They came from every direction like a tsunami of crashing ink. Their charge was completely devoid of sound. It was a wall of darkness that held death within its rushing waves.Derek charged into their ranks with a roar, swinging his axe like a madman. The weapon ripped through the dark soldiers even as their own pierced into his own body. His blood splattered across the ground and he was quickly surrounded by a horde of the monsters, blocked from the others'' view.


    Alex called Glint back to him with a thought, turning left and right as he tried to figure out where the monsters would come from first. It was impossible to tell. They were surrounded. Claire dashed along the ranks of the soldiers, barely keeping ahead of them as she tried to cut them down one at a time.


    It was pointless. For every monster she killed, another one rose in its place. The Night King seemed to have an endless source of monsters to call upon ¡ª and worse, it wasn''t content to just sit back and watch its men fight them.


    The black-armored skeleton lumbered forward, its shattered sword repaired by the shadows that animated the army around them, and headed straight for Alex, its molten green eyes locked on his.


    Eerie silence consumed the room. None of the shadow soldiers cried out as they were cut or died. The only sound was the scuff of human feet against the ground and the thud of weapons as they slammed home, occasionally joined by the ring of metal on metal and the heavy footfalls of the Night King.


    A soldier lunged for Alex. He dodged back, leaving a shadow behind him, but Glint was faster. The Glasmir was like a shimmer of moonlight. His glistening silver cloak followed behind him in a blur as he spun around Alex, carving through the ranks of the soldiers before any of them could get within range.


    Their attempts to stab him met nothing but failure. He was too fast, his rippling sword-whip too sharp. The Night King''s summons were no match for Glint. Unfortunately, the Night King himself was an entirely different matter.


    Glint couldn''t take out the skeleton on his own.


    Alex''s mind spun at a mile a minute as he tried to think of a way they could turn the tides of the battle in their favor. There didn''t seem to be any limit to the Night King''s powers ¡ª and if there was, he suspected they would run out of energy long before it did.


    The monster was at the Adept stage. He had no idea how good the foundations of its Mind Palace were ¡ª if monsters even had Mind Palaces ¡ª so it was hard to guess how large the gap between their strength really was. It would have been stupid to bet on having more magical energy than it did.


    I don''t think it''s got a domain, though. It definitely would have used it before it lost its arm if it did.


    More monsters died all around Alex. Shadows splattered and spun across the throne room, forming into new soldiers even as the other ones were cut down. Everyone was fighting as hard as they could.


    Claire was still at a huge disadvantage since she had no blood to work with. Orchid had no staff and stood with her back to the wall, flinging small balls of magma at any monsters that grew close to her. Derek was buried under a pile of shadows, but the muted roars and the thuds of a swinging axe coming from his direction showed he had still far from fallen.


    All of them were occupied. Nobody was available to turn and try to stop the Night King''s advance ¡ª which meant it was left to Alex.


    Fortunately, Alex was never alone.


    Energy prickled against his skin. It spun in the air all around him like tiny, invisible specks of falling ash. With every soldier that Glint cut down, he could feel more of it gather. He could almost smell old earth and dying flowers in the distance.


    Almost instinctively, he could tell the nature of the growing magic around him.


    It was death. Every single life that had been snuffed out at Glint''s hands left a tiny fragment of what it had been behind, lingering in wait for him to harvest it. The pieces were tiny, but their number was great.


    Alex suspected that the amount of power each of the shadowy monsters was far lower than it would have been from a truly living being. Calling the Night King''s army alive would have been a stretch ¡ª but they were certainly something more than dead, and that was enough.


    He called on the magic and it responded without reservation. Pallid gray tones painted over the world as Alex reached forward, beckoning to the nothingness like he was calling back a lost child.


    Power built within him. It gripped his throat like the skeletal hand of the reaper itself.


    He felt Exhume activate.


    The Night King thundered toward him, shifting from a stride to a jog. Each of its steps shook the ground as it accelerated, lifting its huge sword and preparing to bring it down horizontally across Alex''s chest to cut him in half.


    "Princess," Alex ordered. His words bore a physical weight to them, each one driving into the silence like a hammer strike. "Return to me."


    A puddle of darkness stretched out from his shadow.


    Alex held the Night King''s gaze.


    It swung its sword.


    Wind howled ¡ª and a huge arm made of black sludge shot up from the darkness, driving up into the flat of Night King''s blade and sending it whistling harmlessly over Alex''s head.


    Princess ripped herself free from the darkness and flung her considerable bulk into the skeleton while it was off balance, sending both of them crashing to the ground with a resounding bang.


    At the same time, Alex felt the power that come from Princess'' prior death leave him. Evidently, he couldn''t keep his monsters'' abilities when they''d been properly back to life.


    The Night King slammed its shoulder into Princess, flipping the Drudge and slamming her to the ground with such force that it shook like there had been an earthquake. Sludge splattered everywhere and she yanked her mask into her inky form, protecting it from the impact. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Glint peeled away from the Night King''s shadows and turned, sprinting toward the skeleton as it rose.


    It swept its huge blade through the air and Glint nimbly danced out of the way. He darted forward again, but instead of trying to pull the strike back and readjust, the skeleton maintained its momentum. It spun in a full circle and brought the sword hurtling back toward Glint at a blinding speed.


    Princess lurched forward in attempt to knock the blow awry.


    She wasn''t fast enough.


    Glass shattered. Glint exploded into motes of shimmering mirrors, his body ripped clean in half by the dark shadows at the edge of the boss monster''s sword. Energy raced into Alex and he felt the Glasmir''s abilities make themselves available to him.


    Princess slammed into the Night King''s back and sent them both crashing to the ground for a second time. She rained blows down on the large monster, each one sending a tremor through the room.


    The back of Alex''s neck prickled. He dodged to the side just as a spear punched through the air where his heart had been a moment before. Alex called on Glint''s powers ¡ª and a silver, bladed wing burst out from his right shoulder.


    It slashed through the shadow warrior before he''d even realized what had happened. The monster exploded into motes of black mist, and another one took its place. The soldier lunged and swung a sword at his neck. Alex instinctively brought the wing before himself.


    A loud clang echoed out as obsidian struck the wing''s mirrored surface and rebounded off harmlessly. Alex''s wing twitched and its serrated edge sliced clean through the monster''s neck, killing it on the spot.


    The new appendage responded to his thoughts almost as if he''d always had it. Unfortunately, he didn''t have any time to appreciate the newfound power that Glint had gifted him with.


    A whistle split through the air behind him.


    Alex threw himself to the side and brought his wing around, wrapping himself within it defensively, but the Night King was faster than he thought. Its huge sword slammed into the wing.


    The force of the blow shattered the glass that made up the mirrored wing and sent Alex hurtling back. He bounced on the ground, bowled straight through a shadow soldier, and slammed into the throne room''s wall.


    Alex wheezed as the air was knocked from his lungs in a rush. Stars danced before his eyes. He staggered to his feet, not letting himself stop moving, and stumbled out of the way of a spear strike.


    A rush of energy entered his body, and his teeth gritted.


    He hadn''t even seen what had happened, but Princess had died.


    The Night King strode toward him and readied its sword for another blow.


    Alex could feel more death energy lingering in the air. He could summon Princess, Spark, or Glint back right now if he wanted to¡­ but he needed more than just one monster back if he wanted to take out the powerful monster advancing toward him.


    He bared his teeth in a smile.


    "Claire!" Alex yelled. "I''m making an opening!"


    The Night King closed the gap. It swung its sword ¡ª and Alex swapped places with the shadow that he''d placed earlier.


    He reappeared behind the large skeleton, but it wasn''t tricked. It turned toward him almost immediately and burst back into motion. It charged, leveling its sword to run Alex through, but it would take at least a second to close the distance between them.


    And a second was more than enough for a single word.


    "Encore."

 Chapter 112: Goodnight King

    For the second time that fight, Princess came back to life. She leapt up from the shadows and did her best impression of Mario smashing a block, driving straight into the Night King''s chin from beneath the skeleton.Alex''s other monsters were right on Princess'' tail. Spark crackled with power and flew into the Night King, unleashing a hail of strikes at the monster''s head. It swept a hand for the Echo Wraith, only to connect with nothing but shadow as Spark swapped to safety.


    Glint''s shimmering blade sliced deep into the Night King''s side, leaving a long furrow through the black armor and eliciting a roar of fury from the skeleton. Alex wasn''t actually sure how a skeleton made noises in the first place ¡ª it wasn''t like they still had a functioning voice box ¡ª but something told him the Night King probably wasn''t going to be particularly eager to answer his questions.


    Princess splattered as the Night king brought the hilt of its sword down on top of her, practically flattening the Drudge in a single blow. The skeleton turned toward Glint and lunged, but the Glasmir hopped out of range of the other monster''s large sword.


    Three shadow soldiers rushed toward Glint''s back, but Spark intercepted them. He grabbed one and flung it into the other. Both of them exploded into shards of darkness. The third soldier raced through the shadows and thrust a spear at the Echo Wraith''s burning blue core.


    Spark grabbed the weapon with his gauntlets, ripping it free before bringing a fist down on the soldier''s shadowy helmet and caving his head in. The Echo Wraith charged the Night King again as the skeleton lifted its huge sword to swing it down at Princess.


    Energy crackled as Spark slammed into the skeleton''s arm, knocking its blow awry and sending it crashing into the ground. Princess glommed onto the Night King with everything she had, centipede-arms encircling the other monster in a tight bear hug as her sludgy arms pulled the skeleton against her chest.


    A shadow passed through the sky. Claire dropped down from above, her katana glistening as she brought it down in a long arc for the boss'' head.


    Yes!


    The gemstone on the Night King''s sword ignited with brilliant green light. That same light lit within the skeleton''s eyes, and the blood rushed out of Alex''s face as goosebumps rushed over his skin.


    "Partial Soul Manifestation," the king rumbled. "Eternal Army."


    Fuck.


    Every single soldier in the room exploded into a stream of shadow. They flowed through the air like rushing rivers, all twisting into the Night King''s chest. A wave of pressure slammed into Alex in a physical blow and knocked the air from his lungs.


    Claire was launched back up into the ceiling. Her katana spun from her grip and her wings snapped out to keep her from plummeting back down to the ground at terminal velocity.


    The Night King''s missing arm lifted off the ground from where it had fallen near the start of the fight. Strands of shadow pulled it back onto the monster''s body, but it wasn''t done. Shadows twisted within the large monster, dim green eyes burning beneath its armor as if it were translucent.


    Alex could make out individual gazes lurking through its body, as if dozens of souls had all been trapped inside the Night King''s armor.


    With a roar, the skeleton hurled Princess free.


    She sailed through the air like a dropkicked toddler and splattered against the wall, her mask shattering from the force of the blow.


    I''m starting to think we should have gotten Orchid that staff of hers. Fighting with 3 people has already made what would have been impossible a lot more manageable. We''d be able to sweep through this if we had 4¡­ but as she is now, she''s basically a glorified nightlight with a mild toaster function.


    Glint darted forward and slashed at the Night King with his wing. Instead of trying to dodge, the skeleton''s gauntleted hand shot out. It grabbed onto the razor-sharp mirror and shattered it before whipping the Glasmir into the air and slamming him back down on the ground with a tinkling crunch.


    Two streams of energy rushed into Alex.


    Claire dropped from the ceiling.


    Tendrils of shadow exploded up from the Night King''s back. Green motes shifted within them as they reached up in a blur and slammed into Claire, wrapping around her body and encasing it a cocoon. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    No!


    Alex charged forward alongside Spark. The Echo Wraith arrived at the monster first. Encore''s time was already nearly up, so the best thing he could do was get one more brief instant of distraction in.


    The Night King barely even flinched. Its hand snapped out and a closed fist drove into Spark''s body, shattering every plate of chitinous armor that surrounded his core. Spark vanished in a crackle of light, his power entering Alex.


    He imbued his shadow in the spot he stood with Spark''s magic, not even missing a step as he continued his charge.


    The Night King turned to Alex, already swinging its sword in his direction ¡ª not with the sharp edge of the blade, but the flat one.


    Oh, fuck.


    It was a huge chunk of shadow and metal whistling toward him like a wall of death. There was no room to dodge above or below the sword. The only way he could get out of the way would be to swap with his shadow, but that would lose all the momentum in the fight that all his monsters had just died for.


    "Got it!" Derek''s roar echoed through the throne room.


    The massive barbarian charged past Alex. He slammed into the flat of the blade. A resounding crash echoed out. Derek wasn''t nearly strong enough to completely stop the monster''s attack ¡ª but he was strong enough to slow it.


    Alex dashed past the sword and leapt into the air, a wing of glass snapping out from his back. It flashed, carving through the inky tendrils that had bound around Claire. They split apart, burning away and dropping the Dhampir to the ground as she gasped for air.


    The Night King didn''t let him land the blow for free. It thrust a hand forward, impaling Alex clean through the chest with one finger.


    Princess'' magic ignited within him. Sludge dripped from the hole in his chest, trying to seal it over, but there was still a certain mass of armor and bone directly where his heart should have been.


    Magic burned away as it tried and failed to fix him. His reserves dipped from dangerously low to nearly empty.


    "You are not worthy," the Night King rumbled.


    It batted Derek away, then brought its sword up for Alex.


    Alex bared his teeth in a grin.


    "Glint," he ordered, drawing on the death energy that still lingered in wait. "Return to me."


    Shattering glass rained down all around Alex, and the Glasmir dropped from a portal at his side. He landed on the Night King''s arm and leapt off it, flying straight into the monster''s helmeted head.


    Then, like a furious cat, Glint ripped into the monster''s face with everything''s he had.


    Claire picked herself up and darted around the skeleton. Her wings flapped and she bounded into the air, grabbing onto its arm and pulling herself up next to Alex. She planted a foot on his chest and launched him off the monster''s finger.


    He plummeted to the ground and landed with a grunt, the hole in his chest starting to repair itself now that there wasn''t anything in the way. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Claire''s katana. Alex rolled over, grabbing the weapon by the hilt and flinging it as hard as he could.


    "Claire!" Alex yelled.


    She twisted, still precarious perched on the Night King''s arm, and grabbed the sword just before it could fly past her.


    The boss monster ripped Glint away from its face and pelted the Glasmir into the ground. It lifted a foot and brought it down on his body. A crunch echoed out as Glint was ground to nothing but energy.


    And in the moment it took the Night King to kill Glint, Claire leapt forward. She thrust her sword forward. It drove straight into one of the skeleton''s glowing green eyes and continued all the way up to its hilt. Metal shattered as the blade broke against the inside of the skeleton''s skull.


    In a blur of motion, the Night King grabbed Claire and hurled her to the ground. She hit it with a crunch and a cry of pain. Alex staggered forward, the wound on his chest still pulling itself together and lethargy grabbing at his limbs.


    He couldn''t make it. He was too far away.


    The Night King lifted its foot into the air. For a moment, it hovered above Claire''s body. Then a crack echoed out. The shadows covering its body drained away and the light coming from the gemstone in the hilt of its sword dimmed.


    Its foot crashed down ¡ª not on Claire, but beside her. The skeleton staggered, grabbing the sword in its skull and ripping it free. Its blade was broken off at the hilt, only about a foot of it remaining attached. The Night King''s gaze lowered to Alex and Claire.


    "Perhaps¡­ you are worthy," the skeleton said. The sword slipped from its grip and slammed into the floor, digging into the stone and remaining upright. Then the light behind the monster''s eyes sputtered out.


    A wave of energy drove into Alex and stifled the breath in his lungs from its intensity.


    The huge monster pitched back, almost as if in slow motion, and hit the ground with a resounding crash. A wave of energy drove into Alex like a gut punch. It froze the breath in his throat and his entire body stiffened. The gemstone in the hilt of the king''s sword broke away from the weapon and clinked to the ground. It shimmered as dull golden energy lit it from within.


    Gentle words sliced through the air above the gem.


    Soul Gem [Ruler Aspect]


    And then the room was silent.


    The Night King was dead.


    All that remained was for them to collect the rewards and find out how they could rip a way back to 274-50 so Alex could claim the Town Token before the Outworlders.

 Chapter 113: Token

    Alex wiped his face with the back of a hand as he fought to catch his breath. The hole in his chest slowly pulled itself back together, strands of black goop stretching out and linking with each other before pulling themselves shut; a nest of writhing worms.He stood with a grimace and more than a little difficulty. His entire body felt like it had been wrung like a wet towel and his magical reserves weren''t doing much better. He was completely out of energy.


    Several loud pops rang out through the spacious throne room. Claire let out a groan from where she laid on the ground. "Bleed me. My fucking everything. It all hurts."


    "Pain is good. Just take a nap. It''ll heal you right up," Derek said. He shook himself off like a wet dog and sent blood splattering everywhere. Orchid, who had been unfortunate enough to have been walking up near him at the time, was graciously decorated.


    She sent him a death glare, then broke her gaze away to look back at the fallen Night King and the green gemstone lying at its feet.


    "That''s quite something," Orchid said, wiping some of the blood that Derek had just deposited onto her face away with the back of a sleeve. "An Aspect Gem in a place like this¡­ and one with a name that I''ve never seen. Now you''re making me wish I didn''t agree to stay out of the fight¡­ not that I could have done much without my staff."


    Alex studied the small green gemstone. The Ruler Aspect ¡ª that seemed quite apt for a skeleton king. It was the same kind of stone as the red Nightmare Aspect gem that was currently sitting inside his Mind Palace.


    I like the sound of a Ruler Aspect. The Night King was kind of a summoner. That probably means this gem should be pretty useful for me, right? I need to try and get Derek to ask Orchid about what Aspect Gems actually are.


    "It''s not bad," Alex said with a small shrug.


    Orchid squinted at him. "Not bad? Maybe for someone from the Starfallen family, but this would go for thousands of credits if you could even find someone willing to sell it. Is it uninteresting enough that you''re willing to part with it?"


    "No way." Claire shoved herself into a seated position so she could get a better look at the gem. She immediately winced and let out a curse. "Ugh. Shit. Shouldn''t have done that."


    "Take it easy for a little," Alex advised. "Let your body heal up. We''re not going anywhere too soon anyway. I''m going to have to find the Town Token before we can head out ¡ª and then I''ll have to find a way to actually reach it from the Mirrorlands. Something tells me that might take a while."


    "So this thing isn''t the Token?" Derek looked down at the Ruler Aspect gem.


    "It''s not particularly token-shaped," Alex observed. He reached down for the gemstone. As soon as his fingers brushed across its faceted green surface, a sharp cold pierced into them. There was an electric buzz ¡ª and the gem vanished.


    "I''ll take that as a no on your plans to sell it," Orchid said dryly. "Can''t say I''m surprised. Only an idiot would sell a gem like that."


    Whoops. Oh well. I was planning on taking it anyway. It just seems like it would fit me too well for me to pass up on it.


    "No point putting it to waste," Alex said with a one-shouldered shrug. "I''d normally offer a fairer way to get it for everyone but ¡ª well, you did agree that we would get all the loot in exchange for finding the Token, and that was before we rescued you."


    Orchid coughed into a fist. "You don''t have to remind me. I know what happened. I''m not saying anything. I barely contributed anything to this dungeon other than its general location."


    "That''s not true," Derek said. He put a hand on her shoulder and smeared some of the blood on his palms across her sleeve. "You were a great light. And I don''t mind about the gem. I''m just tagging along for fun. No need for payment."


    Orchid let out a heavy sigh. "Gods above and below, I really need a new staff. That''ll be my first order of business the moment we get out of here. Alex, are you certain that the trees would object to me taking a branch from them? A staff made out of Mirrorlands wood¡­ that would become very powerful. It could be even better than my last staff after some time."


    "It''s something we can look into after getting the Town Token," Alex said noncommittally.


    Orchid blinked. "Wait. Really?"


    "The trees aren''t really that huge of a threat as long as we''re rested up and not preparing for another major fight. We''d probably have to be pretty fast. The last time I fought them, they tried to hold me down while they summoned a slow-moving guardian. The fight wasn''t too bad. It''s definitely doable."


    "I ¡ª yeah. That''s good to know. I just didn''t think you would offer to help me after our deal was complete."


    Ah, shit. That''s not something that a person from the Starfallen family normally would have offered, is it? I forgot I was meant to be a raging prick with turbo-rich parents.


    Claire saved Alex from accidentally digging the hole deeper for himself by answering before he could.


    "We aren''t out of the Mirrorlands yet, and the other families might be waiting for us when we do take a portal out. This isn''t charity. We''re going to need you to be useful if we get ambushed."


    Orchid nodded, and to Alex''s surprise, she actually seemed relieved about that revelation. It was almost as if she felt safer knowing that their plans weren''t out of the kindness of their hearts.


    "That makes sense," Orchid said. "In that case, I certainly won''t complain. It seems the situation has rolled the dice in my favor this time around. About damn time. Thank you."


    "Don''t thank us until we actually get it," Alex said, resisting the urge to send Claire an appreciative nod. His gaze caught on the fallen Night King. A large Soul Flame burned above the corpse, black and white in color as if it were trapped within an old colorless television.


    Alex scooped it into a Spatial Mirror. The Night King''s soul was definitely going to be useful. Its use of shadows felt like it had a good chance of aligning with Spark ¡ª but he could deal with that after he had the Town Token in his hands.


    He glanced around the throne room and grimaced. There was no sign of the token in question, but that didn''t mean it wasn''t there. "For now, just look to see if you can find the Town Token anywhere. If it''s powerful enough, there might be a chance it got reflected over into the Mirorrlands and we won''t even need to bother with tearing open a portal back to 274-50 here."


    Everyone split up at his words. Well ¡ª almost everyone. Claire remained on the ground as her body knitted itself back together after the nasty blow she''d taken from the Night King. There were still cracks in the ground where she''d landed. Alex was pretty sure it was going to take at least an hour or two before she was able to move again properly, much less fully heal. Even though upgrading their Mind Palaces considerably increased the speed of their healing, Claire had a whole lot of it to do.


    Everyone else spread through the spacious room and made their way around it in search of the Town Token. They scoured the throne, searching for levers and hidden buttons. They checked the walls and cracks between the stones. They scanned over the doors in search for hidden patterns or passageways.


    And, even after Claire had healed up enough to join in and Alex''s monsters had regenerated, they had still found nothing. There was no Town Token in the Mirrorlands.


    "Well," Orchid said as they all regrouped in the center of the room around the throne, "Shit."


    "It''s fine," Alex said. "I figured this was the most likely possibility. It was worth trying just in case we got lucky, but I never planned on the Town Token just sitting around waiting for us in the Mirrorlands. It''s meant to be on 274-50 after all."


    "So you''ll just open a portal back to Earth from here?" Derek asked. "You know, I should have asked this earlier, but I was a bit distracted. If you can just open portals anywhere, why didn''t you do it when we were getting chased? That would have been a lot faster."


    "I can''t open portals anywhere. I can normally only open them in a location where a portal already exists."


    "So there''s a portal here?" Orchid asked.


    Alex cleared his throat. "No."


    Derek and Orchid stared at him.


    "Then¡­" Orchid trailed off, not wanting to accidentally insult a member of the Starfallen family whilst clearly wondering if she''d tossed her lot in with an imbecile.


    "Locations with high magical energy are unstable," Alex said. "Like with Disruptors. The planes are closer together in those spots ¡ª and I believe that should hold true for this dungeon. Its reflected over from 274-50, which means this area is connected to the proper plane. And if that connection is unstable and the proximity of the planes is low¡­ I believe I may be able to forcibly rip open a portal."


    "Oh. Why didn''t you say that from the start," Derek asked. "We should have opened with the easy way."


    "It isn''t the easy way. The other families might be waiting for us, and we needed to be ready for a fight before I tried punching through the barrier between planes," Alex said.


    And I''m also not completely convinced that Rift Walk is going to let me open a portal. I''m putting a lot of faith on my Qi. If it empowers the ability like it does for all the other ones¡­ I feel like it should.


    Only one way to find out.


    "Do it," Claire said, cracking her neck and giving him a nod. "We''re ready. Just¡­ maybe be ready to drop the portal if someone tries to squeeze through on their own."


    Alex thought back to the first time he''d tried to pass through a portal between Mirrorlands back to Earth. He''d nearly burnt his own hands off pushing his way into the portal. Sure, this wasn''t the same kind of portal, but he wasn''t particularly worried about someone forcing their way into the Mirrorlands without Rift Walk.


    "I don''t think we''ll have any trouble there unless someone is trying to cook themselves," Alex said. "But no point getting excited before I actually get a chance to test the theory. It''s only that. Better be ready for a fight just in case. You never know¡­ and opening a portal does occasionally draw some nasty attention."


    The others nodded their understanding and lowered into fighting stances as they readied their magic. Once they were prepared, Alex drew on his magic.


    His first order of business was activating Riftsense. He was unsurprised to find that there was no existing portal already waiting for him. That would have been too simple. Alex was unbothered. He reached past the churning reserve of power within himself and down into his chest, where the warmth of his Qi swirled in wait. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then Alex drew on the power. It poured through his limbs, traveling out into his palms and making his fingers tingle. Energy buzzed within him like a furious nest of bees ¡ª and Alex activated Rift Walk and let it free.


    Crackling purple and red energy ignited and danced across his fingertips. The air before his hands thickened like jell-o. He tried to catch onto it, but his fingers passed through the air without finding purchase.


    He was so close. Alex could almost feel the sensation of a portal but wasn''t quite there. He stepped to the side and tried again. The sensation was weaker this time, as if he''d gotten even farther from a hidden portal.


    Maybe there''s a spot where the separation between planes is even weaker?


    Alex''s gaze landed on the throne in the center of the room. He approached it, all too aware of the energy and Qi draining out of his body with every second he wasted, and reached out.


    Power crackled against the palms. The buzzing grew louder. His hands trembled against something directly in the air above the seat. He tightened his grip. Dim purple lines flickered out from around his hands as the air bent and warped.


    Then, with a snarl, Alex pulled. The air creaked and bent. Qi-filled rift energy poured out into the air and licked across the throne like tongues of purple-red flame.


    A loud tearing noise split through the air as a twisting portal yawned open. It burned with brilliant red energy like a weeping wound before dimming down to a dull white with crackles of rift lightning passing within it.


    And, through the portal, was a staticky outline of a throne identical to the one in the Mirrorlands. But, while Alex''s throne was empty, the one before him had a single object upon it. A hazy outline of a circular disk.


    And even through the portal, the System''s words shimmered, muted and hazy but still visible.


    Town Token (Legendary)


    "That''s it!" Orchid breathed. "The token!"


    A strained grin crossed Alex''s face. It took every scrap of power and determination he had to keep the portal from slamming shut. He never would have trusted it to ferry him all the way back to 274-50 ¡ª but he didn''t need it to do that.


    All it had to do was let his hand through for a brief moment.


    Moving as fast as he dared, Alex shoved his hand through the portal. Pain exploded through his arm as Rift energy tore into him. It felt like he was trying to shove his way through nearly dry cement.


    The portal shuddered. Its edges wavered and warped as it lost cohesion.


    "Alex," Claire warned. "The portal!"


    A snarl pushed free from his lips as he strained ¡ª and he felt his fingers close down around cold metal.


    He yanked his hand back.


    There was a loud snap. The portal slammed shut, just barely missing his hand as he stumbled back. His arm was badly burnt and scorched. Pain pulsed down his entire arm from the nerves that hadn''t been ravaged. And, clutched in his aching fingers, was a blackened token the size of his palm.


    Alex''s eyes went wide.


    The description of the token had changed.


    Riftwarped Town Token (Mythic)


    Oh, shit.

 Chapter 114: Lets see

    The entire throne room was silent for several moments as everyone stared at the updated description of the Town Token. Alex wasn''t completely sure as to how rarities according to the System worked, but he was pretty sure that Mythic ranked above Legendary. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality."Fuck," Orchid breathed. She raised a hand involuntarily toward the token before she caught herself and swallowed heavily. "What is that?"


    "You don''t know?" Derek asked. "Isn''t that what we wanted? It''s the Town Token."


    "I''ve never seen a Town Token like that," Orchid said.


    Alex hadn''t either ¡ª but that was largely because he''d never seen one before now in the first place. The token had a lot more weight to it than he''d expected, as if it were made out of tungsten. Its edges were slightly ridged and even though its surface had been blackened and scorched by Rift energy, he could make out a scarred engraving of a city upon its surface. The other side had the symbol of a crown upon it.


    "It looks like the rest of the families didn''t quite make it in time," Claire said, the corner of her lips quirking up in amusement. "We win."


    "They''re going to be pissed about that, I think," Derek said.


    "Not if we sell it to them," Orchid said. "Alliances between the families ¡ª especially ones that weren''t ever officially established ¡ª last about as long as a summer breeze. They''ll stab each other in the back here and now if it meant getting that token before anyone else can. Just watch. We''ve just become everyone''s best friend."


    Only if we sell this thing¡­ and sorry, Orchid, but I''m not selling it. If a normal Town Token was already really important, then I can''t even imagine how powerful this one will be. There''s no way I''m giving up an advantage like this to the Outworlders in exchange for some credits.


    "That can''t be right," Derek said with a frown. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and shook his head. "You can''t just become someone''s best friend. You have to earn that. It''s a very important position. The people that tried to kill us were quite rude. I don''t think they''d fit the role of a best friend in the slightest."


    Orchid studied Derek for a long second as if he were an interesting lab specimen. "I was using a turn of phrase. They won''t actually be our friends, but they won''t care that we killed some idiot mercenaries. All that matters is power."


    "Well now I want to help them even less. There''s nothing worse than a fake friend."


    "Morals are expensive," Orchid warned Derek. "I''ve got a lot of respect for anyone that can afford theirs for long. I''m not one of those people. The amount of money we''d get for selling something like this¡­ I don''t think you realize how much it would be."


    "I don''t care about money. I''m happy enough as things are right now. Money isn''t going to change that. What do you even need the money for? You''re also an Outworlder, aren''t you? You should be strong already. What else do you need?"


    Orchid''s hands tightened at her sides. "My family is in debt. I have to get resources on this world. A lot of them. Some for myself. Some for contractual obligations that I have to fulfill. If I can''t do that¡­ everyone from my family will be killed. I''m our last hope. My Matriarch pulled in every last favor we had to get me onto 274-50."


    "And you think that giving away an advantage like this is going to be the best move for you?" Alex arched an eyebrow as he took the reins of the conversation from Derek. The berserker had done a fantastic job unintentionally preparing the situation. "Haven''t you ever heard that the best way to make money is to be your own boss? Working for someone else is never going to free your family of debt. It''ll only postpone the deadline."


    For the briefest instant, a flicker of anger passed through Orchid''s features. Then she suppressed it and the emotion was gone. "That only applies if you survive long enough to take advantage of that opportunity ¡ª and I doubt you plan to throw the value of that token away by giving it to me for any amount of money that my family could muster up."


    "We wouldn''t," Claire said with a nod. "But I think you can tell where we''re going with this, Orchid. This is far too powerful to waste on the incompetent idiots in the other families. And, frankly, I''m not feeling charitable. We''re using this ourselves."


    You bet your ass we are. Could this Town Token let me establish a town in the Mirrorlands? I have no idea, but I''ll be damned if I give that up to some stuffy planet-stealing prick.


    Orchid''s shoulders slumped, but she didn''t look surprised in the slightest. "Yeah. I thought you might have said that. Damn it. I could see your family passing up on a normal Town Token ¡ª I''m sure you''ve got a ton of them ¡ª but I wasn''t expecting it to get warped like that. Luck is a curse. Did you know that would happen?"


    "Hadn''t the slightest idea," Alex said honestly.


    He decided not to mention the fact that they''d have done the exact same thing even if the Town Token had turned out exactly as it should have.


    "That doesn''t mean you have to come out of this with nothing," Claire said. "I''d argue we''ve probably paid you for your work by saving your life ¡ª but we can use someone like you. We can''t handle everything on our own and there''s little point in using a Town Token if there isn''t anyone to defend the town."


    Orchid''s gaze snapped over to Claire so quickly that Alex feared the sharpness of the motion would send her eyes flying out of her head. "What?"


    "You said you didn''t know how you''d ever get a chance to capitalize on an opportunity like this. The answer is to piggyback off an investor," Claire said with a practiced smile.


    "You want me to join up with you?"


    "You don''t have to answer now. Feel free to spend some time thinking about it until we find our way out of the Mirrorlands," Claire said with a one-shouldered shrug. "You shouldn''t have much issue with the other families now that the token is gone. They aren''t stupid and petty enough to go after you now that the opportunity has passed. After all, the System always provides new challenges and ways to grow stronger. Keeping a grudge will only hold you back and waste time¡­ unless you''ve still got something they want."


    "I don''t even have a staff anymore. Keeping on as I have been isn''t going to change anything," Orchid muttered. Her features set and her jaw tightened. For a moment, she debated internally with herself and said nothing. Then she gave them a firm nod. "I accept your offer. I know I''m not capable of much right now, but once I get my staff back, I will be. Thank you for your kindness."


    Alex would have given Claire a fist bump were they alone. She''d somehow managed to frame getting Orchid to back them up and feed them all the information they could possibly want on Outworlders as a favor.


    "Then we can work out the semantics once we get out of here," Claire said. "Until then, we should start moving. No reason to sit around when the other Outworlders are probably still searching for us."


    "Wise," Orchid said with a nod. "They''ll never let it slip between their fingers so easily. If we aren''t going to sell it at an Assembly or to the Great Tide, then we need to put as much distance between ourselves and Valley Ford as possible before establishing the town. Until then, the Token is just a death note in our pockets."


    "So we''re heading back to Earth, then?" Derek asked.


    "Soon," Alex promised. He looked down at his burnt hand and winced, shaking it off and wishing his body would heal itself a little faster. "We''ll travel through the Mirrorlands. Even with all the monsters, it''s safer than waiting for some idiot to try to stick a knife in our backs. We''ll slide out of the Mirrorlands once we''re starting to get hungry or thirsty. But, if you''re all fine with it, I want to take one more pause before we continue."


    "Why?" Orchid asked. "Shouldn''t we move as fast as possible?"


    "Haste is good, but don''t forget where we are. The Mirrorlands isn''t exactly safe."


    Orchid''s eyes lit up in understanding. "Ah. Was that your third Aspect Gem? I''m surprised you didn''t already have them set. I would have thought the Starfallen Family ¡ª no. It doesn''t matter."


    Soemthing important happens when you get all 3 of the gems set? That''s good to know. Derek, come on. This is your time. Ask her about it.


    Unfortunately, Alex''s telepathic attempts met with failure. Derek seemed lost in thought and didn''t say anything, leaving Alex stuck with the tail end of the conversation.


    "I''m just doing a little work on my Mind Palace," Alex said not providing any useful information to avoid accidentally incriminating himself. Someone from the Starfallen Family would know a whole lot more about literally everything that he did. The vaguer and more mysterious he was, the better.


    I really need to figure out what the Aspect Gems do. I''m not setting them until I know. Asking Orchid is too much of an obvious giveaway¡­ damn it. I need to get back to Finley. Yet another reason to use this token myself. It''ll give me a portal that I can use to get back to Towntown. We finally have Credits, but there''s no way I''m going back to Valley Ford to spend them.


    But while Alex had no plans of using the Aspect Gems until he knew what they''d do and he could ensure he used them properly, he had one significant thing he could do that bore quite a bit of potential.


    Spark had been lagging behind Princess and Glint in power for a bit. His ability to swap locations with his shadow was a fantastic trick and escape tool, but that was about where his normal kit ended in usefulness.


    But the Night King¡­ the monster had been an absolute menace, and Alex had never gotten his hands on an Adept ranked Soul Flame before. The Night King leaned heavily into shadow attributes, similar to an Echo Wraith, but was a skeleton while the wraith was closer to a ghost carrying around a bunch of armored plates.


    I have no idea just how well the two of them will combine¡­ but even if it doesn''t line up perfectly for every trait, I can''t just pass up on the chance that their shadow-related powers combine to make something even more powerful.


    Let''s see what you can do, Spark.

 Chapter 115: Door

    Deep in meditation, Alex pondered two Soul Flames. Floating above one of his hands was the mote of energy that represented Spark. Above the other was the black and white fire of the Night King. Pressure emanated off the two souls, pushing his palms apart and fighting desperately not to be combined.Alex still wasn''t sure how compatible the two of them were. Their shadow powers definitely aligned, but Spark was much more of a movement focused monster than the Night King was.


    Based on the way Harmonious Evoluion works, if I combine Spark and the Night King, the Echo Wraith''s mobility and the king''s tankiness will probably both get heavily damaged as they get averaged down to a lower level.


    In exchange, their shadow powers should complement each other pretty much perfectly. So that means mixing these two will probably get me a more magically focused version of Spark that''s less mobile than he is and easier to kill than the King was.


    Alex pondered the combination for several minutes. He was pretty sure that tradeoff was worth it. Spark wasn''t as mobile as Glint in the first place, and the Night King''s defenses hadn''t been its most important stat.


    When Princess reached Adept, Alex was confident she''d be even harder to kill than the Night King had been. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And if that was the case¡­ combining the king and Spark was a worthwhile risk. He wouldn''t be giving up any stats that were so important that the monster would become completely useless.


    The combination has a chance of failing since they''ve got a lot of differences ¡ª but that''s a risk I''m willing to take. I believe in you, Spark. For entirely self-motivated and optimistic reasons.


    His decision was made.


    Though¡­ I wonder. Can I use Harmonious Evolution with Qi?


    He tried to reach for the ball of warm energy, but almost instantly, he could feel something was wrong. It was hard to put it to words, but he just instinctively felt that the ability did not mesh.


    Qi burned powerfully and quickly. If he injected it into the combination, all it would do was negatively impact the final result and destabilize the monsters he was putting together. It was definitely worth testing to make sure his fears were correct, but not on a combination as important as this one.


    Alex set his jaw and pressed his hands together. Pressure drove back against him as the Soul Flames redoubled their efforts to remain separate. He pushed harder.


    Slowly, his hands started to grow closer. The pressure continued to ramp as the flames bucked and crackled. They tried to slip past his fingers and dart back to their original positions. He didn''t let them.


    Crackles of Rift energy arced through the air as the two flames grew closer together. The smell of ozone prickled in Alex''s nostrils and arcs of lightning snapped and popped between the flames.


    They both started to glow with a brilliant white magic. The world started to fade and Alex squeezed his eyes shut to keep himself from getting blinded. He could still see the bright light even through his closed eyelids.


    His skin warmed as the air around him rose in temperature. Flashes of purple broke through the white piercing into his eyelids and a dull, buzzing roar filled his ears. Alex clenched his teeth and pushed himself even harder.


    With a roar, he brought his hands together.


    The Soul Flames collided with a brilliant crack and a roar of pressure. All the light vanished, sucked away from his soul, and he opened his eyes once more to find a churning orb of purplish-black energy whirling in the air before him.


    It was around ten feet in diameter. Energy poured out from it in waves of pressure, sending ripples across the surface of the dark lake at the base of his soul. Flashes of energy from within illuminated the shadow of a figure trapped within the energy.


    Alex could only catch glimpses of it. A gauntlet clad in purple crackling lightning. A spiked shoulder pad, a black helm with a T-shaped opening for the eyes and mouth. Loud grinding noises and metallic crunches echoed out from within the orb of magic.


    He could do nothing but watch on with trepidation, hands raised to protect his face from the rolling waves of power, as he waited to see the results of his combination. Alex grit his teeth, unable to still the pounding of his heart in his chest.


    This can''t be healthy for me. It''s like playing a slot machine every time I combine my monsters¡­ but damn if it isn''t fun.


    Finally, as if it could feel his thoughts, the waves of pressure started to lessen. The energy driving into Alex weakened and then vanished all together as the orb started to fade.


    Then, with a final pop, it vanished entirely.


    There was a splash as two sabatons landed on the watery surface of Alex''s soul, followed by another two as a pair of gauntlets drove down after them. The final motes of rift energy flowed away to reveal the rest of Spark''s new form.


    A hollow suit of black knight''s armor knelt before Alex. Pulsating strands of purple energy ran throughout it like veins, visible through gaps in the metal plates and pulsing where the monster''s eyes should have been.


    The armor was sleek and smooth, and though the figure it made was humanoid, Spark crouched down on all four limbs like a dog. Pools of shadow rippled where its limbs touched the ground, partially obscuring its form. It twitched, almost as if impatient, but waited for a command.


    Shimmering letters carved through the air above the monster''s hunched back.


    The Knight Wraith (Initiate 3)


    Alex''s spine prickled.


    Whoa. There''s something really creepy about a hollow suit of armor crouching like that.


    It took him a moment to realize what it was. The movements the suit made were wrong. Even though it was humanoid, no part of it moved in conjunction with the others. It was like a jittery mess of energy and metal.


    "The night ¡ª wait. Night. Knight? Is that a pun?" Alex squinted at the monster''s name. "Did you name yourself?"


    Spark didn''t respond.


    "Are you intelligent? Attempt to show me if you have any internal thought of your own." Alex had no plans of changing his habit of checking his monsters'' intelligence. But this test, just like all the previous ones, proved fruitless. The Knight Wraith did not respond to him. It just remained in place, twitching, awaiting a command.


    "Stand up," Alex said.


    Spark rose. Tendrils of shadow clung to his hands, stretching taut. At his full height, the knight stood at nearly 7 feet tall. It almost seemed as if the shadows connected to the monster were trying to pull him back down to the ground.


    "Go to a natural position," Alex ordered.


    The Knight Wraith sank back down and rested the knuckles of his gauntlets on the ground, letting shadow swallow them once more.


    Well, he''s certainly intimidating. I have no idea if the combination worked, though.


    "Show me what you can do," Alex said. "How have your abilities changed, Spark?"


    That was a slightly complex command, but before Alex could rectify it to something more specific, Spark moved. The shadows beneath him rose up and he shifted to the side, leaving a shadow where he''d been a moment before.


    Arcs of dim purple energy danced through its form, occasionally illuminating its eyes with a flash of magenta before they faded to black once more. A small frown of concentration pulled across Alex''s lips.


    Something was different about the shadow.


    Then the shadow twitched.


    Alex''s eyes went wide as it rose to its feet to stand before him, moving as easily as a normal figure would. Spark rose beside it, the strands of darkness that had pulled at his limbs now gone.


    "You can control your shadow?" Alex asked in awe. "Can it attack?"


    The shadow extended a hand toward Alex. He reached out. His fingers met cold metal, and a thrill of delight ran across Alex''s back.


    Spark could form a clone that could fight alongside him. That was an enormous improvement over the Echo Wraith''s previous ability, which had only left a stationary shadow behind. The only remaining question was if he could still ¡ª


    Color snaped into life where the shadow had been as Spark swapped places with it.


    Alex let out a delighted laugh. "Yes! Brilliant!"


    Even if nothing else had changed, he''d literally just doubled Spark''s combat power in his base form, but that wasn''t even addressing the enormous benefit that came from being able to move the shadow around freely instead of leaving it in one spot.


    And that means I should be able to get the same ability when he dies. This is perfect. It looks like Spark lost the ability to fly from the combination and he''s clearly not as fast as he used to be, but this is absolutely worth it.


    "You," Alex informed the hunched monstrosity of a knight, "are beautiful."


    His complements fell on deaf ears. Spark''s purple eyes flickered as he waited for a command.


    Alex grinned and waved his hand. Spark vanished into his Spatial Mirror, leaving him alone in his soul once more. His new combination had been a resounding success ¡ª and it had also clarified a few things on Monster Mash for him in the process.


    When he combined a very tanky monster with a normal one, their stats would average out. The same went for any stat ¡ª so it would have been a very bad idea to put a monster whose main trait was speed together with anything other than another very fast monster. If he did, it would lose what made it strong.


    But when he combined two monsters that were both very good at their main ability, such as shadow manipulation, the shadow manipulation would grow stronger while the other stats would average out ¡ª or in some cases, grow worse.


    Alex smiled to himself. He was starting to really understand how his class worked ¡ª and his monsters were steadily growing into a terrifying threat. Even though he''d been backed up by Claire and Derek, the three of them had managed to take out a Mirrorlands boss monster at Adept tier.


    With a thought, he summoned Princess. Speaking of getting stronger, he''d gathered quite a few souls during the dungeon they''d just run through. There was no point just holding onto them. He''d given Glint quite the power boost already, but Princess was up next.


    Alex fed every single one of the souls to the maw on Princess'' stomach. They vanished into her like she was a massive vacuum, and he''d completely run out of souls within just minutes.


    Princess going to be a real menace when she evolves.


    He dismissed her with a thought, then let out a satisfied sigh as he let his gaze travel over his soul. A churning mass of molten blue mist spun above his marble basin, waiting to be distilled into power. The dungeon had given him quite a bit of power, even for his current rank.


    I can''t wait to test out how much stronger we are when we get back to 274-50. We''re already more than caught up to the majority of the Outworlders. Once we get this town set up and I figure out how to use the Attribute Gems¡­


    Alex''s grin grew wider. He was quite looking forward to the future. There were going to be a lot of people gunning for his throat because of the Town Token, and he welcomed the challenge.


    But first ¡ª he had some energy to gather and cash in. He''d promised himself that he''d use the next bit of power he got to advance his Mind Palace.


    Time to see if I can pull up that door beneath the lake. It''s about time I figure out what it does.

 Chapter 116: New form

    Alex wasted no time in condensing the mist above his basin into blue rain. As soon as it had gathered in the bottom of his basin, he immediately drew it into himself and pumped the freezing power into his Mind Palace.Ripples passed through the dark water as energy infused his soul. The distant rattle of chains grew louder and the waves lapping against the base of his basin grew larger. Deep beneath the darkness, the door buried far in the darkness rose.


    Alex focused his entire being upon it, determined to pull it free from the waters. He had to know what it did. Everything he knew about Initiate stage said that the door''s presence made absolutely no sense.


    Admittedly, his knowledge on stages was quite limited ¡ª but Finley hadn''t had any reason to lie about something like this. Alex was fairly confident the merchant had been telling the truth.


    But if that was the case, then the purpose of Initiate would have been building up the Mind Palace and arranging it in some form of pattern. Alex didn''t fully understand that part yet, but Finley had mentioned it had something to do with Visualizations.


    But Alex hadn''t had the opportunity to even worry about a Visualization or any organization. His soul hadn''t given him anything to arrange. The only new piece he could see was the door that he was currently trying to rip free ¡ª and he highly doubted everyone put as much power into their Mind Palace as he did.


    If it hadn''t been for Meiderly''s advice, he''d have neglected the palace almost entirely. Most people would have done the same. That meant they''d have even less to work with on this stage than he did.


    But it wasn''t like someone could have less than zero. Alex had nothing but a door ¡ª so he was determined to get that at the very least.


    And so he poured power into himself. The dark water rippled like a stormy ocean. Frothy black waves slammed against the base of the basin and lapped at the stairs leading up to where he stood at its top.


    Crisp, freezing wind howled all around Alex, and still he flooded himself with energy. Rattling chains echoed far below like the roar of thunder ¡ª and deep within the water, a marble doorway ascended.


    Alex felt the power he''d gathered draining away. It was taking an enormous amount of energy to drag the door upward, but he was finally making progress. His fists clenched and he pushed himself harder, not letting any of the magic go to waste.


    The water above the doorway rippled. It approached the surface inch by inch, as if pulling itself away from the grip of the depths.


    And then, finally, its top breached. Dark water sloughed off the marble door as it rose above the surface of his lake. The last of Alex''s magic drained away just as the base of the doorway cleared the base of the lake.


    His hands fell to his sides and he dropped to his knees, drawing deep, ragged breaths as he fought to gather himself. The angry waves in his soul slowly settled down, reducing to ripples and slowly fading away to reveal still waters once more.


    And there the door stood. Alex carefully made his way down the stairs, stepping past the Nightmare and Ruler Aspect gems that sat at the top of his basin, and approached the newly minted doorway.


    It was plain, situated between two of the three marble pillars. The top of it was curved like an entrance to a castle corridor, the frame roughly half-a-foot wide and entirely unadorned. There was no handle or other apparent way to open it.


    The only form of decoration upon its surface were three lines that ran up from the bottom of the door. They gathered around a single clear gemstone lodged at eye level.


    "What are you?" Alex breathed, running a hand along the marble surface.


    The door did not respond. He gave it a small push, but it didn''t so much as budge. Alex walked around to its other side and tried pushing the other side of the door. That didn''t do anything either. If he was being honest, he would have been a bit disappointed if the secret to opening it had just been shoving it from behind.


    Alex walked back around to the door''s front. His foot tapped a steady beat against the still water, a frown crossing his lips as he thought. He could feel the new power pumping through his body and soul alike ¡ª he''d gotten even stronger from the magical infusion ¡ª but there was absolutely no indication as to what the doorway was meant to do.


    The only hint he''d gotten were the three lines.


    Three, huh?


    Alex glanced over to the pillars. There seemed to be a bit of a running theme here. Three pillars. Three lines ¡ª and three holes for Aspect Gems.


    Does the door only open once I''ve set all 3 of my gems? Or maybe I can open it when I just set one?


    I mean, I''ve already got two, but there''s no way I''m just sticking them in until I figure out what they do. What if I need to put in all 3 at once or they somehow get wasted? Definitely not risking that.


    Fortunately, Orchid is sticking around for at least a little longer. I''ll make sure to fish for information on the gems while we''re getting her that staff and looking for a place to set up the town. As soon as I know what they do and how they work, I''ll set them.


    Alex smiled to himself. Even if he couldn''t use the door yet, he was certain that it was tied to the gems. It would have been far too great of a coincidence for it not to be. And if that was the case¡­ he already had two of them. Even if he had to get a third before it would work, that wouldn''t be long in the making.


    He cast his gaze back into the water. Now that the door had risen, he was hopeful that there would be some sign of the next part of his Mind Palace that would make itself known.


    Thin his eyes widened.


    There, not all too far from the surface of the black lake, were dozens on dozens of murky shapes. Bricks floated, suspended in the water, waiting for a few more scraps of energy to summon them forth. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A grin split Alex''s lips.


    That would be what I need to build my Mind Palace. A bit more than just arranging things¡­ but I''d rather start from the ground up anyway. It''s like a giant Lego set, huh? Looks like Finley wasn''t lying¡­ so this door was just somehow in the way of what I was meant to get.


    Fascinating.


    His desire to open the door only built even more, but there wouldn''t be any of that until he got information on the Aspect Gems.


    The tasks in his Mind Palace were done¡­ for now.


    It was time to return to the others.


    ***


    Alex''s eyes opened to find Derek holding the Night King''s huge, broken sword in the air above him like it was a flag waving in the wind.


    "Does anyone mind if I take this?" Derek asked. "It looks like it could be pretty fun to use."


    "Be careful with that," Orchid advised. "It''s heavy. You''re going to cut yourself if you don''t at least hold it with two hands."


    "Your concern is deeply appreciated, but fear not, Princess," Derek said. "I am an expert."


    I''m starting to regret telling him that Orchid was a princess. That''s my monster''s name. I don''t want to have to wonder which one he''s talking about. There''s only room for one Princess.


    Alex was halfway through rising to his feet when Derek dropped the sword. It fell straight on his head, making a dull thud as its weight drove it down through his skull and into his chest.


    Derek''s body peeled apart around it. There were several clangs as it hit other weapons lodged in him and pushed them out of the way.


    Everyone stared at him.


    How heavy is that sword?


    About a second later, Derek''s body pulled back together around the sword. The huge weapon barely even fit inside him. He resembled a chipmunk with its cheeks stuffed full¡­ if his cheeks were his chest.


    "Oops," Derek said.


    "I think you''re more than welcome to the sword if you can actually carry it around. It''s way too heavy for me or Claire to use, and I don''t think Orchid is much a fan of melee weapons," Alex said dryly. "You might be getting stuck on a lot of doorways."


    "Oh, you''re awake!" Derek said. He turned toward Alex. And, as he did, a hazy ripple passed over the Night King''s sword. The huge weapon sank into his body and vanished as if it had never been there. "Thanks! You''re a real one."


    It does feel fair that Derek gets something after all the work he put in helping us through the dungeon. I don''t know if this would have been possible without him. It definitely would have been a whole lot slower at the minimum.


    "You all ready to go?" Claire asked. "I got my meditation in as well."


    "I''m ready," Alex said with a nod. He resisted the urge to ask Claire if she''d gotten any new abilities. She couldn''t even tell him her normal ones until she was forced to use the rest of them. "Orchid? You ready as well?"


    "I just had to wait for my power to return." The mage gave them a shrug. "I''m already at the limits of my power right now. Without a stronger Disruptor or the world loosening its restrictions, meditation isn''t going to do anything for me. Getting a new staff is the most important thing I can do¡­ so I''m prepared to leave whenever you are."


    "Then let''s go," Alex said. "We''ll backtrack out of the dungeon and put as much distance between ourselves and Valley Ford before dropping back into 274-50. Is that fine with you, Derek?"


    "Yup. Sure thing. Sounds fun. The Mirrorlands is great. It''s so pretty," Derek said with a dreamy smile. "I like looking at the clouds. Don''t care much about Valley Ford. I was only there hunting Anomalies, and I''m sure I''ll find more of those somewhere else. I just hope there are a few more fun fights. I''m bored."


    "Already?" Orchid asked, aghast. "What was this?"


    No, I''m completely with him. I can''t wait to test out Spark''s new form.


    "We''re in the Mirrorlands," Alex said with a chuckle. "You can''t step outside without finding something fun to fight. Fortunately, we''ve got a good one planned."


    "We do?" Claire asked.


    "Orchid needs a staff. And if there''s one thing I know about how things work here, it''s that we aren''t going to get something like that without a fight. So, shall we get going? This should be fun."

 Chapter 117: Opportunity

    Derek took the head of the group as they traced their steps back through the dungeon. Putting him at the front, as usual, turned out to be a good idea. No monsters showed themselves or attempted to attack them on the way out.The same couldn''t be said for traps.


    Alex would have sworn that they''d already triggered everything that could have been triggered. He was proven quite wrong.


    In the short time it took them to get out of the dungeon, Derek managed to get hit by four more axes and impaled by a spear. He got killed so many times that his powers kicked in and boosted his speed to a point where actually started getting fast enough to dodge the last few traps.


    Alex had no clue if Derek was just magnetically attracted to traps or if he''d been intentionally setting them off. Either way, due to his presence, nobody else got so much as scratched on the way out.


    They emerged from the dungeon and back into the Mirrorlands without any incident. Then they were off once more, setting course for one of the many twisting trees spattered across the multi-colored landscape of the Mirrorlands to get Orchid a branch for her staff.


    Alex and Claire both let themselves trail at the back of the group, lowering their voices to speak whilst Derek ¡ª unintentionally or not ¡ª distracted Orchid by regaling her with a tale of his favorite bed before the apocalypse.


    "I really need to figure out what Aspect Gems are," Alex whispered. "I''m convinced they''re really important."


    "I think we''d already gathered that much," Claire whispered back.


    Alex resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I meant more than that. Have you had a chance to put any energy into your Mind Palace after reaching Initiate?"


    "Quite a bit of it. I''m not dumb. I saw how huge the difference was between you and me. I''m not letting myself fall that far behind again. Why do you ask?"


    "What have you managed to get out of it? What things have come up in your soul?"


    "Plants, mostly. Some fences and brick walls. Honestly, it''s a bit of a bleedin'' mess. I''m really not a fan of it."


    "No door?"


    Claire tilted her head to the side in thought. "A door? No. I don''t recall anything like that. You put a lot of stress on that word."


    So my soul was different. She didn''t have the door that sucked up all my magical energy. It''s unique to me, then? Or is it something to do with being an Anomaly? I''ll have to ask Derek what he''s done in his soul to see if I can get a bit more information. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I''ve had a bit of a roadblock, and I think it''s connected to the Aspect Gems," Alex said. "Did you not have anything in your way when you reached Initiate and started infusing yourself with energy?"


    "Nothing." Claire shook her head. "It came quite easily. More than I''d like, honestly. I''ve been trying to sift things around and get them put into spots where they aren''t annoying. I really need to get a Visualization."


    A Visualization. Finley talked about those as well. They were patterns to arrange your Mind Palace to best distribute energy and grow more powerful, if I remember correctly. He had some shitty ones for sale, but if you''re going to follow some pre-made pattern, using a low-quality generic one is probably the worst thing you can do.


    "Do you happen to know where we could get good ones?"


    Claire waggled a hand in the air. "I know where I can get one. It won''t do you much good."


    A flicker of pain passed over her features. Her back stiffened and her next step fell heavier than the previous did. Her curse was tightening. She''d said more than it wanted her to, but that was to give Alex all the information he needed.


    Something about her class or the Trial it came with was related to a Visualization ¡ª or perhaps the Nightmarch family simply had a Visualization that would work really well for her particular abilities.


    Either way, she''s got it handled for now. If Visualizations can be unique, then it makes sense to assume that it isn''t just about getting the best sounding one. It''s about getting one that fits you the most. What works for Claire definitely isn''t going to work for me.


    I''ll have to keep an eye out for any information there¡­ but for now, what I need the most is to pry Orchid with questions on Aspect Gemstones without revealing that I''m not part of the Starfallen Family.


    "What about Aspect Gems?" Alex whispered. "Is there anything more you''ve got on them?"


    Claire shook her head, then glanced over to Orchid. "No. I take it you want to¡­"


    Alex nodded. "If you could. Do you think it would be a good idea to reveal that we aren''t actually ¡ª well, you know ¡ª to her? Keeping this shit up is a pain in the ass, and she''s pretty much stuck with us at this point.


    Claire shook her head firmly. "No. She''s tossed her lot in because of what she thinks we are, not who we actually are. Fear is an immensely powerful tool. It''s frustrating to keep this up but overshow your hand and you''ll have nothing left to play. We don''t know what Orchid''s motives are, but never forget the reason she''s not acting out against us is because she''s scared of our supposed family. That may change in the future, but throwing away that advantage now is dangerous."


    Alex nodded. "Yeah, you''re right. This is more your battlefield than mine, so I''ll let you lead. It just seems like it''ll be difficult to keep the act up constantly, especially once the town is set up."


    "Things will be different once the town is set up," Claire said absently. "We can worry about that when we get there. Right now, we don''t even know where we''re going to put it. It''s not like we can stick it right next to Valley Ford. Not if we want to keep the Offworlders from sieging it."


    "Yeah. It''ll have to be hidden." Alex''s lips twisted into a frown. Even if he''d remembered much geography, it wouldn''t do him a lot of good now that the world had changed. They were going to have to put a lot of distance between themselves and Valley Ford¡­ but he couldn''t cross that distance in the Mirrorlands.


    They''d run out of energy and food well before they covered significant ground. But, even if they didn''t, he had no clue which portals would lead back to Earth. They had to use the one they came in from.


    "I should forewarn you," Alex said, accelerating to catch back up with Derek and Orchid as he raised his voice. "When we return to 274-50, we''ll be using the same portal we used to get here."


    "You think those Offworlder blokes are still waiting for us?" Derek asked, cracking his neck ¡ª and causing a dagger lodged in it to squelch around in the process.


    "They won''t be there anymore," Orchid said with a shake of her head. "They''ll all be searching for the Town Token. I''d imagine they''re close to finding the dungeon now if they haven''t already¡­ so they''re going to be wondering where it is and who took it. None of them will suspect us. Attention shifts as quickly as a light breeze when there are bigger things at hand."


    Perfect. That just means we''ve got to avoid Valley Ford on our way to find a place to set up. We can worry about where after we get out of here.


    "Nice," Derek said. "So all we have to do is break a stick off a tree so Orchid can make her staff and we''re good to go?"


    "Pretty much. It might not be quite so simple."


    I certainly hope it isn''t too easy. I need a good test for Spark''s new form.


    ***


    About an hour later, they all came to a stop before a twisting tree with white bark. It loomed about twenty feet into the air, its warped branches devoid of leaves and clawing through the sky like grasping skeletal hands.


    Alex had seen a number of these trees before, and they never failed to set his hair on end. There was something deeply unsettling about the faces pressed against their bark from the insides, frozen just moments away from breaking free from within it.


    He glanced around to make sure there weren''t more trees somehow lurking around them in wait.


    All he found was rolling hills. There was no forest lying in wait. It was just a single tree.


    That did nothing to spur any of them forward. They all stood before the wretched, twisting thing and stared at it in silence.


    Even Derek made no moves forward.


    "Well," Alex said. "There''s your tree."


    "Right," Orchid said warily. "It''s a tree. Probably."


    They fell silent for another few moments. Orchid''s hands twitched at her sides. Alex couldn''t blame her. He''d never looked this closely at one of the odd trees, and now that he was, the last thing in the world he wanted to do was touch it.


    The forest was almost better because it was so obvious what would happen. This tree is alone. Is it the same kind of trap, or will something completely different happen?


    "That stick looks good." Derek pointed at a low hanging, gnarled branch. It was just out of arm''s length, near the bottom of the tree''s canopy. "Seems pretty dry, too."


    "Everything on this tree is dry," Orchid said, but she moved to get a better look at the branch she''d indicated.


    It did look like a good stick.


    "Just grab it fast," Claire suggested. "You don''t want to get stabbed by something while you''re fiddling around. Move quickly."


    "I can get it for you if you want," Derek offered.


    Orchid shook her head. "No. I have to do it. It''s part of the staff creation process. I have to harvest the materials myself. I''m just thinking my approach through. I''m going to get it now."


    They all nodded.


    Orchid flexed her fingers. Then she strode forward, jumping up and grabbing onto branch. She gave it a sharp tug.


    To Alex''s surprise, it snapped clean off.


    She fell down with her prize, landing on her feet and skip-staggering several steps back, clutching the wood to her chest. Her eyes darted around in search of a monster or an attack.


    Nothing happened.


    Orchid blinked. She looked down at the white wood in her hands, then up to the tree.


    "Huh," Derek said. "That was easy."


    A loud crack echoed through the Mirrorlands before Alex could even think about groaning.


    The center of the tree split wide open, peeling apart like the skin of a banana, and a gnarled wooden hand emerged from within it. A leg of matching material emerged after it, driving down into the ground with a heavy thud.


    A dry, cracked face followed after it.


    That was followed by another.


    And another.


    Distant, murmuring groans assaulted Alex''s ears as a monster pulled itself from the tree, ripping the bark apart as it emerged into the Mirrorlands. The creature was covered from head to toe with moaning faces, each of them twisting and groaning in apparent agony. Sap leaked from their eyes and mouths, trailing down the creature''s humanoid form and dripping from knotted claws.


    Gibbering Treant (Initiate 9)


    "Fuck me," Orchid said, cringing back in disgust.


    Fuck yes.


    "I''ve got this one." Alex extended a hand. "Spark. Come to me."


    His shadow twisted. A black hand shot out from within it, driving into the ground, and Spark pulled himself into existence. Shadows bound the hunched Knight Wraith''s limbs as it moved past Alex, lumbering to stand before him.


    "What is that?" Orchid breathed. "It almost looks like¡­"


    "The Night King," Derek muttered. His eyes widened. "Goddamn. That''s brutal. You stole his corpse?"


    "Repurposed," Alex corrected. "And not his corpse. His soul."


    "That''s definitely worse," Orchid said.


    "Is it?" Alex tilted his head to the side. "Oh well. He tried to kill us first, and some of those edgy one-liners he dropped makes this even more justified."


    "Fair," Orchid said, backing up as the Gibbering Treant approached them. "I¡­ should probably give fair warning that I still can''t fight. I need to make this a staff. It''s still just a stick."


    Figured.


    Gibbering Treant lumbered toward Alex, the moans coming up from its body intensifying. Pain pierced into Alex''s ears and he grit his teeth.


    "Just stay back," Alex said with a grin. He thrust a hand toward the approaching treant. He''d been waiting for this. It was the perfect opportunity to see how far his former Echo Wraith had grown. "Spark ¡ª kill."

 Chapter 118: Ascent

    Spark straightened from his crouched position before Alex. The shadows attached to his arms stretched taut and his gauntleted hands flexed. Bubbles roiled across the dark beneath him. A perfect clone made of black energy rose from the ground, pulsing ripples of purple energy traveling through its eyes and running throughout its body like dim veins.The Gibbering Treant moaned from a dozen mouths in unison. Its arms jerked up, as if it were a marionette pulled by strings, and the sap weeping from the monster''s orifices rushed down its body like a yellowish-brown river.


    It crackled and hardened within moments, turning to two jagged blades in the monster''s palms. They glistened with a sickly energy and droplets of sap rolled down their length before dripping to the ground.


    Definitely don''t want that touching me. It couldn''t be more clearly poison unless it was literally screaming it into the wind.


    The treant''s wooden legs bunched. Then it exploded forward, springing straight for the group.


    A muffled whump echoed across the rolling hills. The clay beneath Spark''s feet was compacted in an instant as the Knight Wraith met the other monster''s charge, his shadow a foot behind him.


    Sap blades sliced through the air with a whistle. They carved straight for Spark''s throat, but they met nothing but inky darkness as the monster swapped locations with his clone without so much as a sound.


    He lunged forward, driving a fist for the treant''s side. The monster swept its other hand at him in retaliation. The blow forced Spark to abandon his prior attack and jump back, narrowly avoiding getting cut.


    The Treant spun away from the shadow and lurched at Spark ¡ª only to find its hands passing through air once more. Spark had swapped positions a second time. He arrived in the spot his clone had been in with a crackle of purple Rift energy.


    A tingle took root in the base of Alex''s neck, where his brain met his spine. He could feel the faintest draw of power. Not from him, per say, but from Spark''s energy pools. The previous teleportation had taken so little power that it might as well have not needed any at all.


    This one had used more. It wasn''t a significant amount yet, but it was more than nothing.


    Spark drove a fist into the treant''s side. Wood cracked and splintered. The monster staggered to the side with a cacophony of roars and the shadow darted behind him.


    With a dozen roars and a few moans, the warped monster swept its sword at Spark in a blur. He vanished; reappeared in place of his shadow behind the treant; brought his closed fists down on the monster''s head in a hammer strike.


    The treant stumbled forward. One of its heads silenced and sap poured from it like blood as it swung its swords all around itself in a mad craze, not leaving room for anyone to grow close to it.


    Even more energy tingled in Alex''s mind. The third teleportation used even more magic than the second one had.


    He must have a way to push that ten second limit between teleportation. Each consecutive teleportation before the cooldown is up costs more energy. Great ability for a pinch, but you''ll burn through all your magic really quickly.


    Alex''s assessment was correct, and Spark seemed to know it too. The Knight Wraith backed away from the treant as it lumbered after him, its blades cutting through the air just inches away from the wraith.


    He was buying time. And, as soon as ten seconds had passed, he blurred into motion again. Bark crunched. Splinters of white wood tumbled past metal wreathed in shadow and illuminated by purple energy.


    Spark struck from the shadows in a flurry of blows and then retreated again, buying time for his ten-second timer to end so he could strike again. Each blow he struck was precise and powerful.


    Unfortunately, the treant was a glutton for punishment. It pushed through every strike and continued to press toward Spark. It was losing the fight right now, but Alex could sense his summons'' magical energy depleting. If things continued as they were¡­ Spark would lose.


    It only took Alex a few more seconds to process why that was the case. A flicker of embarrassment passed through him for taking this long to realize the issue.


    He was using Spark the same way that he would have used Glint. A head-to-head fight like this was perfect for the Glasmir. He could dance circles around the treant and cut it to piece strike by strike until nothing was left but a pile of firewood.


    But Spark''s power wasn''t one meant for constant combat. It was perfect for hopping into a fight, ensuring a powerful blow connected with a target, and then slipping away.


    He was treating his monster like a warrior when it was really an assassin.


    If that''s the case, then Rift Flood should make that even more apparent.


    Alex drew on his own magic, though he opted to leave his Qi alone for the moment. He wasn''t just trying to defeat the treant. The biggest benefit he could get from this fight was learning exactly what the Knight Wraith was capable of.


    Calling on Qi would be overkill until otherwise proven. It wouldn''t show him anything. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He extended his senses to the Knight Wraith, feeling the monster''s presence lurking at the edges of his mind, and unleashed Rift Flood. The connection between them buzzed to life with renewed intensity. Power flooded out of Alex and into the monster.


    Spark''s ignited a deep purple and energy coursed down his arms. The monster''s gauntleted hands tightened on the ground ¡ª then slipped into the darkness beneath him. When he rose again, there were two black daggers edged with buzzing purple energy buzzing within them.


    His stance shifted into something between a crouch and a proper standing position. He was so low to the ground that it felt like it should have been impossible for him to balance.


    The treant lumbered toward him.


    Spark and his shadow shot out in opposite directions, moving to flank their wooden opponent. They both accelerated to blurred streaks.


    Faces moaning and screaming with a mixture of agony and fury, the treant lurched for the real Spark and swung one of its blades. The weapon flashed through the air with such speed that it howled.


    Spark swapped with his shadow.


    The treant struck out with its other blade. Spark swapped a second time, but the treant knew where he was going. One of its knees shot up for his armored chest, only for spark to strike it with the back of a blade and knock the blow astray. The wooden monster stumbled past Spark before it had even realized what happened.


    At nearly the exact same moment, there was a loud thunk.


    When the treant turned, it had changed. A blade protruded from the center of its chest. It was lodged deep within the wood. Crackling purple energy wormed against the treant''s skin, hissing and crackling as it burned.


    Spark exploded into motion in unison with his shadow. The other monster swung its swords defensively. Metal rang on metal as Spark deflected the blow with a dagger and grabbed the stuck blade, ripping it free with a crunch.


    He swapped with his shadow and drove both of the blades into the treant''s back, darting to safety before the other monster could try to counter him.


    There was no denying that the treant was a tanky monster. It absorbed strike after strike, cut after cut, and continued to press on. Sap poured down its body in rivers and slicked the clay ground.


    Spark never so much as missed a step. He wove in and out of range, delivering measured strikes to the treant with his daggers. The fight was still clearly not in his favor, but Alex had confirmed that the Knight Wraith was indeed an assassin.


    Sending him up against a tank was never going to be the strategy, but he was still clawing his way to victory. The daggers let him deflect some of the treant''s blows so he didn''t have to waste energy constantly teleporting.


    A thought struck Alex and he reached into the deck at his side. He pulled Spark''s card out and glanced at it.


    Bonded Creature: Knight Wraith (Initiate 3)


    Combining Spark with the Night King had made his level raise, but not by a significant margin. Most of the power came from the increases and changes to his abilities rather than extra magical energy to work with.


    And still, an Initiate 3 was slowly but steadily cutting down an Initiate 9. The difference between the skills and abilities of the two monsters was enormous. It didn''t matter if the treant was tough to kill.


    It only had that ¡ª and presumably poison ¡ª to work with. And when it couldn''t land a blow on Spark, the fight was as good as done.


    The treant knew that too. It lurched toward Spark, trying to take advantage of a moment of opportunity as the knight swapped locations with his shadow, and flung one of its swords in the direction of his shadow, attempting to cut off Spark''s ability to teleport to safety.


    Spark blurred into the strike. He twisted past the strike, letting it cut past him harmlessly, and slammed both of his weapons into the center of the treant''s body.


    There was a loud snap. Spark jerked his weapons free, splitting the treant''s upper torso straight down the middle, and stepped back.


    The other monster pitched backward and crashed to the ground. It did not move again. Sap pooled around its wooden corpse and energy trickled into Alex. He strode forward and scooped the monster''s Soul Flame up without a word.


    "What?" Alex asked as he turned back to Orchid and Derek''s gazes. Claire was already more than used to how his powers worked and did nothing but give him a nod.


    "Nothing," Orchid said, shaking her head and holding her branch closer to her chest. "Thanks for the stick."


    "It is a good stick." Derek scratched the back of his neck and shrugged. "Good fight, too. Would have liked a crack at that thing. Looked fun. Can we touch more trees?"


    "Not right now," Alex replied, dismissing Spark with a thought so the monster could regenerate some energy. A smile pulled across his lips. "I think it''s time we head back to 274-50."


    ***


    Alex used Riftsense to help guide them back to the portal they''d come in through ¡ª though he did almost get sidetracked by different portal in the near vicinity. He didn''t know what would happen if he went through a portal and ended up on an entirely different planet to 274-50. Alex would pretty sure that would make him an Offworlder ¡ª and he had no desire to become one of those at this point in time.


    They managed to make it back without any issue and were soon all standing in a circle, staring at the portal they''d entered the Mirrorlands through. It wasn''t a moment too soon. Alex''s stomach was clenched in hunger and his throat was parched. He could have made it a fair bit longer if he''d had to, but it would have been rather uncomfortable.


    And so, after making sure that everyone was prepared, he ripped open the portal. The four of them then readied themselves and stepped through it. Even though Orchid was rather convinced that the Offworlders wouldn''t just be sitting around waiting for them to return, Alex had his doubts.


    He called upon his monsters the instant solid ground materialized beneath his feet.


    By the time his bearings had returned to him and his gaze had lifted to scan the surroundings, his monsters were already ripping themselves into reality all around him.


    "Well," Derek said as he looked around the empty hill. "They''re gone."


    Alex turned in a circle, scanning to see if he could spot anyone waiting in hiding, but the area around them did seem empty. They were far too close to Valley Ford to relax, but there was nobody readying an ambush.


    I suppose they didn''t think we''d actually be able to get back from the Mirrorlands. That or Orchid was right and they really didn''t want to waste time once one lead evaporated. I guess all the families went right back to competing with each other once we were off the board.


    He opened his mouth to speak ¡ª and a powerful wave of energy grabbed his attention like it were jerking the reins of a horse. The breath caught in Alex''s chest and his back stiffened. An invisible energy tugged Alex to the north, away from Valley Ford and parallel to the massive mountains.


    A message shimmered through the air before him.


    [Ascending Forerunner]: A Region Boss is waking.

 Chapter 119: Goals

    The golden message announcing the Region Bosses'' awakening hadn''t even begun to fade when Claire put a hand on Alex''s shoulder."Alex?" Claire asked. "You okay?"


    He blinked, realizing he''d been staring off in the direction of the boss. The Title hadn''t worked in the Mirrorlands because of how many Region Boss level monsters there had been. But now that he was on 274-50, the noise that had been clouding the ability was gone. It was fully functional.


    An invisible string of energy tugged at the side of his skull. It wasn''t distracting enough to be a real bother, but it was just noticeable enough to make sure he couldn''t forget about it on accident. The feeling became stronger the more he focused on it and weakened when he let his attention drift.


    "There''s a Region Boss," Alex said, nodding in the direction his title was pulling him to. "Over there."


    Orchid''s gaze snapped to where he''d pointed beside the mountains, then returned to him. Awe and more than a little envy passed over her features as she shook her head. "You took a Hunter sacrifice? The Starfallen family is something else. I don''t even want to think about how much that cost you. But how do you know it''s waking?"


    Sacrifice? What is she talking about? It sounds like she''s saying Outworlders can get something similar to my title as well, but maybe they can only locate the monsters and not if they''re waking up?


    "Can you not do that?" Claire asked innocently.


    "What, the Hunter sacrifice? Or being able to detect the state of bosses? Either way, the answer is no. My family hasn''t been that powerful in a long time. And even if we''d had anything left to spare, after what¡ª" She cut herself off. Her hands tightened around the gnarled piece of white wood they''d taken from the Mirrorlands tree. "Never mind. I didn''t even realize there was a sacrifice like that."


    Hey, if it makes you feel better, neither did I.


    "Well, no matter the case, we need a direction," Claire said with a one-shouldered shrug. "We can''t just stick around Valley Ford. Using the Town Token so close to it would be a horrible idea, and I don''t get the suspicion they''ll be very willing to let us use their Starstone to teleport elsewhere. So if we''re traveling by foot, we might as well clean up a monster along the way."


    "Are we really in a position to fight a Region Boss right now?" Orchid asked with a small frown. "We don''t have that many people and there isn''t going to be a Disruptor in the area¡­ unless you''ve actually managed to arrange for one to be set in the bosses'' location?"


    Alex had to admit that it was a good question.


    I''m not actually sure how we''ll beat the Region Boss at this point. The mere arrival of the last Region Boss literally flattened Towntown. Claire and I managed to beat the Field Boss without too much trouble and we''re a lot stronger now than we were then¡­


    But a Region Boss is an entirely different beast. They were literally announced by the System. Even if this thing is on the weaker end of their spectrum, Finley was talking about us being in trouble if we aren''t Adept Tiers after the meteor with the Region Boss first landed.


    It''s probably logical to assume even the easiest Region Boss is something you''re meant to have a group of Adept tiers for¡­ but eh, fuck it.


    Never hurts to scope a situation out. You never know.


    "You never know." Claire gave Orchid a one-shouldered shrug as she unknowingly mirrored Alex''s exact thoughts. "You''d be surprised to find how things work out. This gives us a direction to go in¡­ unless you have a difference preference for the direction we head in?"


    "I''m not stupid enough to tell the Starfallen family what to do. I''m sure you''ve got something planned for this. My main plan was just selling the Town Token to pay off my Credit Debt to the System."


    There was an equal amount of reverence and fear in Orchid''s words when she mentioned the Starfallen Family. Claire''s words from a few seconds ago rang through Alex''s head, and he was forced to agree with them.


    Orchid wasn''t working together with them purely because she owed them a debt for saving her life or because she saw value in getting to benefit from their Riftwarped Town Token.


    She was here because she thought they were part of the Starfallen Family. And the moment she found out the truth that they were just Nativeworlders like Derek¡­


    Well, I plan to be a whole lot stronger than her by the time that point rolls around. From what I can tell, the time when Outworlders are the most unfairly powerful is right when a new world starts. They come in considerably stronger and with a whole lot more knowledge than everyone else.


    Then the System equalizes that with their restrictions and restricts the growth of Outworlders pretty heavily. I''d imagine that''ll stabilize once the average person on the world catches up so it doesn''t become unfair in the other direction¡­ but for the time being, I''m already nearly caught up to most Outworlders. If we can get all the extra information they have through Orchid, then their advantages go to zero. We''re on an even playing field.


    And if we''re on an even playing field, I''m not going to lose to a bunch of cheating cowards.


    "Let''s get to it, then," Alex said. "It''ll probably be a few days before we get there, so no point sitting around here and waiting for someone from Valley Ford to find us."


    "Best of luck," Derek said.


    Orchid glanced at him in surprise. "Luck? You''re not coming?"


    "Nope. A Region Boss sounds real fun, but I''ve been doing a whole lotta stuff recently. I want to take a nap. I''m not built for this constant fighting stuff. Thanks for the fun trip, Alex. And for the big sword. I can''t wait to hit something with it."


    "Sure thing," Alex replied, a pang of disappointment passing through him. He hadn''t forgotten Derek saying that he planned to leave after they got back to 274-50, but part of him had been hoping the strange berserker would stick around regardless.


    Dungeons were a whole lot more interesting when Derek was charging through and triggering every single trap for the rest of them ¡ª and he was a fantastic way to pry information out of Orchid without Alex or Claire looking too clueless in the process.


    "You''ll be welcome at our town¡­ whenever we set it up," Claire said. "Just make sure you don''t bring anyone else with you when you come looking. It''s going to be secret."


    "My lips are sealed," Derek promised. "I''ve got no desire to help all those arrogant, fight-interrupting pricks. And don''t worry. I''ll find it eventually. I''ve got a good nose."


    With that, he turned on his heel and ambled off in the opposite direction. Alex watched him for a moment before turning back together with Claire. Orchid was a second slower to peel her gaze away.


    "Everything okay?" Claire asked. "You look put out."


    "Huh?" Orchid blinked, then coughed and shook her head. "Of course. I was just thinking it was a shame to lose the strength of an Incarnation when we''re about to go challenge a Region Boss, but I suppose he''s only a Nativeworlder. I do get the sense he might be one of the few that get strong enough to leave 274-50, though. That powerset of his is quite impressive. It''s rather similar to..."


    She trailed off again and shook her head. Orchid seemed to be doing a lot of that as of late, but Alex didn''t press. It was pretty clear she was flipping between wanting to speak freely and remembering just what family Alex and Claire supposedly were a part of.


    The three of them quietly set off with Alex at the lead, leaving Valley Ford at their backs and heading toward the Region Boss.


    ***


    "What Aspect Gems do you have?" Claire asked.


    Orchid glanced back at Claire. A thin sheen of sweat covered her forehead and her hair was matted to her back ¡ª and somehow, she was in the best shape out of all of them.


    They''d been walking for over three days, following a river running from Valley Ford. That included two breaks to fish ¡ª which Claire was surprisingly good at using just her hands ¡ª rest, and bathe.


    The nights had been fine, but the sun was relentless. The refreshing effects from the cool river wore off in hours and there were too many monsters lurking within it for them to consider hopping in too often.


    There was nothing to do but trudge on.


    Claire had definitely gotten the worst of it. Her deathly pale skin was ill-suited for walking in such intense heat. The tattered clothes she wore, ripped to shreds from the fights they''d been through, did functionally nothing to keep her from inadvertently cosplaying a lobster.


    She hadn''t said a single thing about the worsening sunburns, but judging by how red they were, Alex couldn''t help but grimace every time he caught sight of them.


    Maybe this is why there''s that legend that vampires burn to death in the sun. It''s not some magical thing that destroys them. They''re just all pale as shit and don''t have so much as a thought of melanin inside them.


    "What was that?" Orchid asked, wiping her face with the back of a sleeve. She came to a stop near the crest of the hill they''d been climbing and leaned heavily on her stick.


    "Aspect Gems," Claire repeated. "I asked which ones you''ve got."


    "Oh. I''m not a repeat returner," Orchid said absently. "I''ve only ever been to Everbloom''s homeworld, and my Matriarch couldn''t afford the sacrifice cost to send someone with a domain into 274-50. The Starfallen obviously weren''t going to pay it either, so I''ve only got a single gem. Everbloom."


    That''s a lot to unpack. So not every Outworlder is a serial planet-plunderer. She also just confirmed that the Aspect Gems are 100% related to domains¡­ and that one of her gems is actually the name of her family? That should mean they have some sort of signature ability or similar domain, right?


    Does that imply that all Starfallen members would also have a Starfallen Aspect Gem?


    "That''s fine," Claire said. "They''re not particularly hard to find. Do you know if there are any particular ones you''re looking for?"


    "Something with lava and something with ice," Orchid replied without a second of hesitation. "But those monsters aren''t really common, and ones strong enough to have an Aspect Gem are even less so."


    "I see," Claire said. "Competing elements seems like an¡­ interesting choice."


    Orchid snorted. "Yeah. It didn''t go over well with my Matriarch either, but it''s what suits my Visualization. I''ll make it work. Don''t worry. Once my staff is fixed, I''ll prove myself more than capable. I only lost so easily to those Broken Blade bastards because they attacked me out of nowhere. They told me they were just gathering people for the Assembly, and I was stupid enough to believe them."


    Alex tried to look like he wasn''t paying too much attention when he was internally taking notes on every single word that came out of her mouth like they were holy scriptures.


    This is some great stuff. Claire is making it sound like a job interview to see what Orchid is capable of when it''s really just us fishing for information.


    "I''m sure," Claire said, with just enough doubt in her voice that it spurred Orchid to speak again.


    "I''ve only lost two fights since arriving here," Orchid said crossly. "One of them was a surprise attack, and the other was against Ab¡ª"


    She cut herself off, but it was too late.


    "Absolution?" Claire asked, tilting her head to the side.


    Orchid cringed. "I ¡ª I''m still fighting him! I just had to¡­ tactically retreat. I haven''t forgotten our deal. I just need to get stronger. I managed to get away by promising to help him with something that doesn''t matter in the grand scheme of things. I''ll deal with him, I promise."


    Wait, what? I thought she was allied with Absolution. Isn''t that the whole reason he helped us in the Assembly? So we could save her? S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "By promising what?" Claire pressed.


    "Absolution made me swear that I''d kill a Nativeworlder for him. When I do, I''ll have another chance at his throat," Orchid said. Her weary features lit up as an idea struck her. "Maybe you''ve heard of them. Would you happen to be aware of any Natives that have the power to enter the Mirrorlands in this sector?"


    Oh, goddamn it. Based on the timings, he''d had to have given Orchid that order before the Assembly had even happened.


    And unless there''s some freak coincidence¡­


    The person Absolution wants dead is me.

 Chapter 120: Angel

    Alex didn''t let his expression change at Orchid''s revelation, but it wasn''t easy. There was no reason for Absolution to be hunting him. Until the Assembly, they''d never even met.Absolution had already made it rather clear that he didn''t think much of Alex, but it made absolutely no sense why the man would be hunting him. He''d been the highest ranked person on the local leaderboard for the 2nd Initialization Event, but Alex hadn''t said a word to him.


    They''d never interacted before the Assembly ¡ª and Alex refused to believe this was purely because he was a Nativeworlder. There had to be other natives on the leaderboard. Too many of them had references to things unique to Earth in their names¡­ and even if they hadn''t, if Absolution knew who he was, it shouldn''t have been possible for the man to already know he was a Nativeworlder just from looking at him.


    "If you know anything about a Native that can enter the Mirrorlands, it would make my job a lot easier," Orchid said. "I know this is my responsibility, but¡ª"


    "I don''t," Alex said. "That isn''t part of my skillset. There are a number of creatures that can enter the Mirrorlands. Patrolling it in its entirety would be impossible."


    Orchid''s shoulders slumped. "I thought as much, but it was worth a try. Damn it. It''s fine. I''ll find the Nativeworlder and deliver him to Absolution, and then I''ll have my chance to remove him. I promise I won''t fail the Starfallen."


    "I''m sure you won''t," Alex said. He supposed the idea of him being the native she was looking for would be so ludicrous that the thought hadn''t even crossed her mind. Claire had been insanely effective at convincing her that the two of them were Starfallen members.


    The three of them continued their trek up the hill, devoid of energy to continue the conversation any longer. The sun continued to beat down on their backs as they continued along the hills, which had started to sprout thick green grass now that they''d left the desert surrounding Valley Ford.


    The only mercy they''d been granted was that no Outworlders had come after them. It seemed their return had gone completely without notice.


    For that matter, the majority of the trip had been quiet. They''d seen the occasional monster flying through the sky or passing along the hills in the distance, but most of them had been in the upper ranges of Novice or the lower ones of Initiate.


    That was good for the sake of making progress. It was less so for Alex''s rapidly growing boredom. There was nothing to do but walk. He wasn''t exactly exhausted ¡ª his System-empowered body was more than capable of walking for ridiculous stretches of time, but there was absolutely nothing happening.


    Aside from the occasional conversation Claire struck up, it was agonizingly boring. Orchid rarely spoke first and was largely focused on doing something with her new stick to prepare it to be a staff, and it was a small miracle that Claire was even able to say anything with the severity of her worsening sunburns.


    He continued to lead them in the direction of the Region Boss, putting one foot in front of the other. It was the only thing that kept him sane. They were getting closer to the monster every day. It wouldn''t be long before they were upon it.


    And, finally, something in the monotonous walk changed.


    The three of them crested a hill and arrived at the top of a large valley. A large chunk looked to have been taken out of the world years ago, as if it had been struck by a meteor, and what remained was a bowl-shaped indentation.


    And within the basin was a jungle.


    Thick trees loomed, packed in like the rush hour of a train, and gentle mist swirled at the edge of the treeline. The scent of fruit and rain lingered, even at the top of the valley, and the quiet roar of rushing water rose up from dozens of small rivers that ringed the valley, flowing down from the edges of the basin. Some of them emerged from halfway down the edges of the valley, stemming from what must have been underground lakes or passages.


    "Whoa," Claire breathed, raising a hand to block the sun from her eyes as she looked down into the valley. Light caught within the mist surrounding the trees and shimmered like a thousand dancing faries. "That''s¡­ something. Please tell me that''s the direction we''re going? I''d kill to get some cover from the sun."


    "It is," Alex said.


    "Thank any god that''s listening," Claire said, starting down the sloping hill into the valley below. Alex and Orchid followed after her ¡ª and Alex became increasingly jealous of Orchid''s staff, which was a very effective stabilizer when heading down a precarious surface.


    He nearly tripped over his feet three times on the way to the treeline. The slope got steeper the closer to the bottom of the basin they got, turning to something near a sheer cliff at the edges of the forest.


    The rushing rivers around them muted out the sounds of the forest for the most part, but he still caught the distant chirp of birds and the rustle of a stray breeze that dipped into the valley and brushed its fingers through the thick trees.


    It was peaceful. Beautiful, even. A place like this didn''t feel like ¡ª


    "Is that someone screaming?" Claire asked, pausing at the edge of the cliff, about fifteen feet above the forest ground. There was a ring about thirty or forty feet wide between the treeline and the base of the cliff, filled only by grass and small shrubbery dotted with multicolored fruits and flowers.


    Alex paused. He tilted his head to the side to listen, then shook his head. "The only thing I hear is the river."


    "No, I hear it," Orchid said. She crept over to the edge of the cliff and squinted down at the treeline. "And I swear it''s getting closer."


    ***


    Aaron''s day had started out pretty great.


    After the Apocalypse, that had become increasingly rare. He''d much preferred when his biggest worry was getting out of bed in time to get to work at his family''s restaurant.


    Mom always said that life''s the dealer and all we can do is smile and play the hands we get dealt. After all, we only lose when we stop playing the game, right?


    Aaron wasn''t so sure that rule still applied.


    His mom hadn''t gotten a chance to tell him what she''d have thought about the apocalypse. She''d died two years before it, from a stroke. His dad had sworn up and down that it had been caused by stress from debtors coming after their business, but she''d never once let on to the rest of them that she was stressed.


    Aaron was pretty sure she''d been the lucky one.


    A looter had shot his dad in the back of the head whilst robbing their restaurant for supplies two days after the System announced the apocalypse.


    Now all that was left was him and May.


    If his little sister hadn''t made it this far, Aaron was certain beyond a doubt that he''d have already given up. But there was nobody other than him left for her. And so, his mother''s words rung true.


    Not because they were.


    Because they had to be.


    So as far as May was concerned, the world wasn''t ending. This was just an opportunity to go on a fun little camping trip.


    There weren''t monsters lurking in every shadow waiting to kill them all. There was just a really big game of tag going on, and they had to make sure they never got caught.


    And the other people in the forest with them when the apocalypse had started in true ¡ª the ones that had died screaming and the ones that had banded together to defend their little camping ground ¡ª they were their new friends.


    He wasn''t sure that May believed any of the words that came out of his mouth. But she was alive. That was all that mattered.


    Life was strange, and the hand it had dealt this time around was a steaming pile of shit, but Aaron didn''t have much choice but to play his cards and smile. It would have to give him a new round soon enough.


    Day by day, life had gone on.


    And in ways, things had improved¡­ at least, for a short while.


    A group of strange aliens had shown up at their camp after the apocalypse had warped it into a giant forest, clad in armor straight from the Middle Ages. Some of them had horns. Some had scales and multi-colored skin, and some were covered in fur so thick he couldn''t make out heir faces.


    He''d thought they were demons.


    May had decided they were friends.


    And for some reason, they were.


    The strangers showed them how to defend themselves. They helped them fight off monsters when they attacked the cabins.


    It had taken a remarkably short time for the surviving humans in the campsite to realize they didn''t give a shit what the newcomers were. There was no time for fear or bigotry when death was knocking at the door.


    Allies were allies, and allies were always welcome. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A blue-skinned demon had moved into the cabin with Aaron and May. She was about his age, and she got on with May perfectly. Her name was Abby. Well, it wasn''t, but that was the closest he could get to pronouncing it. He was still working on getting it right. Her laughter every time he got it wrong had been motivation to keep trying ¡ª one of the last good cards in a dwindling hand.


    In turn, she''d been showing him how to fight by demonstrating combat techniques against some of the weaker monsters near the edge of camp.


    And that had been where things had gone wrong.


    An Initiate 3 monster had leapt from the trees while she''d been showing him a move. A mutated praying mantis of some sort, its eyes glowing red and blood dripping from its undulating, hairy maw.


    It had caught her off guard.


    Aaron had watched her armor crumple.


    Her arm came off at the shoulder, falling to the ground with a spray of blood before he could even try to say a word of warning.


    Abby had yelled for him to run as she fell.


    She''d said that she had things handled as it impaled her leg with one of its claws. As raised the other for the kill.


    Aaron hurled a rock at its head.


    The monster''s gaze had snapped to him.


    Only then had he taken Abby''s advice to run. It was the only option a Novice 4 had against a monster like this. And so he''d run ¡ª not for safety, but to take the monster away from the demon he''d only known for a few days.


    "Shit!" Aaron screamed, his heart pounding so hard in his chest that he could barely draw in a breath. Adrenaline wrapped his neck like a noose and his feet slammed into the soil, propelling him forward.


    A jagged claw slammed into the tree behind him with a loud crack, shattering the wood and spraying his back with debris.


    He didn''t dare to look back. The monster was right on top of him, and the split instant it took him to turn would be all the time it needed. Pain burned in his lungs and his body begged for him to give up. He refused it.


    There was only a single chance for survival. And no matter how small it was, he clung to it like a drowning man to a thin plank of driftwood.


    Aaron had to buy enough time for the others to find Abby. If they all came together, they could defeat this monstrosity. The chances of that happening in time were probably zero¡­ but he couldn''t afford to think about it.


    There was a chance. And if there was a chance, he had to keep running.


    The back of his neck prickled. Some primal instinct screamed in his ears and he threw himself forward. Red-hot pain burned against his back and he let out a cry as he hit the ground in a roll, tumbling across the dirt. Leaves and sticks crunched beneath him as he slid out of the treeline.


    A hiss rose from the forest behind him. Aaron rolled over, blood slicking his back as his breath came out in desperate gasps and held a hand up before his face to block out the burning sun.


    The monster emerged from the forest, chittering and clicking in excitement. Blood dripped from its claws. It advanced on him, mandibles opening in anticipation of a meal.


    Aaron desperately pulled on any strength he had left to muster, but his trembling legs were shot. They refused to find purchase on the ground beneath him.


    He could do nothing but watch as the mantis grew closer.


    "Fuck," Aaron breathed, his hands tightening in helpless weakness at his sides.


    I hope they don''t tell May what happened.


    The monster''s sycthelike arms rose.


    Aaron didn''t close his eyes. He stared up at the monster, defiance burning in his features. It was the only thing he could do. The only card he''d been left to play.


    The scythes fell.


    A crunch echoed out. It bounced off the trees behind him like a fading echo.


    Aaron stiffened, but no pain exploded through him.


    The monster had frozen in place.


    Then, slowly, its head rolled forward. It parted from the mantis'' shoulders and fell to the ground with a quiet thud. It rolled to a stop before Aaron''s feet. Green ichor dripped from the monster''s chest where five shimmering blades protruded from it like sprouting silver flowers.


    The blades slid out from the mantis. It crumpled, dead.


    And standing behind it was a nightmare.


    A gray body like that of a mummified dancer, clad in mirrored armor that merged with its flesh to form an abomination. The top half of its face was covered by a glossy mask, revealing only the razor-sharp silver teeth that lined the monster''s grinning mouth. From its back rose a spiny metal wing, glistening in the light brightly enough to burn Aaron''s eyes.


    Primal fear swirled in Aaron''s chest. This was no mere monster.


    It was an angel ¡ª one of the biblical sort.


    It was beautiful and horrible and inevitable.


    It was death.


    "Have you come for me?" Aaron breathed.


    "Not exactly," a voice said from behind him. "But you really shouldn''t turn your back on a monster like that."


    Aaron didn''t get a chance to turn toward it. The last of the strength in his body evaporated. His limbs went limp and he collapsed, unconscious before his head hit the ground.

 Chapter 121: Bad news

    Aaron didn''t get to evade the world for long. The blissful darkness was ripped away like a blanket and he felt his back stiffen as consciousness involuntarily returned to him. Wet grass pressed up against his cheek and he could still taste blood in his mouth.For one brief instant, the fog covering his mind prevented him from remembering what was going on.


    Then the world snapped, a rubber band returning to its natural state and bringing all his memories back with it. He drew in a stiff breath and jerked upright. Pain pierced into him from a long line across his back ¡ª where the monster had cut him.


    Wait. Why is there pain?


    Pain meant he was alive.


    Pain meant that the angel of death hadn''t killed him. And if he wasn''t dead, there was still a chance. The cards in his hand hadn''t all been dealt. And, so long as the game was still running, he still had cards to play.


    He shoved himself upright with a groan. Then he froze. Standing before him were two women and a guy somewhere around his age. There was no sign of the terrifying angel that had killed the mantis.


    "Yo," one of the girls said, raising a black-nailed hand in greeting. "You doing okay there, bud?"


    And, despite everything that had happened, everything that he had seen up until this point, the first thought that passed through Aaron''s mind was a simple one.


    Where''s she getting that much black makeup in the middle of an apocalypse?


    "It''s a Native. Why are wasting time here," the other woman asked. She held a white staff in her stand with the reverence of a priest clutching a child. There was more than a note of derision in her tone. Aaron''s befuddlement evaporated in an instant. He''d met people like her before. They were always the worst customers at the restaurant. The ones that thought they were somehow entitled to be assholes to the waitstaff because they had twenty bucks to spend on take-out. She thought less of him than a bug.


    "I don''t recall ever having to ask you about what I choose to do. Should I have sought permission first?" the guy asked sardonically.


    The girl with the staff paled and shook her head firmly. "No. Of course not. Ignore me."


    "Ignore her," the woman in makeup said, crouching beside Aaron. "I''m Claire. What''s your name? Did you get hit in the head? Can you speak?"


    "Yes," Aaron said. His mouth felt thick and gummy, and he stumbled over his words as they left his mouth. "Wait. No. Yes, I can speak. No, I didn''t get hit in the head. My name is Aaron. Did you see the¡­ monster? Where did it go? Is it hiding somewhere?"


    "The one that killed the bug?" She nodded to the guy beside her. "You don''t have to worry about that one. It belongs to Alex."


    "Belongs?" Aaron repeated, swallowing heavily. "You can control something like that?"


    "It''s part of my class," Alex said, which really didn''t explain much at all. He held a hand out to Aaron. "I don''t mean to rush you after that, but¡ª"


    "Shit!" Aaron exclaimed, bolting upright. He scrambled to his feet, ignoring the burning pain in his back. "Abby!"


    "Who?" Claire asked, holding a hand out to steady Aaron.


    He staggered past it in his haste to turn back to the forest. It wasn''t even like he could do anything to help her. Her arm had gotten cut off and her leg was impaled. There was nothing he could do to fix a wound like that, but he couldn''t just leave her there.


    I haven''t been out for long. It''s only been a few minutes at most. She could still be alive. If we get her back to the town and the others that came with her, maybe someone can heal her!


    "Someone from my camp," Aaron said urgently. "She got really badly wounded. She needs help before she bleeds out!"


    He scrambled into the forest without waiting for a response. It wasn''t exactly the most polite thing he could do, but he wasn''t about to waste time trying to explain what had happened when every single second could matter.


    Aaron shoved through thick foliage as fast as he could as he retraced his steps. He hadn''t exactly memorized the layout of the forest, but his flight from the mantis had left quite a trail of destruction in the greenery.


    To his surprise, he heard other footfalls around him. Alex and the others were easily keeping up with him, even though they''d had to have started several seconds after he had.


    "We aren''t doctors, but maybe we could take a look. I can work with blood a bit," Claire said as she slipped between two trees, barely even making a sound. "The System is pretty good at people stitched together so long as they aren''t completely eviscerated, though."


    That sounds like its coming from experience.


    "If you can do anything, I''ll owe you a second one," Aaron replied, his breath catching in his chest. His heart was already beating in overtime, having remembered that it had been slacking off for a bit too long.


    His heart rose up into his throat as they ran. It was already hard enough to breathe, but more than a small part of him didn''t want to see the scene he knew they were approaching. So much had already been lost since the apocalypse.


    Aaron wasn''t sure if he could lose something else.


    How do I explain to May that yet another person is gone? How many people are going to die before this is over?


    The treeline came to an end as they arrived in a clearing where the mantis had first made itself known.


    Aaron skidded to a halt. His eyes went wide.


    A large patch of blood darkened the dirt where Abby had laid, but she was not in it. The blue-skinned demon had, in spite of her immense wounds, moved. She leaned against a tree near the edge of the clearing, clutching her severed arm with one hand as she pressed it to the stump of her shoulder.


    It was clear that her body could barely support her own weight. Blood soaked into her pant leg where her thigh had been punctured. She swayed like a leaf in the wind. But, judging by the trail of blood across the ground, step by step, she''d been dragging herself in the direction that Aaron had gone.


    There was a brief instant as she stared at Aaron. Her lips parted in disbelief ¡ª even in the face of her wounds, her eyes were completely lucid.


    "Aaron?" Abby asked in awe. "Are you okay? What happened to the¡­"


    Then she spotted the strange group that had saved him. Her eyes went even wider and the sentence died on her lips. Her grip on her severed arm slipped. It remained by her side for a moment before falling away with a wet squelch and thumping to the ground.


    "Whoa," Claire said. "Be careful with that!"


    She blurred, and a small pang of pain pierced into Aaron''s skull as his brain tried to keep track of her. Claire arrived at Abby''s side in what must have been less than a second¡­ but moving like that should have been impossible.


    The girl grabbed the arm from the ground and brushed its bleeding stump off without so much as flinching at the gruesome scene. She held it out.


    Abby took it from her with a weak hand. "I¡­ what''s going on? Who are you?"


    "Passersby," Alex said.


    The third woman said nothing. She seemed more interested in the white staff she held than the scene playing out before her.


    "Are you going to stick that back on properly?" Claire asked, nodding to Abby''s severed arm. "You''ve got something hiding your status, but if you got injured that badly by the mantis, your healing factor isn''t going to be strong enough to fix a missing arm." S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I¡­ I already tried," Abby stammered. "I''m too weak right now. It won''t stay."


    "Let me help," Claire said, grabbing the woman and pressing the arm to her shoulder. Her eyes narrowed in concentration and the tip of her tongue poked out between her lips. "Don''t mess with your magic, please. It''s interfering. Just relax."


    "You¡­ how did you get here? Why are you here?" Abby asked, staring at them in confusion.


    "Thank you," the woman with the staff spoke up, her eyes as sharp as daggers. "The phrase you are looking for is thank you."


    Abby swallowed. "Sorry. I¡­ I''m out of it. You saved Aaron, right? There''s no way he could have beaten that monster. It was way too powerful for this area. I owe you all a great deal of thanks. I''m sorry I don''t have any way to pay it back."


    "Stop moving," Claire said. "I''m pretty sure I can get your arm back on you if your body stops fighting me. And Orchid, stop being stiff. What''s gotten into you?"


    "She should be more than capable of healing from such a simple wound," Orchid replied sharply. "What manner of pathetic Outworlder can''t re-attach an arm?"


    What is she talking about?


    Abby let out a hiss of pain. Aaron took a step forward, then stopped himself. He didn''t have the slightest idea of what was happening. His head was still a blur of confused thoughts, but it was clear that Claire was trying to help. The best thing he could do is stay out of their way.


    "There," Claire said. "Don''t try to move it for a few hours, but that should hold."


    "I¡­ you actually fixed it?" Abby blinked in surprise. "That''s incredible. Are you a healer?"


    "No, but you might want to go find one if you can," Claire said. "Your body is bleeding nasty to work with. I don''t mean that as an insult. It put up a real fight against my power for no reason."


    "What are you even doing in a place like this?" Orchid asked, tilting her head to the side. "This area is too weak for an Outworlder to be wasting time here. Is there something you''re hiding ¡ª wait a minute."


    Orchid''s eyes narrowed.


    Shame covered Abby''s features and she averted her gaze.


    "There''s nothing here, I swear on my life. Please leave the people alone. They don''t know."


    "What''s going on?" Aaron asked. He didn''t like the look in Orchid''s eyes one bit. "What do we not know?"


    "You''re an Oathbreaker," Orchid said, her voice flat. "That''s why your healing properties are so weak. I''ve always wondered what manner of coward abandons their family."


    Abby''s shoulders hunched even further. Her good hand clenched at her side and she swallowed heavily. "There weren''t supposed to be any other Outworlders here. Please. Don''t tell anyone I''m here."


    "That''s enough," Alex snapped. "Orchid, you''re out of line."


    Orchid stiffened as if he''d physically struck her. Whoever Alex was, he almost seemed like he was the woman''s boss.


    Does Orchid somehow know Abby? Actually, I don''t care. The apocalypse isn''t an excuse to start acting like an asshole¡­ and what the hell is an Outworlder?


    "I''m sorry," Orchid said. "My emotions got the better of me. Only the lowest of the low allow their Mind Palaces to be shattered. Becoming an Oathbreaker and spitting on the sacrifices their family made to send her here... it is the vilest of actions that an Outworlder can take."


    "We had no choice," Abby whispered, her voice barely even audible. "This world is insane. It''s not like it was supposed to be. We had to run."


    "We?" Orchid asked, her eyes widening. "How many Oathbreakers are here?"


    Abby shrunk down even further.


    Aaron opened his mouth. Then Claire was beside him, her hand on his shoulder. He nearly yelped in surprise.


    "Give her a moment," Claire whispered with an easygoing smile. "Orchid is difficult, but we''re not here to cause you trouble. Alex and I are considerably less prickly than she is."


    "That isn''t hard," Aaron muttered under his breath. "Abby was just almost dead! Give her a break! Thanks for healing her, though."


    "No problem," Claire replied with a grin.


    "It''s a village of us," Abby said finally. "We joined up with some natives."


    "There''s an entire village of traitors?" Orchid shook her head in disbelief. "I ¡ª oh, fuck it. Relax. I''m not going to report you. I have better things to do. But you couldn''t have thought you could hide forever. We''re only a short distance from Valley Ford."


    "Thank you. We didn''t. Just¡­ for a little," Abby whispered. "We just want to survive and stay away from the thick of things. Our group doesn''t have any desires for power. Our only desire is to live."


    "We won''t be saying anything," Alex promised. "But I fear I may come bearing bad news."


    "What? What is it?" Abby asked.


    "If you were hoping on staying out of the way, this might not be the best location." Alex scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "There''s a Region Boss in this area, and it''s waking up as we speak."


    Aaron didn''t have the slightest idea what that meant, but Abby clearly did.


    Her face went as pale as that of a ghost.


    "Oh, shit."

 Chapter 122: Prey

    Alex watched all the blood drain out of Abby''s face with more than a little confusion. The whole reason Outworlders had come to 274-50 was to claim resources and power. From what he''d managed to pick up from her conversation with Orchid, that was almost opposite to what she claimed to want.Was she forced to come to 274-50 for some reason? Showing up to the middle of an apocalypse with hopes of ''just living'' seems like a pretty weird strategy. That''s like going diving with freshly cut meat strapped to your body and being surprised when sharks show up.


    "What''s a Region Boss?" Aaron asked. "What is going on? I don''t understand. Do you know each other?"


    Alex glanced at him. The guy was a mystery entirely on his own. He seemed like he had a pretty decent head on his shoulders. Even though he''d been about to get his shit rocked by a relatively weak monster, he himself was literally only Novice 4.


    He doesn''t seem like an idiot¡­ and that monster was fighting this Outworlder in the clearing. If it had cut off her arm and stabbed her in the leg, then she should have been easy to finish off.


    Aaron could have slipped away if he was a coward. He must have chosen to try to lure it after him. Someone like that shouldn''t be this low level, right? Taking attention onto himself isn''t the move of a coward, and someone who isn''t a coward should at least be toward the high Novice ranks by now.


    "Did you not see any of the information during the Initializations?" Alex asked.


    "You mean the message the System sent before the world ended?"


    "That was the first one. There have been two more since then. The 3rd one is still technically underway, but you should have gotten a notification for it."


    Aaron shook his head. "I haven''t seen anything like that. Maybe the signal is bad down here? The forest is kind of in a basin."


    The thought of a System powerful enough to swallow a planet and slam it together with several others, but not quite strong enough to get the equivalent of a cellphone message out to everyone on the world was more than a little amusing.


    "The System doesn''t make mistakes like that," Orchid said. Her gaze slid to Abby. "But there are ways to restrict information. Someone intentionally kept you in the dark."


    "We weren''t trying to keep anyone in the dark!" Abby exclaimed. She winced, then swallowed. "We were just¡­ evading notice. There are a lot of ways to track somebody. We had to take certain steps to make sure it wouldn''t be worth it for the other Outworlders to track us. Those methods have side-effects, and if your connection to the System is still weak¡­ I swear it wasn''t on purpose!"


    "They were so new to the System that your cowardice accidentally blocked their access to the System?" Orchid let out an amused snort. "Typical."


    "What is going on?" Aaron demanded. "What are all of you talking about?"


    "Sorry," Alex said. "This is probably a lot to take in. Your friend ¡ª as well as Orchid ¡ª they''re both from different planets. Not the same one. They don''t know each other, but because they''re not born here, they''re called Outworlders. It looks like Abby and her friends have stepped on a few toes to get here, so they hid their presence from the other Outworlders and mistakenly interfered with your ability to get information from the System. That would probably explain why you''re so weak."


    Aaron stared at him. "And you? You seem pretty damn human to me. Are you also an alien? Is that how you''re so strong?"


    Alex sent a pointed glance at Orchid. He made sure she knew he was looking at her before he answered the question he''d been posed.


    "Nope. I''m from Earth. Grew up here."


    "So¡­ that angel of death you saved me with? I could be that strong too? Are you saying it''s because of Abby that we''re so weak?"


    "No," Orchid said. She gave Alex a slight nod to show she understood he was intentionally hiding his identity and wouldn''t give his lie away ¡ª which was especially amusing given that he was actually telling the truth. "You didn''t get information, but that''s it. Never blame someone else for being weak. Disadvantages do not break a man. They forge him. That''s on you."


    Aaron''s gaze fell and Abby''s eyes narrowed.


    "Taking things slow isn''t always a bad thing. Not everyone is talented or crazy enough to fling themselves into the thick of things head first. Training and preparing yourself can go a long way," she said defensively. "I swear on my life we weren''t trying to hinder anyone. That isn''t our goal."


    "I certainly hope you''re right," Alex said. "Because I''ve seen what a Region Boss does to a city with its mere arrival alone. There isn''t going to be much left of anything you''ve built if you can''t defend it."


    Abby''s good hand clenched at her side. "That would explain why the monsters were suddenly getting stronger. Damn it. I can''t believe we were so blind. So¡­ you''re here for the Region Boss, then."


    Alex nodded. There wasn''t any reason to lie. The more truth he gave, the easier it would be for them to sprinkle in the lies they needed.


    Claire seemed to agree. She gave him a slight nod of encouragement.


    "Then there will be a horde of Outworlders here soon," Abby said grimly. "We''ll have to run. Again."


    "I think you misunderstood him," Claire said. "There isn''t anyone else coming. It''s just us."


    "What?" Abby stared at her, then turned her attention to Alex. "Three of you? For a Region Boss? And why are Outworlders working with a Nativeworlder?"


    "Why are you?" Claire countered.


    The blue-skinned demon grimaced and coughed into a fist. "Okay. I walked into that one."


    There was a crack in the distance. They all glanced into the forest where the sound had come from, but the trees were too thick to make anything else out.


    "Maybe we should continue this conversation in your village," Alex suggested. "I''d imagine it''s better defended than this."


    "Yeah," Abby said, blowing out a defeated breath and shaking her head. "I just don''t know if¡ª"


    A green blur leapt from the trees to their side. A second mantis monster. There was barely a second of warning as streaked across the ground. Alex couldn''t even tell who it was gunning for ¡ª nor did it matter.


    The air filled with a melodious ring of singing glass. A glistening shimmer danced across the clearing. There was a wet thud, followed by a second one moments later. The two halves of the mantis rolled across the ground.


    Blood splattered in their wake. Glint landed beside Alex with a pirouette, his wing trailing through the air behind him like a glittering streamer as it retracted back to his body.


    Abby and Aaron both flinched back, staring at the Glasmir with a mixture of horror and awe.


    "It''s real," Aaron breathed. "I was starting to wonder if I hallucinated it."


    "Where''d that thing come from?" Abby asked, swallowing heavily. "It''s¡­ yours?"


    "I''ve had him lurking around," Alex replied noncommittally. A trickle of energy slipped into his body and he gathered the dead monster''s Soul Flame, sticking it into a mirror to feed to one of his monsters later.


    The moment he''d killed the last mantis, he''d told Glint to hang around in the sidelines in wait for another attack. They were wandering around the middle of a forest that housed an awakening Region Boss, after all. Not having some defenses set up would have just been asking for trouble.


    "Are you really a Native?" Abby asked in disbelief. "How can you control such a powerful monster?" S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I wonder what she''d do if she found out I have two more¡­ but this is quite the interesting development. I was thinking we''d just scope the boss out and see what things looked like. We can''t take this fight lightly. No matter how much I''d love to try and solo it, that would just be objective suicide.


    This is the same thing that destroyed the Towntown area with its mere arrival. Even if it isn''t a Mirrorlands monster, the monster is going to be incredibly powerful. Orchid said that even groups of Outworlders usually worked together to defeat Region Bosses.


    That would normally make a fight like this completely impossible. My best hope would have been hiding somewhere nearby to try and steal the kill from whatever group eventually rolled around to beat this thing.


    But if there''s an entire town of Outworlders here ¡ª ones that are hated by other Outworlders ¡ª it doesn''t matter if they''re weak and on the run. Aren''t they exactly what I need to have a chance at defeating this thing? Prey with their backs to the wall have nothing to lose ¡ª and everything to gain.


    "I''ve been very motivated," Alex said with a small shrug. He could see gears turning in Aaron''s head. Something told Alex that the other boy wasn''t planning to sit around and remain weak for much longer, especially now that he''d seen the extent of the difference that strength could cause. "Now, we were talking about paying your town a visit?"


    "Of course," Abby said, inclining her head in surrender. "I don''t think we could afford to turn you away now, even if we wanted to. Follow me. The others aren''t going to be happy with this¡­ but please give me a moment to explain things before you kill them."


    "I''m not looking for a pointless fight," Alex said as they all fell in line behind the demoness. "It''s the Region Boss you should be worried about. Because, if you can''t figure your shit out quickly, not a single one of you are going to survive this."


    "I don''t think it matters how together we have anything if we''re up against a Region Boss," Abby muttered. "We''d need to grow a hundred times stronger in the span of days."


    Alex smiled. "You never know what might happen. The world works in mysterious ways."


    And so do the Mirrorlands.

 Chapter 123: Rin

    It turned out that they weren''t too far from the village. Alex''s group followed Aaron and Abby through the foliage, pushing through it to arrive in a large clearing after just about ten minutes of walking.A dozen cabin houses sat scattered throughout the clearing. Paths had been trampled into grass from use, marking roads between the buildings and gathering largely around the middle of the camp, where a large fire-pit had been dug. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Large piles of wood were distributed throughout the camp. Roughshod stakes had been carved from tree branches and jabbed deep into the ground at angles. The beginnings of a trench had been dug around the camp but it was still shallow and unlikely to stop much more than a charging hamster.


    A number of people roamed around the camp, dragging materials from one house to the other or working on the rather lackluster defenses surrounding the camp. The whole thing would have been considerably more impressive if there had just been¡­ more of it.


    It looked like the vast majority of the campsite''s defenses had been thrown together over the past day or two. It wasn''t a half-bad attempt, but given the strength of the monsters they were up against¡­ it was pathetic.


    If Alex hadn''t known better, he would have assumed this was some college club''s LARPing setup.


    "You''ll want to speak with Rin," Abby said, her voice stiff as they strode past the log cabins. "She''s just over here, in the main lodge. Please give me a moment to explain everything before anything happens."


    Alex nodded idly. He wasn''t exactly looking for a fight here. There was no reason to be anal about things. If anything, he was more preoccupied staring at the camp as he headed by.


    A few people glanced in their direction as they walked ¡ª some clearly Outworlders, while others seemingly earthlings. The Outworlders all had items to conceal their status, but not one of the people from Earth was above Novice 5.


    There wasn''t any tension between the two groups that made itself immediately apparent. A human stood, holding a large stick still while an Outworlder covered in thick brown fur hacked away at it, the loud thunk of his axe rising into his air in a steady rhythm.


    The Outworlders really integrated themselves in with the humans, huh? I can''t help but feel like I''m missing something. Why would they bother grouping up like this? I mean, sure, there''s safety in numbers¡­


    But why would Outworlders need to group up with people from Earth? Aaron was so held back by whatever it was the Outworlders did to hide that he didn''t even know about the Initializations.


    Is it possible they''re trying to use the weaker people here to somehow abuse a loophole in the System? As cover or bait or something? I don''t even know if the System has loopholes like that¡­ but there has to be something going on.


    Alex snuck a glance in Claire''s direction. Her expression was completely unreadable. It probably didn''t matter. Even if there was something in her features to read, there was a good chance it would be intentionally placed there.


    If anyone knew how to control their emotions, it was her. His best bet would just be to play things by ear and try to let Claire take charge until they could get a moment to speak in private.


    "Here we are," Abby said.


    She and Aaron slowed down and the group came to a halt the front of what must have been the main lodge of the campsite before the Apocalypse had struck. It was three stories tall and rather spread out, with probably eight or nine large rooms in total per floor.


    Large glass windows had shattered and been boarded over. A ring of sharpened wood surrounded the base of the lodge and Alex caught sight of several Outworlders perched on a walkway at the second floor holding bows.


    Abby walked up to the large door and pushed it open with a loud creak. She stuck her head inside. "Rin? Are you here? We need to speak."


    There were several long seconds of silence. Abby let out a disgruntled sigh.


    "Is something wrong?" Claire asked.


    "Rin''s hearing isn''t the best. She''s also rather keen on finding a dark corner and hiding in it until someone finds her. I ¡ª oh, it''ll be easier to explain when we find her. Aaron, would you help me find her? I don''t want to waste an hour doing this."


    Orchid''s eyes narrowed. Alex didn''t say anything, but he couldn''t help but feel a spike of suspicion as well. It was a bit suspicious that they both had to go find someone, but he just didn''t see any world where Abby or Aaron would try to fight them.


    They were just too weak.


    "Uh, yeah. Sure." Aaron''s voice was distant. He was clearly still lost in all the new information he''d just gotten, not to mention his close brush with death.


    Abby shot Alex a quick glance in search of approval.


    "Go for it," Alex said, shrugging a shoulder. If this was an ambush, at least it would make things interesting. Glint was ready for a fight and none of the people here knew about his other summons, not to mention any of Claire''s abilities. "Just don''t take too long. We''re on a time limit."


    "I know," Abby said tersely. She pressed a hand to her newly re-attached arm and her jaw clenched. "I''ll move as fast as I can. This should only take a minute or two. Nobody will bother you, don''t worry."


    With that, she darted into the house and Aaron followed after her.


    If everyone here is roughly around as strong Abby is¡­ then I don''t think anyone here could bother me, even if they wanted to. Getting your shit cooked by a mantis monster without even fighting back is pretty bad.


    Orchid said something about deserters getting punished for abandoning their families and being weakened. I should probably figure out just how significant that weakening was before I let myself really think about trying to fight the Region Boss together with these guys.


    "I can''t tell if I''m impressed or disturbed," Orchid said a moment after Abby and Aaron had left. She leaned against the white stick she''d taken from the Mirrorlands. "Seeing Outworlders intentionally choose to live with Natives like this¡­"


    "You think they''re hiding something?" Alex asked.


    "Yeah." Orchid let out a snort. "Themselves."


    "By using the humans as a shield?" Claire asked.


    "I''ve never heard of anything like that. It must be a technique I''m unaware of," Orchid said apologetically. "If anything, the thing they''re hiding is the Natives with them. If they have an item strong enough to disrupt tracking and repress the System from people who don''t have a strong connection to it yet¡­ well, this camp might be well and truly invisible for the moment. I doubt it''ll last."


    I wonder what kind of item can do that. Sounds like something that we should try to get our hands on to make sure the other Outworlders aren''t constantly on our asses. Even if Orchid thinks they aren''t going to care about us right now, I get the feeling I''m going to manage to piss them off again soon enough.


    "It''s bad luck for them that the Region Boss decided on this of all locations to wake up," Claire said.


    "Somehow, I doubt it had anything to do with luck," Orchid said. "I''d be willing to bet that defensive item they''ve got hiding them is probably what drew the boss here in the first place. Power begets power¡­ and challenge. You can''t walk around with an item like that without expecting the System to make you work for it. That'' s just typical for Oathbreakers, though. They stole work that is still being paid for in blood, entirely unprepared to take that burden on themselves.


    "This is starting to go from information to a vendetta," Claire said, glancing at Orchid out of the corners of her eyes. "Do you have personal experience with Oathbreakers?"


    "I¡ª"


    "Whoa!" A bright voice cut through the air before Orchid could respond to Claire''s question.


    They all turned as a young girl, probably in her very early teens at the oldest, peered out at them from behind a nearby cabin. She had long black hair pulled into a ponytail and tanned skin with features that looked strikingly similar to Aaron''s.


    She noticed them all staring in her direction. But, instead of flinching or hiding away, she popped out from her hiding spot and strode right over to them. Her gaze was affixed upon Glint, wonder sparkling in her eyes.


    "Hello there," Claire said, crouching to be at eye level with the girl. "You''re¡­ Aaron''s sister, I take it?"


    "Yeah," the girl said with a nod, but she didn''t so much as glance at Claire. She pointed at Glint. "Did you train a monster?"


    "Something like that," Alex said, mildly taken aback by her complete lack of fear.


    "Can I touch him? I''ll be gentle."


    Alex blinked. Now he was really taken aback. "I¡­ Glint is sharp. That might not be the wisest idea."


    "Oh," the girl said. A flicker of disappointment passed through her features before vanishing as quickly as it had arrived. "What if I wore some heavy gloves?"


    "He''s really sharp."


    "That''s fine, then," the girl said. "Sorry for the bother. In that case¡­ do you think you could maybe make your monster hide?


    Alex tilted his head to the side. The girl certainly didn''t seem particularly scared of Glint. He wasn''t sure why she would want to make him hide.


    Maybe she''s just got a really good brave face?


    "He''s here to help protect people," Alex said. "He isn''t going to hurt you unless you accidentally cut yourself touching him."


    "I know that. You came back with Aaron and Abby." The girl grinned, revealing a gap where a front tooth had once been. "You''re his friends, right?"


    "We''re something like that," Claire said, putting a hand on the girl''s shoulder.


    "Then you should hide the monster. Aaron can be a bit dense sometimes."


    Alex stared at her in confusion. "Why?"


    "He doesn''t want me to see any monsters," Abby said. "Aaron gets really stressed whenever I get too close to anything dangerous. He doesn''t want me to know that dad is dead and the world ended, so you shouldn''t let him see me near a monster."


    Alex''s mouth worked for a moment as he tried to process the girl''s words. They were spoken in a grimly stark matter-of-fact tone. It was a grim world where a little girl was admitting something like that without so much as a blink.


    "Have¡­ you considered telling him you know what''s going on?" Alex asked. "That seems like it would make things easier."


    "It would make him sad, so I''ll pass. Put your monster away please."


    "Have you considered not standing near said monster?" Claire asked, the corners of her lips pulling up in amusement.


    "No. I want to see my brother, so I''m staying here."


    Alex let out a snort. He sent a mental command to Glint, who slunk off to stand in the shadow of the inn. The Glasmir was still close enough to be well within reach if someone attacked them.


    "Thank you," the girl said.


    The door to the lodge creaked open and Abby stuck her head out. "I found ¡ª oh, May! What are you doing here?"


    "I saw you and Aaron come back. Why didn''t you come say there were friends visiting?"


    "I''m sorry. We were a bit busy," Abby said apologetically. Her eyes flicked to Alex and the others. "I''m sorry to rush you, but I''ve found Rin. She''s awake, so we really need to hurry. We only have a few minutes."


    "Why?" Orchid asked. "The Region Boss isn''t going to show up today."


    "I know. This is about Rin, not the boss."


    "She won''t spare more than a few minutes to speak with us?" Orchid arched an eyebrow.


    "Not won''t. Can''t," Abby said. "Rin is really old. She can only stay awake for a short while. Any more and she wastes too much energy."


    The hair on the back of Alex''s neck stood on end. Abby''s words were eerily close to ones he''d heard before.


    "Wait," Claire said, her gaze snapping to meet Abby''s. "She has to sleep to avoid wasting energy?"


    "Yeah," Abby said with a nod. "It''s because she isn''t human. Rin is a Dhampir."

 Chapter 124: Wipe

    "That can''t be possible," Claire said, her eyes going wide in disbelief. For the first time since Alex had met her, she looked completely off guard. Something about it felt deeply wrong. The hair on the back of his neck rose and a chill gripped his spine.Anything that took Claire by this much surprise was not going to be good news, though Alex did take a moment to really analyze her expression. This was Claire, after all. It was no longer possible to take everything she did at face value.


    But even with that said, she Alex was pretty confident that this reaction was completely genuine.


    It does feel a bit odd that she doesn''t sound happy about another Dhampir being here. If anything, she seems¡­ worried?


    "No, she''s definitely a Dhampir," Abby said. "Why? Is something wrong? I kind of figured¡ª"


    "No, nothing at all." Claire''s expression shifted in a split instant and she gave Abby a wide smile. "I was just surprised. That''s all. I didn''t think I''d run into one of my own kind over here. What a coincidence."


    "So you are a Dhampir. I saw the pointy teeth, but..."


    "You didn''t want to make assumptions," Claire finished. "Probably wise. There are a lot of things with pointy teeth. Fortunately, having pointy teeth automatically makes us friends. Please introduce us. I can''t wait."


    That was weak. Unless she''s intentionally sandbagging, she''s off her game. But what''s a Dhampir even doing here in the first place? I suppose it would be a bit arrogant to assume they''re completely unique to Claire''s planet since a bunch of Outworlders are basically just humans¡­ but still.


    This seems like a bit too much of a surprise to be a coincidence.


    Claire wasn''t the only one that looked out of sorts.


    Aaron glanced from May to the Dhampir uneasily. He shifted from foot to foot, opening and closing his mouth several times. It struck Alex that he was probably trying to think of an explanation as to what the hell a Dhampir was ¡ª one that fit into the rather unconvincing story that he''d woven for his sister.


    "Dhampir means they both like cosplaying as vampires," Alex provided. "Claire really likes Halloween. They''ve got a club and everything."


    May arched an eyebrow ¡ª and Alex suppressed a laugh.


    May was looking at him in the way a little boy looked at his mother after catching her hand under his pillow, fishing for teeth meant for the tooth fairy.


    "I see," May said. She did not sound convinced in the slightest.


    That seemed to be enough for Arron, though. He blew out a small breath as Aaron shot him a grateful look.


    "We should get moving," Abby said tersely. She held her recently-reattached shoulder with an arm and threw a glance over her shoulder, into the house. "Rin can''t stay awake for long. If you want to speak with her, then we''ll have to keep things prudent."


    I almost wonder if that''s what Claire wants.


    "Let''s get going, then," Claire said with an impatient gesture, completely ruining Alex''s theory. "We wouldn''t want to keep her waiting."


    Aaron stepped out of the way and looked to his sister. "May, why don''t we go get some food while¡ª"


    "No. I wanna see Rin."


    "They''ll be talking about boring stuff," Aaron tried.


    May ran inside the house. Aaron looked after her, then ran a hand through his hair and let out a groan.


    Alex clapped him on the shoulder as he and Claire followed the girl into the house. "Don''t worry about it too much. The world''s changed, man. Trying to keep her sheltered won''t work forever."


    "It doesn''t have to work forever," Aaron replied. His hands clenched at his sides and he stepped into the house alongside Abby after them. "I just want to keep her away from all this shit for just a little longer. She''s too young."


    "You''re not doing her any favors," Claire said, keeping her voice low as they walked through the darkness in pursuit of May''s steps. "Every minute is precious¡­ and you aren''t strong enough to protect her."


    Even in the dim lighting, Alex saw Aaron flinch. He cast his gaze to the side as shame colored his cheeks. "I know."


    "Being weak isn''t something to be embarrassed about," Claire said. "But staying weak is."


    "Well said." A new voice drifted through the lodge, as old and weathered as a forgotten scrap of paper at the bottom of a pile in an abandoned government building. It took Alex a moment to even realize that the voice belonged to a woman. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Whoever was speaking wasn''t just old. They were ancient.


    A faint whuff broke through the darkness, and a flicker of light twisted up to illuminate the sparse room around them. Sitting in a rickety wooden chair that barely had any right to remain upright was a surprisingly young-looking woman.


    Young was, of course, relative. Alex would have guessed her to look like a prune in the form of a human from the sound of her voice. But, what he found was someone somewhere around their mid-sixties. She had grayish-white hair and stern, sharp features. Fangs protruded from her upper lip, which was curled up in slight amusement.


    Words shimmered through the air above Rin now that she was fully illuminated. For once, it seemed that someone didn''t have an item to conceal their identity.


    Rin - Dhampir Broodmother (Novice 1)


    Novice 1? That must be because of what Claire was speaking about. No matter how strong Rin might be, if she tries to exert energy fighting, she''ll end up killing herself. But if she''s really weak¡­ why would a bunch of Outworlders be ferrying her around? Anybody going around invading planets isn''t going to be doing it out of the goodness of their heart.


    "Rin," Abby said, bowing her head in respect.


    "Abby. Thank you for bringing our guests. It''s a pleasure to meet you all," Rin said, giving them the slightest inclination of her head in greeting. Her eyes ¡ª yellowed and with vertical pupils like a cat''s ¡ª lingered on Claire. "Well, isn''t this interesting."


    "Broodmother," Claire said. Her voice was difficult to read, but the word didn''t sound like a name so much as a title.


    "Oh, posh. A Broodmother needs a brood," Rin said with a dry, scratchy laugh. "I''m just an old woman."


    Somehow, Alex didn''t believe that for a moment.


    "Why are you here?" Claire asked.


    "Because I didn''t fancy dying for a bunch of stuffy invaders who think they can charge into our world and do as they please," Rin replied. Her smile fell away. "Just like all the other good people in this encampment. We''re not interested in the games of your families, Outworlders."


    Well, so much for my plans of trying to pretend to just be a normal earthling¡­ even if that literally is exactly what I am.


    "You''re an Outworlder yourself," Orchid pointed out. "That seems a bit hypocritical."


    Rin''s finger twitched. "Your kind stole my planet from me. I came here, not as a conqueror, but as a refugee. Nobody here is looking to destroy or control. We simply want to live."


    "How did you even get here?" Claire asked.


    "There aren''t that many new planets opening every day, you know. It''s quite the event." Rin let out a dry laugh. "And there are families that need fodder. People to go first and make the way. My entire brood was dead. Killed. So I volunteered ¡ª and betrayed them at the first opportunity. Idiots thought the pull of power could keep me at their beck and call. I''ve lived long enough. I have no desire to live forever. There was nothing they could offer me. But you, girl ¡ª I think you question is better directed at yourself. Why are you here? Did the Nightmarch pay you to find me?"


    She''s not speaking like a Novice 1. Can the System even properly assess her strength if she hasn''t actually leveled up within it?


    "I''d sooner cut out my own tongue than work for them," Claire said. "We do not come representing any Outworlder family interests. Not in the way that you''ve come to know them. We''re here for one reason and one reason alone."


    "And what would that be?" Rin asked.


    "There''s a Region Boss awakening in this area," Alex said. "We''re here to kill it. That''s all."


    "Oh, is that all?" Rin''s lips quirked in amusement. "How kind of you. And I am certain you wish for nothing in return for your services?"


    "That depends," Alex said. "Do you care how many of your people die when the Region Boss arrives? Because I''ve seen what you''ve got to offer ¡ª and I can tell you right now that it isn''t going to be enough. Abby nearly got killed by an Initiate 3."


    "It caught me off guard," Abby said defensively, her cheeks coloring in shame.


    "The forest¡­ there have been reports of stronger monsters," Rin said, a frown flickering across her lips. "Tell me more."


    "I''ve seen a Region Boss land near a town before. It didn''t even emerge from its meteor, but its mere arrival was enough to reduce the entire place to ruins. It was heralded by empowered monsters and a Field Boss ¡ª one considerably stronger than anything else in the region."


    It was impossible to tell if Rin was concerned about his words or if she was just digging for information. Alex didn''t even bother trying to read her. Given her age, she had to have so much experience with the Dhampir game of Court that he would have had better luck just asking her what she was thinking.


    And ¡ª if he was honest with himself ¡ª he didn''t really care what Rin thought. The Region Boss was coming whether she wanted it to or not. This wasn''t something that could be politicked away.


    "And what do you want in exchange for killing it?"


    "Want? Nothing. Killing the monster will be reward enough. We didn''t come here looking for you," Alex said. "Surely one of your number is aware of what a Region Boss is. You''re Outworlders!"


    "Not every family is as powerful as yours. Many can''t afford to send powerful members to new worlds. The cost can be¡­ astronomical. It''s much more efficient to send newer ones," Orchid said. "And Oathbreakers aren''t going to be the top of their families anyway. They''re usually the expendable troops at the bottom that are too scared to do what it takes to grow powerful."


    "It is not our duty to die for our oppressors," Rin said coolly. "If anything, they deserve to be betrayed for being so foolish as to believe that we would throw our lives away for the benefit of a family that we are not part of."


    Shit. These aren''t seasoned Outworlders that have gone from planet to planet in search of power and resources. It''s a bunch of people that got swallowed by Outworlder families invading their worlds and then put to work on a new one.


    No wonder they''re trying to build a new life for themselves. They''re not trying to steal our planet. They just want to survive¡­ and now the System is about to completely wipe every single person in this village off the face of 274-50.

 Chapter 125: Goal

    "So tell me," Rin said. Her withered voice coiled through the dimly lit room like a snake. Even though she hadn''t so much as budged from her old chair, there was something about her that exuded strength. "What is it that you want?""If you really do just want a place to call your own, you can''t keep running," Alex said. "This isn''t even about Outworlders. This world is dangerous ¡ª and this valley is about to become doubly so. It doesn''t matter what you used to be. There''s a powerful monster coming our way. It''s going to destroy this village. That''s why we''re here. To destroy it."


    "Someone as young as you?" Doubt entered Rin''s voice. "If this monster is as powerful as you claim, then three people will not be nearly enough to take it down."


    She''s probably right there.


    "We are more than we appear," Claire said with a shrug.


    Rin''s gaze flicked to her. "Oh, of that, I am more than aware. But I am more concerned with the safety of my new people than I am of you. We have a community. This is my new Brood. I will not let the Outworlders take their lives and homes again. And I do not trust you."


    "They saved my life," Aaron said. "Abby too. They didn''t have to do that. I don''t think they''re lying."


    "They¡­ don''t seem like the other Outworlders I''ve met," Abby said. "What would they get out of saving my life? Claire put my arm back and helped me save it. Even if I''d lived, I would have been permanently injured. That''s not the act of the families we know."


    "Which means it is a diversion," Rin said. "What is your real goal? Do you really expect me to believe that you''ve come here to protect us from inevitable death purely from the kindness of your hearts? That you expect nothing but a heartfelt thanks in return?"


    I''d be annoyed at her being suspicious if she wasn''t some ancient grandma whose entire life was built on being suspicious. Kind of hard to fault her for that now ¡ª but this is still a pain in my ass. How do you convince someone this suspicious that you aren''t here to screw them over?


    Fortunately, Claire took the question for him.


    "No. We don''t want your thanks, and we aren''t doing this because we''re kind," Claire said. "We''re here because, unlike you, we are not content to hide and cower. Freedom comes through strength. We saw that on Ayrin, Broodmother. We were weak. How many of our people still live?"


    "Far too few," Rin said. Her features tightened. "You lecture me when you have sold yourself to an Outworlder family? You side with those who destroyed us."


    "You don''t have the slightest idea of what I''ve done," Claire said. "There was nothing we could do when Nightmarch attacked Ayrin¡­ but now you have a chance to act. We have warning. There''s no excuses this time around. I don''t care if you trust us or not. We aren''t here for you. We''re here for power. Whether your people die or not is up to you. Fight if you choose to fight. Run if you choose to run. We''re offering help because your presence would make the fight slightly easier, not because we need you."


    Orchid''s head tilted to the side. She didn''t miss the fact that Claire was admitting to be from the same planet as Rin ¡ª and that their planet had been taken over by the Nightmarch, not by the Starfallen.


    She didn''t exactly look suspicious as much as curious. They''d already made it clear that they weren''t approaching this from their supposed real identities, so Orchid was probably guessing that Claire was just fishing for information.


    "None of us knew you were here," Alex added. "We came planning to fight the Region Boss on our own. How could we have known of your existence?"


    Rin barely even acknowledged Alex. Her eyes were completely focused on Claire. For several long seconds, neither of the Dhampirs said anything. There seemed to be some manner of unspoken conversation passing between the two of them. Perhaps it was an argument.


    But, if it was, Alex couldn''t tell who was winning.


    Then Aaron broke the silence.


    "May, could you do me a favor? I''m starving. I could really use something to eat."


    May squinted at Aaron. Alex fully expected her to tell him to go get it himself. But, to his surprise, she shrugged and nodded.


    "''kay. I''ll be right back."


    She strode out of the building without another word. Everyone looked at Aaron, and he coughed into his fist.


    "I know. I know. It''s stupid. I get it. I''m sure May knows it too. She''s not stupid ¡ª but this shitty lie is all I''ve got right now. I''m at my wits end, and her knowing that we''re all about to die isn''t going to make her life any better."


    "You aren''t necessarily going to die," Alex said.


    "You said that this monster is even stronger than these new ones that have been showing up."


    "It is."


    "Then I''m dead," Aaron said flatly. "Most of us are. Maybe all. I can count the number of people in this camp that could defeat a monster like that mantis on one hand. You did it with nothing more than a thought. So if this Region Boss is so strong that it''s going to cause you trouble, then we don''t stand a lick of a chance."


    "You''d definitely all be dead if the Region Boss showed up today," Claire confirmed with a nod. "You wouldn''t stand a chance."


    "But I''m certain you have something to offer us that can change all that," Rin said dryly. "Magical items, perhaps? And they come at the low cost of fealty."


    Orchid let out a bark of laughter. "Why would they need fealty from you? Everyone here is weak. This is¡ª"


    Alex shot Orchid a look and she closed her mouth. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Are you really an Outworlder?" Aaron asked, squinting at Alex. "You''re like Abby?"


    "No," Alex said honestly. "I''m nothing like Abby. But this is not the only world I''ve been to."


    Not even a lie, there.


    "You could do what Rin is talking about, then?" Aaron pressed. "You have items and stuff that would make me strong? Let me fight this thing?"


    "Aaron," Rin warned. "You do not know what you are asking for. We¡ª"


    "I''ve been listening to the whole conversation," Aaron said. "I''m weak, Rin. That might be because I chose to hide, but it doesn''t matter why anymore. I can''t protect my sister. What do you want me to do? Sit around and do nothing while she dies?"


    "It is better to die free than to live a slave."


    "Damn that to hell. I watched my dad die free. It didn''t fucking help," Aaron snapped. He turned to Alex. "I don''t care who I have to work for. If you give me a way to protect May, then I''m in."


    "You are being too hasty! You do not know what you offer!" Rin rose an inch from her chair. There was genuine distress in her voice. It really sounded like she was concerned about Aaron, which was strange. He wasn''t even one of the Outworlders that Rin had come to the village with.


    Does she actually care about him? Or is this an act?


    "I don''t care what I offer. I promised my parents I''d take care of May. I''m doing a real shit job at that, but I''ll be damned if I give up," Aaron said. He grabbed Alex''s arm. There was steel in his eyes ¡ª a determination that would not accept any answer but an affirmative. "I don''t care what the cost is. Make me strong."


    "I''m sorry," Alex said. "But I can''t do that."


    "What?" Aaron asked, blinking in confusion. "But¡­"


    "Claire wasn''t lying. We aren''t here to get fealty or some shit like that. We''re here to kill a monster."


    "Then why did you say we could fight?" Aaron asked desperately. "What''s the point? Why fight if we can''t win?"


    "I don''t have an item that will magically let you defeat a Region Boss. If I did, I''d use it on myself. I can''t make you strong, but that doesn''t mean I can''t give you the opportunity to make yourself strong."


    "What do you mean?" Aaron frowned. "You have some special training technique?"


    "More like a place," Alex replied with a chuckle. "I don''t know how long we have until the Region Boss fully awakens, but I think it should be a few days at the least. Don''t quote me on that ¡ª it''s just a gut feeling."


    "What could you possibly accomplish in a few days?" Rin asked. Confusion tinged her tone. This clearly hadn''t been the direction she''d been expecting them to take this. "And what do you want for this¡­ training?"


    Alex smiled. Now they were finally getting somewhere. "You''d be surprised. A few days goes a very long way. And I don''t want anything but some extra people capable of at least backing me up when the Region Boss arrives."


    Rin''s gaze bore into Alex''s head like two drills. He held it without flinching.


    "You want to use us as human shields," Rin said.


    "Let''s say I do. What good is a human shield that can''t actually do their job? As you are, you''d hold the Region Boss back for a few seconds at most. However long it took to squish you," Alex pointed out.


    "But if you train us, we''ll be able to fight back longer," Aaron mused. "That''s what you''re saying, right?"


    "He is literally planning to use you as a tool," Rin said. "Outworlders will use you up and throw your corpse behind them."


    "I''ll be able to protect May?" Aaron pressed, ignoring her.


    "I can''t answer that," Alex replied with a shake of his head. "I don''t know. But I''ll do everything in my power to put you in a position where you can."


    "Then I''m in," Aaron said. "What do we have to¡ª"


    A loud roar split the air before he could finish his sentence. It struck the house with such intensity that the wood vibrated and rattled. A second roar followed no more than a second after the first.


    Screams rose up from the camp around them.


    "What is that?" Abby asked, her hand flying to her sword. Her features twisted in horror. "The Region Boss?"


    "No," Alex said, spinning for the door. He needed the village alive. If they all got killed before the Region Boss showed up, he''d have nobody to back him up ¡ª and he''d also started to take a bit of a liking to Aaron. "It''s something else."


    Another hissing roar split through the air. There were monsters¡­ and by the sounds of it, quite a few of them.


    "May is out there!" Aaron yelled urgently. "We need to¡ª"


    Claire drew her katana and shoved it into Aaron''s hands. He stared at it in surprise.


    "You were so impatient to throw your life away a moment ago," Claire said. "Be happy. The opportunity has arrived. Put your money where your mouth is. We''ve got some monsters to kill."

 Chapter 126: Gaga

    The camp was nearly half-destroyed by the time Alex and Claire sprinted free from the lodge. Ash and the smell of burnt wood wormed into the air, rapidly growing thicker. A building laid in a pile of fragmented wood near the treeline, huge splinters from the logs that had once made it up jutted from the ground like stakes. Fire licked around the building''s remains, dancing as it swallowed the house.A shrill scream ripped through the air like a missile. Alex flinched as a wave of heat and force slammed into him. He threw his hands up and squinted as the forest lit up with a brilliant flash of fire. An explosion ripped through the air as a second house went up in flames.


    Huge chunks of debris spun through the air and fell back to the ground like burning meteors, shattering with loud cracks as they hit the ground.


    "That''s unfortunate," Orchid said. She and Aaron stood at the doorway; their expressions couldn''t have been more different.


    Aaron had frozen in disbelief. He stared at the burning remains of the building as if struggling to comprehend the information his eyes were feeding his head.


    Orchid looked bored.


    She lifted her gaze to a burning chunk of wood the size of a small horse. It sailed through the air ¡ª heading straight in their direction.


    Orchid lifted the white stick in her hand. She took aim at the piece of wood and gave her hand a slight flick. A wave of frost rolled free from the end of the staff. The air froze, crystals of ice glistening in the wake of a white crescent arc.


    The magic slammed into the falling wood. It snuffed the flames instantly, freezing the entire piece solid and flinging it to the side, where it crashed harmlessly to the dirt.


    Oh, hey. Orchid finally got her magic working. But where the hell did that attack come from? I don''t see the monsters that I heard roaring from inside the lodge.


    "Don''t expect too much," Orchid said, recognizing Alex''s thoughts before he could even muster them. "My synchronization with this new staff is abysmal. That attack used ten times more energy than it should have ¡ª and it barely had half the effect I was going for."


    "Fuck," Aaron breathed. He swallowed heavily, eyes darting around the camp before raising his voice. "May! May, where are you?"


    The only response was the crackle of burning wood and the screams of the people living in the camp as they scrambled to man their defenses against a foe than none of them could even see.


    A hastily constructed battlement collapsed, the spikes set up around it no more effective than a no skateboarding sign placed on a long outdoor staircase with particularly smooth metal railing.


    "There," Claire said, pointing into the trees.


    Alex followed her finger to the treeline.


    There was absolutely nothing there.


    "What?" Alex asked. "Where?"


    "There," Claire repeated, thrusting her finger at the same spot. "Look closer. Right where I''m looking."


    He squinted. The lack of doubt in Claire''s voice made him re-focus his gaze, trying to see what he''d missed the previous time. There were just trees¡ª


    But something was off. There was a slight waver in the air. Details were off. Bark where there should have been dirt; leaves where there were no branches.


    It was an illusion.


    And as soon as Alex spotted the abnormality, the rest of it fell away in an instant. It was difficult to believe that he hadn''t been able to see it just a few mere moments ago. Standing several feet in front of the treeline, completely exposed, was a monster of green scales.


    Its back end was the long tail of a snake, easily four feet in circumference, but that was where its resemblance to a normal reptile ended. The monster rose up instead of lying on the ground. It had a humanoid chest that split into two necks.


    It had two identical heads. Each was that of a massive lizard, full of jagged yellowed teeth and a flicking, forked tongue. The monster clutched a massive wooden staff in its clawed hands. Sparks of yellow-orange light swirled around it like a horde of angry fireflies, fading in and out of existence.


    Nagaga (Initiate 5)


    "What the hell?" Alex asked, blinking in surprise. "How did I not¡ª"


    "Camouflage," Claire said. "Only effective until someone sees through it."


    "You''ve got keen eyes," Orchid said. "I couldn''t see that myself and I have a magic-focused class. Impressive. I suppose that should be expected from someone of your lineage."


    "Maybe we kill the monster first, then talk about how cool Claire is later," Alex suggested. His eyes shifted to the shadows at the edge of the lodge. Glint still stood in wait ¡ª his orders had just been to protect Alex and Claire, not to watch for a monster attack.


    "What do we do?" Aaron asked, clutching Claire''s sword so tightly that his knuckles were starting to resemble bone. "That thing is fucking huge!"


    "You can see it?" Orchid tilted her head to the side. "What''s your class?"


    "Why does that matter? May is out there somewhere! I need to help her!"


    "By what, killing yourself?" Orchid arched an eyebrow. "Pick better battles if you want to survive. That''s not the only monster here, kid. Find something your size ¡ª or preferably, about half of it. You''ve got a plethora of options to choose from."


    She was right. Monsters pushed through the treeline all around the encampment, flooding toward the log cabins. It was like the entire forest''s wildlife had been warped into twisted versions of themselves. The majority of the monsters were in the low Initiate or high Novice ranks, but there were enough of them that any remaining defenses the camp had wouldn''t last much longer.


    The campers ¡ª at least, the ones that had been fast enough to rally in time ¡ª rushed toward the center lodge to try and form a defensive line.


    Alex''s eyes swept over the clearing in search of May. He didn''t fancy himself as some sort of savior, but he wasn''t about to leave a little girl to get slaughtered by monsters if there was something he could do about it.


    Unfortunately all he could see was chaos. Haze and smoke from fire filled the air and the screams of man and monster alike rang in his ears. Metal clashed and magic ripped through the clearing as the Outworlders rallied and pressed back against the monsters.


    A bulbous bird dropped from the sky with a screech, zipping straight for Aaron''s back. Abby lunged forward, driving her sword through the monster''s chest before it could connect with its target. She spun and pelted the monster into the ground like a wet baseball before driving her foot down on top of its head. The monster''s skull crunched and it went still.


    Aaron spun, staring at the monster in surprise. "Shit! I didn''t even see it coming. I¡ª"


    "Forget it," Abby snapped. "We need to find May! I''ll cover your back!"


    He blinked, then gave her a sharp nod. The fear didn''t leave his features, but it was tempered by determination. He thrust Claire''s sword toward a cabin near them. "Right! She should have gone to Bethany''s. Let''s go!"


    They sprinted off.


    "Do you care if I deal with that?" Claire asked, nodding to the Nagaga. "I haven''t had a chance to exercise recently. You''ve taken all the fun fights yourself."


    "All yours," Alex said.


    Claire blurred into motion. Wings burst from her back as she bounded toward the Nagaga, each step covering a dozen normal paces. Her veins turned jet black and she leapt into the air.


    The monster''s heads both snapped toward her in surprise. It clearly hadn''t been expecting to be spotted quite so easily. Letting out a roar, it swung its staff to bat Claire out of the air.


    Her wings snapped down and she shifted directions in a split second. She shot right past the strike and slammed into the Nagaga''s chest with enough force to send it crashing into the trees behind it. The monsters roars faded into the forest as it vanished from view.


    Alex wasn''t concerned. Claire could deal with a monster like that without any difficulty. They''d faced far harder in the Mirrorlands. He reached for his magic and summoned every one of his monsters.


    The shadows near the edge of the house bubbled as Princess rose up from within them. Spark arose beside her, bands of darkness binding his limbs and keeping him on all fours. Alex scanned the battlefield to see where they would be most useful¡ª


    A new explosion echoed through the clearing. He spun toward the source of the sound just in time to catch the remains of a cabin hurtling through the air. They slammed into other buildings with loud crashes and rolled through the dirt, leaving deep furrows in their paths. Campers scattered and dove away from the falling debris.


    A second Initiate 5 Nagaga stood at the other end of the camp, smokey flame still rising up from the end of its staff. Its mouths let out hissing laughter as it turned to take aim at a new target ¡ª the cabin that Aaron and Abby had run off toward.


    "No!" A young voice rang out.


    A small form darted out from behind a smoldering tree trunk.


    May.


    "What are you doing, girl?" Rin yelled, her shadow suddenly darkening the doorway behind Alex. Genuine panic filled her words. "Run!"


    "You can''t break any more of our houses!" May yelled. "Go away!"


    "Go!" Alex barked. "Protect her!"


    All of his monsters lurched into motion.


    The Nagaga''s heads let out hissing noises that almost sounded like a laugh. The monster stepped forward and leveled its staff at her. A high-pitched whine filled the air. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They were too far to interfere in time. Glint was fast ¡ª but May was on the other side of the camp. He didn''t have any magic that could gap that range as quickly as he needed it to. They needed at least a few seconds to make it there.


    "May!" Aaron burst free from the cabins behind her, his sword leveled at his side. Desperation twisted his features as the Nagaga brought its staff forward, preparing to release the explosive magic gathering at its tip. Aaron sprinted toward them desperately, but he was just out of range. "Run away!"


    "Dad said assholes like you can go fuck themselves!" May yelled, thrusting a hand toward the Nagaga.


    A brilliant crack split the air. Lightning boomed. An agonized scream rang out ¡ª not from May, but from the Nagaga. It lurched back, smoke rising from blackened scales near one of its eyes.


    Crackles of electric energy still danced across May''s fingers, buzzing like a nest of angry bees.


    Aaron''s eyes went wide in disbelief and he missed a step, nearly tripping over himself in surprise.


    Unfortunately, the Nagaga was less taken aback. It blinked its surprise away and shook its head. Then it let out a scream of fury. The monster had been injured, but it was far from dead. Fire twisted at the head of its staff as it brought it back toward May.


    Fire bloomed at the end of the Nagaga''s staff and a concentrated ball of fire exploded from its tip, streaking straight for May with a shrill screech.


    "May!" Aaron screamed. He lunged ¡ª


    The magic struck the ground at May''s feet.


    A wall of force slammed into Aaron and sent him skidding back, unable to do anything but watch as May and everything in a ten foot sphere around her was swallowed by a roaring explosion.

 Chapter 127: Brood

    "No!" Rin exclaimed, grabbing onto the doorframe as horror gripped her features. Her wizened features contorted in agony and she doubled over like she''d taken a physical blow to the gut. "May!"Flames crackled and popped around the ground where the girl had stood moments before. Their intensity rapidly faded and shrank away, pulling back across the now-scorched dirt.


    Aaron''s hands trembled as he stared at the spot where May had stood. His mouth worked in disbelief, trying and failing to form words. Abby stood a few paces behind him, her features several shades paler than normal in stark shock.


    The Nagaga let out a pair of hissing laughs. It drove the butt of its staff into the ground with a thud. A high-pitched whine built as it started to call on its magic once more. It took aim at Aaron, who didn''t even try to budge.


    All he could do was stare at the fading fire and the blackened earth where May had been moments before.


    "Bastards," Rin breathed. Her eyes fluttered, pupils going pitch black as her fingers flexed into claws. "They dare kill my Brood? I''ll¡ª"


    "Relax, grandma," Alex said, a small smile pulling across his lips. While everyone else stared in horror, he could feel one thing that none of them could. A faint, constant drain on his energy. "Don''t waste your energy. From what Claire has told me about your kind, you don''t have the magic to spare."


    "You dare mock the death of a child?" Rin asked, fury burning in her features.


    In response, Alex just pointed at the blackened ground as the last of the flames sputtered out.


    There was a large lump of pitch black tar in the center of the explosion. The lump bubbled as a white ceramic mask pushed out from within it. Tendrils shot from the lump and slammed into the ground lifting it into the air.


    Sludge bubbled out as Princess''s body reformed. She bloomed like a sodden flower, unwrapping herself to reveal a small, curled form within her protection.


    The Nagaga let out a hiss of fury as it realized that its prey had been stolen. It lowered its staff to take aim once more.


    A black blur slammed into it with a loud crunch. Spark had chosen his time to make an entrance. The few brief seconds that May had bought by hitting the Nagaga with her magic hadn''t been enough to kill the monster, but they''d bought Alex''s monsters enough time to get into position.


    Glint emerged from where he stood behind a house. His shimmering blade-wing snapped out like a whip, slicing across the Nagaga''s chest and clean through the scales with a loud shearing noise. The monster screamed in pain and staggered back, all four of its eyes flicking to the new threat.


    It didn''t get a chance to counterattack.


    A shadow blurred behind the Nagaga and Spark swapped positions with it. His black gauntlet clamped down on the monster''s arm and ripped it free with a single, sharp motion. Green blood sprayed across the ground. Spark discarded the limb over his shoulder like it was a crumbled up ball of trash.


    His shadow darted around to stand behind the snakelike monster.


    The Nagaga screamed and dropped its staff. It swung its remaining hand at Spark.


    The Knight Wraith vanished, swapping spots with his shadow once more and allowing the other monster''s attack to pass through his clone harmlessly. Spark balled his armored hands and brought them down on the Nagaga''s back, bringing it crashing down to its knees.


    Princess set May down on the ground while Spark kept the other monster distracted. She then took several lurching steps forward, accelerating with each one. Sludge raced down her body and gathered around her hand as she reared back. Purple veins pulsed deep within her.


    The Nagaga looked up. It reached for its staff.


    Princess swung.


    A deep, echoing crunch echoed through the clearing. A spray of green blood arced out and splattered across the ground. The Nagaga''s body pitched back and crashed to the ground where it lay, unmoving.


    Energy trickled into Alex from the kill. He didn''t wait to savor it. There were still too many monsters around the clearing to relax. He immediately sent new commands to his team.


    Glint broke away, blurring for the thickest parts of the fight, while Spark trailed after him in search of any stragglers. Princess remained behind May to ensure nothing could finish the Nagaga''s job in its place.


    "What are those monsters?" Rin asked, staring in disbelief. Her eyes fluttered as they returned to their normal color. "They''re¡­ wretched."


    "They''re saving your ass," Alex corrected. He made sure to keep himself from breathing a sigh of relief. He didn''t need Rin ¡ª or Orchid ¡ª to realize just how close that had been. If May hadn''t managed to delay the Nagaga¡­ she would have been dead.


    Pretty badass, kid. I don''t know if I would have been able to act if I were her age and in the same spot.


    More energy entered Alex. It seemed that Glint had arrived at his next monster and claimed another victim. The smile on his features grew as the tides of the sudden battle turned as rapidly as it had started.


    Claire emerged from where she''d entered the forest, green blood dripping from her fingertips. A snake leapt at her in a blur of scale. Her hand snapped out and she caught it by the throat ¡ª or the tail, depending on where one defined the start of one and the end of the other.


    The monster''s eyes bulged as her hand tightened. It thrashed in desperation for an instant. Then there was a loud crack. The monster went limp and Claire dropped it, the spot where she''d held it wrung like a wet towel.


    Glint danced through the smoldering village, blurring past the campers and ripping bloody swathes through every enemy in his way. Monsters in his wake crumpled like flowers in a winter storm.


    Aaron ran past Princess, grabbing May and pulling her into a hug.


    "Celebrate later! Never waste an opportunity to get stronger! If you do, you''ll just get killed in the next fight!" Alex yelled, striding toward them.


    A bird shot for him. He raised a hand to activate Funhouse, but Orchid lifted her staff before he could react. A wave of frost drove into the monster. It froze solid mid-flap, ice turning it swings brittle. It plummeted from the sky and landed on the ground with a thunk. One of its wings snapped and spun to the side.


    "Don''t worry about the trash," Orchid said. "I''m nowhere near where I should be, but I can deal with scum monsters like this."


    Alex gave her a nod of appreciation and continued through the camp at a brisk pace until he stood before Aaron and May. He didn''t miss that Rin was following alongside him. The old woman seemed considerably spryer than she had been a few minutes ago.


    For a moment, Alex thought that Aaron was going to come up with some stupid explanation for what was happening for May. Or, even worse, he was going to try keep her from fighting because she was too young ¡ª which would have been a great theory if any monsters had even the slightest plan of not eating her because of her age.


    "You''re right," Aaron said. He swallowed. "I''m sorry, May. I''ve been lying to you. The world is over. There''s no camping trip. There are monsters everywhere."


    "Really?" May asked, her mouth dropping comically wide open and her eyes widening in the fakest look of shock that Alex had ever seen. It appeared that May was not a particularly good actor. "I couldn''t tell!"


    Aaron bought it without so much as blinking.


    "It''s true," he said. "I should have warned you, but we don''t have any time to waste now. Alex is right. I''ll tell you everything once this is over, but we have to kill these¡­ bad guys before they hurt our friends."


    "Let''s kill the fuckers!" May exclaimed. "I''ll help!"


    "May!" Aaron snapped. "Where did you learn that word?"


    "Daddy called a customer that when they said there was hair in the food, but the hair was blonde and all of us have black hair, but she had blonde hair, so he knew it was¡ª"


    "Maybe later?" Alex suggested. He gestured to the chaos unfolding around them. "There are still monsters. Princess will protect you as much as possible ¡ª that''ll reduce the challenge, but this is an impossible fight for you without her. Now go kill something."


    "Yes sir!" May said, giving Alex a sharp salute. "Agent Snake is going dark!"


    She darted off for the nearest monster.


    "May! This is not a game!" Aaron exclaimed as he raced after her. Princess lumbered alongside the two of them, each of her steps crossing twice as much distance as her smaller companions''.


    If she survives, she''s going to be quite the menace.


    "Who are you, Alex?" Rin asked. "Why do you carry yourself with such ease on a battlefield? You are too young to have come to terms with it. It takes Dhampirs years to become this comfortable with death."


    Alex watched May thrust her hands up at a bird flying overhead and send a crackle of lighting arcing out into it. The monster let out a scream of fury and dove down toward her. Aaron jumped between them, swinging his sword with a scream.


    "If there''s one thing that humans are really damn good at doing, it''s adapting," Alex said. "I''ve just had a bit of special training."


    Aaron''s sword blurred. Hazy images of it swung through the air alongside the real strike. They each carved into the bird monster''s side, and every one of them left a furrow in the monster''s hide.


    It screamed in fury, diving at May''s neck.


    Princess grabbed it from the air. She reared back and pelted it into the ground with a wet thunk. It splattered like an egg.


    "What manner of training could have prepared you to this degree? Some secret Outworlder technique?" Rin asked.


    "Something like that," Alex said. "You''ll see soon enough. If this is how you guys fare against Initiate level monsters, I don''t want to see what happens when¡ª"


    Three ear-piercing shrieks split through the air. Alex swore and clapped his hands over his ears as he, along with everyone else in the smoldering clearing, staggered. The beat of large wings pulled his attention away from the ground and to the top of the treeline.


    Flying above the trees was an enormous lizard. It looked similar to the Nagagas but had huge leathery yellowed wings that protruded from its back ¡ª and an extra head sprouting from its shoulders. The monster was twice as large as a normal Nagaga and held a gnarled wooden staff in each of its hands.


    [Field Boss] Nagagaga (Adept 1)


    A loud whine filled the air as two balls of flame twisted to life above the Nagagaga''s staves. Alex''s blood ran cold. An Adept level monster was a significant threat for his own team, forget a bunch of weakened Outworlders and helpless Nativeworlders.


    This is bad. It''s not even the Region Boss and it''s already this strong?


    "Shit," Alex breathed. The last time they''d taken out an Adept Tier monster, they''d had Derek to draw the brunt of its attention. His hands clenched at his sides as his mind spun in search of a way to keep the fight from wiping out the entirety of the camp. He came up flat.


    Rin stared up at the monster from beside him. "You honest about that training, boy?"


    "It''s not going to matter in a few moments," Alex replied, his chest constricting. He was more than happy to take the monster on ¡ª but the town wasn''t going to survive this. "You need to get everyone out of here. Now."


    "They won''t make it," Rin said, and Alex knew she was right. The whine of the fireballs was reaching a crescendo, and these were considerably bigger than the Nagaga''s spells. He wouldn''t be surprised if they nuked the entire campsite off the map. Rin prodded Alex in the side. "Answer my question."


    "I was honest. It''s the best damn chance any of them will ever get offered, I can promise you that. It''s the same chance I got¡­ but I can''t freeze time. I''ve got no way to deal with that monster myself, much less save everyone."


    "Then you do that." Rin''s eyes went jet black. Her skin tightened until the wrinkles covering her skin had completely vanished. Fangs sliced free from her mouth and loud cracks echoed out from her body. Two wings burst free from her back. They were easily four times the size of Claire''s and glistened like obsidian in the morning sun. When Rin spoke again, her voice was the cool, sultry command of a queen. "You hold that promise, boy. Protect my Brood."


    Then her wings snapped down. There was a crack like a gunshot had gone off an inch away from Alex''s ears. He was sent stumbling back as Rin turned to a streak of black across the sky, hurtling straight for the Field Boss. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 128: Gaga

    A howl like a plane ripping through the sound barrier sliced through the forest as Rin carved through the sky. She was nothing but a hazy blur of darkness; the Dhampir moved so quickly that Alex couldn''t even try to follow her with his eyes.His blood ran cold.


    And, in that fraction of a second, he realized two things.


    Claire had understated the strength of an ancient Dhampir ¡ª and the System''s analysis of someone''s level wasn''t actually a complete representation of their strength. It was far from it.


    Though I knew that already. Nothing in our levels says anything about how well made our Mind Palace is. Level is purely an analysis of how much energy someone has put into their body and nothing else.


    A massive explosion ripped through the air and Alex''s thoughts alike. Fire bloomed, flashing over the horizon like a detonating sun. Light and heat washed over the campsite below and he raised his hands over his face, squinting through the waves of roiling flame.


    Both the Nagagaga and Rin had vanished behind the fire. The Field Boss must have tried to hit her with the fireballs it had readied before she could reach it. Alex just couldn''t tell if it had succeeded.


    "How can we beat something like that?" Aaron whispered, arms falling slack at his sides. The fire illuminated the horror in his features as he stared up into the burgundy sky.


    A massive shadow appeared above the fire. Three long necks writhed, and brilliant flashes of fire joined by thunderous explosions ripped through the air. Wave after wave of molten heat slammed down on the camp.


    The shape of the Nagagaga faded in and out of the flames like a flickering lightbulb. A pair of two loud, heavy thuds echoed out, followed a moment later by a trio of agonized screams. Despite the insane speed of the fight, no more than a few seconds had passed since Rin had launched herself from the ground.


    The Field Boss'' shadow enlarged rapidly. Then it punched through the coiling blanket of fire. Twisting tongues of orange wrapped around its body as it plummeted to the ground, crashing through trees and crashing to the dirt at the edge of the camp with an earthshaking crash.


    Two huge wings followed suit moments behind the monster, passing through the now-fading fire in the sky to slam down alongside their owner. Rin had cut them clean off.


    Holy shit. She took it out of the sky in seconds. Badass, grandma.


    The Nagagaga''s heads lifted into the air and let out a scream of fury. It slammed its staves down into the ground with enough force to make the ground tremble slightly. The monster rose to its feet, standing on its hind legs to loom over the camp.


    "I think we''re fucked," May said, just loud enough for Alex to hear her.


    "Language," Aaron said, staring slack-jawed at the enormous monster. "But¡­ you might be right."


    There was no sign of Rin. She was either somewhere still in the sky, hidden behind the remains of the fading fire, or had dropped back to the ground when he''d been distracted by the falling Field Boss.


    It didn''t matter. He couldn''t afford the distraction right now ¡ª and Rin had given them all an enormous boon.


    She''d grounded the Field Boss. Alex didn''t have a single good way to fight a powerful flying monster, but when it was on the ground¡­


    He was more than happy to give it the fight that it had come for.


    "Claire!" Alex yelled.


    "I''m with you," she called back from where she stood several houses away, her wings snapping out to their full length as power rushed through her veins and turned them jet black. It seemed that she''d managed to get a good drink from the Nagaga she''d killed on her own.


    "What do we do?" Aaron asked, clutching Claire''s sword so tightly that his knuckles looked like the bones would burst free of the skin binding them.


    "Against this? You stand back and watch. Fight together with the Outworlders against the weaker monsters. I won''t be able to bail you out while I''m dealing with this thing."


    "You can beat that?"


    "I suppose we''re about to find out." Alex strode forward, sending a mental command to all of his summoned monsters. They burst into a run toward him and he drew deeply on his magic, sending it flowing out in a wave as he used Rift Flood three times in rapid succession.


    The bonds between Alex and his monsters intensified in a heartbeat. Their bodies warped and bulged as rift energy surged through them.


    Glint''s wing elongated into a cloak. He didn''t quite take on the imposing look of a fallen hero that came when Alex added Qi into the mix, but that did nothing to make him any less intimidating. His sleek form blurred as he accelerated, racing across the ground like a silver blade. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hands formed from the churning legs of a centipede erupted from Princess'' back as she lurched forward, nearly twice as large as she had been. She used her hands to propel herself forward like a charging bear. The massive mound of sludge was nowhere near as fast as Glint, but there was a primal terror that came with getting run down by a monster her size.


    Spark drove his hands into the shadows pooling beneath him. He pulled two black blades free from the darkness and rose, crouched like a runner at the start of a race, then burst into motion. His shadow rose up from the ground and dashed alongside him.


    The campers closest to the monsters flinched back. They stared in a mixture of horror, awe, and surprise as the monstrosities that were Alex''s team all converged on the enormous Field Boss.


    A shrill whine filled the air as the Nagagaga lifted its staves into the air and formed a pair of spinning fireballs above them. The monsters three heads scanned the camp, instantly spotting the trio of threats running straight for it.


    Instead of flinging them early, the monster held the spells at the ready, clear challenge burning in all six of its obsidian black eyes.


    The monster was clearly an offense-focused one, and it had seen how fast some of them were. If it threw the spells early and missed, they''d all be on top of it in moments. But if it held the magic until there was no time to get out of the way¡­ it could take all of them out at once.


    "Get ready to dodge!" Alex yelled. He considered using Mirror Image, but the Field Boss'' magic could just hit too great of an area at once. A bunch of clones weren''t going to do anything when a massive fireball went off on top of his head.


    Alex had absolutely no faith that Funhouse would be able to redirect a spell as large as the ones that the Nagagaga was throwing around. Betting on getting lucky enough with the relatively random direction his magic would spit the Field Boss'' out was stupid at this range ¡ª but he didn''t need to redirect the magic.


    He just needed to redirect the Nagagaga.


    Princess grabbed Alex with one of her centipede arms, lifting him into the air and whipping him forward. He tucked into a roll and drew on his magic as the world screamed past him. This wasn''t a stunt he''d have ever even considered without the reinforcements advancing his Mind Palace gave his body ¡ª but after the apocalypse, he was more resilient than any normal human could have ever hoped to be.


    There was no reason not to enjoy that privilege.


    He hit the ground in a roll. The impact knocked the air from his lungs and Alex let out a wheeze as he tumbled to a stop, skidding the last few feet into range. He was only a few dozen feet away from the Nagagaga.


    Alex allowed the warm, churning Qi within his chest to explode through his body. It raced down his arms and exploded from his fingertips in a wave of twisting Riftwarped Energy as he cast Funhouse with every scrap of magic that he could gather in the time he had.


    Reality shattered. Huge cracks raced through the air all around the Nagaga even as it brought its staves down to fling the fireballs. Alex''s spell swallowed the majority of the monster''s body, though it wasn''t nearly large enough to completely envelop the Field Boss. The Nagagaga''s eyes only had an instant to widen before it found its world jerked apart.


    Funhouse yanked the monster into its depths and spat it out like an unwanted vegetable from the mouth of a petulant child. It stumbled, nearly tripping over its own feet in surprise as it suddenly found itself facing toward the treeline.


    The fireballs flew wide. One slammed into the trees and obliterated them with a loud crash and a fwoomp. Fragments of burning wood flew across the camp and the smell of ash intensified. The other fireball hurtled into the sky to vanish harmlessly.


    Hisses of fury slipped from the Nagagaga''s heads as it spun back to Alex, shaking off its disorientation. It lowered its staves at him ¡ª


    A streak of silver carved through the air toward the Field Boss. It managed to twist at the last moment, crossing the huge weapons before itself a moment before Glint slammed into it. His segmented cloak-wing slammed into the wood, cutting deep into it but failing to penetrate.


    The Glasmir yanked his cloak back and spun out of the way even as the Nagagaga whipped a staff down, using it like a club. The huge stick slammed into the ground where he''d been standing, leaving a massive crater in its wake.


    Claire arrived an instant later. Her wings snapped and she leapt from the ground, blurring through the air and crashing into the Field Boss'' shoulder. She raked her claws down, ripping a large scale away before leaping free to avoid getting crushed by its staves.


    Lumbering steps marked Princess'' arrival at Alex''s side. She readied herself to defend him, sludge bubbling like boiling oil. Behind the Nagagaga, Alex spotted Spark''s shadow getting into position.


    "Oh look," Alex said, his lips pulling back in an excited grin. He couldn''t help himself. Adrenaline pumped through his veins and his entire body itched from the thrill of the fight. "The cavalry is here."


    The Nagagaga''s tongues flicked out. It took a step back, then drove both of its staves down into the ground, impaling them into the dirt.


    "Partial Soul Manifestation," the Field Boss hissed, its serpentine voice slipping from all three of its mouths in a unified, poisoned hiss. For an instant, Alex could have sworn that its thin lips pulled into cruel smiles. "Burning World."


    Ah, shit.

 Chapter 129: Finish

    Any surprise that Alex may have had about the fact that the three-headed snake monster being able to speak were quickly swallowed by the enormous wave of flame that exploded out from the Field Boss.He could feel the heat even a dozen paces away from the monster ¡ª and he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that, if the fire touched him, he would be burnt to a crisp within moments.


    Princess lurched forward. She grabbed Claire with one hand and slammed the Dhampir down beside Alex. The Dredge squished the two of them together like they were toy dolls and wrapped her body around them.


    The fire connected an instant later. Even through the heavy, sludgy flesh surrounding Alex, he felt the heat bearing down on him. Crackling fire roared and hissed. Princess'' flesh bubbled. Energy drained away from her as she regenerated as quickly as she could, fighting to remain whole.


    She unwrapped herself from Alex and Claire, her body sloughing away and reforming. The air smelled of sticky burnt rubber ¡ª and the ground in a twenty foot ring originating from the Nagagaga was burnt to a blackened crisp.


    Twisting snakes of fire spun around the Field Boss, glowing with molten light and swimming effortlessly through the air. One of them streaked through a burning tree at the edge of the monster''s domain, burning clean through it and leaving a smoking hole in its scorched trunk.


    "That''s fucking sick," Alex said.


    "Focus," Claire snapped. "You can fangirl over the monster after its dead! And the damn thing can speak. You do not need to be complimenting the enemy."


    The Nagagaga swept its staves down and several snakes shot out toward them. Princess grabbed the attacks before they could reach their targets. Her flesh bubbled and smoked, huge portions of her arms sloughing away, but she managed to smother the magic before it could burn through her.


    Alex could feel the magic coming from her body fading at an alarming rate. She wouldn''t be able to block many more attacks like that. One, maybe. Two if he was lucky.


    They were going to have to find a way to end this fast.


    Hissing laughter slipped from the Nagagaga''s mouths. More burning snakes swam in the air around it, rising up from the ground at its feet like molten ghosts to join the growing reserves surrounding the Field Boss.


    Is there a limit to those? If not, we have to end this even faster than I thought. We''re going to get overwhelmed.


    "I need to get close to it," Claire whispered. "I pulled a scale off. If I can drink its blood¡­"


    "I''ll buy you space. We won''t have long. If you can make a good opening to let Spark and Glint get a strong attack in, that''ll be the best chance we have to take this thing down." Alex made sure he spoke quietly enough that the monster couldn''t overhear him. If it could speak, then it was smart enough to pick any plans it heard apart as well.


    Claire nodded.


    The Nagagaga sent four burning snakes twisting toward them, and another pair of fireballs started to form above its staves. Claire burst into a run, her wings snapping down and launching her forward.


    She slipped past the burning snakes, which twisted to follow after her. They streaked through the air in pursuit, only slightly slower than Claire herself.


    Alex couldn''t afford to worry about her. Several other snakes shot toward him, and the Nagagaga''s fireballs were nearly fully formed. He didn''t have much Qi left. If he used it on another Funhouse, that would be one less trump card he had left to play.


    He flexed his fingers and waited for the attacks to arrive, shifting from foot to foot as his heart slammed in his chest. The fire flashed through the air and was upon him no more than a second later.


    Alex hurled himself forward at the last second. Unlike the fireballs, the snakes didn''t explode when they impacted something ¡ª and that meant they could be dodged without wasting precious energy.


    "Princess!" Alex yelled even as he hit the ground rolling with a grunt. He still hadn''t gotten anywhere near mastering a perfect combat roll, so he ended up pulling off something more akin to a tactical flop.


    The flop proved to be sufficient. Loud hisses from the dirt behind him told Alex that the Nagagaga''s magic had missed. Princess'' footsteps thundered past Alex as he shoved himself to his feet. Waves of heat beat against his face as if he were standing a few inches away from a roaring oven.


    One dodge was nothing to get too smug about. In the time that it had taken him to rise again, the Field Boss had replaced the snakes it had lost with twice their number. Molten magic swirled around the monster like crimson ribbons, flowing up from the ground around it.


    Fucking hell. I don''t know how long this thing can keep its domain up, but if it keeps going like this, I think I can see why the domain''s name is Burning World. We can''t let it keep ramping its magic up.


    If we don''t shift the flow of the fight soon, it''s going to cook every one of us alive. Claire can''t even get close to the damn thing as it is now. I have to take its domain down somehow.


    That wasn''t as easily said as done. Alex didn''t have the slightest idea how Partial Domains worked. They obviously drew magic to keep active, but it was impossible to tell just how much energy the Nagagaga had. It certainly didn''t look tired.


    That''s fine. We''ll just have to do things the old fashioned way.


    Princess lumbered past Alex. She accelerated with each step, shaking the earth beneath her. Streaks of fire carved through the sky like claws, slamming into her body one after the other and leaving thick holes in the sludge that made her up.


    Energy drained from Princess in waves, but the wounds pulled themselves shut. Her advance continued. The Dredge was a shambling force of nature. Alex could practically see the moment when uncertainty forced its way into the Nagagaga''s features.


    The monster''s staves lowered as it took aim, finally readying the fireballs that it had been holding at bay. Princess had simply taken too many strikes to still be standing. It had registered her as the strongest opponent, which meant she had to be dealt with before she got any closer.


    Fire tore from the tips of the wooden weapons and screamed through the air.


    Alex''s lips pulled apart into a smile as the magic struck Princess. A deafening explosion ripped through air and a wave of heat and force exploded out along with a brilliant flash of orange flame.


    He staggered, throwing his hands up to cover his face. A loud snap echoed within the crackle of roaring fire. Energy rushed into Alex as he felt his connection to Princess sever. The Nagagaga had finally managed to take her down.


    And, in the process, it had left itself open. The monster was still working to regenerate the fire snakes it had used trying to take Princess down. It would be at least a few seconds before it could summon another pair of fireballs.


    There were still so many fire snakes around the Field Boss that not even an idiot would get close unless they wanted to get fried. Being slightly less defended didn''t mean much when a single good strike from the Partial Domain would kill most people.


    Fortunately for Alex, he didn''t need to keep his monsters alive.


    He could still feel the death energy from all the monsters that had died during the initial invasion of the camping ground. The dead Nagaga nearby held a considerable amount of strength himself.


    And, as a flicker of relief passed over the Field Boss'' serpentine features and it turned toward Alex to finish off the next threat, he cast his mind out to those scraps of death energy. He thrust a hand into the air and yanked every scrap of the waiting power to himself.


    Then he snapped his fingers.


    A burning snake streaked straight for his head.


    The patch of black sludge on the ground where Princess had once stood bubbled. Then it erupted like a geyser, the pieces of her mask slamming back together as Alex ripped her free from the clutches of the grave.


    Her power left his body and returned to the monster. She intercepted the fire from the Nagagaga''s Partial Domain, swallowing the damage with her body and leaving Alex unharmed behind her.


    The Field Boss'' eyes widened in disbelief. Its tongues flicked into the air as it took a step back, hurriedly trying to gather fire at the tips of its staves. The monster let out a furious hiss. "How are you still alive?"


    Alex didn''t grace his opponent with a response ¡ª but Princess did. She lurched forward, tanking several more fire strikes before arriving mere feet away before the Nagagaga. The serpentine monster tried to retreat, but it was clearly used to using its wings more than its legs.


    Princess'' fist streaked through the air and slammed into one of its heads with a satisfying crunch.


    The Field Boss staggered back, blood spraying from its lips. It whipped a wooden staff down into the Drudge. The stick drove deep into her body and sent sludge splattering all around her. Alex grimaced.


    This might have been a mage, but it was still Adept 1. It hit like a truck. The blow had done nearly as much damage to Princess as a full on fireball.


    Maybe she''s just slightly flame resistant?


    It certainly seemed like the Nagagaga planned to find out. The monster let out a furious hiss as it ripped fire up from the ground as if pulling it straight from the depths of hell. They slammed into Princess one after the other.


    Others broke away to streak for Alex, forcing him to fling himself to safety and scramble to avoid getting cooked.


    Princess was doing a remarkable job of keeping the monster''s attention, but her energy was draining rapidly. She couldn''t take many more hits, and it wouldn''t be long until ¡ª


    A loud crack echoed out.


    The Nagagaga''s staff shattered Princess'' mask. Her body collapsed into a pool of sludge. Her weak point had been discovered. There wasn''t enough death energy left from the fight to bring Princess back a second time, and he didn''t have the energy to use Encore more than once. Cashing that in now would be overplaying his hand.


    With a hissing laugh, the Field Boss turned toward Alex. It swept its staff down and a flash of fire streaked for him. He lunged for safety, but he wasn''t quite fast enough to avoid the Field Boss'' attacks when it was fully focused on him.


    A searing pain ripped through his right leg. Alex let out something between an agonized scream and a curse. He couldn''t tell what the extent of the damage was, but it felt bad. Alex hit the ground with a grunt.


    He rolled to the side, teeth gritted.


    The Nagagaga raised its staves.


    Then it paused.


    It didn''t have any flames left. Its fireballs were spent. And, even as more fire rose from the ground, even as a whine filled the air while the monster spun magic back to life above its staves, Alex locked eyes with it.


    He grinned.


    "Gotcha," Alex said.


    Claire slammed into the Nagagaga''s side in a blur. Her claws dug into it for purchase; her head reared back and her fangs glistened in the light of the all-too-slow fire beneath the Field Boss. Directly before her was the spot where she''d ripped one of its scales off previously.


    Panic flashed in the serpentine monster''s eyes, but it was too late. She bit deep into the monster. She drank, gulping its blood down by the mouthful, and the Nagagaga screamed.


    It discarded a staff and reached up to grab her.


    "Claire!" Alex yelled.


    Claire shoved away from the Field Boss, her wings snapping as she barely dodged out of the way in time. She dropped to the ground and leapt back, landing beside Alex.


    The Nagagaga let out a rattling hiss. Strands of flame pushed free from beneath the ground to twist around it. Fury roiled in its eyes like the fire surrounding the monster.


    It was pissed. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh, you''re a simple one, aren''t you?" Claire whispered. Her tongue ran along her lips and she closed her eyes, face creasing in concentration.


    A fireball twisted to life above the Field Boss'' remaining staff.


    "Claire?" Alex whispered.


    Her eyes snapped open. They''d gone as black as the deep night. The Dhampir extended an open hand toward the Nagagaga. Then she clenched it shut.


    "You have no eyes," Claire said.


    Six wet pops cut through the crackle of the flame.


    The Nagagaga screamed in agony. The fire surrounding it sputtered out as it staggered, clawing at its thrashing heads, where six streams of blood traced down the sides of its face.


    Alex''s grin grew wider. He was under no delusion that they''d already won the fight. The Field Boss was far from dead ¡ª but the tides had shifted.


    You know, I was planning on keeping the people here out of the fight¡­ but there''s no such thing as safe anymore. Safety today is danger tomorrow.


    "Come on!" Alex roared to the townsfolk. "If you want to make something of yourselves, then show us what you''ve got! The snake is blind! This is your opportunity to get stronger!"


    Now it''s our turn. Time to finish this.

 Chapter 130: Gagagone

    Alex''s call to arms served a second, slightly less intentional, but entirely predictable result.It told the Nagagaga exactly where he and Claire were standing. The monster may have been blinded and injured, but that didn''t make it any less capable of flinging magic in their direction haphazardly.


    Claire grabbed Alex, whose leg was still charred to a crisp, and dragged him to the side. The two of them half ran, half-stumbled as streaks of flame streaked away from the Field Boss and hurtled toward where they''d been standing. Smoldering hot air prickled against Alex''s back as the attacks just barely missed.


    The Nagagaga slammed its staff into the ground with a trio of furious hisses. Fire coiled around the monster''s body, rising from the ground beneath it and rolling out in waves. The air around it was hazy and Alex could practically taste the heat on his tongue.


    "Do you really think they''re going to be able to do anything other than get themselves killed?" Claire asked Alex as they repositioned, both looking for an opportunity to strike and finish the Field Boss off.


    "Probably not, but at least this will show us who''s worth actually trying to help," Alex said. He pushed the pain from his mind, his fingernails biting into the palm of his hand as he kept himself focused. "We don''t have the resources of a massive family. If they can''t fling rocks at this thing while we keep it distracted, they won''t have the guts to fight anything in the Mirrorlands."


    And they''re way behind the curve. If they want any chance to survive the Apocalypse, then they''re going to have to start fighting way above their weight limit. They''ll always be weak if they don''t.


    A white flash of magic split the air behind them. Alex''s eyes just barely managed to pick up on a shard of ice flashing through the sky before it slammed straight into the Nagagaga''s shoulder, biting deep into the wound that Claire had left in its flesh.


    The monster screamed and swept its hand forward. Tongues of fire rolled out in a wave, washing over the area the attack had come from, but the monster had aimed far too close to itself.


    Orchid, who had thrown the attack from well over twenty paces behind where the Nagagaga''s fire scorched the earth, lowered her own staff, a determined look on her features.


    She wasn''t alone. All around the campsite, the townsfolk that weren''t already caught up in a fight with a weaker monster stared at the Nagagaga. Many of them still hid. Hesitation gripped their bodies ¡ª but some of them still moved.


    Around ten townsfolk, nearly all Outworlders from their appearance, stepped forward. None of them looked to be in any rush to get closer to the raging Field Boss, but they readied their weapons and bit back their fear.


    Alex couldn''t afford to pay them attention any longer. The Nagagaga may have been blind, but it was flinging magic in every direction with no signs of slowing. It had burned the ground around it to the point where it was just a solid black crisp where there had once been dirt and foliage.


    The thick smell of ash and smoke infused the air to such an intensity that it almost blocked out the scent of blood that had been spilled in the fight prior.


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    Alex''s jaw clenched as he studied the Nagagaga. They needed a real opening. It was blind, but the monster was surrounded by so much magic that Glint and Spark still didn''t have a good way to get close to it without dying before they could get their attacks off.


    If this thing was weaker, I''d send them on a suicide mission. Even if they died, they''d probably land one strike and that would be enough. But this is a Field Boss. It''s tanked a lot more damage than I would have thought it could have. Glint and Spark can''t kill it in a single strike.


    We need to weaken it even further before they can get close.


    "You got any other tricks stored up?" Alex asked, keeping his voice as low as possible to avoid calling the Nagagaga''s attention right to them.


    Claire shook her head. "Yes, but not ones that are going to do much here. I need to be up close. There''s just too much magic in the way. I''m not flame resistant, and I''m not nearly fast enough to dodge everything if I got any closer to it."


    "Figured," Alex said.


    A loud whine filled the air as the Nagagaga lifted its staff and formed a fireball at the tip. Its tongues lolled out of its mouths like it was a rabid dog. The blood streaking down the sides of its faces certainly didn''t help improve that image.


    Hissing in fury and pain, the Nagagaga swept its staff down. Alex and Claire dove to the side as the fireball screamed out and slammed into the ground about twenty paces from them, detonating with a loud explosion.


    Fire licked across the ground and danced into the sky before fading away, its crackle swallowed by another whistling shrill. The Nagagaga was forming another fireball.


    "We can''t keep dodging. It''s going to land something eventually," Alex said. "Especially with my leg the way it is. I feel like a piece of chicken."


    "Tasty?"


    "Fried," Alex replied. He bit back a curse. "I think I''m going to have to sacrifice Glint to get the Nagagaga off balance and waste some of the magic it''s flinging around everywhere. I don''t think anyone else can¡ª"


    A guttural, wordless battle cry rang through the battle scarred clearing.


    And, from behind a cabin, a lone form sprinted out and darted straight for the Nagagaga, a katana clutched in his hands like a baseball bat.


    It was Aaron.


    The cry had been so loud that even the Field Boss couldn''t have missed it. The monster twisted in the direction of the sound instinctively, pointing its staff and sending three tongues of flame leaping in Aaron''s direction.


    "Fuck!" Aaron screamed, his eyes wide in wild fear. The first and second flames streaked past him harmlessly. He nearly got hit by the third, but it hit the scorched ground a few feet in front of him instead of connecting with its target. Aaron leapt over the blackened dirt, which fortunately had nothing left to actually burn. "Fuck me!"


    The Nagagaga flung another flame in his direction. Aaron stumbled past it, nearly losing his footing in the process, but managed to keep his balance. He let out another scream as he continued charged toward the Nagagaga.


    "What the bleeding hell is he doing?" Claire asked, aghast.


    "I think I should have been more specific with how we wanted help," Alex muttered, more than a little awe in his voice. "I was thinking people would throw shit or used ranged attacks. Not¡­ this."


    Sprinting straight at an Adept ranked monster as a Novice was ridiculous. It wasn''t just insane. It was suicide. Aaron definitely knew how significant the difference between Novice and Initiate was, but here he was running right at what had to be the strongest opponent he''d ever seen without so much as a shield to hide behind.


    The Nagagaga''s heads followed the approaching noise. If the monster had just waited until Aaron was upon him, the fire surrounding it would have fried him long before he even got a chance to attack.


    But it seemed Princess had left lasting effects. The monster wasn''t about to let another opponent get anywhere near it easily. It thrust its staff forward as a fireball twisted to life at its tip.


    "Come on! Don''t make a Nativeworlder fight this thing on his own!" Abby called, bursting into motion. Several other people followed after her, raising their weapons and letting out battle cries of their own.


    They''re all fucking insane. Does nobody have a goddamn bow or something?


    That did nothing to keep a grin from pulling across Alex''s lips. He still had some energy, and Princess'' magic was doing wonders to seal the damage in his leg. It held his weight properly once again.


    And if a bunch of Novice ranked Outworlders were charging an Adept, then he''d be damned if he sat around and did nothing.


    Hell yeah. Let''s fucking get it.


    "Alex," Claire warned, noticing the look on his face. "Don''t you even¡ª"


    "Charge!" Alex roared, bursting into a charge along with everyone else. He drew on his magic, preparing to cast Funhouse to re-direct the Nagagaga and keep its fireball from connecting.


    Someone else beat him to it.


    "Don''t touch my brother!" May yelled.


    A faint crack split the air as a sleek bolt of lighting carved through it. The magic collided with the side of one of the Nagagaga''s three heads, doing no more than singing its scales ever so slightly.


    The Field Boss staggered back, lifting its staff defensively before it and sending a streak of flame from its Partial Domain out for Aaron ¡ª and through either sheer luck or just the virtue of proximity ¡ª this one was right on target.


    Even from across the field, Alex saw Aaron''s eyes wide with fear. He lifted the katana before him as if to block the magic with it.


    The earth before him exploded. A stone wall erupted up an inch away from him. The bolt of fire slammed into one side of it, splashing off the stone and dissipating harmlessly, and Aaron ran face-first into its other side.


    He staggered back, reeling, as Orchid lowered her staff.


    "For Rin!" an Outworlder yelled, pointing a sword up at the massive monster. "Cook the liz¡ª"


    A serpent of flame slammed into the man''s chest, killing him in an instant. He crumpled, but the rest of the Outworlders didn''t even slow.


    May sent another largely harmless bolt of lightning into one of the monster''s faces. Abby dodged out of the way of several streaks of fire and sliced her sword down, sending a thin blade of white wind slicing through the air and into the Nagagaga''s scales.


    The attack did little, but it drew the monster''s attention to her. The Nagagaga lowered its staff and aimed in her general direction as a fireball gathered at its tip. Flashes of fire danced all around it, seeking out the Outworlders, but the monster was starting to panic. Its movements were getting erratic.


    Letting out a hiss of both fury and fear, the Nagagaga brought its staff down. Alex''s heart skipped a beat. The charging Outworlders were nearly upon it. If the magic got anywhere near them ¡ª they were all dead.


    Change of plans.


    He grabbed the last of the Qi he had and shoved it, along with every last scrap of magic he had in his body.


    Then he cast Funhouse.


    Reality shattered. The Nagagaga staggered as it was twisted like a cloth in a tornado. Funhouse spat it out to the side, sending it staggering. The monster''s fireball slammed into the ground a dozen paces away from any of the campers.


    It tripped and fell back, hissing and writhing. The monster flung its domain-granted flames around haphazardly, sending them streaking in every direction.


    And then there was nothing left.


    Fire bubbled at the ground as it rose, to replenish the Field Boss'' reserves, but would be a second or two before it could attack again. The Nagagaga had spent its defenses in their entirety.


    Glint and Spark exploded into motion.


    A silver blur marked Glint as he bounded across the ground and alighted on top of the Nagagaga''s chest. His wing drove straight down into the monster''s heart, piercing clean through its scales and into its heart.


    At the same time, Spark materialized beside the monster. His daggers flashed as he drove them into its eyes. The Field Boss screamed and thrashed, flinging Glint off.


    Spark swapped spots with his shadow and dashed at it once more, carving deep furrows into the monster''s body.


    Glint wasn''t one to be outdone. His wing snapped out in its blade-form, slicing a deep furrow through the Nagagaga''s chest. It flashed twice more, leaving two more wicked wounds upon the monster.


    The two of them bore down on the Nagagaga. It dropped its staff; clawed at them in a desperate attempt to pry the monsters free. The Nagagaga managed to wrap a hand around Spark, only for Glint''s segmented blade to cut its arm clean off and free the Knight Wraith.


    Their assault was relentless ¡ª and the Nagagaga had no ways left to defend itself. Snakes of fire finally rose from the ground, but they were too late.


    It collapsed to the ground, thrashing pitifully, still somehow alive. The monster''s body was incredibly resilient for a mage. It had managed to survive nearly ten seconds under Glint and Spark''s combined efforts, but it had finally met its end.


    A wave of magical energy poured into Alex, and all around the camp, a breath of relief went up.


    The Nagagaga was dead.

 Chapter 131: Rin

    With the death of the Nagagaga, the remaining monsters attacking the camp quickly fell or ran. An uneasy silence hung over the clearing, broken only by crackle of dying flame at the edges of the area that the Field Boss had scorched to a crisp.There was so much ash and soot in the air that Alex couldn''t even smell it anymore. His nose was completely clogged. He fought to catch his breath through his mouth, his heart slowly coming down from its adrenaline rush.


    They''d taken out an Adept ranked monster. A Field Boss, no less. The amount of power he''d gotten from defeating the Nagagaga was incredible. He could tell by the stunned expressions of everyone that had participated in the fight that they felt similarly.


    Even if the campers hadn''t done all that much, they''d still been instrumental in defeating a very powerful enemy. For someone at the Novice rank, that was going to be a hell of a lot of magical energy to cash in all at once.


    The System can be a real fucking bastard, but damn if it doesn''t pay out well when you pull off some crazy bullshit.


    "Holy shit," Aaron whispered, dropping to his knees as his legs gave out beneath him. He stared at the huge corpse on the ground. "Holy shit. What the fuck was that?"


    "A Field Boss," Alex said. He approached the dead monster. A Soul Flame flickered above its chest, visible only to him. Alex wasted no time in scooping the large flame up and tossing it into a Spatial Mirror. He went to reach for his Harvester, only to remember it still had a Mirrorlands monster in it. "Does anybody have a spare Harvester?"


    There were several moments of silence. The rest of the camp ¡ª Native and Outworlder alike ¡ª stared on in silence. Then, slowly, Abby pulled a small orb free from a bag on her belt. She tossed it to Alex, who used it on the dead Field Boss.


    "How are you so¡­ calm about this?" Aaron asked between heavy breaths. His fingers dug through the blackened dirt. "People are dead! I saw a man get fucking cooked! Literally!"


    "Because I''ve already had a chance to get used to it," Alex said. "And you get used to it. Not because you want to, but because you have to. It helped that the first person I saw dead tried to kill me first. After that¡­ well, that''s how life is now. He was a fucking badass."


    "A badass," Aaron repeated mutely. "That''s what you''re going to call it?"


    "Yes," Alex said. "Because that''s what it was."


    "A man is dead."


    "And a lot more would have been if you crazy idiots hadn''t charged an Adept ranked field boss. I was going to have to start trading my monsters to get an opening, and I can now see that would have gone pretty poorly. We might have lost half the people here. Maybe more. I don''t even know for certain if I would have won."


    "You were the one that led the charge, Aaron," Abby said, walking up beside them. Her somber expression was marred by more than a little awe. "Didn''t you know you could die?"


    "Of course I did," Aaron snapped. "But I wasn''t really thinking about that! He said we had to do something, and I''m fed up being weak. So I did something. But¡­ I didn''t die! He did! And I don''t even remember his name!"


    "Jozen," Abby said. "His name was Jozen. He knew what was at risk. All of us did. Alex is right, Aaron. This is life. You can''t let yourself get so hung up on what was lost that you ignore what was gained."


    "So I''m just supposed to celebrate because a man is dead?"


    "You''re supposed to be thankful for what his sacrifice earned us. What use is crying over the dead? It will change nothing. Live the life they paid for." Abby extended a hand to him.


    Aaron stared at it for a long second. Then he reached out and took it, letting her pull him to his feet. He wiped the sweat from his brow and took a steadying breath. His eyes flicked across the camp until he spotted May and let out a sigh of relief.


    "I''m a terrible person."


    "For being happy that your sister lived when someone else didn''t?"


    "Yes."


    "That''s just the nature of life. You''ll get used to it."


    "And if you don''t want to, then you''ll get stronger," Claire said. "That''s how things are. Adapt or break."


    "That''s¡­ cold," Aaron said.


    "It is," Claire agreed. "And that doesn''t change the reality of our life. Your choice. Nobody will make it for you. Just don''t expect to make it much longer if you dwell too long on what could have been. Look to the future."


    The survivors of the campsite made their way to gather around the scorched clearing. Many of them were Outworlders, but there were a fair number that seemed to be from earth as well. They all stared at the fallen Field Boss, a mixture of emotions on their features.


    Alex could practically tell who was an Outworlder and who wasn''t by their expressions. The Outworlders had far more trepidation than relief in their expressions. Some of them definitely knew just how screwed they were. Their group had barely managed to defeat a Field Boss, and the Region Boss would be leagues more powerful.


    The Nativeworlders just looked either shellshocked and relieved to be alive. None of them had any true context as to just how much the world had changed if they hadn''t left this forest since early in the Apocalypse.


    That would be changing soon.


    "Where''s Rin?" Abby asked, breaking the somber silence that had been working its way back into the air alongside the settling ash. "Has anyone seen her?"


    That broke everyone out of their moods instantly. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Look for her!" an Outworlder man with blue hair and what seemed to be gills on his neck ordered. "She might be injured! The other fallen as well! Check to see if anyone can be saved!"


    "Just don''t go too far from camp," Abby warned. "There may still be monsters in the area. Stay in groups and call out if you run into anything!"


    People burst into motion, latching onto the order and hurrying to obey. They worked their way through the damaged campsite in search of the elderly Dhampir. Alex and Claire didn''t hesitate to join them.


    There were a number of questions that Alex had for Rin, and he suspected Claire had a hundredfold more. And if the old woman had managed to get energy for defeating the Field Boss, then there was a good chance that she could stave off or even completely defeat the eminent collapse that hung over all ancient Dhampirs.


    Orchid made her way over to them along with May. They, along with Anna, joined Alex and Claire''s group in the search. Alex wasn''t bothered ¡ª of everyone in the camp, nearly everyone he was the most interested was gathered here.


    I didn''t see anything particularly impressive, but the attitude was the most important thing. That charge was fucking stupid. There were so many better ways to try and distract or take the Nagagaga off guard¡­ but charging ahead like that is something that only someone willing to risk it all would do.


    Well, that or an idiot. I''ll work with either. I''m pretty sure I''m having intimate relations with that line myself.


    "Goodness, girl. Were you waiting on a signed invitation to seek me out?"


    Alex was pulled from his thoughts as Rin''s voice emerged from behind them. They all spun to find the old woman standing behind them, leaning heavily against a blackened tree. Her body had returned to its normal appearance, but her features were as pale as death.


    "Rin!" Abby exclaimed, relief blooming in her features. "You need to sit down and rest! Why didn''t you say¡ª"


    "I''m not some little wallflower that needs to sit down and hug her knees to meet the end," Rin said with a dry laugh. "I''ve just been waiting for a moment to speak. Didn''t want an audience."


    "What?" Abby asked, taken aback. "Meet the end? What are you talking about? You''re not injured, are you? Hurry and meditate! You might be able to¡ª"


    Rin lifted a hand. Or, at least, she lifted part of one. Four of her fingers had completely crumbled away and the fifth was well on her way. Her flesh looked like it was made out of packed sand rather than skin.


    "You''re wasting my time," Rin said in a polite but stern voice. "And I don''t have much of that left. Meditation takes hours, and I don''t have that. Claire. We must speak."


    "You''re spent," Claire whispered, but there was no surprise in her tone. She''d known this was coming.


    "So I am," Rin said. "Good riddance. What a hassle. The Nightmarch promised they''d find a way to juice us up. Feed us pathetic kills until we became useful to them. They can rot. I am not so pathetic that¡ª"


    Rin coughed, and Alex could have sworn that a cloud of dust burst up from her lungs. The old woman cackled and shook her head, wiping her mouth with the back of a hand.


    Claire took a step toward her. "Maybe you should¡ª"


    "Stand rank, Broodguard," Rin barked, her eyes flashing.


    Claire''s arms snapped to her sides and her back straightened. "I''m not a Broodguard."


    "No? Would have been, I''d say," Rin said. Her lips twitched in a smile before she shook her head. "I imagine you''d have made it far. What a shame. I would have loved nothing more than to try my hand against yours, but that opportunity is passed. This is the era of the young."


    "It''s the era of nobody," Claire said grimly. "Our race is nearly gone."


    "Which is why you must be even more vicious than any that came before you. You must take no quarter. Spare no effort. We always play the long game, Claire. When the circumstances change, we adapt. Do you understand?"


    "I had no plans of giving in," Claire said.


    "Good. You will watch over my Brood. Protect them. The boy has already agreed to it."


    "I don''t know if anyone can guarantee safety anymore, and I do not know where the future will take me. I will not swear to something that I cannot accomplish."


    "Your best efforts will suffice," Rin said. She let out a rattling breath and let her eyes drift to Abby before pulling them back to Claire. "I will accept nothing less. This is an order."


    "I will help those who I can," Claire said firmly. "That is all I will promise. Anything that stands in the way of my purposes will not remain."


    Rin''s smile grew. "Unfaltering¡­ and yet, entirely unlike our kind. Why not simply agree? You know what is coming. This could risk it."


    "I suspect it," Claire said slowly. "But that changes nothing. I stand by what I''ve said."


    "Interesting. That is not the path of a Dhampir. But perhaps¡­" Rin''s eyes drifted to Alex. He didn''t have the slightest idea as to what they were talking about, but there was something deep within Rin that sent him on edge. The old woman was a predator. She nodded slowly. "This one?"


    "He is worthy of respect."


    "So I can see," Rin said. Her lips pulled up in a thin, flat smile. "Perhaps it was time for a change. Our old ways cannot bear us any further. Very well, Claire. Ready yourself."


    "It is my duty to be prepared."


    "Then I pass unto you what little I still have," Rin said. She leaned forward, pulling the collar of her shirt down just enough to expose the side of her neck. The remains of her hand crumbled to dust and her sleeve went slack. Rin''s back straightened and her eyes sharpened, shimmering like two silver moons on a clear night. Pride and confidence etched themselves into her very being. With her remaining hand, she reached into a pocket and pressed something into Claire''s palm. "Unto you I pass the soul of my line. Drink, Dhampir. Reap a pound of flesh for every drop of blood."


    Claire leaned forward. Her fangs sank into Rin''s neck.


    She drank.


    Abby raised a hand, nearly taking a step forward before she caught herself. She swallowed heavily. Her fists balled at her sides and she bit her lip.


    Rin''s body crumbled. What little strength she''d had left in her fell away as her limbs turned to sand, but not once did the old woman''s posture falter. She remained steadfast until she was nothing but ash in the wind. Her clothes fluttered down, devoid of any support, and draped over Claire''s arms.


    There was a long second of silence.


    "What just happened?" Aaron asked, his mouth hanging open.


    Claire turned back to them. There was power in her eyes that hadn''t been there before; a lurking shadow that slipped away the moment Alex noticed its presence. She had grown stronger ¡ª and not from the System.


    She opened her hand, where a familiar looking gem rested within it.


    Aspect Gem [Matriarch Aspect]


    "Rin made me her successor."

 Chapter 132: Named

    "Rin made you her successor?" Abby repeated, distress twisting her features. Her fingernails dug into her palms until blood dripped down her nails. She didn''t even seem to notice. "What does that mean?""It means she was really pissed at the Nightmarch," Claire replied. She stared down at the Aspect Gem clutched in her grip. It vanished an instant later and her fingers closed down on the air where it had been. "I don''t know the last time a Broodmother passed her line down to someone that wasn''t even in her family. I''m not sure it''s ever happened."


    "Is that what the gem was?" Aaron asked.


    "No." Abby answered before Claire could speak. "Aspect Gems are part of the System. When you reach the Initiate Stage, you''ll be able to use three of them to improve your Soul Manifestation and make a domain. They''re rare¡­ but I don''t think they had anything to do with what just happened."


    "They didn''t," Claire said. "Rin just asked me to take responsibility for this camp and everyone in it. She saw you as her children."


    Alex tilted his head to the side. He was pretty sure that there was more significance to the conversation than Claire was letting on. Something told him that drinking Rin''s blood hadn''t been purely symbolic.


    I''ll have to ask Claire about it when we get a moment alone. She''s obviously not going to want to go sharing what just happened with everyone that just happens to be standing around.


    "There''s not much of a camp left," Abby said grimly as she cast her gaze around the smoldering clearing.


    She wasn''t wrong. The stench of burnt foliage and flesh consumed the clearing. Alex could still see the main camp through the trees ¡ª they''d only gotten a little into the forest when they''d found Rin. Grass was scorched black and only a few of the cabins still stood strong. People and rubble littered the ground behind them.


    "There''s going to be even less of it left when the Region Boss gets around to you," Alex said.


    Abby''s lips thinned. "This isn''t the time¡ª"


    "No," Alex said firmly. "This is exactly the time. We don''t have time to sit around pitying ourselves. There''s a monster leagues more powerful than the Field Boss coming, and if you aren''t prepared to face it, then it''ll kill everyone here. What''s the point of Rin''s sacrifice if you all just end up dying in a few days because you sat around moping?"


    "Do you really think we even have a chance against something like that?" Aaron asked. "I mean¡­ we barely beat the Field Boss. Wouldn''t it be better to run away and train?"


    "It would certainly be safer," Alex allowed with a shrug. "But you''re already behind. For the rest of the world, the Apocalypse is in full swing. The people at the forefront of it ¡ª the ones who have the best chances of survival ¡ª have been fighting for their lives this entire time. Things aren''t going to get any easier. If you want to get strong enough to survive, you''ll have to take risks. Big ones."


    "I don''t even think I hurt that Field Boss, though," May said nervously. "How can we fight something stronger?"


    "As you are, you can''t," Alex replied with a shrug. "But I can give people a chance to get stronger. A lot stronger. Quickly, too. It''ll give all of us a chance against the Region Boss. If we don''t take that chance, then someone else will. You might survive this week, but the threat that comes the following one will kill everyone."


    "Why can''t we just avoid the Region Boss and focus on training?" Abby asked. "If you''ve got a power like that, we could use it until¡ª"


    "No."


    Abby blinked. "What?"


    "I''m sorry if you got the wrong idea, but I''m not doing this because I''m a saint. Claire and I already said the reason we came here. It''s to defeat the Region Boss. I had no problem helping this village out, but I''m not running a charity. I can''t afford to. I''m not that strong. If you help me, then I''ll help you. If you won''t, then you''re free to go on your way." S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Abby stared at Alex. Her gaze flicked to Claire. "But didn''t you agree to¡ª"


    "A Brood must follow every order they receive," Claire said simply. "I agreed to honor Rin''s wishes, but that would mean you have to fulfill them as well. Alex is right. Risks today give life tomorrow. We''ll help those who stand by us and wish those who don''t the best as they leave."


    Brittle leaves crunched beneath Aaron''s feet as he shifted his weight from foot to foot. There were several long seconds of silence.


    Abby chewed her cheeks, her fingers twitching as they tapped a steady beat against her leg.


    "I''ll stay," Aaron said, breaking the silence. He set his jaw and clenched his hands. "Alex is right. We can''t just keep running and hiding. I don''t know what the hell is going on with the Apocalypse, but if the rest of the world is leaving us behind, we have to take a stand somewhere. If you can give me that chance, then I''ll take it."


    "Me too," May said. "I want to fight as well."


    Alex half expected Aaron to tell his sister something stupid like she wasn''t allowed to fight and would have to sit things out. But, to his surprise, Aaron just nodded. He caught the look on Alex''s face and gave him a grim smile.


    "What?" Aaron asked. "Did you think I was going to keep trying to shelter her?"


    "Yes," Alex admitted.


    "I''m not strong enough for that. I thought hiding would be safer, but I was wrong. We can''t hide. And if we can''t hide, then our only option is to fight. I''m not stupid enough to take away her only chance at being strong enough to defend herself."


    I knew I liked him.


    Abby affixed Alex with a sharp look. "Are you serious about our chances? Or are you just planning to use the village as fodder to absorb the Region Boss'' attention while you reap the rewards?"


    "That depends on you," Alex said honestly. He wasn''t looking to lie to them. There wasn''t any reason to. It wasn''t like anyone here had much choice in the matter. There were only two options. Either people took him up on his offer to get stronger or they ran. And if they chose the latter, it didn''t matter what they thought of him. "I can''t promise anyone will live. All I can do is give you the same opportunities I got. Some people will probably die, but the ones that survive will be powerful. And, for what it''s worth, I''ll do everything I can to help those who stand at my side."


    "Definitely. Not probably. There''s no doubt about it," Orchid corrected. "This isn''t a game. You should know that by now, Abby."


    "I do," Abby said quietly. "But I wanted to see if you would try to bullshit me about it. If you''d said that we''d all survive, I''d have said you were full of shit and left. But¡­ you''re right. I''ll stand with you as well, and I''ll speak to the others to see how many will join us."


    "Thank you," Alex said. He really didn''t fancy repeating this conversation with everyone in the campsite. Having someone to take care of it for him would save a lot of effort. "You''ve got four and a half hours."


    "That''s a¡­ very specific amount of time," Abby observed.


    Alex nodded. "Half an hour for the conversation. Four hours to meditate. We''ll be leaving immediately after that. Everyone who fought today should have gotten some pretty good rewards for the challenge, right?"


    May and Aaron both nodded.


    "You''re about to take us to some form of difficult challenge, right?" Aaron asked.


    "Yes," Alex replied. "That''s the only way to get stronger, and we''ll need to be doing a lot of that before the Region Boss wakes up if anyone wants to survive. Why?"


    "The challenge will be greater if we''re weaker, right?"" Aaron asked. He swallowed, then pushed on. "Wouldn''t it be smarter to hold off on meditating?"


    A grin pulled across Alex''s lips. "I like the way that you think. You''re right ¡ª but I don''t think you have that luxury right now. Trust me, you''re not going to breeze through this just because you''ve gotten a bit stronger. This is just going to give you a chance to actually be able to put up a fight."


    "Make sure you invest a lot of your energy into your Mind Palace," Claire advised. "Don''t use everything on leveling up. It''ll reinforce your body and make sure you''re a lot stronger in the long run."


    Whoops. Forgot to mention that, but it was a good idea to let them know. I would very much prefer that the people we spend time training survive. I''m carrying around a Town Token, after all.


    No point having a town without people. I need a home base, but if there aren''t people there to protect and look after it, I''ll be stuck sitting around a bunch of empty buildings myself. It''s much better to have a group of people to help so I''m not stuck in one place constantly¡­ and if I want to fight back against the Outworlders, I''m going to need more than just me and Claire.


    "Definitely focus a lot of strength on that," Alex advised. "Don''t advance to Initiate until you''ve completely filled your body with energy and it won''t take anymore."


    "How do we know when that happens?" Aaron asked.


    "You''ll know." The corner of Alex''s mouth twitched. There was something deeply amusing about pretending to be a wise, sage master. Now he knew why nobody ever gave straight answers. "Until then, go meditate. I''m serious about the four and a half hour time limit. We don''t know how long it''ll be until the Region Boss shows up. Abby, if you could rally up everyone that''s willing to fight, I''d appreciate it."


    "I''ll do that," Abby promised.


    She, along with Aaron and May, headed back to the smoldering campsite.


    Orchid glanced from Alex to Claire. "I take it you want me gone as well."


    "I was going to suggest you make sure we aren''t missing anything and maybe work on getting that staff of yours fully connected to you," Alex replied innocently.


    "Right." Orchid let out a short laugh. "I''ll go do that. It''s good advice if we''re going back to the Mirrorlands. I''m still far weaker than I should be."


    She followed after the others and made toward the campsite, leaving Alex and Claire alone for the first time in a while. They waited until everyone was out of earshot to speak.


    "So," Alex said. "What exactly did Rin give you?"


    "Potential," Claire replied softly. "Every Dhampir bloodline bears its own unique powers, and all Broods are of a single bloodline."


    "So Rin shared hers with you?"


    "No. Sharing bloodlines is impossible. Our bloodline is ingrained into our souls. They''re one and the same. We can''t share bloodlines. We can only give them up. It is the greatest form of sacrifice a Dhampir can do, and there is only a single time that it is ever done."


    "And what time is that?" Alex asked, not missing the chill in Claire''s words.


    "During the ceremony in which the victor of Court absorbs the bloodline of a Brood that stood against them." Claire swallowed heavily. "Rin has named me Queen."

 Chapter 133 Safe

    "Of all the Dhampirs?" Alex asked, his eyes going wide. "You''re the Queen?""No," Claire said with a small laugh. Her somber mood broke and she shook her head. "Rin is only a single Dhampir, and I did not win at Court. Nobody other than her Brood would acknowledge this. I am not the true Queen¡­ but I have undergone the ritual that a Queen would have."


    "That¡­ sounds like a good thing," Alex said slowly. "So you''re more powerful now?"


    "I will grow more powerful as my bloodline adapts to evolve with Rin''s," Claire said. "But it is more than just power. We broke an ancient law. Merging bloodlines is a privilege only allowed to the monarch of all Dhampirs. If any of the other Dhampirs were to discover this, they would name me abomination."


    "It''s fortunate I don''t see any more of them around."


    Claire let out a snort and rolled her eyes. "That''s true. I guess there isn''t enough of my civilization left to really pick bones about breaking tradition."


    "She gave you that power to avenge her," Alex pointed out. He could tell that Claire was a lot more shaken up about this than she was trying to let on. "I think the world ending and Rin wanting to pass on her bloodline is reason enough to ignore some rules."


    "Maybe," Claire said. She drew in a deep breath and let it out in a sharp huff. "It''s done. Doesn''t matter now. I can''t turn my nose up at the extra power. We''ll need it."


    "Do you know exactly what that power will be?"


    "I don''t know what bloodline Rin had, so it''s hard to say specifics. This isn''t part of the System, so there''s no message popping up to tell me exactly what to expect. I''d expect general increases to my physical strength and speed. My true form will change as well."


    "True form?"


    "Wings," Claire said. "You didn''t think that was the extent of it, did you? That''s just all I can handle right now. The more powerful a Dhampir is, the more of their bloodline they can connect with. You saw how Rin''s appearance changed when she attacked the Field Boss, right?"


    Alex nodded. "She looked like she de-aged like forty years."


    "That was her tapping into her bloodline. Honestly, she was definitely old enough to have a much more significant transformation than that. Rin held herself back for some reason."


    "Do you think she was planning on passing her powers to you from the start? If she used a stronger transformation, would she have also died way quicker because of using too much power?"


    "That''s¡­ possible," Claire allowed. A stick crunched beneath her heel as she shifted her weight. "But that''s some impressive foresight. Who decides they''re literally going to destroy their soul just a short while after meeting somebody?"


    He didn''t have an answer to that one. "You need to sit down for a bit? It''s probably a good idea to gather yourself before we head off to the Mirrorlands. Don''t want to be off balance."


    "That''s probably a good idea, yeah." Claire flopped down and leaned back against a tree, letting her head thunk against the trunk as she peered up through the leaves on the branches swaying overhead.


    Alex quietly sat down beside Claire. He had some energy to spend, but they weren''t planning on fighting any ridiculously powerful monsters in the Mirrorlands. The energy he had stored wouldn''t make a significant difference in his strength right now. It wouldn''t hurt to wait a bit longer to use it ¡ª and even he liked a breather every once and a while.


    ***


    Alex and Claire headed back toward the campgrounds just around four hours later. They''d spent most of it relaxing, though Alex did feed all the Soul Flames he''d gotten ¡ª aside from the one that had come from the Field Boss ¡ª to Princess.


    He''d considered combining some of them with his monsters, but none felt like they''d be a huge boost to any of them. The last thing he wanted to do was force a sub-par combination that ended up crippling Glint, Spark, or Princess.


    The Field Boss'' Soul Flame wasn''t something he wanted to combine with anyone either right now, but there was a chance it would come in useful later. Maybe one of his future monsters would click well with it. If not, he''d just feed it to a monster later on.


    His efforts resulted in pushing Princess to Initiate 4. That was a level above even himself. And yet, Alex was willing to bet that if his monsters had ever fought each other, Glint would have defeated Princess with ease despite being three levels below her.


    Just another reminder that I can''t rely on the System''s levels for everything. They''re a very good estimator of ability, but there''s a whole lot more to how strong somebody is than what meets the eye.


    He also spent a little while locating the nearest portal to the Mirrorlands, which fortunately turned out to be a few minutes into the woods. It seemed that the Mirrorlands had entrances to it everywhere. Alex wasn''t sure if that was a good thing or not.


    When he and Claire arrived at the camp, the others were all waiting for them¡­ though all may have been a bit of an exaggeration.


    Orchid stood alongside Abby, Aaron, and May. Three more Outworlders and two Nativeworlders stood along with them. Eight people. That was it.


    Then again, I guess it wasn''t like there were that many people in the camp in the first place. After that fight, there are even less. How many of them decided to make a run for it? How many of them died to the monsters?


    "This is everyone," Abby said quietly.


    "Where are the others going to go?" Alex asked. He wasn''t about to force anyone to stay in the forest, but if they went to Valley Ford and told the Outworlders where they were, it could cause some serious trouble.


    The corner of Abby''s mouth twitched in what almost might have been a smile. "There are no others. This is everyone that survived the attack and who has the potential to be a combatant. There are some Nativeworlders that plan to remain in town, but they''re too old or ill-suited for combat to fight. A few of the other Outworlders will remain behind to defend them from minor threats while we are training. I trust that is fine?"


    Okay. Not as brutal of a fight as I thought, then. So these are just the people that are the most willing to take a risk and push themselves. Probably a good idea to leave a few behind to defend the camp incase even more monsters pop out.


    "The ones staying back realize that there''s a very good chance the Region Boss kills them?"


    "I''ve ensured they all know. They would not be able to defeat most of the monsters that existed in this forest before the Region Boss started to wake up. I suspect their chances of survival in your training are zero."


    "Most likely," Alex said. "If they know the risks, that''s fine. So nobody wants to leave?"


    "Where would they go?" Abby asked. "There is nothing to return to. All paths lead to death. At least there is a chance they will survive if they remain."


    "Then that''s fine with me. If anything, this is the best case scenario that we could have gotten."


    Abby blinked. "It is? You were hoping that some people would sit it out?"


    "Well, not that specifically. More that we don''t have people leaving. That would have been a bit bothersome."


    "Why?" Abby asked.


    "Because Valley Ford is not that far. Have you already forgotten what you are?" Orchid asked, tilting her head to the side and tapping her staff on the ground. "Should the other Outworlders discover where you are hiding, they will come for you. Hiding is the only way you can survive ¡ª at least, until the damage from breaking your bindings fades from your souls."


    Abby grimaced. "That''s a good point. I don''t think anyone would betray us¡ª"


    "It doesn''t have to be a betrayal. All it takes is one mistaken word," Claire said. "But it''s a moot point. If everyone is staying, then the only thing we have to worry about is getting strong enough to take on the Region Boss."


    "Right," Aaron said with a dry laugh. "That''s all we''ve got to do. Nice and straight forward."


    "I''m glad you feel that way. In that case, shall we get to it?" Alex asked, turning on his heel and activating Riftsense to relocate the portal to the Mirrorlands. "It''s this way."


    "What is?" May asked as the group followed after Alex. "Are we gonna fight mosnters in the forest?"


    "Not exactly."


    He led them away from the camp and into the forest. They all fell silent, not wanting to accidentally draw attention to themselves.


    Alex followed his senses until he stood near the base of a large tree. The portal to the Mirrorlands was so faint that he couldn''t even see the rift with his eyes, but it didn''t matter. He didn''t need to see it.


    He just had to feel it.


    Power crackled across Alex''s hands as he dug his fingers into the invisible crack between planes. Arcs of Riftwarped energy danced up and wormed through the air as he gritted his teeth and pulled, dragging a portal open.


    "What is that?" Abby asked, taking a step back as her eyes widened. "It feels¡­ wrong."


    "It''s training. Link up and don''t let go. I''ve never brought this many people through at once before," Alex said, forcing the portal into a stable state and releasing it. He extended a hand to Claire, who took it and held her other one out to Abby. Everyone grabbed each other''s hands.


    "Is this safe?" Aaron asked.


    "Probably?" S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then, without wasting another second, Alex stepped into the portal. There was a sharp tug and the rest of them were yanked in after him, ripped away from 274-50 and sent hurtling through the planes of existence toward the Mirrorlands.

 Chapter 134 May

    May knew that her dad was dead.She knew the sound of a gunshot. She knew the sound of life leaving a body. She knew the color old, well-loved wallpaper turned when it was splattered with blood.


    That wasn''t for a lack of trying. May didn''t want to know. She wanted nothing more than to wipe the memories from her mind, and that desire filled her with shame that burned her throat and clawed at the back of her eyes like a caged beast.


    She would never get another memory with her family again, and she wanted to wipe some of the few that remained away.


    But that was impossible. Perhaps it was a mercy, or perhaps it was a curse. She didn''t know which. It didn''t matter.


    Her dreams reminded her whenever she tried to forget.


    That gunshot rang in her ears again and again, ripping her from her restless dreams and sending her bolting upright in the middle of the night; her aching heart pounding like it was trying to rip itself free from her chest. The world had ended with that gunshot, and every sense of peace and normalcy had gone with it.


    May wanted to cry. She wanted to throw herself to the ground and scream and sob and tear at the dirt until her fingers bled. Until someone fixed the world ¡ª but she couldn''t do any of that.


    Aaron had tried so hard to keep her from finding everything out. He hadn''t been particularly good at it, but he''d done everything in his power to protect her. It was all he could do. And all May could do was pretend that it was working.


    Because if they couldn''t have that, then they had nothing at all. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was the only victory they could try to claim over the System. They weren''t strong enough to fight back. They couldn''t change the past and they couldn''t control the future. All they could do was pretend.


    And then the snake monster had attacked their camp.


    May could still taste the ash on her tongue. She''d been scared beyond words. Every single fiber in her body trembled in terror ¡ª but the tears hadn''t come.


    She''d desperately clawed at the tiny amount of power she had.


    She''d watched it do nothing.


    The game was over.


    And then Alex had arrived. His army of twisted, warped creatures had torn through the monsters trying to kill everyone. They''d ripped their attackers to shreds and left nothing but death in their wake.


    It had been gruesome.


    It had been beautiful.


    It had been power, and May wanted it.


    Alex wasn''t scared of the apocalypse. He didn''t have to wonder if every single day would be his last. Even the people like Abby, the ones that were supposed to know about what was happening, had been scared.


    But not him. May could have sworn that he''d looked excited during parts of the fight.


    And now that she stood in a field of brilliant blue grass and stared into the brilliant swirls of purple and red smoke meandering through the sky, she knew why.


    The world was beautiful ¡ª but not for everyone. Only the strong got to witness that. Everyone else never got a chance. They just died running or hiding or begging for mercy that would never come.


    May dragged her gaze down from the painted sky. Alex was saying something, but she could barely hear him. Her eyes affixed on a scattered forest stretching all around them. Lonesome, gray-barked trees stretched into the sky. Their branches were gangly and twisted like the fingers of an old witch, bearing no leaves upon them. Screaming faces locked in expressions of agony pressed up against the bark from within.


    Bile welled in May''s stomach. Fear ignited in her chest. Her heart pounded and she took a step back.


    That''s not what trees are supposed to look like.


    A hand landed on her shoulder.


    May glanced up, surprised to find Orchid looking down at her. The woman didn''t say anything. She just glanced to her staff.


    "Is that¡­ from one of these trees?" May asked quietly.


    Orchid nodded.


    "Everything here can kill you," Orchid said. There wasn''t any compassion in the woman''s words. They were simply the truth. "Fear is not something to be ignored. Your instincts will protect you. But if you cannot control them, then they will control you."


    "How?" May whispered.


    "By becoming strong. We stand in a wretched place called the Mirrorlands. It is considered the vilest, most twisted place in every galaxy. It is a living nightmare. And when you look around with that knowledge, what do you feel?"


    "Scared," May said, forcing the word from her lips and hating the way it tasted.


    "Now look at him," Orchid said, turning her gaze to Alex. "What do you see?"


    Alex was midway through a conversation with the others. He shifted from foot to foot, his fingers tapping against his thigh. His gaze scanned the sparse forest around them. Not in concern, but anticipation.


    "He wants to do this."


    "Because he has taken power for himself," Orchid said. "And when you control your own fate, you do not have to obey your instincts. They become yours."


    "I know that. He''s strong. But I''m not. How do I become strong?"


    "By killing," Orchid said. "By pushing yourself to the limit and staring death in the eyes. If you want to defeat monsters, then you have to become one. You are young. Even for my family, we do not start true training this early. We normally wait until the fourteenth year for that."


    May''s hands clenched at her sides. Her teeth ground against each other and her jaw ached. "I''m going to train. You can''t stop me. Monsters aren''t going to leave me alone because I''m not as old as you are. I don''t want to be weak anymore."


    "What class do you possess? You can check the System by¡ª"


    "I know how to check it," May said. "It''s called Snapcaster."


    Orchid''s head tilted to the side. She studied her for several long seconds. May met the strange woman''s gaze. The urge to blink or swallow burned at her but May refused its call. That would have felt like she was giving in.


    If I have to look away from someone staring at me, then how can I protect anything?


    "I am aware of that class," Orchid said slowly. "It is not an easy one to master. Your magic is very fast, but it is not powerful. Most magic-based classes have immense destructive ability and can stay far away from the fight. You will not have that privilege. Snapcasters have to be close to the fight. You will need to be faster than your opponents. Why did you choose that class?"


    May''s ears reddened and she averted her gaze. "The other ones didn''t have magic."


    To her surprise, Orchid didn''t laugh. May glanced back in time to see Orchid finishing a nod of understanding.


    "The hunger for magic is a desire known to all. I am no stranger to it. If you can survive long enough to earn a class advancement, then you will have an opportunity to change your path. But that means you must fight harder than many others in your place. It will not be easy."


    "I can do it."


    Orchid''s lips twitched in amusement. "A childish answer. One from someone that does not understand what they commit to. But you will."


    "Orchid," Alex said, approaching her. "Did you hear what the plan for the groups¡ª"


    "I will take the girl," Orchid said. "She is a mage. I am suited to train her. Two Outworlders may accompany me."


    "Sure. That works," Alex said with a shrug. "Aaron, Abby, you''ll be with Claire. Claire will take everyone else. We aren''t going to be going far. Just back in the direction of the camp."


    "The camp isn''t in this world, is it?" Abby asked with a frown as she glanced over her shoulder.


    "It might be," Alex replied. "There should be something. This place is kind of a reflection of the real world. Not to say it isn''t real, mind you. It''s just¡­ weird. You''ll see soon enough. Either way ¡ª we''ve split into groups, but don''t wander off. Mirrorlands monsters are more dangerous than the ones on earth, so let Claire, Orchid and I handle anything that''s too strong to even try fighting. Everything else will be all you."


    Jake, a blonde twenty-year old guy from the campsite with a short sword at his side, frowned. "You''re not going to help?"


    "That would reduce the challenge," Alex said. "I''ll interfere if the fight is impossible, but you can''t expect us to step in every time or your rewards will be a lot less and you won''t advance anywhere near as fast as you need to. We''re up against a monster even more powerful than the Field Boss. If you take things easy here, you''ll be dead when the Region Boss rolls around."


    Everyone exchanged grim looks.


    "On we go," Claire said cheerfully. "The monsters aren''t going to kill themselves and we don''t have all day. There''s a lot of practice to be done."


    ***


    "That," Orchid said, pointing at a wicked looking, black-feathered bird perched in the branches of one of the twisted trees, "is your target."


    May stared up at it, unease welling in her stomach. The monster had talons the length of bananas and bloody red eyes like a demon. It was easily four feet tall and its beak curved, ending in a razor-sharp point.


    Blackfeather Reaper (Novice 6)


    "That?" May asked in horror, her voice little more than a hushed whisper. "I''m Novice 2!"


    "It''s the weakest monster we''ve seen so far," Orchid said. "And you invested some energy into your body, yes?"


    "It made the bowl in my Mind Palace less crappy," May muttered.


    "Then you are already faster than you believe. Go. Remember not to let up. Your magic is weak, but you are not using it correctly. Attack quickly and relentlessly. Do not get hit. For now, focus on using the lightning magic I saw you use earlier. Do not split your attention to the new abilities you earned in meditation."


    She makes it sound so easy.


    May swallowed heavily. Her heart pounded desperately in her chest. It joined her brain in screaming at her to turn away. May ignored their panicked warnings and stepped forward.


    She lifted her hands and took aim at the bird. Then, before she could lose her nerve, she yanked on the churning energy inside her chest. Electricity crackled at her fingertips and a thin bolt of lightning zipped out, striking the bird in the chest, scorching its feathers.


    The monster let out a furious screech. Terror exploded through May as it leapt from the branch it was perched on, eyes affixing on her in an instant. Its enormous wings snapped out, more than doubling its size as it dove.


    May froze in place. She couldn''t tear her eyes away from those of the monster. Fear slammed into her skull like a pounding hammer. Her legs wouldn''t move. Panic exploded through her mind.


    No!


    She yanked herself to the side at the last second, staggering and stumbling over her own feet. The bird streaked through the air where she''d been a moment before, its claws raking through nothing.


    A flicker of surprise broke through May''s terror. She''d dodged the attack ¡ª but there was no time to celebrate. The bird spun back toward her.


    She sent another blast of lightning streaking into the monster.


    It screeched and leapt for her in a black blur. May threw herself to the side, hitting the ground with a pained grunt. This time, she wasn''t fast enough to avoid the monster completely. A talon caught her shoulder and raked across it, sending agony exploding through her body.


    May cried out and furiously thrust her hand in the bird''s direction. She sent a blast of lightning zipping free. It missed its target entirely. Her second and third shots didn''t. The bird''s wings flapped as it shook itself off, only to catch another blast straight between the eyes.


    Screeching in anger, the monster leapt at May.


    She thrust her hands forward, thrusting all the power she had into the biggest blast of lightning she could muster.


    It zipped through the air and collided with the bird''s chest. Feathers curled and burned away, but the monster''s charge didn''t stop. Her magic wasn''t strong enough.


    Victory flashed in the bird''s eyes as its claws slashed down, aiming for May''s face. She didn''t have time to dodge again. May''s stomach dropped and she desperately tried to scramble back, but it was too late. There was no time to ¡ª


    The bird jerked to the side. It slammed into the ground an instant later, leaving a puff of feathers fluttering through the air behind it. A shard of ice impaled its skull and pinned it to the ground.


    A wave of energy rushed into May''s stomach. Her back stiffened and she drew in a sharp breath of surprise.


    "I told you to keep moving," Orchid said. "You stopped."


    "I thought I could¡ª"


    "You are a Snapcaster," Orchid snapped, rapping May on the top of the head with her staff. "Your magic is not strong. It is fast. You are not strong. You must be fast. That was greedy, and you have died because of it."


    May sniffled. "Sorry."


    "Don''t apologize," Orchid said. "Get up. Next time, dodge."


    May wiped her nose with the back of her sleeve. She pushed herself up, the throbbing pain in her shoulder biting into her thoughts ¡ª and yet, at the same time, it seemed to focus them. Her jaw set.


    "I will."


    "Good," Orchid said. She glanced to the side, where the other people in their group were squaring up against monsters of their own, then nodded and returned her attention to May. "Then we will find your next opponent."

 Chapter 135 Heads

    Aaron hated his class.A great number of things had gone wrong since the start of the apocalypse. More than he had any desire to count ¡ª but he was pretty sure that one of the biggest mistakes he''d made was his class selection.


    I thought I was so smart. I was convinced that the best option was to go with the most unique class. One that felt like it would give me an advantage that nobody else would have. Even if the world was ending, I wanted to be a little unique. But at least a goddamn warrior gets to do something.


    I just got scammed.


    "You can''t just run!" Alex called.


    Aaron took that advice to heart and dove forward. Wind howled over his head as the huge, wooden paw of a Lumbear streaked past his head. He hit the ground in a roll and sprang to his feet, still running.


    The Novice 9 monster behind him let out a roar. Its steps thundered in pursuit behind him. Aaron risked a glance over his shoulder and immediately regretted it. The monster was easily six feet tall. It loped after him, shaking the dirt with every step, hatred burning in its beady black eyes.


    I don''t know what twisted bastard felt that a normal bear wasn''t scary enough and decided to make the damn thing out of fucked up wood, but I hope they step on splinters for every day of the rest of their life.


    "Fight back!" Alex yelled. "Why are you running from a Novice ranked monster?"


    "Because I can''t fight back!" Aaron yelled, diving forward again. He came up and wrapped around a tree. The Lumbear plowed straight through it, shattering the trunk with an earthshaking crash. The tree pitched back and smashed to the ground amidst a huge cloud of wooden fragments and dust.


    "You charged a Field Boss!" Alex snapped. "You have a sword! Use it!"


    "I was overzealous!" Aaron called back. The Lumbear burst from the cloud of fragments, massive claws digging through the earth as it thundered toward him and forced him to sprint off in a new direction.


    Shame and embarrassment burned in Aaron''s heart. He caught glimpses of everyone else in the forest around him, fighting their monsters.


    Not just fighting them. Beating them.


    He''d spotted May killing a demonic looking bird several minutes ago, but here he was, still running from the first monster he''d met. His own little sister was a better warrior than he was.


    It wasn''t a question of bravery. Aaron would have been more than happy to turn and stand his ground if he had the slightest way to actually fight back. He didn''t have any training with the sword at his side. It was about as useful as a big stick in his hands ¡ª except there was a chance he could cut himself with it.


    I guess it''s even less useful than a stick, then.


    Damn the System. I can''t believe I got taken for such an idiot.


    Aaron dove again as he heard the Lumbear gaining on him. A rock caught him in the shoulder and sent pain arcing through his body, but he thrust himself up and kept running. It was the only thing he could do.


    No matter how much Alex shouted at him to fight back, Aaron couldn''t do anything. His class was completely worthless.


    The Gambler. What a joke of a class. No offensive abilities. I haven''t even gotten the other two auxiliary skills that Abby said everyone is meant to get. My Soul Manifestation only came with one auxiliary skill, and it''s fucking useless.


    A tree shattered behind Aaron as the Lumbear plowed through it. Fragments of wood sailed through the air, ripping his shirt and cutting into the skin beneath it. Several of them lodged into him his back.


    His teeth gritted.


    He ran.


    This is my fault. I thought I was special. I spent so much time playing games with mom that I convinced myself that I was actually amazing at them. Convinced everyone I was.


    They never found out I always cheated. I suck at every single game I''ve ever played. I can''t read people. I can''t execute complicated strategies or think ten steps ahead. I just cheat.


    Guess the System called my bluff.


    "I can promise you that you''ve got less stamina than the bear," Alex called. "You need to turn and fight, Aaron. You''re making things harder for yourself."


    "I can''t fight!" Aaron yelled, but he knew Alex was right. His breath was coming harder and harder with every step. There was only so long he could run in circles and do nothing.


    "Nobody starts off knowing how to fight! You have to send it!"


    "You can do it!" Abby called, adding her own voice to Alex''s in support.


    Shame flushed across Aaron''s features. She was supposed to be training, not watching him embarrass himself even further. His hands tightened at his sides ¡ª but embarrassment wasn''t going to kill the Lumbear. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His class didn''t have any auxiliary abilities. He only had two things to work with. His Soul Manifestation. His completely useless Soul Manifestation, and the worthless skill that came with it.


    [Gambler''s Heart] (Novice 1) ¨C Tough odds make a tougher player. Adverse effects are immensely more likely when playing games of chance, but games that you win have significantly improved outcomes.


    The Soul Manifestation might not have been completely terrible if he had a way to get the Lumbear currently running him down to stop in its tracks, sit down at a table, and play a good game of cards. Of course, the odds were somehow no longer fair and he''d almost certainly lose ¡ª but at least he''d have a chance of winning.


    Whatever that would entail. Maybe it would just have to leave a few extra poker chips on my mutilated corpse.


    Unfortunately, Aaron was fairly certain the Lumbear had little interest in playing any game with him ¡ª and his class'' only active ability wasn''t about to help him with that.


    [Pick a Fate] (Novice 1) ¨C Choose a target and enter a magically empowered game of chance with them, setting the stakes and strengthening both boons and punishments that result from the game.


    The ability was worse than useless. It was horrible. Aaron hadn''t thought so at first, of course. He''d been optimistic that, if he could actually manage to win a game, the benefits would be immense. Maybe the ability would just straight up kill his opponent.


    There was just one problem.


    His Soul Manifestation hadn''t been lying about those odds.


    It had been playing with him from the start. While everyone else had been forced to wait all seven days before the System offered them their classes, for some reason, it had offered Aaron his class the same day it had announced the end of the world.


    He''d been so smug choosing Gambler. Like he''d been some form of chosen warrior that the System had taken a liking to. As it turned out, it had just been having a laugh at his expense.


    Aaron had used his powers once since the Apocalypse started.


    The first time he''d called on them had been in his families'' restaurant, two days after the System''s announcement. It had been when a robber was pointing a gun at his father. He''d planned to force the man to play Russian roulette, with the robber taking the first shot.


    Turned out, if he didn''t specify the game, the System chose one for him. A quarter fell from the robber''s pocket. Aaron''s eyes had traced it until it had nearly landed on the floor, where it was clear it would land on heads.


    He made the call.


    The quarter bounced in a way that should have been impossible.


    A one in a million landing that had it landing perfectly on tails.


    The gun went off.


    He''d lost.


    The robber had run, stammering that he''d never planned to pull the trigger. That it had just been a threat, and his finger had only slipped, as if pushed by an invisible force. He hadn''t meant to kill anyone.


    And he was right.


    The first time Aaron used his powers, he''d killed his own father.


    His magic was cursed. He hadn''t used it since. It was a punishment for thinking that he was better than anyone else. If he''d just gone with a normal class ¡ª if he''d just taken the advantage the System had given him and taken a normal class without risking it all for a weird one, he could have saved his father.


    He could have been able to protect May.


    He could have fought back against the Lumbear breathing down the back of his neck.


    "Come on!" May''s voice rang out. "You can do this, Aaron! Fight it!"


    Damn it. I don''t need May seeing this as well.


    Despite himself, Aaron glanced in her direction. His eyes went wide in horror. A huge black-feathered bird streaked down toward her back from the tree tops ¡ª and she didn''t see it. The world felt like it dragged to a snail''s crawl.


    Orchid was thrusting her staff forward, gathering magic, but she''d been distracted by May''s yell of support and wasn''t going to be fast enough to intercept the monster.


    Aaron didn''t even have time to call out a warning. It would take too long. By the time May went to move, the monster would have already be raking its claws across her back. Nobody was going to be able to intercept it in time.


    His hand moved on its own, grabbing a quarter that sat in his pocket.


    The same quarter that had fallen to the ground of the restaurant.


    Energy burned at Aaron''s fingertips as he drew on the cursed magic within himself. He would lose. Aaron knew that ¡ª but if he could buy even a second by distracting the bird, it would give Orchid a chance to save his sister.


    And it''ll buy the Lumbear time to reach me as well.


    Aaron ignored that thought. All that mattered was stopping the bird, if even for just an instant.


    He ripped the coin free of his pocket and flipped it, activating his magic. Golden letters exploded through the air, carving themselves into existence, and the world ground completely to a halt as the coin spun, the only thing still left in motion.


    Game: Coin Flip


    Stakes: Speed


    "Heads," Aaron said.


    His eyes could pick up on details that he never could have seen before. The coin fell back toward his hand ¡ª and Aaron knew without a flicker of a doubt that it was about to land on tails. Time stood frozen and he stood with it, unable to do anything but watch as fate sealed itself before him.


    No. Not like this!


    His body burned in agony as he desperately tried to do something ¡ª anything ¡ª to stop fate from playing out¡­ but he was just as frozen as the rest of the world. His power was nothing but a curse. He was horrible at every single game he''d ever played and he''d known it.


    Aaron''s eyes traced the coin as it fell toward his hand. There were only two flips remaining before it landed.


    His teeth clenched.


    Pain pierced into the back of his head like an ice pick.


    "Fuck you," Aaron hissed, forcing the words through stiff lips.


    Magic exploded through his arm. His hand twitched. It moved upward by less than an inch as he stole a second from a frozen world. Not nearly enough to make a real difference in a fight ¡ª but just enough to do the only thing he''d ever been half-decent at.


    Aaron cheated.


    The coin smacked into the back of his hand in the middle of a flip.


    It was heads.


    He''d won.

 Chapter 136 Fun

    Golden words shimmered in the air before Aaron as blood pounded in his ears. He could barely believe what he was reading, but it didn''t seem like the System cared. The words remained all the same.Winner: The Gambler S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Result: 1 minute of the defeated combatant''s speed is transferred to The Gambler.


    Cheating actually worked?


    Power slammed into Aaron in a wave. His feet blurred. Air slammed into the back of his throat as he suddenly felt himself shift gears and accelerate to a speed that shouldn''t have even been possible for a normal human.


    Golden light exploded around the bird monster diving at May''s back. Glistening, translucent chains wound around the monster and slammed taut. It opened its mouth in a slow scream that sounded more like air escaping from a very angry balloon.


    The monster''s very existence seemed to have slowed down. Even the wind passing through its feathers had gotten the memo and ground to a slithering halt. And every ounce of momentum that the bird had lost, Aaron had gained.


    He stumbled, but his feet moved faster than his brain could even process. They moved so quickly that he didn''t even have time to fall back. All he could do was accelerate.


    The Lumbear that had been chasing him let out a roar as it swiped at him with a wooden paw. Aaron barely even noticed. By the time the monster''s strike had grown anywhere near him, he was already gone.


    He bounded toward May and the slow-moving bird, arms windmilling in a desperate attempt to keep his balance. His conscious mind wasn''t in control anymore. All that remained was instinct. The entire world had shrunk down to two figures.


    All that mattered was May and the bird diving at her in slow-motion. Aaron''s jaw clenched. And, even as the world flashed past him in a near-indecipherable haze, his eyes focused on the monster diving at his sister.


    I won''t lose the last member of my family.


    His fist blurred through the air. He''d somehow arrived between May and the monster. He didn''t know when that had happened, but he didn''t care.


    And before he''d even finished processing that he was throwing a punch, his knuckles connected with the monster''s face. Hollow bones crumpled. The bird''s face collapsed like it had charged face-first into a brick wall. Aaron could have sworn he heard them shattering in half-speed.


    The golden light binding the monster shattered. At the same time, the entire world snapped back to its normal speed. Pain exploded through Aaron''s hand as his body was suddenly reminded that he''d just punched a crunchy piece of shit in the face whilst moving at an indeterminate speed.


    "Shit!" Aaron yelled, grabbing his arm and shaking it off with a slew of curses. The bird monster splattered to the ground before him, its body twisted and shattered in a mangled, bloody heap. Cool energy flooded into his body in a wave.


    "You did it!" May exclaimed in delight. "Aaron, you did it!"


    "You almost died!" Aaron screamed, spinning to her and clutching his throbbing hand. "You can''t take risks like that, May! You need to pay attention? What am I going to do if you ¡ª"


    His words died on his lips. May didn''t look scared. She didn''t even look slightly worried ¡ª and neither did Orchid, who stood behind her, staff at the ready and the faintest of smirks pulling at her lips.


    Why doesn''t she sound scared?


    "Not bad," Orchid said. "Cute. I am a little offended you thought I was so incompetent I couldn''t kill an egotistical chicken."


    Aaron gaped at her. He looked from Orchid to May, whose expression had gone sheepish.


    "You tricked me?"


    "Motivation," May said with a thumbs-up. "Orchid said you needed a push and I''ve already gotten a bunch of practice, so I wanted to help you."


    Aaron''s mouth worked. He couldn''t tell if he was pissed off or impressed. His emotions were such a jumble that all he could do was stare in disbelief.


    Unfortunately, that surprise didn''t extend to the Lumbear that was still chasing after him. A roar echoed through the Mirrorlands. Aaron spun toward it, his face going pale, as the huge wooden monster bore down on all of them, far too close for him to react.


    Shit!


    A massive black hand slammed down on the Lumbear''s back, driving it into the ground with a resounding crash. The monster''s roar turned to a pained whimper as sludge bubbled up behind it, revealing Alex''s enormous sludge monster.


    With a single, casual motion, the monster hoisted the Lumbear up. It grabbed the bear with its other hand. Then, with a sharp tug, it ripped the creature clean in two. Loud cracks echoed through the air.


    The Lumbear''s agonized agonized scream was cut short along with its life.


    Aaron took a step back and swallowed. A chill ran down his back as he stared at the emotionless ceramic mask on the monster''s face. Alex''s monster dropped the two halves of the dead monster to the ground and turned away, sinking back into the ground to transform into a puddle of sludge.


    A glance in Orchid''s direction revealed a flicker of fear in her own features, and it only made Aaron''s chest tighten further. If someone as strong as her was also scared of Alex¡­


    He''s a monster. How is he so strong?


    "Don''t stand around," Alex called as he walked over to them. "You''re all making progress, but not nearly enough for us to sit and waste time. Good job with the fights so far ¡ª but they aren''t going to get any easier until you meditate. And that''s exactly what we want. Take advantage of this. Get as much power as possible now. You''re going to need it."


    Aaron''s jaw set.


    Alex was right. Even if they managed to survive this, they had to find a way to beat a Region Boss. He still didn''t have great context as to just how strong that monster would be, but if it was stronger than the Field Boss¡­


    We''re nowhere near as strong as we need to be.


    ***


    "They''re not doing bad," Claire said, drawing up alongside Alex as they watched the members of the campsite square off against the monsters of the Mirrorlands.


    Alex nodded. It had been several hours since they''d arrived in the Mirrorlands, and not one of the people from the camp had so much as asked for a break. They''d fought relentlessly, throwing themselves against every enemy that rose in their path.


    There had been a number of close calls. Far too many of them. But, somehow, nobody was dead ¡ª and they were getting better. Even though none of them had been given a chance to meditate yet, the fights were getting easier.


    Aaron had started to figure out the scraps of how his magic worked. He was definitely having the roughest time of things. His class was fascinating ¡ª and completely fucking weird. Sometimes, he killed monsters that should have given him a ridiculous amount of trouble with ease.


    And other times¡ª


    A crunch echoed out as Princess pancaked a Lumbear moments before it ripped Aaron''s head off.


    Other times he gets completely fucking rocked. From what he''s said, Gambler seems like a really powerful class. It''s just a real finnicky one. Seems like it''ll be a fun one if he can get a good handle of how it works. I''d definitely have taken that class if I''d been offered it. Hopefully he gets some more control over it after he meditates.


    Alex''s eyes drifted to May.


    It was still obvious she was young. Her decision making wasn''t the best and her reaction speed could have been a lot better. Orchid was spending a lot of effort keeping the kid alive ¡ª but May was learning at an incredible rate.


    He wouldn''t have called her a genius, but she was definitely a dedicated student. It wouldn''t be long before she was an incredibly formidable opponent if she kept improving at this rate.


    With two or three more days of this¡­ we might actually have the slightest chance against the Region Boss. Growth is so much faster at lower levels. I think we should be able to get them to high Novice and a maxed out Mind Palace if they fight monsters in the Mirrorlands nonstop. The question is just if they''ll actually be able to do that.


    "What are you thinking?" Claire asked.


    "More hoping than thinking," Alex replied. "I wish I knew exactly how long we had before the Region Boss showed up."


    "I take it you can''t tell?"


    He shook his head. "Not really, and not at all while we''re in the Mirrorlands. When we''re back on 274-50, I feel a bit. Not enough to give an exact answer."


    "If we can get a few days¡­"


    "Yeah. We might have a shot at this. I''m hoping the boss is in the low to mid Adept area."


    "Seems like a safe bet," Claire said. She turned to watch as May ran in circles around a Lumbear, peppering it with thin bolts of lightning while staying out of range of the monster''s large paws. "But we can''t just sit training them around either. We also have to get stronger."


    "Yeah. I think after everyone has cashed in the power they got from this, we''ll have to babysitting a bit less to seek out fights ourselves. It''ll make things more dangerous, but they''ll grow even faster assuming they survive."


    "They''ll have a better chance than most. But if we''re going to have any shot at actually beating something in the mid-Adept levels, I think we''re almost certainly going to need to unlock Partial Domains."


    "Yeah. I gathered as much myself. Every level means more and more the higher up we get. The good news is that, if we survive this, the gap between us and the other Outworlders will close even more. Most of them don''t even have Partial Domains yet."


    "All we have to do is beat the first Region Boss on 274-50."


    "Yeah. Simple."


    Claire rolled her eyes. "As simple as can be."


    "Look at the bright side. No matter what happens, this will be an interesting fight. I can think of worse ways to go out. At least it''ll be fun."


    Claire squinted at him. Then a small smile pulled at the corners of her lips.


    "Yeah. You can say that again."

 Chapter 137 Fight

    Time ground on. There were moments where it felt like there was far too little of it, and moments where it felt like there was somehow too much. The campers fought. They grew stronger ¡ª and so did Alex and Claire.Twice, they returned to 274-50 to meditate, recuperate, and prepare. There was only so long they could push without cashing in their levels so they could fight against stronger monsters and continue advancing at the same rate.


    The strategy was a brutal one. With the limited time they had before the Region Boss arrived, there was no room to do anything but push ahead at max efficiency. And so that was exactly what they did.


    Their trips back to 274-50 only lasted for long enough to eat, drink, and meditate to advance their bodies and levels as much as possible. Everyone ¡ª even Alex and Claire ¡ª took advantage of the moments to stay at the peak of their strength.


    One of the trips ended up pulling a Riftwarped monster''s attention during their arrival. Alex and Claire dispatched it, and Alex fed its Soul Flame, along with all the others he''d gathered during the fights that he snuck away to take, to Princess.


    She was rapidly approaching the point where she''d be able to evolve, but the Dredge wasn''t quite there yet. Alex doubted they''d make it before the Region Boss arrived. She hadn''t quite yet reached the first threshold to evolve, much less the point where she would be 100% over the required limit.


    As intense as the training was, it was effective.


    Aaron, May, and the other campers advanced at an incredible speed. Even Alex and Claire gathered a fair amount of power. They were able to set off on their own more as everyone else grew stronger and more capable of defending themselves.


    The campers weren''t alone in their advancements ¡ª which was why Alex found himself back in his Mind Palace, kneeling at the top of the stairs that led up to his marble basin.


    He''d already spent a fair amount of the magic he''d gathered reinforcing his body. His pulsing veins were still adapting to the icy energy that had rushed through them, but his mind was completely focused.


    There was no time to waste. His task was far from done.


    Most of the basin still remained.


    The power coursed up in a river of brilliant blue, pouring into his outstretched hand and entering his soul. Alex drank greedily. He absorbed every drop of freezing power, his fingers clenching into a fist as if to grasp the very magic itself.


    Come on. I''ve got three units of soul energy left. If I can just push to Initiate 4, that''ll give me one more and I''ll be able to upgrade Requiem to the King again. We need every damn advantage we can get to beat the Region Boss.


    The water level in the basin receded rapidly. A droplet of sweat rolled down the back of Alex''s neck. He''d been pretty sure he''d left more than enough to get a single level, but things were starting to get close. More and more of the water evaporated as it poured into his palm.


    Come on. Just a little more!


    The last of the glowing blue water lifted off the surface of the white marble and slithered up like a snake to pour into Alex. His back stiffened ¡ª and glowing letters carved through the air before him.


    Your Stage has advanced to Initiate 4.


    You have amassed 4 units of soul energy. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Please select an Auxiliary Skill to upgrade.


    Two of the three blue gems on the on the mantle of his basin glistened as they lit with glowing magic. Black letters bloomed across the stone like splotches of ink to form into new words.


    [Requiem to the King] (Novice 4)


    [Monster Medley] (Novice 4)


    [Riftwalk] (Novice 8)


    A relieved breath exploded from Alex''s lips and he slumped, shaking his head.


    "Shit," he muttered, running a hand through his hair as the last of the pain from absorbing the magic faded from his body. "That was way too close. Probably smarter to level up first and then pump the rest into my Mind Palace instead of doing the inverse. I didn''t even spend that much on the Mind Palace this time around¡­ but there''s no point fretting now."


    He didn''t even hesitate in making his decision. Monster Medley was for making his monsters more powerful in the long run. It was a fantastic skill, but what he needed right now were more cards to play in the fight against the Region Boss. Requiem to the King was his best option.


    Golden letters sliced through the air before him as soon as his mind was completely made up.


    (4 Units) Armament Elegy: Permanently deepen the connection between the King and his summons. When they perish, a portion of their power can physically manifest themselves as a piece of the King''s Armaments. However, the time it takes fallen monsters to naturally regenerate will double.


    (4 Units) Rallying Cry: Fallen monsters temporarily grant any remaining summons on the battlefield a boost in the fallen monster''s main attribute. The duration of this boon depends on the strength of the fallen monster.


    (4 Units) Harmonious Trade: Strike down one of your own summons in order to transfer their remaining energy into another one of your monsters, healing them. The amount of healing done depends on the relative strength of the monsters and the amount of life force the slain monster possessed at the time of its death.


    Alex scanned over the abilities, his heart thumping in his ears as a huge grin pulled at his lips. Requiem to the King never failed to disappoint. The ability was just consistently incredible. As usual, all of the options felt like they would be impactful, but there was one that immediately stuck out to him over the others.


    Just to be sure, Alex read over the abilities a second time to avoid missing anything important.


    Harmonious Trade was for when he absolutely needed to keep one of his summons alive in combat. However, he already had two ways to bring his monsters back after they died. He wasn''t sure he wanted to go around cutting down his own monsters just to get some healing. It wasn''t a bad option, but it wasn''t his first choice.


    Rallying Cry had some considerable benefits to it. In addition to the most obvious boost in strength his monsters would get when the other ones went down, there was also the option of killing all but one of them to give the final remaining one a huge temporary boost in the fight.


    The problem is I also have to go and kill my summons for this ability to work. If I''m in a situation where they''re getting killed, a temporary power boost might not be enough to sway the tides in my favor. It''s definitely a strong option. I''d probably have gone with this if it wasn''t for that first option.


    Armament Elegy just stuck out a little too much. One of Alex''s greatest weaknesses was the fact that, when his monsters truly did go down, he was relatively exposed. He hadn''t found any weapons that he truly felt fit him yet.


    Lengthening the time it takes the monsters to respawn is definitely annoying, but it means this ability has to be really damn strong to justify that weakness ¡ª and I do have a way to bring my monsters back permanently if I can kill enough enemies myself.


    I don''t know what type of armaments the skill will give me, but they''re going to be good at the cost they come at. Armament Elegy seems like the ability that will give me the biggest card to play, now and in the long run.


    Alex nodded to himself, his grin setting itself in his features. His decision was made.


    The glowing words vanished, and the last of the power drove into Alex''s body. He drew in a sharp breath and let it out slowly. His fingers flexed. Then he rose to his feet and made his way down the basin''s steps.


    His soul was scattered with bricks and building materials that had emerged from beneath the surface of his lake during his latest meditation. He didn''t have the slightest idea of what to do with them yet. Find adventures at empire


    This has to be the bit where that Vizualization thing Finley was talking about becomes important. The blueprints to making a powerful Mind Palace. I''ll definitely have to find one of those for myself¡­ but there''s something else I need to do first.


    Alex made his way over to the first of the marble pillars looming over his Mind Palace. The indent in its center sat waiting, and he made it wait no longer. Alex retrieved the Nightmare Aspect Gem.


    Then he pushed it into the slot.


    The gem clicked into place easily, as if it had always been meant to be there. And that was that. Alex blinked. He gave the gem a small tug. It didn''t budge. The gem was stuck fast, but he didn''t feel any different.


    Tilting his head to the side, Alex made his way over to the second of the three pillars. He slid the Ruler gem into it and received the exact same results as he had the first time. The gem locked into place, but he felt no different than he had.


    A small laugh slipped from his lips. "I guess I was waiting for nothing. I need the third gem to get this to work, huh? I suppose that makes sense. Fair enough."


    He took one last glance around his Mind Palace, but his fingers were already twitching in anticipation. There was so much more to get done if they were to be ready for the Region Boss'' rapidly approaching awakening.


    Alex''s eyes closed.


    When they opened again, he was back on 274-50.


    Claire sat beside him, one leg stretched out before her and the other one pulled close to her chest. Her arm was draped over it and her fingers tapped against her knee impatiently.


    "You took your time," Claire said with a grin. "I was getting bored."


    "I think I''m rubbing off on you in all the wrong ways. Did you manage to level up?"


    "Initiate 2."


    "Nice."


    Damn, I wish I knew what her Qi was. For that matter, I wish I knew what half her abilities were. She needs to finish this damn Trial already. I hate having to wait for cool stuff. It''s so lame.


    "It''s nice," Claire agreed. She hesitated for a long second, then pursed her lips. "But¡­how long do you think we have before the Region Boss really wakes up?"


    "No more than a day," Alex said without a moment of hesitation. He could feel the pulses from the monster coming more and more frequently. They were definitely running out of time. "I know what you''re thinking."


    "We aren''t ready," Claire said with a nod. "The campers are getting to the high Novice ranks and their Mind Palaces are really far along¡­ but we need more."


    Her assessment was similar to Alex''s own thoughts. It wasn''t that the campers weren''t strong enough. They were doing great for the time they had.


    It was simply that he, Claire, and Orchid weren''t going to be enough to take a mid-level Adept monster down, even with the help they had.


    "We need one more push," Alex said. "Something that gives us that final advantage."


    He and Claire exchanged a glance.


    "Do you remember when we met Invictus?" Claire asked.


    A small smile pulled at the corners of Alex''s lips. "When he crushed those monsters with the water attack from Valley Ford? Yes. I remember."


    "Are you thinking what I''m thinking?"


    "I think I am. This seems like as good a place as any. It''s quite secluded, and if it gives us the advantage we need to take this thing out, the enormous boost in strength everyone here is going to get will be one for the ages ¡ª not to mention we''ll get access to portals, so we can finally spend some Credits with Finley." Alex said with a nod. His grin grew to cover his features. "It''s time to use the Town Token."

 Chapter 138 Town Token

    Alex gathered the survivors in front of Rin''s lodge. He''d never really found out just how many of them there had been, but the group before him stung of loss. A smattering of Earth natives and Outworlders stood in a tight group, no true distinction between them. There were no more than twenty of them. They all stared on with dirty, solemn faces.He didn''t know most of their names. If Alex was honest with himself, he wasn''t sure he wanted to. Names meant someone to mourn. He had no problems with facing his own mortality. He enjoyed it. But other people ¡ª that was an entirely different thing.


    Getting close to people that are probably going to die is just asking to get hurt. Maybe someone with a stronger will than mine wouldn''t care. They''d have some noble speech about living on in each other''s hearts or some shit.


    Fuck that. If you''re dead, you''re dead. I don''t know what happens next. I like the fun bits of the apocalypse. Watching your friends get killed by a massive monster isn''t fun.


    I''m not egotistical enough to think I can save everyone here. Some of the faces in the crowd before me right now aren''t going to be here tomorrow. But the more chances I give them¡­ the more likely that a few less will be six feet under by this time tomorrow.


    "Alex?" Claire whispered, nudging him in the side. "They''re waiting."


    "Are we ready?" one of the Nativeworlders that had attended their training in the Mirrorlands asked. Alex had forgotten the man''s name already. He''d reached Novice 8. The man wasn''t incompetent¡­ but he wasn''t the best either.


    "No," Alex said honestly. "What comes for us is something that even my group will struggle to survive, much less defeat. As things are, you aren''t ready. Many of the people here will probably die, even if we do win. I am included in that number."


    "Then what''s the point?" someone else asked ¡ª this time, an elderly man that hadn''t attended the training because of his reliance on a cane. "All that work was meaningless!"


    "Struggling against the inevitable is human nature," Alex replied, raising his voice. "And that in itself holds meaning. The System exists to challenge. Everything I have seen makes me believe that it is cold, but not cruel. I refuse to believe there is anything that is completely impossible."


    "What does victory matter if most of us are dead?" A woman that had been too severely injured to attend the training in the Mirrorlands asked. She leaned heavily on a makeshift crutch, her level so low that her body still hadn''t managed to fully heal from the severe wounds she''d sustained. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It means your friends live on," Alex replied simply. "I''m not here to bullshit you. I''m not a politician. The fact of the matter is an immensely powerful monster will arrive here soon. Factions of people far more powerful than us would normally work together to defeat something like this, and even they would face losses. We are attempting to do the same with a ruined campsite, a few deserters, and a bunch of people who fought their first battle a few days ago. Look around you."


    People tore their gazes away from Alex. The campsite was in ruins around them. Only a few of the cabins still stood. Deep gouges and scars covered the once grassy ground. Shattered trees littered the ground and the smell of burnt wood and thick smoke lingered with such intensity in the air that Alex could still taste it.


    "If this is meant to be motivating, it''s not working very well," Jake, one of the Nativeworlders that had attended the training, said.


    A small grin pulled at one corner of Alex''s lips. "I never said I was a good leader. There''s only so much I can do ¡ª but I can do some. I''ve tried to give you the advantages that I''ve gotten, but I can''t stretch time. I was just making sure that everyone knew the magnitude of what comes for us."


    "Why?" Aaron asked from the crowd. "What''s the point?"


    "To give you one last chance to run," Alex replied. "There won''t be another one. I can sense the Region Boss. It''s getting stronger. By tomorrow, I strongly suspect it will awake. And when it comes, there will only be two paths that remain before us. Victory or complete annihilation."


    "You said that we''d probably die anyway if we run now," the elderly man that had spoken before called out. "Just against something else."


    "The rest of the world has been advancing while you remained here," Alex said with a shrug. "Perhaps you could hide in a city. If you''re content to remain weak and unable to defend yourself, then there is a chance."


    There were several long seconds of silence.


    Then the old man let out a bark of gravelly laughter.


    "I''ve been rattling the knocker on death''s door for years. I don''t give a rat''s ass how I die, but if only from sheer spite, I''m sticking my wrinkly ass here and not moving an inch. I won''t die with a blade in my back."


    Everyone else exchanged glances. The people that had trained in the Mirrorlands. The ones who had remained behind. Natives and Outworlders alike ¡ª and not one of them moved. Even the ones that had been complaining made no motions to leave.


    "I think that means everyone is staying," Alex said, glancing at Claire and lowering his voice. "What now?"


    "You''re the one trying to give a rallying speech," Claire replied with a small grin. "Don''t look at me."


    "I wasn''t lying. I don''t know what the fuck I''m doing. Shouldn''t you be doing this?"


    "Probably, but it''s a lot more fun watching you do it. Go on."


    "It''s somewhat remarkable how you''ve managed to make the most depressing speech possible somehow inspirational," Orchid muttered from beside them. "You have a talent."


    "Thank you," Alex muttered before raising his voice again. "I''ll be honest. I wanted to make sure that anyone who wasn''t willing to stand and die by each other''s sides would leave before I got to this next part. There''s one last thing I can do for us."


    "Magical artifacts?" Abby asked hopefully. "Armor and weapons that can boost us up to the power of a Great Family?"


    Hah. Not that lucky, I''m afraid.


    "Nothing that significant. We don''t have any more time for training ¡ª but as we are now, we have nowhere to hide and recuperate during the fight. We have no way to get supplies or any tools to push the tide of battle in our favor. I can change that."


    "How?" Abby asked, her head tilting to the side. "If we only have a day before the Region Boss wakes up, then there''s no time to erect defenses significant enough to hold it off."


    Alex smiled.


    "There''s one way, actually."


    He reached into his pocket. And, before he could even pull the Town Token free, a flicker of realization lit behind her eyes. She drew in a sharp breath.


    "You can''t be serious."


    "I," Alex declared, pulling the token free and hoisting it into the air before everyone. "Have this."


    "Fuck," Abby breathed, taking a step back as her eyes went as wide as saucers. "What is that thing?"


    "It''s a Town Token," one of the other Outworlders murmured in awe.


    "I''ve never seen one, but that can''t be normal. It''s¡­ warped," Abby muttered. She swallowed heavily. More understanding lit behind her features. "Like the Mirrorlands. Who are you? How did you get something like that?"


    "It was a huge pain in the ass," Alex replied honestly. "And this is the last thing I can do for everyone here. I can''t ¡ª and won''t ¡ª promise to save everyone. I won''t say that we''re all going to make it through this together. But I can give us a damn good fucking chance, and at the bare minimum, a badass burial ground."


    "What will that do?" the old man asked.


    "It will form a Town. A position that we can try to hold and use for recovery during the fight, not to mention establish supply chains and defenses that could aid us in the battle." Orchid spoke up. "I would like to impress upon all of you the significance of this. There have been wars fought over Town Tokens. When the System made 274-50, it took everything from you but yourselves. Control is power, and a Town is a way to claw some of that control back. It can grow everyone within it beyond belief."


    "Then why would you waste it here? If the item is that strong, couldn''t you go somewhere else and use it in a safer area to make sure you can get all those benefits?" Aaron asked.


    "Because you don''t have a town without people," Claire said, taking a step forward and crossing her hands behind her back. "And what better purpose for a town than for this? You are all putting everything you have on the line. We will do the same. And for those of us that survive this fight ¡ª we will take back everything that the System took from us."


    "If we win this, then I have no plans of abandoning everyone here," Alex said. "The System has made the world a warzone. We all need a home base, and I can''t think of anyone I''d rather have at my back than those who had to claw their way to earn every victory."


    "This is about more than today," Claire added. "Those who only look to the present will be unprepared for the future. Alex is offering you more than survival. He is offering you a future."


    "I was already in before the town thing," Aaron said, clenching his fists at his sides. "If I make it through this, you can bet your ass I''m sticking around if you let me."


    "My walker wouldn''t last a mile," the old man added with a cackle. "If your town thing gets my bones spry enough to beat the shit out of a few ugly bastards, then you can count on me as well."


    "Only an idiot would turn down an invitation to enter a Town," Abby said. She sent one more glance at the Token in Alex''s hand and shook her head. "Especially one like that. I can speak for all of us when I say that we accept your offer. You''ve already been far fairer to us than the Outworlder families we abandoned. Rin put her trust in you, and so will we. If we survive this fight¡­ we will be your army."


    "Then let''s focus on that first bit," Alex said with a smile.


    It struck him in that moment that he didn''t actually know how to activate the Token. But the second that thought passed through his head, he felt the metal grow brittle between his fingers.


    The Town Token snapped.


    Its crack echoed through the silent campsite.


    Then, with a thunderous roar, crackling purple and black power exploded from his hand. Arcs of savage electricity tore out from around Alex and slammed into the ground, shaking it beneath his feet. The gravity bearing down on his back seemed to magnify a hundredfold. He staggered.


    And in the air before him, a System Message shimmered to life.


    [Trial Assigned: The First Town]


    Objective: Augment your town by achieving the highest possible completion rate in the trial before your death.


    Alex blinked. Stay updated with empire


    Before my death?


    Then the world collapsed, leaving behind nothing but Alex and an endless sea of darkness around him.

 Chapter 139 Potential

    Around Alex was only darkness. It was so thick that he could practically feel it as he swept his hand through the empty space around him. His body floated suspended in what felt like the depths of the ocean, but he could breathe perfectly fine."Hello?" Alex called.


    There was no echo. His voice was muted and tinny, and it vanished into the emptiness nearly as fast as it reached his ears.


    It was impossible to orient himself. He couldn''t tell right form left; up from down. There was no frame of reference here. He wasn''t even sure where here was ¡ª or how he could see himself when there was no light to go by.


    "Is anyone there?" Alex called again. There wasn''t even so much as another message from the System to help him. All he had to go by was some vague trial about getting the highest completion rate before he died.


    Which implies that my death is guaranteed rather than possible. What the hell kind of trial is this?


    The only thing that kept panic from rising in his chest was Alex''s conviction that the System was fair. It could be a massive asshole and it allowed for what most people would have considered egregious amounts of cheating, but the scales always balanced in the end.


    There was no way trying to use a Town Token would just straight up kill him out of the blue. He would have a chance to fight for what was his. All he had to do was wait.


    Something rippled in the darkness before him. At least, he was pretty sure it was in front of him. Scale was surprisingly difficult to read when there was nothing to use as a reference.


    Alex squinted as a strand of gray twisted into a ball. What appeared to be bandages wrapped around themselves. They moved slowly at first, laying over each other as they spawned from nothingness, but rapidly accelerated.


    Flashes of gray snaked through the darkness and bound around each other like a miniature universe spawning into being. The ball ballooned at a near-exponential rate as it filled out into the form of a man.


    Strands of bandages twisted from his limbs and torso like chains, running far into the darkness before vanishing out of sight.


    For the briefest moment, there was silence.


    Then a loud, crackling tear sound like a dozen sheets of paper being ripped at once through the void that surrounded Alex. One of the bandage chains connected to the figure''s right arm snapped and withered away.


    A second chain tore, then a third. A hand twitched.


    Fingers clenched into a fist.


    Cracks stretched across the bandages covering the figure''s torso. They traveled up to the face and down to its legs. What seemed like black rot raced across their body, stretching to completely cover the bandages. Huge sheets of them blackened and peeled back, revealing pallid white skin.


    It was the body of a human, but one who hadn''t had a meal in months. Ribs pressed up against gaunt skin and Alex could practically see the outline of organs beneath.


    A heartbeat thumped, passing by his head like a wave of force. The last of the bandages tore away and fluttered into the darkness. They disintegrated into the void, leaving him floating across from something that could be considered neither man nor monster.


    It had ears and a mouth, but where two eyes should have been was only one, in the very top center of its face. The being possessed only two slits for nostrils and wore ragged brown scraps that hung around its waist like a torn dress.


    Alex''s spine prickled. He''d seen a number of fucked up monsters. His own summons were hardly an exception from them ¡ª but there was something deeply unsettling about the figure in front of him. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It looked¡­


    Pathetic.


    A ragged, gasping wheeze split the gaunt thing''s lips as it drew in a long breath. It''s one eye snapped open, revealing nothing but an empty silver sclera. There was no pupil within it. The man-monster''s eye was as glassy and flat as a still lake.


    There was a moment of stillness.


    Then the creature screamed. It was not a cry of fury, but one of deep, burning agony. The figure clawed at its chest with fingers that lacked nails, thrashing and writhing as it cried out. It was the wail of a father watching their son die; the pain of death taking a brother.


    Alex clapped his hands over his ears as the sound pierced through the darkness like a blade.


    And then it was gone.


    The figure''s hands dropped to its sides. Even though it was impossible to tell where its empty eye stared, Alex knew for a fact that it was looking straight at him.


    What the fuck is going on? Am I supposed to kill this thing? That almost feels like it would be granting it a mercy.


    "So this is the fruits of my efforts." The words spilling from its lips like unwept tears. It lifted a hand and stared at its uncannily smooth flesh. "Relegated to a wretch."


    It can speak?


    "Who are you?" Alex asked. "What''s going on?"


    The thing ¡ª or was it a person? He wasn''t sure ¡ª raised a hand in the universal command to halt. A shudder wracked its body and it drew in a deep breath before letting it out in a rattling sigh.


    "I would command you to be silent were it within my capabilities, but it seems that even that has been taken from me."


    Didn''t you just basically do that, in a really roundabout way?


    "I''d be more than happy to oblige if I had the faintest idea of what was happening," Alex said. "And it seems like you might have an idea. Are you part of the Trial?"


    "Part of the Trial." The figure let out a raspy, pained laugh. "Part of the Trial. No. Yes."


    "Ah, lovely. That clears things right up. Glad we could make sure we were on the same page."


    To Alex''s surprise, a bark of laughter tore from the thing''s flat lips. It blinked heavily and tilted its head to the side, studying him intently with its flat eye. "You hold fire in your soul, even in face of the System. It will take you far. Probably not far enough, but far."


    "Does the System force you to be intentionally cryptic? Or do you just take joy in that?"


    "The former and the latter, though not in equal parts. I am Rhy¡ª"


    Before the thing could finish its sentence, it drew in a sharp breath and grasped at its chest as its entire body went stiff. An instant later, its limbs went slack and it slumped forward. It would have fallen flat on its face if it hadn''t been suspended in the darkness.


    Instead, it just floated there for a moment before straightening once more.


    "You may refer to me as Keeper," the thing finished in a strained tone.


    Alex tilted his head to the side. That definitely hadn''t been what it was trying to say.


    Rhy¡ª something. Sounds like a name? Did the System stop it from sharing its name with me? Why?


    "Right. Keeper, then. I''m Alex. I don''t suppose you''d like to tell me what the fuck is going on and who you are?"


    Your next read is at empire


    "The latter question is not something I am permitted to answer, and you already know the answer to the first."


    "You said you both were and weren''t here for the Trial. Not a very useful answer. I don''t mind the challenge, but I''m really not the best at riddles. I don''t suppose we could trade that one out for one where I have to smack something?"


    Keeper let out another laugh. "I am here to oversee your trial, but that is not my only purpose. I was formed when you broke that Town Token. It was a rather agonizing experience, and not one I suspect is standard. I should not have retained so many mem¡ª no. No matter. I am here because you formed a Town."


    "You''re the Town?" Alex asked, blinking in surprise.


    "No. I am Keeper. The method in which you will interface with your town upon occasions such as this one, among a few other scenarios. I will explain after you have completed your Trial."


    I can''t tell if Keeper is letting things slip on accident or if it actually wants me know more than what the System is letting it say. It definitely didn''t seem like it was here voluntarily, but I shouldn''t push too hard until I figure out what the hell is going on.


    "I see," Alex said with a nod. "So¡­ what is my Trial?"


    "What do you think?" Keeper asked, a note of bitter amusement in its tone. "You will fight. The Town Token you shattered is immensely powerful. You could not expect that the System would allow anyone to harness such strength without sufficient challenge."


    "Do you have the slightest idea how much of a pain in the ass it was to get the damn Town Token?" Alex asked, arching an eyebrow. "You''re telling me that wasn''t enough?"


    "Is it ever?" Keeper didn''t wait for Alex to give it a response before continuing. "You will fight against waves of monsters. For each monster you defeat, you will gather a small portion the latent energy stored within the Town Token. The more monsters you strike down before falling, the more of the town''s power and growth potential will be unlocked. This is the only attempt you will have at this. Do you understand?"


    Golden letters shimmered into the darkness above Alex as Keeper finished speaking.


    Town Potential: ¡ª/100%


    "Hold on a second," Alex said, raising a hand. "Before falling? Can''t I win?"


    "The System will bring monsters so long as you can fight. This Trial ends with your death." There was definitely bitter amusement in Keeper''s tone ¡ª along with something else. Perhaps it was pity, or perhaps it was just pain. Alex couldn''t quite tell.


    "That doesn''t seem very fair," Alex said, his heart starting to beat faster. "Surely there''s a way to win."


    "Perhaps. It is something you will have to determine yourself. I am not at liberty to answer."


    Alex stared at the gaunt man-monster for several long seconds. He could hear his blood thumping in his ears as adrenaline drove it through his body. His hands tightened at his sides.


    I don''t give a shit what Keeper or the trial says. There''s a way to win this. There always is. I''m not going to roll over and take defeat just because they tell me I''m guaranteed to lose.


    And I can''t help but notice one little thing.


    "One last question," Alex said. His lips pulled back in a mixture between a snarl and a grin. "Has anyone ever managed to get over 100% of a town''s potential?"

 Chapter 140 Bring it

    Keeper didn''t grace Alex''s question with a response. It stared at him quietly, evidently waiting for the confirmation that he was ready to begin the trial. Alex dug through his thoughts for a moment to see if he''d missed any potential questions that could make a significant difference in the trial."I don''t suppose you can tell me what kind of monsters I''ll be fighting?"


    Keeper continued to stare at Alex. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Evidently not. I get the feeling I''ve run out of questions.


    Oh, fuck it. I can''t be bothered with all this. Even if I knew, what would it change? Waiting any longer is just going to burn through my adrenaline and leave me tired before we even get to the good bit.


    "Right then," Alex said, interlacing his fingers and stretching his arms out before him. He shook himself off and rolled his neck.


    Then he sent a mental command out to his monsters.


    An errant thought struck him.


    What if summons somehow don''t work in the trial? That would be awkward.


    Fortunately, his fears were unfounded. A crackle buzzed beside him, overlaid with the sound of shattering glass. The empty darkness before him bubbled as a pool formed upon it. Princess rose up before him, joined by Spark and Glint.


    "Are you prepared?" Keeper asked.


    "Yes," Alex said with a firm nod. "Bring it on."


    Ground solidified beneath Alex''s feet. The strange feeling of weightlessness that had filled the empty void around him faded away. A thrum passed through the air and rolled over his skin like a passing wave of static electricity.


    A purple scar cut through the air about twenty feet away from Alex, like a rift in existence had been ripped open by an invisible claw. Faint pressure emanated from the opening as it pulsed with dim light.


    Then the portal popped, expanding into a large disk several heads taller than he was. A pincer emerged from the light. It was followed by a bulbous body covered with chitinous armor plates. Sharp legs tapped against the newly formed ground. A second pincer was the final thing to emerge, this one smaller than the first ¡ª and Alex''s eyes narrowed.


    Even with the spikes rising up on the back of its shell and the dripping mandibles twitching around its mouth, there was no mistaking the origin of his opponent.


    "A crab? Really?"


    Interestingly enough, there was no indication from the System as to its level or name. The crab was simply a crab. A very large, ugly looking crab. One that was considerably taller than he was.


    "It is an evolved lifeform," Keeper said.


    And with that, the crab charged. Its legs blurred across the ground like the rolling beat of army men marching. It came so suddenly that Alex almost got caught off guard. For some reason, he hadn''t expected the crab to be nearly as fast as it was.


    But almost wasn''t quite enough.


    Princess lurched forward. She slammed into the large monster before it could arrive beside Alex. Sludge splattered across the ground as one of its pincers dug deep into her body, but she ground the crab''s advance to a halt before it could reach him.


    Glint was upon the monster an instant later. His wing-blade sliced deep into the monster''s shell, shearing through chitinous plate and meat alike. A loud shearing screech filled the air as he pulled his weapon back.


    The crab tried to free itself from Princess'' grip, but to no avail. Her huge hands clamped down on the other monster with enough force to crack its armor. She was squeezing it like a nut in an attempt to get to the prize underneath its shell ¡ª and Spark wasn''t about to be outdone.


    The Knight Wraith drove his hands deep into the wound that Glint had made in the monster''s carapace. He pushed them in until they were buried up to the shoulders. And, with a single sharp motion, Spark ripped the crab in half.


    Blood splattered across the dark ground as Princess released the monster. It clattered to the ground, legs falling still, and Alex tried not to stare in too much surprise.


    He''d known Spark was fairly strong, especially for an assassin. But he hadn''t been expecting his monsters to kill their opponent quite so easily. That almost felt wrong. Then again, he didn''t have the slightest idea as to how powerful it had been meant to be.


    Keeper wasn''t giving him any hints. Its face was flat and expressionless, silver eyes giving absolutely nothing away.


    The body of the dead crab shimmered like a mirage in a desert. Then it vanished, leaving behind nothing but darkness. Even its blood disappeared.


    Alex glanced up at the glowing words floating in the air above him.


    Town Potential: 0.1/100%


    "Seriously?" Alex asked, squinting at Keeper. "There''s a fine line between a challenge and just a straight up annoyance."


    A buzz filled his ears. The hair on the back of his neck rose on end. Purple lines carved through the air. There were dozens of them scattered through the darkness at varying distances, but the end result was the same.


    He was surrounded.


    Ah, fuck. I was kind of hoping we''d stick to the one enemy at a time thing.


    "You know, it''s a lot more fun when I''m the one that gets to abuse numbers," Alex drawled. "That''s kind of my whole thing, you know? Tossing a bunch of monsters at me out of nowhere feels a bit petty."


    "I suggest you focus on your trial," Keeper said, but there was something that just might have been amusement in its voice.


    Alex grunted.


    More crabs emerged from the portals. Dozens of them. They chittered, legs clicking against the ground as they emerged to surround Alex and his small group in a sea of crustacous flesh.


    There was only one thing to do.


    "Kill them," Alex said.


    The crabs charged.


    ***


    Town Potential: 31/100%


    Alex wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of a sleeve as he looked down from the words floating in the air above him. He couldn''t let himself get distracted for long. His monsters were holding their own, but it didn''t seem like the System planned on letting him take things at his own pace.


    He''d seen more crabs show up and die than he could count. Their bodies would have been piled into hills around him if they hadn''t faded after death. They weren''t particularly powerful, but their sheer numbers were ridiculous.


    Every time one died, another one showed up. They came from every direction and charged at Alex with no regard for their own survival. There were so many of them that there was no way his monsters could kill them all before they reached him.


    Alex only had one saving grace. For all their numbers, it seemed that the crabs collectively shared a single braincell. They had the internal processing power of a rodent that had been dropkicked down a flight of stairs.


    The only thing that the crabs had a mind for was attacking him. They didn''t seem to be particularly aware of their fellow crabs that had the exact same missive. The monsters often charged straight into each other with enough force to crack their own shells in their attempts to reach him.


    And thus, his main strategy was born. While his monsters tore through the ranks of the crabs, Alex ran the ones that got past them into each other. He wove between clattering legs and turned the army of crustaceans against themselves.


    They didn''t seem to have any problem attacking each other in attempt to get to him, so Alex indulged them.


    He wasn''t sure how long the fight went. It wasn''t long before the world was nothing but a haze of crunching chitin and clattering legs. Alex had to keep his head on a swivel. It was impossible to hear when a crab was getting close to him with the cacophony filling the darkness. He had to spot them before they arrived.


    I need to conserve my energy as much as possible. Even though these things aren''t too strong, if I''m only 30% of the way through the challenge right now, then every scrap I can save is going to be vital.


    A loud crack echoed out, splitting through the sounds of battle. Energy rushed into Alex''s body.


    One of his monsters had died.


    Alex spun toward the source of the noise in time to see several crabs fade out of existence. Princess, Spark, and Glint had taken up something of a triangle formation around him. They hadn''t fought any monsters strong enough to need them to work together, so he''d had them separate to stem the flow of attackers that could grow near him.


    It was Spark who had fallen.


    Alex only needed a moment to see why.


    Buzzing in the air above him, more than twice the height of the other portals that had cut themselves into existence, was an enormous purple scar. And emerging from the scar was a freakishly large pincer.


    Fragments of Spark''s armor clattered to the ground as the pincer raised and a huge crab stepped out into the darkness. Its shell was a deep crimson red and its swaying eyestalks turned to locate Alex.


    The flow of smaller crabs had not lessened in the wake of the new monster''s arrival. It seemed that the System wanted him to fight all of them at once.


    His new, enormous opponent let out a chittering screech of victory. It had managed to take one of his pieces off the game board.


    Alex flipped it off.


    Then he activated Exhume.


    The air around him was positively laden with death energy. He''d killed so many of the smaller crabs that it might as well have been a thick fog ¡ª and he wasn''t about to leave that much power on the table.


    Shadows twisted. Spark rose up, wholly formed once more, before him. The new crab''s chittering changed to what Alex liked to imagine to be protest. Its surprise attack had been completely wasted.


    "Bummer," Alex said. This was still only the first part of the challenge. He wasn''t even halfway through it yet ¡ª and he was certain that his opponents would only get stronger. Using more power wasn''t an option yet. He had to save everything he could for when things got real. He pointed at the huge monster. "Spark, that one''s yours. Don''t get surprised this time."


    The Knight Wraith''s shadow rose up from the ground and both copies of his monster burst into motion.


    He couldn''t watch for long. Several small crabs broke past Alex''s summons and ran at him, forcing him to duck past their attacks. With his enhanced body, it was surprisingly easy.


    Kind of like playing a really intense version of one of those dancing games in an arcade.


    His lips twitched in a grin as he wove between the monsters'' legs. They crashed into each other and Glint arrived to dispatch them a moment later, carving through their bodies with lethal precision.


    "Nice," Alex said. He was about to spin back to Spark to see how the Knight Wraith''s fight was going when he noticed something rather odd.


    There weren''t any more small crabs. The last of the monsters were fading away from the dark battlefield ¡ª and in their place were four huge portals.


    From within the portals, four more enormous crabs emerged.


    It looks like we''re getting to the more serious enemies, huh? I''ve still got a whole lot of death energy to work with from the small ones, but it looks like the System realized tossing a bunch of little shitters at me isn''t the way to go about things.


    That''s fine with me. It wouldn''t have been fun if I just stomped the fight. I shouldn''t be too far from the good part now.


    Alex''s grin grew wider and he beckoned the crabs forward. "Bring it on. Let''s see what you''ve got."

 Chapter 141 Wrong

    The massive crabs were considerably smarter than their smaller counterparts. Instead of charging ahead blindly, they encircled Alex, legs thundering as they skittered across the ground in search of an opening where they could get past his monsters and strike directly at him.Alex had to admit that there was something deeply strange about watching a monster more than three times his height skitter. Skittering felt like it was something that should have been reserved for small creatures ¡ª but he doubted anyone was about to tell the massive crabs that.


    A loud crash echoed out as the crab that Spark was fighting swung one of its pincers like a club. The Knight Wraith swapped spots with his shadow, effortlessly dodging the strike. He leapt, clawed gauntlets digging into the other monster''s thick armor as he clambered up its side.


    The crab spun, reaching for him with its other pincer, but Spark moved faster than it could react. He got onto the other monster''s back before it could stop him and lunged for one of the eye stalks, grabbing onto it with both hands.


    With a loud, wet crunch, Spark ripped it clean off.


    A chittering scream of pain filled the air.


    That spurred the other four monsters into action. They all charged as one, each coming from a different direction as they raced toward Alex. He couldn''t afford to dedicate any more time to watching Spark''s fight.


    Glint and Princess both rushed to take on one opponent each. That left two of them entirely focused on Alex ¡ª which worked out perfectly for him. When one was fighting an enemy this large, having two opponents was going to make things considerably easier.


    Still, no reason to be stupid. These things are definitely smarter than the previous ones.


    Alex drew on his magic and cast Mirror Image. Strands of purple energy branched out from him, crawling through the air with a loud crackle. They drove down into the ground and a brilliant flash split through the darkness for an instant.


    When it faded, two perfect copies of Alex stood at his sides.


    Then the crabs were upon him.


    Instead of waiting for one of the massive monsters to attack, Alex ran straight at one of them. His feet pounded against the ground as blood thumped in his ears ¡ª and the grin on his face never so much as faltered.


    A pincer sliced down to crush him and he dropped to his knees, sliding beneath it before jumping back to his feet as he arrived beneath the huge monster. The monster turned in a circle and tried to get a look at him while the other one chittered loudly in fury and tried to reach through the first monster''s legs with its smaller pincer to no avail. It wasn''t stupid enough to trip up its own ally, so the three of them were stuck in a dance to see who would slip up first.


    Alex barely managed to jump out of the way before one of the monster''s legs slammed into the ground where he''d been standing. Several more blurred toward him and he hopped back again. One of his Mirror Image clones shattered as it was caught in the chest.


    I just have to buy time and avoid spending too much energy. I don''t want to waste my Qi yet. Not this early on.


    The sounds of battle rang out all around him as his summons fought for the upper hand. He couldn''t pause to check how their fights were going. A moment of distraction would be enough for one of the crabs he was fighting to catch him off guard.


    There was a brief lull in the leg strikes. Alex glanced up. Then his eyes widened. The carapace of the crab was plummeting toward him. The monster had given up on trying to impale him and was just dropping its full weight on his head. Suppressing a curse, he burst into a sprint and threw himself forward.


    Alex hit the ground in a roll, barely managing to avoid getting flattened like a pancake. The other crab was upon him before he could even rise. He rolled to the side and narrowly avoided a claw driving down where he''d been a moment before.


    The air above him crackled as he cast Funhouse, and not a moment too soon. The second crab''s claw hurtled down for him, entering the fracture in reality and jerking to the side, landing several paces away from his head.


    Alex rolled to his feet just in time to see a silver flash slice through the air. Glint slammed into the crab that had tried to crush him, his wing-blade carving through both of the monster''s eye stalks in a single blow.


    A chittering scream marked the monster''s final words as he dispatched it. The other one went to try and back its comrade up, only for Princess to come barreling at it like a freight train. She slammed into the monster''s side and sent it crashing to the ground in a tangle of legs and claws.


    Spark joined into the fight, having finished off his own opponent, and the three of them ripped the two remaining monsters to shreds within moments. Alex wiped the sweat from his brow. His heart hammered in his chest and he bounced from foot to foot.


    Far in the air above, the shimmering golden words changed to report his progress in the trial.


    Town Potential: 42/100%


    Alex''s smile widened. The wave had been a whole 10%. It seemed that every consecutive round of monsters would give him more than the last, but they would also get considerably stronger. He couldn''t let himself celebrate the victory when it was only the next small step in a series of many he had to take.


    Several portals carved through the dark air around him, marking the arrival of the next wave. Alex''s lips pulled back into a grin and he prepared himself to face them.


    ***


    Wave after wave of monsters came ¡ª and wave after wave of monsters died. Lumbering, 10 foot tall giants wearing the armor of the very crabs that Alex had been cutting down were the next of the enemies that arrived to attempt to take him down.


    Alex dispatched them, but not without losing Glint in the process. He brought the Glasmir back without a second thought. The second wave of giants came with an extra challenge of one that stood in the back and flung rocks at him.


    That one nearly caught him off guard, but his experience with Diego ended up being what saved him. Alex managed to dive behind Princess just in time to avoid getting crushed. That wave fell, but Princess died in exchange for his life.


    He brought her back as well ¡ª but the amount death energy in the room was reducing. Every consecutive wave of monsters came with less enemies, and though they were getting smarter and stronger, they didn''t seem to be leaving nearly as much strength behind to work with.


    Alex pushed on. The percentage of completion continued to crawl upward. It reached and passed 60%, then went up to 70%. By the time it reached 80%, the death energy in the room was nearly depleted.


    When he reached the next wave, which consisted of a pair of massive, blue-skinned giants that each stood around twenty feet tall, both Spark and Princess died in order to let Glint land the final blow on the last of the deadly monsters.


    Alex spent the last of the death energy in the room, including the energy the dead giants left behind, to bring the two of them back. He wasn''t sure how long he''d been fighting anymore. It felt like it had been a whole day, but it was probably far closer to hours.


    His body was completely spent. He''d drained his magical reserves heavily, though he''d managed to keep his Qi saved up.


    Damn it. I''m starting to reach my limit.


    His gaze drifted up to the glowing words in the sky.


    Town Potential: 90/100%


    Alex''s lips twitched in wry amusement. Based on the amount of completion every wave got him, he was pretty sure that this next one would be the last round that was planned.


    If I make it past this and another stage starts¡­ then that confirms it. I''ll be able to go for 200% completion. I don''t have the faintest idea how I''ll make it that far, but I''ll deal with that when I get there.


    A lone portal twisted to life before Alex. It was, surprisingly, only a little taller than he was. It seemed the System had run out of massive brutes to throw at him. He finished catching his breath and wiped his mouth with the back of a sleeve, settling into a fighting stance and preparing to dodge. All three of his summons did the same.


    These monsters weren''t above trying for sneak attacks.


    But it was not a monster that emerged from within the portal.


    It was a woman.


    She stood at about Alex''s height and wore bleached bone armor. She had two curved, swords made of the same bone in each of her hands ¡ª and she was splattered with gore and blood.


    The woman looked winded, but determination burned behind her eyes like flames.


    "What''s going on?" she muttered. "I thought ¡ª no. It must have been a trick. Of course. No wonder it was so unfair."


    Wait, what? She speaks? This is just another human! Why is she in my trial?


    The woman''s gaze landed on Glint and she froze in place. Her hands tightened around the swords at her sides.


    "You''ve got to be kidding me," she muttered as her face paled a shade. "What the fuck are those things? They''re nothing like what I''ve been fighting. This trial is bullshit."


    "What are you doing here?" Alex asked.


    The woman finally spotted him. Confusion passed over the woman''s features and she took a step back, raising her weapons before herself.


    "What? Why is there another person here? Why are you in my trial?"


    "I''m not in your trial. You''re in my trial," Alex said. He glanced around to see if another portal was opening somewhere while he was distracted, but all he found was darkness.


    What''s going on? Shouldn''t the next boss have been some big ugly crab-giant thing? Is this some kind of trick to get me off guard?


    "A likely story. The System is being tricky. Trying to confuse me," she said, shaking her head furiously before her gaze focused on Alex. "Is it trying to test my resilience? First by pretending to kill me, then by forcing me to fight another human? I won''t be broken so easily."


    Alex glanced at Keeper of the corner of his eyes. Something deep in his stomach twisted uncomfortably. Even though it wasn''t human, there was no mistaking the emotion in the monster''s features. It was deep, profound sadness.


    Something is wrong. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hold on," Alex said, raising his hands. "I''m not part of a trial. I''m taking a trial. Are¡­ you trying to establish a Town?"


    "Yes," the woman said. Her eyes narrowed. "You''re definitely part of the trial. There''s no way you''d have known that."


    That can''t be right. The System told me I was the first one to establish a town. The chances of someone else also managing to make one so soon after I did seem pretty damn low. There would have been at least a bit of time between us making towns. This is too coincidental. Something is up. Come on. This is important, I can tell. Think!


    Alex''s teeth clenched.


    The woman readied her swords. "You will not trick me. I will not fail."


    "Wait!" Alex called. "There''s no time limit, right? Think about it! Something seems wrong, doesn''t it? I''ve been fighting monsters this whole time, and I bet you have been too given how surprised you were to see me¡­ so why are we up against humans suddenly?"


    The woman hesitated. A frown pulled at her lips. Then she shook her head. "Enough of this. I will not be so easily distracted."


    Alex''s jaw clenched tighter. The expression on Keeper''s face was enough to convince him that he was right. Something was definitely wrong.


    It just doesn''t add up. How could someone have made their town so close to me? It just doesn''t make sense¡­ wait. Hold on.


    The way Keeper was looking at the woman was more than just sadness. It was recognition.


    "What planet are you from?" Alex asked, a sinking feeling building in his stomach as he thought over everything the woman had said. "Something tells me you aren''t from 274-50."


    The woman blinked and hesitated for a moment. "No. I am from 211-10."


    Keeper''s expression didn''t change. It didn''t look like it recognized or cared about the planet name. That meant it wasn''t the woman or her people it related to enough to feel sad about.


    It was her situation.


    Oh, shit.


    "You said the System tricked you into thinking you died," Alex said. "Are you certain it was a trick?"


    "Of course it was!" the woman snapped. "Do I look dead to you? It was a trick to test my resolve. Enough of this. Raise your weapon. I do not want to cut down an enemy that will not defend themselves, but my people need me."


    Alex felt sick. His stomach lurched like it was trying to force its way up through his throat.


    "You''re wrong," Alex said. "I''m sorry."


    The woman''s eyes thinned. "Last warning. I don''t care what you are. Ready yourself for a fight. I must succeed."


    "You can''t," Alex said quietly. "You''ve already failed. I''m sorry. The System repurposed you."


    "What?" The woman took a step forward. Then she froze. She clutched at her chest as something bubbled beneath her skin, rippling through the parts of her arms that her armor didn''t cover. When her gaze raised again, there was horror in her eyes.


    Horror ¡ª and realization. Her body was no longer hers.


    "No," she whispered. She took a step forward ¡ª but Alex could tell by her expression that the motion wasn''t one she''d chosen to make. The woman hadn''t been given a choice.


    She had died, and the System had repurposed her.


    "You died in your trial," Alex said grimly. "And now you''re part of mine."

 Chapter 142 Foe

    Alex''s words struck true in more than just his own ears. The woman''s advance slowed to a halt as she stared at him, horror gripping her features."No," she whispered. The swords in her hands trembled as she stared at Alex, denial in her voice. "That''s not possible. I can''t have failed. I''m still alive. There were so many people relying on me to be alive. Can''t you see? I''m alive!"


    She does look alive. That''s not wrong. But¡­


    Alex swallowed. His eyes drifted from the woman to Keeper, who watched on. The desolate expression on the monster''s features was strikingly human ¡ª and there was no doubting the recognition within that flat, silver eye.


    For the first time since the Apocalypse had struck, Alex was struck with an intense sense of disgust. He welcomed every scrap of challenge that the System threw at him. The end of the world had been chaotic, it had been brutal, but it had been fun.


    But this ¡ª this was something else. It was just cruel.


    "What''s your name?" Alex asked.


    "Au¡­" The woman''s words died on her lips. She squinted and her lips parted as she made to answer his question a second time. Then she froze in place. Her mouth closed, then opened again. Her brow furrowed; hands clenched at her sides. A vein in her neck bulged.


    But, no matter how hard she tried, not so much as a single word slipped from her lips.


    Just like Keeper. They can''t say their own names because the System took it from them. This is vile. Is this what happens when you die within its grip? Your mind and body get turned into a puppet to be used?


    I suppose nobody can call the System inefficient.


    "I can''t say it," the woman whispered. A droplet of blood rolled down from her nose and traced across her lips. She barely even seemed to notice it. "My name. I ¡ª it hurts. It hurts so bad."


    "I''m sorry," Alex said, and he meant it.


    "If you continue to resist, the System will take what remains," Keeper said. "You are not your own anymore. The only way to preserve yourself is to obey."


    "Fuck what remains!" the woman screamed, driving a sword into the ground. "People are counting on me! The System can rot."


    "Then you will lose even the memory of what was," Keeper said.


    The woman didn''t get a chance to respond. Her words were interrupted by an agonized scream as her right arm bubbled and bulged. What seemed to be cancerous bone growths ripped through her skin like spines. The arm bulged and enlarged grotesquely until it was nearly twice as large as it had been. She staggered, catching herself on the ground with a sword before she could fall.


    Alex couldn''t even bring himself to put words to his thoughts. He stared along with the woman as blood dripped from her warped arm. It barely even looked human anymore.


    "It''s turning me into a monster," she whispered in horror.


    "More will be lost the more you resist," Keeper said. "Trust me. I would know. If you obey, more remains. Memories. A chance at escape, but nothing more."


    The woman''s eyes affixed on Alex. She drew in a deep, ragged breath. "A chance¡­ that''s too late. You know of planet naming. Can¡­ you travel between them?"


    "In a way."


    A second passed as the woman fought internally to push words forth. "My people. If you defeat me¡­ if you get to 211-10¡­ if they still live¡­ will you help them?"


    That''s a lot of ifs. I''m not exactly some hero. I''m only even helping the people from the campground because I need backup to help me fight the Region Boss. Sure, it gives them a better chance at survival, but I know I''m not a saint. Mercy is for people strong enough to afford it, and I''m not.


    Also, I don''t have the faintest clue how I''d even find her people. She can''t say her name. She can''t say anything but a planet. That''s pretty shit guidance.


    "I won''t lie to you. I don''t know how I''d even do that," Alex said. "If I happen to make my way to your planet, I''ll see if I can find anyone that recognizes a description of you. That''s the best I can promise."


    "A name," the woman said, her jaw clenching. "I''ll give you a name. Not mine."


    Her skin twitched and bubbled like a sea of ants were running beneath it, trying to push their way free.


    I''m not so sure the System''s going to let you do that. If I kill her now, I''m pretty sure that the System would count it. A fight is a fight¡­ but I won''t. Not only because that would basically just be murdering someone who literally just got murdered, but because killing an opponent that isn''t fighting back would reduce the challenge. I need as much as possible if I want over 100% completion.


    "I won''t lie to you by promising something I can''t promise, but if the situation arises, then I''ll do what I can," Alex said.


    Really not much of a commitment. The System isn''t going to let her give me anything to work with.


    The woman swallowed. Then she nodded. Sadness and determination set themselves in her features as she took a ragged breath to steady herself.


    For several long moments, she was silent. Her skin twitched and bubbled as an internal war waged within her, literally and metaphorically. Tremors passed through her entire body as she suddenly doubled over, hacking blood up onto the dark ground.


    Keeper shook his head sadly. "Your resolve is admirable, but it will not change anything. I would suggest¡ª"


    "Stargrove Sect," the woman spat, practically choked, out.


    Then she doubled over with an agonized scream. A deluge of blackish-red fluid poured from between her lips, splattering against the ground. A foul smell permeated through the darkness, the unmistakable rot of decay and death.


    The nameless woman hacked and wretched, desperately gasping for air through the unending flow of what Alex suspected to be her pulped, rotted inner organs.


    Holy shit. She actually did it. That must be the name her town was going to be called.


    Keeper''s eye was wide in disbelief. He was even more shocked than Alex was.


    They didn''t get to relish the feeling for long. A final heave shook the woman''s body. The flow of rotted liquid from between her lips finally drew to a halt. It dripped from her lips as she raised bloodshot eyes to Alex, her hand still clenched around the hilt of the sword embedded in the ground.


    "Forgive me for the burden I place upon you," she whispered.


    Then she exploded.


    Jagged bone ripped through any semblance of her humanity as her body ballooned in size, growing to more than three times her former height. Solid sheets of bone ground and screeched against each other as the ligaments and flesh that connected them was ripped to shreds.


    Her face was warped beyond recognition as it was torn to shreds from within along with the rest of her body. Any amount of blood that remained within her proved to be insignificant in comparison with the new size of the lumbering, humanoid monstrosity that rose in her place. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Two dull motes of grey ignited in the empty eye sockets of the creature. They held no intelligence or care. Only death remained. Nothing about it was human. Every trace of who the woman had been was gone.


    No. Not gone. Spent.


    Spent for the sake of two words.


    Alex''s lips pulled back into a snarl. He knew what he was and was comfortable with it. Nobody got far by sticking their neck out for no reason. It was just such a hassle. He''d promised himself that he''d have fun in the apocalypse ¡ª but there were some lines that couldn''t be crossed.


    She was a warrior. Making her do all that, just to give her the slightest chance to help her people just a little more¡­


    I guess I''ve got no choice.


    The monster let out a low moan. It took a step toward him and lifted its jagged, spiked hands in preparation to crush him.


    Alex craned his neck back to meet the huge bone golem''s empty gaze. It continued to advance, step by step, shifting from a shuffle to a thunderous jog. Every step made the ground beneath it shake.


    And, for some reason, even though Alex''s body knew that an enemy like this would be one that would provide quite the challenge, he couldn''t quite bring himself to be excited for the fight.


    There was a different emotion that gripped his heart. One that left no room for any others.


    "I''m sorry I never got to find out your name. Something tells me it would have been a worthy one," Alex said. He shifted his stance, sending a mental command to his monsters. Only determination remained in his features. Alex looked up at the charging monster, unflinching. "I don''t know if any part of you is left in there. But, at the bare minimum, I''ll make sure you can rest."


    He brought his hand down, and his monsters charged to meet their foe.

 Chapter 143 Rest & ANNOUNCEMENT

    alex wasn''t sure what to call the enormous bone golem. merely thinking of it as a monster somehow felt wrong. it had been a woman ¡ª one who had been so bold as to defy the very system itself. to relegate her to merely being a monster felt wrong.her name started with au. that''s how much she got out before the system cut her off. aubrey? probably not, but better than only seeing the monster she''s become.


    i''ll go with aubrey.


    princess slammed into aubrey with a wordless roar. the two slammed to a halt, black sludge splattering across the ground behind the dredge as huge bone spikes ripped deep into her body.


    the damage from that alone would have been enough to kill anything else of princess'' power, but the dredge refused to fall so easily. her body knit itself back together as she wrestled with aubrey, fighting to keep the golem pinned down.


    glint and spark took advantage of the time they''d been bought. sparks'' shadow split away from him as he raced to get into position, awaiting the perfect moment to strike, while glint brought his blade-wing down screaming through the air like an executioner''s axe.


    it slammed into aubrey''s bone-plated neck, digging deep into the armor that covered her with a loud shearing noise before ripping free. alex gritted his teeth at the awful sound. he was surprised to find that, despite how sharp glint''s attacks were, the cut on the golem''s neck wasn''t all the way through.


    that''s some tough fucking armor.


    aubrey let out a grating roar and twisted, slamming a hand into princess'' side and ripping clean through her body, splitting it in two. she grabbed the top half of the dredge and hurled it into the darkness. sea??h th§× n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    alex could do nothing but watch in slack-jawed awe as princess hurtled away. he felt energy drain from her a few moments later as she hit the ground, sustaining even more damage, and started to heal.


    shit. aubrey''s strong.


    glint slashed at the golem again, then spun out of the way of a massive fist that nearly crushed him where he''d stood. aubrey staggered toward alex, reaching for him with spine-covered hands the size of horses.


    two blurs shot toward her as spark burst into motion. he slammed into the golem''s back, leaping past spikes to arrive right beside the wound that glint had inflicted to her neck before bringing both of his hands down on it with a loud crack.


    aubrey twisted with a roar, flinging spark free and swinging a massive hand at him to bat the monster from the sky.


    spark swapped locations with his shadow, alighting on aubrey''s back once more, and her fist obliterated his clone.


    a familiar sensation buzzed at the back of alex''s head. his spine prickled and he spun toward it, a sinking feeling in his stomach that already told him what he would find. buzzing in the air behind him was a purple scar.


    the system was pulling in more monsters.


    but why? aubrey was definitely meant to be the boss. i got more completion from every consequent monster i fought, and i''m already almost at 100%. she was definitely the last fight in the round.


    "the hell is this?" alex called to keeper. "i''m trying to have a fight here! hasn''t anyone told you it''s rude to interrupt? seriously, i normally wouldn''t mind, but can you not read the room?"


    "the waves are time-based," keeper replied. it was silent for a moment longer, silver eye lingering on aubrey''s warped form before flicking to alex. "and, believe it or not, i am simply trying to help."


    how is sending more monsters at me while i''m trying to deal with the fight i''m already in possibly conceivable as help?


    aubrey roared. rumbling steps echoed through the darkness as princess charged back into the fight. she slammed into the bone golem for the second time, driving aubrey back a step, and alex''s other monsters unleashed another series of blows against her.


    the golem staggered. but, instead of trying to protect the growing weak spot in its neck, it swung a hand down like an axe at princess. the dredge tried to reposition, but she was just too close and the golem was too large.


    her mask shattered under the force of the blow as her entire body was turned into a black, bubbling pancake.


    alex felt a rush of energy flow into him as princess died. his teeth gritted. there wasn''t enough death energy left in the room for him to use exhume. he wasn''t yet out of cards to play, but he was definitely starting to push his limits.


    behind him, the leg of a massive crab emerged from within the portal. the huge creature emerged from within the purple abyss, letting out a clicking hiss as its eyestalks focused on alex.


    out of the corner of his eye, he saw another portal carve through the air. it seemed that the system was far from done with sending monsters into the fight. if it had been more of the weak crabs, alex would have been thrilled.


    they were nothing more than fodder to give him death energy to work with ¡ª but the large ones were hard enough to kill that he couldn''t afford to dedicate much manpower to fighting them without letting aubrey run free.


    he sent a command to spark, pulling him away from the fight with aubrey and leaving her to glint. they couldn''t fight three monsters at once. not ones of this size. he had to kill the crabs first.


    glint dodged out of the way of aubrey''s massive, spiked fists and skirted around her, shimmering from step to step like a river of flowing silver. he didn''t try to press forward and attack. his new goal was simply to survive until alex and spark could deal with the other opponents.


    the newly arrived crab charged him, reaching out with a massive pincer to crush alex within it.


    he darted to the side, throwing himself into a dive and rolling beneath the monster while spark repositioned in preparation to attack.


    i still don''t see how this is meant to be helping ¡ª


    wait.


    a thought struck alex. he didn''t have time to glance back at keeper¡­ but it was a little too hard to deny. the presence of these crabs just didn''t make sense. there was no reason for normal enemies, even stronger ones, to be showing up this late into the trial.


    aubrey was definitely the boss. defeating her would have brought him to 100% completion.


    a leg slammed into the spot where alex had been standing, but he''d already moved. he was running, feet slamming against the ground as he raced to stay ahead of the crab, his mind moving even faster than his legs.


    i told keeper that i wanted 200% completion. not 100%. is keeper intentionally giving me a way to get a percentage that i shouldn''t normally be able to receive?


    alex didn''t even dare voice his words aloud ¡ª nor did he have the time or breath to muster them. he dove to the side as a leg slammed down into the dark ground where he''d been standing, nearly impaling him.


    he rolled to his feet just in time to see a second crab emerge from the other portal that had formed. alex gritted his teeth and kept running.


    if keeper is trying to help me, i don''t want to get it into shit with the system. i''ve seen just what happens when you do that. in that case¡­ i just need to kill these crabs first. that''s the only way to see if i''m right.


    spark leapt.


    the crab, which had been mid-turn toward alex, didn''t see the other monster until it was too late and the knight wraith was already upon the top of its shell. spark ripped both of the crab''s eyestalks off with a single move, then drove his clawed gauntlets deep into the crab''s shell, ripping the chitin apart and tearing deep into its internal organs.


    it started to fall.


    alex didn''t wait to watch it die. he was already mid-turn toward the new crab when a second rush of energy slammed into him in a wave.


    aubrey let out a victorious roar. out of the corner of alex''s eye, he spotted her rising, yet another crab alongside her that he hadn''t seen arriving.


    she''d managed to kill glint.


    spark landed beside alex, his one remaining monster. the death energy from the crab they''d just killed would help, but it still wasn''t enough for him to use exhume. he''d need at least one more kill ¡ª maybe two.


    i could use encore and use that to get a qi-empowered exhume for glint¡­ but that isn''t going to be enough to take me all the way to 200%. i''m just barely halfway through.


    the remaining crabs and aubrey all advanced toward alex. they didn''t care much for his internal debate of the proper way to handle things. all they wanted to do was kill him and end the trial.


    "looks like it''s just going to be the two of us for a little bit," alex told spark, cracking his neck and flexing his fingers. there was no other option. he had to fight himself. princess and glint''s powers were within him now ¡ª but that wasn''t all he had to work with.


    time to find out if that new skill was worth it.


    alex looked up to the monsters, defiance burning within his eyes. he sent his senses within himself, reaching for the magical power that lurked within.


    then he activated armament elegy.


    a heavy force settled into his palm and drove down onto his back. alex nearly stumbled before he managed to catch his balance, a silver, mirrored cloak shimmering to life along his shoulders.


    he was forced to clasp both of his hands together to keep from dropping the growing pressure against in his hand. black sludge poured from between his palms. it flowed up against the command of gravity, twisting into the shape of a long sword.


    squirming worms twisted beneath the surface of the sludge, pushing free to reveal rows of centipede legs, curled like hooks. they continued to twitch in unison, even after they locked into place.


    and, at the very base of the blade, right above his hands, the sludge split apart to reveal a maw. the very same maw that lurked upon princess'' chest. it felt right in his hands. as if it was an extension of his own body rather than a mere weapon. your adventure continues at empire


    alex could feel power thrumming within both the sword and the cloak ¡ª as if glint and princess were right alongside him. and not only that. alex could still feel their magic within him. armament elegy hadn''t taken it away.


    "right," alex breathed, looking up to meet the charge of the monsters as his lips pulled apart into a determined smile. "let''s see what this can do."

 Chapter 144 Fear

    alex set his stance and readied the black sword that armament elegy had given him from princess'' power. the barbed centipede legs sticking from the edges of the blade twitched and squirmed in eerie unison.for some reason, they almost resembled the mandibles of the massive crab monsters that were currently advancing on him and spark. there were two of them left ¡ª not to mention aubrey, who was definitely the greatest threat of the lot.


    he didn''t have much left to work with.


    aside from the sword, alex still had his qi, a cast of encore, and the silver cloak draped around his shoulders that had come from glint. he didn''t know what the cloak or the sword did yet. it was looking like he''d get a good chance to find out quite soon.


    "distract one of the crabs," alex said to spark. he didn''t bother keeping the instructions to his thoughts. there wasn''t enough of aubrey left to hear his words. the system had warped her body in to the bone monstrosity that rose before him, hateful eyes boring into his as she charged alongside the crabs.


    how many monsters are of the same make? is everything i''ve killed just some poor bastard whose world got consumed by the system? or is aubrey special?


    alex''s jaw clenched and he sprinted forward, meeting the monsters'' charge. the last thing he wanted to do was sit around until they could surround him. spark shot off in one direction, making for the leftmost crab to occupy it while alex angled for the other crab.


    he kept it between himself and aubrey to make sure they couldn''t double team him. neither of the monsters was exactly nimble, so he had a good chance of isolating the fights.


    the crab shifted its weight. a pincer whistled through the air toward alex. he ducked to the side, rolling into the attack and letting it pass safely over his head. shoving himself back to his feet, he dove for one of the monster''s legs, swinging his centipede sword with all his might.


    a roar split through the air. not one from alex, nor from the crabs or aubrey or spark.


    it came from his sword. the weapon rumbled in his hands like it was trying to buck itself free of his grip, but alex held strong.


    the weapon slammed into the crab''s leg.


    there was a loud, crunching shriek. his sword bucked once more. a violent tremor ran down his hands ¡ª and the sound of cracking chitin and blending meat filled the air. his sword practically ripped itself through the leg of its own volition.


    alex stumbled, barely managing to keep his balance. he spun with the blow and brought it across another leg beside him. the blow was nearly entirely on accident, but the rumbling shriek filled the air once more as the blade carved straight through the second leg.


    he stared at the weapon in his hands in abject disbelief. it was so out of place that his mind was struggling to process the sight before him ¡ª but there was simply no denying it.


    this wasn''t a sword at all.


    "it''s a giant fucking chainsaw," alex breathed, his eyes going wide.


    the centipede legs whirred along the edges of the blade so fast that they''d simply become a blur. all the blood and gore splattered across the weapon''s surface vanished within the weapon and the rumble within it grew stronger.


    it was literally eating his enemies as he cut them.


    alex''s lips split into a cold grin.


    an agonized hiss from above him marked that the crab was far from done fighting. alex dodged to the side as a leg slammed down into the ground where he''d been standing and he swung his sword again.


    it tore through the armored leg like it was a piece of paper. the crab stumbled, now down three of its limbs, and alex pounced. he leapt into the air, driving his chainsword point first into a leg with a whirring crunch, then using that as a springboard to jump right at the monster''s underbelly.


    he drove the blade into the crab''s stomach with a roar.


    then he sent a wave of magic ripping free of his arm and through the length of the blade. mirrored shards exploded from the monster''s stomach as they shredded its inside like a blender. blood poured from the cracks within the monster''s shell as it swayed.


    alex dropped to the ground, darting out from under the crab as it crashed to the ground, dead.


    he didn''t have any time to celebrate the victory. a shadow passed over him. he spun, but it was too late. even before the crab had crashed down, aubrey was upon him.


    the bone golem let out a wordless roar as it swung a massive hand down straight for alex''s head.


    oh, shit. your next read is at empire


    he twisted, but it was too late to dodge. aubrey had bided her time perfectly, and her fist was already nearly upon him.


    a silver blur split through the air at his side. the cloak hanging around his shoulders unfurled, snapping out and driving into the ground. then it snapped taut. alex found himself lifted off his feet and hurled to the side.


    he hit the ground with a roll and a grunt, the world spinning around him. a flash of silver cut past his vision again and he was suddenly hoisted back upright. the cloak slithered back to its former position at his side.


    holy shit. did it just dodge the attack for me?


    aubrey didn''t seem to have any plans of letting him ruminate over his new abilities. the bone golem charged him with another rattling roar. every step she took made the ground tremble beneath her.


    alex bared his teeth.


    he tightened his grip on the chainsword in his hands.


    then he met her charge.


    aubrey swung her fist.


    the cloak around alex''s shoulders snapped out, adapting to his desires. it lengthened and drove into the ground behind him. like the world''s strangest pole-vault, the cloak launched him clean into the air and over the massive bone fist.


    alex landed on aubrey''s arm. one of the spikes protruding from her flesh drove into his foot, but he ignored the pain and drove the chainsword down into her arm. then, with a roar, he charged, dragging the weapon through the bone golem behind him.


    he raced up the golem''s arm, splitting her body apart behind him as he arrived upon her shoulder. with a grunt, alex pulled the whirring sword free of the monster''s flesh and reared back, taking aim at her neck. sear?h the n?vel(f)ire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    aubrey lifted her other hand with a scream of fury. it extended for alex in a blur.


    his cloak snapped out once more, vaulting him into the air. alex spun, taking advantage of his momentum and bringing the weapon down on the bone golem''s head with a scream of defiance.


    the weapon screamed with him. it bucked and shook in his grip as it bit deep into aubrey''s skull, ripping through the bone and digging itself deeper into her cranium. smoke filled the air from the friction of the centipede legs against their victim.


    aubrey staggered. the hand that had been reaching for alex trembled, then fell to her side. she swayed, the light in the monster''s eyes sputtering like a bulb in a forgotten basement.


    alex ripped the sword free from her head and leapt down, landing on the ground and taking several hurried steps before turning back to the monster as it pitched forward, crashing to the black ground with a resounding crash.


    the crab that spark had been distracting fell an instant later, ripped to shreds by the knight wraith.


    blood pounded in alex''s ears as adrenaline poured through his body. it had been a good fight. he''d nearly died... but his thoughts were elsewhere.


    rest easy, aubrey.


    a sudden thought struck alex. he hadn''t gotten a single soul flame from any of the monster''s he''d fought inside the trial ¡ª and there was no reason to believe that things would be any different now.


    what, so aubrey''s soul just goes back to the system? to what, get turned into yet another monster? that''s some bullshit. what right does the system get to hold over the afterlife? if you''re dead, you''re fucking dead!


    indignation burned within alex.


    indignation¡­ and something more. a pressure deep within him, within his heart. it drank his emotions in like a cactus draining the desert of water ¡ª and then it shuddered.


    blood trickled down from alex''s nose and traced across his lips. his ears popped as the pressure abruptly changed and he tasted electricity on his tongue. the world went out of focus for a brief instant.


    and, for that instant, he could have sworn that gravity changed its direction. instead of pulling his feet to the ground, toward the center of the planet, the laws of the universe decided that alex was now the point to which all things flowed.


    then nature took its proper course once again. alex staggered, suddenly finding his lungs devoid of air. stars flashed before his eyes and he nearly tripped over his own feet. he caught himself by driving his sword to the ground.


    alex drew in a ragged breath. he grit his teeth and pushed himself back to his feet. the trial wasn''t done yet. he didn''t know what had just happened, but he couldn''t afford to let himself get distracted. it was probably the side effects from overusing ¡ª


    he froze.


    aubrey''s body had faded away into nothingness, but not without leaving something behind. floating in the air where she had fallen was a dim white soul flame. it was so faint that it was practically invisible, but it was there.


    the system gave me her flame? why her and nothing else?


    alex frowned, but he didn''t waste time questioning his good fortune. he didn''t know what happened to someone after they died for the second time, but at this point, he trusted himself a whole lot more than he did the system.


    pulling free a spatial mirror, alex strode forward and scooped the flame into it. he returned the mirror to his side and took a quick glance at the crab that spark had killed. there was no soul flame.


    weird.


    "well?" alex asked, cracking his neck and baring his teeth. "i''m not done here, keeper. what''s next?"


    there was no answer.


    alex raised his gaze to keeper.


    the monster was staring at him. and, even though its features were completely alien, he could tell exactly what emotion was on keeper''s face. it was surprise.


    "impossible. how did you do that?" keeper asked.


    "what, did you think i was just going to leave aubrey to suffer? and she was strong, but not that¡ª"


    "not the woman. i''m talking about what you did after you killed her," keeper snapped. "how did you do it?"


    "do what?" alex demanded.


    keeper''s flat, silver eye bore down onto alex like the moon itself as it stared at him, and alex there was another emotion hidden within its surprise.


    fear.


    "how did you steal from the system?"

 Chapter 145 Continue

    i did what?alex blinked. he squinted up at the keeper, trying to figure out if this was meant to be some sort of joke or a trick to get him off guard for the next monster''s arrival, but no purple scars appeared in the air.


    keeper floated still in place and stared at him in wait for an answer. an answer as to how he''d apparently stolen from the literal system itself.


    an answer that alex didn''t have. but, even if he did, he definitely wouldn''t be going around sharing it with something that worked for said system.


    is he talking about how i got aubrey''s soul flame when i wasn''t meant to?


    "i have no clue what you''re talking about," alex said with a shake of his head. even if the soul flame was what keeper was talking about, he wasn''t going to give any information up himself. the system didn''t play nice and he wouldn''t either.


    "you must realize how unlikely that sounds. are you implying that you managed to rob the system entirely by accident?"


    "we can go with that, sure. i''m not so convinced i''ve robbed the system of anything. isn''t this a trial? i deserve rewards, but i haven''t seen shit so far. that seems pretty damn cheap. if anything, i''m the one getting robbed right now."


    speaking of which¡­


    alex cast his gaze up to the glowing words that had been hovering in the darkness throughout the duration of the trial. he''d defeated all the crabs and taken out the monster that the system had turned aubrey into, which meant his percentage should have been at least at 100%.


    town potential: 125/100%


    wow, that''s even better than i was thinking it would be at this point. audrey was really worth quite a lot of percentage. i wonder if her choosing to transform into a monster to tell me the name of her group made the challenge rise higher than it was meant to. guess i owe her one.


    keeper followed alex''s gaze. sea??h th§× novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "over 100%," keeper said, suddenly dropping their former topic of conversation. "you have achieved completion."


    "what, no more monsters?" alex''s brow furrowed. he''d been saving up a lot of energy to make sure he could push all the way up to 200%. stopping now just felt like a waste. "i never rung the bell. i''m not done."


    "you have achieved the requirements to complete the trial."


    "no, actually, i haven''t," alex pointed out. "i haven''t died. the system specified that it would go until i died, did it not?"


    i wonder if it told aubrey the same thing. there''s no way it gave us a trial that''s guaranteed to end in us getting screwed over. i''m certain a way to win exists, but i need to find it.


    "the trial world will collapse upon its conclusion and all living beings that remain within it will die."


    oh.


    "that doesn''t sound particularly advantageous to my health," alex said, his eyes narrowing. "not sure i''m seeing how this benefits me."


    "it is not my purpose to explain the full extent of how a trial dimension works. it is a very rare occurrence for an individual to partake in one, and the rewards of such a trial can be¡­ extensive. the system harvests a small portion of your soul for the duration of this trial as collateral. that portion is forfeit, regardless of result. should you fall early, the rest of your soul will be consumed as well. the farther you make it, the less impact to your whole being there will be ¡ª but a portion will always be lost."


    you just said you didn''t want to explain it. what is up with this guy? it almost feels like keeper is trying to hit keywords for the system saying it isn''t helping me while proceeding to do just that.


    "hold up," alex said. "are you telling me that part of my soul is guaranteed to die? there''s nothing i can do about it?"


    keeper let out a long sigh. "fresh initiates and their souls. always so concerned about them. your soul is the very essence of your being. the truest form of you. it is not so weak as the body. losing a portion of it will sting, but it will recover."


    alex''s eyes widened. "wait. then aubrey¡ª"


    "too early," keeper said with a shake of its head. "she was not at the trial''s completion. she is dead."


    goddamn it. explore stories at empire


    "how much damage to my soul can i even take safely? how do i know i''m not just going to show back up in my normal body completely brain-dead because the system fried my shit?"


    "that is not how it works. you will only have difficulty if you attempt trials like this or damage your soul so constantly that it cannot heal."


    "how constantly are we talking here?"


    keeper leveled a flat stare at alex. "the trial is at completion."


    "great. i''m not." alex cracked his neck and stretched his arms out. "i believe i told you what i was aiming for when i stepped into this room. i''m going for 200%. and if a bit of my soul is going to get killed no matter how things go, you better believe that i''m not fucking stopping until i''m dead. literally."


    keeper''s flat eye peered down at alex. "at what point did you decide that you get to set the terms of this trial? there are no more monsters for you to face. it does not matter how many fights you wish to have when there is nothing left to fight."


    "see, there''s the thing." alex clicked his tongue and lowered back into a fighting stance. "i can''t help but feel like, if the trial was really just objectively finished, this space would have collapsed already. but it hasn''t. that makes me think there''s a bit more to it than what you''re letting on."


    "standard procedure is to give notice before any dimensional collapses. you are over-reaching."


    "am i? maybe i''d agree if i was actually alone and the trial was empty now¡­ but i feel obligated to point out that i''m not actually alone. there''s one more monster in here with me."


    keeper''s lone eye narrowed. "you can''t be serious."


    the chainsword in alex''s hand whirred to life with a rumble. he could feel a vague sense of hunger emanating from the weapon. that may not have been the best of signs, but these were the worst of times. a little bit of bloodthirsty weaponry was far from his biggest problem.


    "dead serious, i''m afraid."


    "i am an observer, but do not confuse my inaction for weakness. i am more than capable of defending myself."


    "are you trying to get me to attack you? i''d much prefer an opponent that fights back. murdering someone in cold blood feels pretty evil. but if you''re a combatant, then this is completely fair game."


    "it is still attempted murder."


    "no, it isn''t. not under any of the definitions."


    keeper tilted its head to the side. "what?"


    "it really isn''t that big of a stretch," alex said, a grin splitting his lips. "just a little while ago, you told me that this dimension will collapse when the trial completes and every living thing within it will be killed."


    "correct," keeper said. its voice was completely flat now, devoid of even the slightest amount of emotion.


    "and you also said that only a small fragment of my soul got pulled here. i don''t know if that holds true for you as well, but it doesn''t actually matter. assuming you didn''t lie to me, then that means there are only a few options here. if you''re a living being, then you''ll die when the trial ends. it doesn''t matter if i kill you or if i leave the dimension after completing the trial; the result is the same. and if you aren''t a living being¡­ then it isn''t exactly murder, is it?"


    "an interesting observation," keeper said quietly. "you are willing to bet your morals on that analysis? what if you missed something? there is a great difference between fighting to defend yourself and slaughter for the sake of power."


    "yes," alex said simply. "you''re the one who said it yourself. you wouldn''t have given me that information for no reason. and i''m not going to second guess myself. the fact that you''re still talking to me instead of ending the trial makes me confident this is the right path. in fact, i''d go a step farther. i think you want me to attack you."


    "and why is that?" keeper tilted its head to the side, but there was something else in its eye now. alex wouldn''t have bet on it, but it almost looked like excitement.


    "haven''t the faintest clue," alex admitted. "but i''m going to go ahead and oblige you nonetheless."


    a faint smile pulled across keeper''s lips. the gray-skinned monster lowered to the ground to float a dozen paces away from alex. it turned its hands palm-up, nail-less fingers curling into claws as it drew in a deep, ragged breath.


    faint crackles of pale light danced through the air around it, twisting in and out of existence like distant static electricity. then the ground trembled. ripples passed through the darkness around him like droplets of rain hitting a dark lake.


    a deep hum filled the air and a wave of pressure followed after it. alex staggered as it drove into him and nearly knocked the breath from his lungs with its intensity. he was nearly forced to his knees, but he managed to keep his feet under him as he raised a hand to cover some of the light.


    holy shit. what kind of magic is this? it almost feels like a domain.


    two orbs of glowing moonlight ignited above keeper''s palms. they burned with pure, raw magic, so bright in comparison to the darkness around them that he was forced to squint. shadows peeled away from keeper as if in retreat.


    the ground of the very trial itself was crumbling under the force of the monster''s power.


    "very well," keeper said, its eye locking onto alex. "then allow me to continue demonstrating what i am capable of."

 Chapter 146 Get him

    the ground beneath alex let out a loud crunch. large fractures spiderwebbed out from beneath him like breaking glass as an intense buzzing noise filled the air. pressure bore down on alex from all sides and he threw himself to the side moments before the very air where he''d been standing seemed to collapse with a flash of moonlight. a small section of the world bent in on itself, twisting and warping as it was pulled into a point like a crumpled napkin.fragments of the ground shattered and fell away, leaving a gaping hole in the ground. alex couldn''t tell where it led to ¡ª he could only even make it out from the rest of the dark trial dimension by the swirls of moonlight twisting up from the warped air above it.


    what the hell kind of magic is that?


    keeper''s lone eye bore down on him like the moon itself. the monster hadn''t even moved from its spot. two glowing orbs still hovered above its hands, lying in wait ¡ª and a humming picked up in alex''s ears again.


    he burst into motion, sprinting for keeper as fast as his legs would take him. a hum built in alex''s ears again and he abruptly jerked to the side, zigzagging as a flash of light went off at his back.


    there were only a brief few moments of warning before each detonation, and alex wasn''t eager to find out what keeper''s magic would do to his body if he got caught in it.


    the system lets me heal from a lot, but if i get caught in the middle of one of those, i''m dead. there won''t be anything left of me to heal.


    cracks raced out across the ground in front of alex. his eyes widened and he suppressed a curse. he wasn''t up against some idiot. keeper was predicting his movements ¡ª and his foot was already heading straight for the blast zone.


    a blur of silver flashed to his side as his cloak shot out and drove into the ground. he grabbed onto it with his free hand as it ripped him off his feet and just barely out of the path of the explosion.


    alex hit the ground running, the chainsword in his other hand rumbling in anticipation. spark advanced on keeper from the opposite direction in a blur. his shadow ran alongside him as the three of them all collapsed on the floating monster, arriving before it at the same time.


    they lunged.


    keeper turned one of his hands over.


    alex''s stomach lurched into his throat as the world abruptly reversed polarity. his feet flew out from under him as gravity shifted paths and solid ground beneath his feet was suddenly above his head. his arms pinwheeled as he attempted to keep his balance, but there was no balance to keep.


    he plummeted downward, into the sky that was now inexplicably below him.


    keeper had literally turned the world on its head.


    the world shifted again, no more than a few moments after the first one. the ground and sky took their proper places back and a powerful force wrapped around alex, yanking him down with far more force than there should have been.


    his cloak wrapped around his body an instant before he slammed into the ground with a crunch. pain exploded through his body and the breath was knocked from his lungs in a surprised burst of air.


    alex coughed, his cloak unwrapping as his hands drove into the ground and he pushed himself up. he''d definitely fractured something, but his body was empowered by princess'' powers. it was already knitting itself back together.


    a rush of energy flowed into him. it seemed the spark had faced the same attack he had ¡ª but the monster hadn''t been nearly as resilient. the knight wraith was dead.


    shit. what kind of bullshit magic is this? it''s so fucking cool. would be cooler if it wasn''t directed at me, but seriously.


    alex rose back to his feet, shaking his arms off as he stared at keeper, who watched him silently.


    "you''re nowhere near cool enough for your magic," alex rasped, wiping his mouth with the back of a hand. "i don''t suppose i get to learn it if i kill you?"


    "you will not."


    "kill you? or learn your magic?"


    "yes," keeper said.


    fractures raced through the ground beneath alex. he lurched out of the way a moment before a detonation went off, ripping through another portion of the trial dimension''s floor. there were quite a few holes in it now.


    keeper was literally ripping the dimension apart around them. if the fight continued at this rate, alex was pretty sure he''d end up accidentally tripping and falling into one of the holes.


    the longer it goes on, the worse it''s going to get. keeper can float. i can''t. i have to find a way to take him out before there''s nothing left to stand on.


    alex burst into a charge again. a fracture split through reality in front of him and his cloak shot out, letting him vault clean past it. the whump of collapsing space and the flash of moonlight that marked keeper''s magic went off beneath him.


    any satisfaction that had been building up from the dodge met a swift and painful end when alex realized there was still a hum in the air. his eyes widened.


    there was another fracture splitting the ground he was currently flying right toward. keeper could cast more than one explosion at a time. he''d been completely played.


    well, damn. that''s embarrassing.


    he couldn''t dodge in time. his cloak wrapped around his upper body and he braced himself, gritting his teeth.


    there was a loud crunch, followed by a flash of pain ¡ª and then nothing.


    alex hit the ground, his sword skittering from his grip. the cloak melted into a pool of mercury that sank into the ground around him and something wet prickled against his back. he tried to push himself up to no avail.


    "your spine is gone," keeper observed from above alex, peering down at him with its singular eye. "mobility is no longer possible."


    i wouldn''t be so sure.


    magic was draining out of him at an alarming rate as princess'' magic worked to heal him. keeper didn''t know the full extent of his healing properties, but if the monster was about to monologue, then alex had absolutely no plans of stopping it.


    "then come closer so i can stab you," alex said through gritted teeth.


    a flash of moonlight lit the darkness, followed by a hole forming directly below alex''s chainsword. it plummeted into it and vanished from sight.


    "that was just petty," alex complained.


    "yes," keeper said. the two orbs of moonlight floating above its hands shimmered with molten energy. "it seems the trial is at its conclusion."


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    "i don''t recall saying i was done."


    alex felt his toe twitch. he tried to keep the grin from crossing his face ¡ª and he failed.


    a hum filled the air around him. pressure tickled his skin as cracks split the ground beneath him. keeper tilted its head to the side. s§×arch* the n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "you will not have an option. the trial ends with your death."


    "or yours," alex said, driving his hands down and throwing himself to the side. he rolled across the ground, tucking his limbs close to his body as a brilliant crack split the silence of the trial dimension.


    he rolled to his feet, unharmed, and rose before keeper, not sitting around to give the monster time to react. the time for holding back was well past. he had to finish the fight as fast as he possibly could.


    alex reached for his magical energy. the serious damage he''d sustained had heavily drained him, but there was still enough ¡ª and he hadn''t even touched his qi yet. it was time for that to change. he wasn''t going to win this fight while holding back.


    his eyes met the lone silver orb in keeper''s face.


    then he activated encore.


    alex pumped the ability full of every scrap of qi he had, not taking any chances with it. his best opportunity to take the win was a surprise attack and he wasn''t going to get a better opportunity than this.


    the air before him shattered. darkness bubbled at his feet and electricity arced and popped at his side.


    alex''s monsters begun to emerge ¡ª but not in their normal forms.


    in princess'' place came a warped, centipede-like creature. its body dripped with thick drops of black sludge. violet energy danced like crackling lightning behind thick plates of black carapace, and a twisted white mask covered the monster''s face where its mouth should have been. dozens of sharp, jagged legs jutted from princess'' body, which was now easily four times longer than alex was tall. her entire body crackled with riftwarped qi.


    from a pool of shadow beside her rose spark. the hollow suit of armor that made up the knight wraith pulsed with veins of purple qi. instead of standing crouched on all fours like spark normally tended to do, his qi-empowered form stood tall on two feet. shadows twisted up from the ground and gathered around his arms, shifting and twisting like a mirage in the desert.


    and then there was glint.


    his cloak-wing snapped out to the side, his silver body shimmering as jagged shards of mirrored glass jutted out from it in a shimmering sea. it wasn''t alone. a second wing jutted from his back, made entirely of glass glowing with hissing riftwarped qi. his arms were crossed before his chest like those of a man wrapped in the peace of death.


    and for a moment, keeper''s expression flickered in unease.


    alex didn''t wait for anything else. he only had one chance at this. he had to kill keeper in the next move. there were no other options left to him. this was what he''d been saving up for throughout the entire trial.


    get him.


    as one, all of his monsters attacked.

 Chapter 147 Keeper

    princess swam through the air toward keeper, her legs like dozens of oars as they pulled her through the sky. she accelerated like a derailed train. crackles of riftwarped qi arced off her body and licked across the ground beneath her.keeper''s hands moved in a wide circle. it might have been surprised by the sudden revival and empowerment of alex''s monsters, but it was far from caught completely off guard. the air around it shimmered.


    then, with a blink, keeper vanished. a flash of moonlight marked its return about ten feet behind princess. strands of light wove between its gaunt, nail-less fingers as the monster raised a hand for her.


    the shadows beneath keeper twisted. they rose up, strands forming into a lattice-mesh hand that dripped darkness itself. the hand reached up for keeper. silver eye flicking down, the monster noticed it at the last moment.


    keeper''s arms moved in a circle once more.


    once more, it vanished.


    the hand closed on nothing as keeper reformed safely to the side. as it sank back into the ground, a perfect copy of spark rose in its place.


    the original knight wraith pull a long, black blade from the shadows beneath him and his clone mirrored the motion. they both dashed at keeper while princess turned and refocused on her target, charging at the gaunt monster once more.


    and as for glint ¡ª glint did nothing.


    alex wasn''t entirely sure why. he''d ordered every one of his monsters to attack as hard and fast as they could. as much as he would have loved to go for a much more tactically sound approach, there simply wasn''t time.


    encore would only give him a few seconds to work with. empowering it with qi had made his monsters more powerful, which probably meant it wasn''t going to have any effect on its duration.


    but glint would have been able to process that. the glasmir had never misunderstood alex''s orders before, and these weren''t particularly complicated ones. that meant that this, in glint''s eyes, was the fastest and strongest attack he could muster in his qi-empowered form.


    i''ve never summoned him with qi in this new form; i''ve only used a qi-empowered riftwarp on him. what the hell is he saving up?


    alex didn''t get a chance to wonder. the ground beneath him buzzed, a wave of pressure building up within his ears. keeper hadn''t forgotten who the real target of the fight was.


    suppressing a curse, alex dove to the side and shot back to his feet, already running. another fracture in reality spun to life in the ground before him and he was forced to abruptly change directions.


    he didn''t have princess'' powers to rely on for the duration of encore. if any of keeper''s magic caught him now, the fight would be over. he wouldn''t have any way to recover in time.


    and even if i did have her powers, i''m basically out of magic. princess'' healing factor draws way too much for serious damage. i wouldn''t be able to heal from another nasty hit. if he does that world-reversing move again, i''m fucked. i can''t give him a chance to use it.


    spark and princess were doing a remarkable job of keeping keeper under pressure. the centipede dredge carved through the air where keeper had been, forcing the monster to teleport to safety once more, only for spark and his clone to descend upon him.


    the shadows around spark seemed to have come alive. they flowed with every movement he took, swallowing and blocking the monster from sight to conceal his movements. he only emerged into view to strike at keeper and force the monster to teleport to safety ¡ª only for spark to swap positions with his clone and collapse upon their target again.


    if it had been a fight without a time limit, alex would have liked his odds.


    but it wasn''t.


    he was running out of time. encore wasn''t going to last much longer, and then it would just be alex against keeper without any magic left to call upon. and despite his best efforts, keeper hadn''t been hit once.


    i need more. this isn''t enough. every time keeper teleports, he moves his hands in a circle. if i can stop him from doing that, will that cancel his teleportation?


    there was only one way he could find out. it was taking everything spark and princess had to keep the monster occupied, and glint was doing¡­ something. alex didn''t know what, but he knew it was important.


    and that left only him.


    him, without any magic to call upon.


    alex''s lips pulled into a grin.


    the system really isn''t messing around with this one, huh?


    then it looks like we''re doing this the old fashioned way.


    the only way he''d get a chance to even try to catch keeper was right after the monster teleported. it wouldn''t be expecting him to run straight at it. at least, he hoped it wouldn''t.


    it was his best shot. and so alex waited, skirting around the cracks in reality that keeper sent his way. he waited until spark forced the monster to teleport once more, until keeper took form in the very center of the room.


    and then he charged. his feet pounded against the ground as adrenaline tore through his veins. he dashed around the glowing holes in the ground, moving so fast that he had to squint to keep the wind from biting at his eyes.


    he closed the distance between them in moments, even as princess and spark did the same.


    keeper turned his one eye to look right at alex. the knew what his plan was. and, even as alex was nearly upon him, the air between them buzzed as pressure fluctuated. keeper had formed a crack in reality right in his path.


    if i bail out to reposition now, encore might run out. no time to dodge.


    after all¡­ i''m going to die anyway, right?


    might as well make it count.


    alex threw himself forward. he threw himself into the crack in reality ¡ª and through it. moonlight flashed behind him, and a searing pain ripped through the lower half of his body. keeper hadn''t missed his spine this time.


    the magic clamped down on alex''s legs and torso. it twisted them like a piece of dough. and with a wet squelch, it ripped them clean off.


    alex wasn''t sure how the pain didn''t knock him out on the spot. the system''s modifications to his body must have been applied to his psyche as well.


    at that moment, it didn''t matter.


    keeper''s arms were already moving. the monster was about to teleport away before spark and princess could reach it.


    a final moment of resolve ignited in alex. his body ¡ª or at least, what remained of it ¡ª slammed into keeper. his arms clamped down on one of the gaunt monster''s hands, locking it to its body, and he held on with everything that he had left. s§×ar?h the novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    and out of the corner of his eye, alex finally saw glint move.


    the glasmir''s wings snapped down. and, with the ringing sound of shattering glass, they broke. mirror fragments spun through the air as if in slow motion. they caught the fading moonlight from keeper''s magic and sent it dancing across the room.


    glint shot free from the shimmering rain. he flowed through the room, slipping past the holes riddling the ground effortlessly. the falling glass froze in place behind him, as if the world was holding a breath in await of a performance.


    the air between keeper and glint buzzed as a fracture in reality formed in the glasmir''s path.


    glint''s hand swept down through the air, carving deep purple furrows into it that stretched into a portal before him. he slipped through it, and a second portal opened at nearly the exact same instant, putting him out directly behind keeper.


    and every fragment of glass that had hung suspended behind glint suddenly ignited with burning riftwarped qi as they finally remembered their purpose.


    not as fragments of glass, nor as a pile of broken mirrors on the ground, but as his wings.


    the falling shards snapped back to life. they shot through the air like streaks of light, heading straight for keeper on their path back to glint''s body.


    keeper jerked its hand free of alex''s grip and lifted it to teleport again, but it was a moment too slow. the shards carved across its body, leaving crackling purple furrows in their wake.


    they slammed back into glint and reformed along the wings on his back. but, even as the wings rebuilt, their form shifted. glint raised a hand, rearing back as his wing coiled down his arm.


    the glass shards built upon themselves and formed the blade of an enormous executioner''s axe at the edge of his arm. its edge was jagged and buzzed with ravenous riftwarped qi. compared to the graceful, haunting angel wielding it, the massive weapon was like a scar upon a beautiful painting.


    the axe rose above keeper.


    spark and glint charged, both of them mere instants away from their target.


    alex grinned.


    gotcha.


    the axe fell.


    it slammed right into keeper''s head. it embedded about an inch into the monster''s skull ¡ª and then ground to a complete halt.


    spark and his shadow both drove their weapons into keeper''s sides. both weapons broke apart without so much as scratching the monster. princess slammed into keeper at full tilt and her body crumpled under its own weight, spraying sludge across alex and the ground all around him as she pancaked herself.


    and not once did keeper flinch.


    the smile on alex''s face froze as keeper''s head lowered so the monster could look straight at him with its one eye. a single drop of blood rolled down its head from where glint had struck it.


    oh.


    encore ran out.


    alex''s monsters evaporated, dragged back into their spatial mirrors to recover. his arms dropped from keeper and he fell back to the ground, the strength draining from his body at a rapid rate.


    "you bastard," alex said, a disbelieving laugh slipping from his lips. he could feel his body going numb, but he barely even cared. "i could never hurt you, could i?" explore more stories with empire


    "no," keeper agreed. "not in any meaningful way. but it was a good fight. you performed exceptionally. it reminds me of¡­ no. nothing. it reminds me of nothing."


    "why''d you even bother running around if you didn''t need to dodge?" alex asked, pushing the words from stiffening lips. every breath he drew was harder than the last.


    the faintest smile pulled across keeper''s features and his head tilted back, eye turning up to the golden letters shimmering in the air far above. "it certainly made quite the challenge, didn''t it?"


    alex followed his gaze. the words had changed.


    hidden objective completed: draw a drop of blood from the trial overseer.


    town potential: 200/100%


    trial completed.


    "well done," keeper said. "you are a most interesting one."


    then its hand fell.


    alex died.

 Chapter 147 ERROR

    dying was an interesting experience. it wasn''t one that alex was certain that he particularly enjoyed, but he wouldn''t have said it was all that unkind. death was like the sigh that left the lungs at the end of an impossibly long day.it was equal parts relief and weariness, a promised respite where concerns no longer mattered. his body went numb and the world fell away around him, leaving behind nothing but a gentle, comforting warmth in the center of his chest. eternal rest ¡ª so on, so forth.


    at least, that was how it was meant to work.


    alex''s eyes snapped open. his heart slammed in his chest and he bolted upright with a ragged gasp. it felt like he''d fallen a thousand feet only to land softly on a bed of slightly blackened grass.


    as it turned out, dying lost a lot of the whole lot of the comforting eternal slumber bit when he didn''t actually stay dead.


    the vile smell of acrid smoke and burnt flesh still hung in the air. something deep within him throbbed as if there were a papercut on his very soul. elusive shapes shifted all around him. there was something heavy in his hand. he could hear something. enough to tell there was, well, something, but not enough to make out what it was. his ears rung and his blurred vision struggled to make anything out, but it pulled itself back into place like a camera finally finding its focus on an elusive subject.


    his hearing finally snapped back into functional order as a hand gently took him by the shoulder.


    "alex?" it was claire''s voice, fraught with concern. "are you okay? alex?"


    "i''m fine," alex said, swallowing and shaking his head. thoughts twisted through his head as his mind tried to reconcile with the fact that he''d just died ¡ª and yet, was somehow perfectly alive. "just a tough trial. didn''t expect it."


    "did you pass?" orchid asked.


    alex blinked. he looked around. there was no town. just the campers that had been there when he''d activated the town token. features creasing in a frown, his gaze fell down to his side, where his hands still rested.


    upon his right palm was the riftwarped town token.


    but something had changed.


    riftwarped town token (primed)


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    on destruction: choose a location to set your town''s hall and initiate the creation of your town. activating this will consume the riftwarped town token (primed). you have 24:00 hours remaining to select your desired location.


    "i wouldn''t be here if i didn''t pass," alex said. he let out a relieved breath and rose to his feet. "it''s time. i can create the town. could everyone make some space? this is a good area, but i don''t want to do it on top of someone on accident. i wouldn''t put it past the system to drop a fucking building on someone''s head."


    everyone hurriedly cleared out, all moving to stand behind him and peer over his shoulder with a mixture of nervousness and excitement. the outworlders looked on with even more trepidation than the nativeworlders did ¡ª many of them knew just how significant this was.


    actually, they don''t have the slightest idea. not only is this a riftwarped town token, but it''s one where the trial was completed at 200%. speaking of which, keeper did me a real one. does he not fully work for the system? i guess he was just like aubrey. forced to serve against his will, but still with enough leeway to make a few choices himself.


    alex''s jaw tightened at that thought. he could forgive a lot of things. hell, he didn''t even try to delude himself into thinking that he didn''t like the apocalypse. he did. it was fun. but the system took things too far.


    he shook his head and raised his arm, focusing on the center of the campsite.


    then he crushed the riftwarped town token.


    a buzz filled the air around alex. the campers backed up even farther, nervous mutters passing between them as they stared on. he was tempted to join them. the system wasn''t exactly in his best graces at the moment. it would have been particularly ironic if it dropped a house on his head.


    fortunately, the system wasn''t in that dark of a mood.


    streamers of red and black energy swam into being around him. they twisted down his arm and lifted into the air like smoke rising from a fire. more and more power built around him, forming into a thick haze.


    there was a distant rumble. alex hadn''t quite managed to locate where it had come from when the roar of crashing thunder split the air. a brilliant flash of light tore through the campsite like a bomb had gone off at its epicenter.


    everyone''s cries were lost in the roar of wind that slammed into all of them like a battering ram. it nearly knocked alex clean from his feet, but he managed to dig himself in at the last second. people all around him stumbled and fell back. there was a loud crunch as what sounded like a cabin was flattened.


    he squinted through the light that had scorched his eyes, blinking away spots furiously. the back of his neck prickled and he drew in a small breath as he got his first look at the fruits of his efforts in the trial.


    rising before him was a two story obsidian building. casual swirls of slow-moving rift energy traveled around it like ribbons, weaving in and out of the walls effortlessly. pillars rose up around it to support a sloping, arched roof.


    the entrance to the building was a large arched door trimmed in silver. it, like the rest of the building, was plain. it held a beauty to it, but one that came from the quality of building material rather than the method in which it had been made. the door was already opened to reveal the rectangular room beyond.


    it took up the entire floor and was made of the same material as the building''s exterior, broken only by a blood-red carpet that ran down its center and up to a large counter at the back. shimmering motes of blueish energy hung in the air behind the counter, swirling together in a misty orb.


    "bleed me," claire breathed, her eyes widening as she stared at the building. "i can''t tell if that''s creepy or awesome."


    "both is always an option," alex replied, stepping forward and through the open doorway. nobody tried to follow him in. he walked alone down the carpet until he had arrived before the ball of shimmering blue light.


    i feel like i''m supposed to stick my hand in there. i just can''t tell if that''s my monkey-brain telling me to poke the shiny object or if it''s the system trying to make sure i don''t somehow screw up the creation of the town i just spent so much damn time and effort getting my hands on.


    eh. what''s the worst that could happen?


    alex stuck his hand into the ball of questionable mist. s~ea??h the ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    it felt vaguely like he was trying to grab onto electrified smoke. a faint buzz ran across his skin and up his arm. he nearly jerked back, but before he could, the mist exploded out all around him. it coated every inch of the building in a faint shimmering energy.


    and, before alex, a dull screen lit.


    town hall creation complete.


    initializing town interface.


    error.


    town origin is set to [mirrorlands]. incompatible with current plane of existence. relocating town¡­


    error.


    relocation impossible. insufficient planar barrier weakness. attempting to set town origin to current plane of existence¡­


    error.


    terminating town creation¡­


    error.


    due to its position on the global leaderboard, town is enshrined for a duration of [168:00] hours and cannot be terminated by forces foreign to 274-50 until the end of its enshrinement.


    alex''s eyes flicked over the words flashing over the screen, worry and anger progressively building within him as the slew of error messages assaulted his eyes. all the new information he got didn''t even answer half the questions it gave rise to. the system almost seemed to hesitate for a moment before it finally came to a decision.


    temporary solution achieved.


    warning: this town''s existence will be terminated if a solution to its plane of existence is not determined within [168:00] hours.


    continuing town initialization.


    due to [200% completion rate], [10] legendary boons and [2] mythic boons may be chosen during creation. please select your boons for town initialization to complete.


    the screen before alex shimmered.


    his eyes went wide.


    hundreds ¡ª possibly thousands ¡ª of lines appeared upon it. many of them didn''t make the slightest amount of sense, but alex could tell the gist of what they were. every single option before him was some sort of town upgrade.


    mighty walls. orbital cannon ¡ª a fucking orbital cannon? seriously? for a town?


    alex almost selected that on impulse before he saw a small number at the far side of the town ¡ª a 10. the option was greyed out. he couldn''t afford it, and it didn''t even specify what kind of boons it wanted. his eyes narrowed and he moved the scroll bar down.


    tiger-demon array. star throne. pickling expertise. who the hell selects pickling expertise?


    there were so many options that he didn''t even know where to start¡­ and at the very side of the screen was the world''s most ridiculously tiny scroll bar. alex gingerly touched it and the options flashed, blurring by as new ones appeared.


    oh, fuck off.


    alex couldn''t tell if he wanted to laugh or cry.


    two mythical boons and 10 legendries, huh? are all of these even at that rank? i refuse to believe pickling expertise is a legendary or mythical option¡­ which means there might be trash tossed in here that i could end up wasting what sounds like a really powerful boon on.


    what do i pick?

 Chapter 149 Relations

    seconds turned to minutes as alex fiddled with the interface, trying to see if he could find any way to sort the information. he didn''t dare click on anything ¡ª he wasn''t sure if doing that would bring up a description of what he was about to choose or if it would just instantly select it.he was quite certain that there were definitely differences in the quality of the options before him. even ignoring the numbers that he presumed listed the number of boons the options needed, some of them were just straight up useless.


    alex was fairly sure that nobody in their right mind would select advanced beauty pageant research grounds as their boon. he probably would have rejected that particular option even if it came for free.


    "goddamn it," alex muttered. he threw a glance over his shoulder, but nobody had tried to step through the door. they''d all gathered outside of the building and were staring in at him in wait. s s§×arch* the n?vel(f)ire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    i could definitely use claire''s help right about now. she''d definitely have some thoughts. orchid would be useful too. hell, i''d take derek at this point ¡ª although he''d probably just suggest advanced beds or something like that.


    read new adventures at empire


    a small frown pulled at his lips. "hey, why isn''t anyone coming in? you don''t have to wait outside, you know."


    none of them responded.


    alex''s brow furrowed. he squinted, not daring to actually step closer in case that somehow canceled the boons he''d earned. for a moment, he wondered if people had been frozen in time or something.


    that didn''t seem to be the case. they were moving around without any trouble. it was just that nobody was responding to him.


    claire definitely would have tried to come in by now. it''s weird that she hasn''t¡­ which means the system must be keeping her out until i finish. maybe it''s part of the town initialization process.


    "damn," alex muttered under his breath. he turned back to the screen. "i wish i had some form of suggestion boxes or something. a little help would be nice. i know you''re a big fan of making everyone fly blind, but it''s kind of a pain in the ass when half my biggest competitors are outworlders who are basically cheating their way through everything with prior information."


    the screen shimmered.


    options flashed away until only a few dozen remained. it had responded to his voice. alex blinked in surprise, then scanned over the changed screen.


    town fairy - 2


    town lord - 1


    town advisor - 3


    enhanced interface - 5


    ¡­


    harbog - 5


    it seemed to be a list of assistants. the list went on for quite a while and the scroll bar at the side of the screen had widened, indicating that it continued on ¡ª but not nearly as long as the previous one had.


    alex''s eyes caught on the last option on the front page.


    harbog¡­ that''s a name, isn''t it? feels like a name rather than a generic role or title. it''s also quite expensive, though i still don''t know what kind of boon that thing is using. i guess harbog is some form of named advisor or assistant for the town?


    that seems useful. really useful. another way to bridge the gap between me and outworlders. if i''ve got someone that can help me run the town¡­ that would be instrumental. not hiring someone called harbog, though.


    alex pulled the scroll bar down and continued to read through the options before him. he didn''t want to decide on anything before he''d seen all the options. hiring an advisor definitely seemed like the smart move. the worst case scenario here was wasting the boons he''d just literally died to get.


    spending some now to get someone that understands how towns work would be a great move. but who to hire? i don''t even dare say any of the names out loud in case the system decides that equates to me choosing them.


    alex''s eyes caught as he scrolled once more.


    one of the options was highlighted in bright bluish-purple rather than the dull gray that made up the rest of them.


    rhyss - 1


    alex''s head tilted to the side. there was no missing that kind of message. so there was a way to clarify the rarity of boons. this was definitely one that required a much higher quality. that, presumably, meant they would be a whole lot better than the other options.


    something prodded at the back of alex''s mind. his brow furrowed as he squinted at the name on the screen before him. something about it felt familiar. similar, almost. it was almost as if he''d heard ¡ª


    wait. i have heard this name before. part of it, at least.


    keeper had almost said his name when they''d first met. the monster had cut itself off, but it had managed to get out a word that started with ''rhy'' before it had abruptly cut off. alex''s heart started to beat faster in his chest.


    he leaned forward and stared at the glowing name.


    there''s no way this is a coincidence.


    this is almost certainly an expensive boon, though. either legendary or mythic¡­ and i''m going to bet that it''s the latter. using one of my two mythics to get an advisor is a sharp price.


    i also wouldn''t have gotten 200% completion if keeper hadn''t intentionally helped me out. you know what? fuck min-maxing. the system can eat shit. it went through a whole lot of effort trying to keep rhyss from saying his name. if this is actually him¡­ i''m willing to spend a boon to cast the middle finger spell.


    alex touched the name. there was a faint, distant ding.


    the air behind the counter before him collapsed, folding in on itself as a black portal ripped open. it let out a sharp, high-pitched whine.


    alex''s ears popped and he grabbed onto the edge of the counter to keep himself from falling and accidentally smacking the screen in the process.


    and, from within the portal, a gray, humanoid form emerged. the portal snapped shut behind it and the pressure in the room returned to normal.


    there was a single second of silence.


    then alex smiled.


    "hello, keeper. i hope you didn''t miss me."


    "alex," keeper replied, lips pulling up in the faintest of smiles. "do you make it a habit of making allies from those who have attempted to kill you?"


    "you know, if i had a dime for each time that happened, i''d have two dimes. that''s not really all that much, but it''s a bit odd that it''s happened twice."


    keeper''s head tilted to the side and its lone eye blinked. "what?"


    "never mind. reference to something i used to like. don''t imagine you get great cable connection out in space. welcome to 274-50, keeper. or should i say rhyss?"


    the pale-skinned monster drew in a sharp breath. it shuddered, then flexed its hands at its sides like a junkie getting a good hit of the good stuff.


    "rhyss. rhyss is good," the monster said. "i had wondered if i would ever hear that name from another being''s lips again. i was right about you. you are an interesting one. seeking me out intentionally so quickly¡­ well done."


    alex cleared his throat. "i''m not sure if i''d say it was entirely intentional. i was looking for an advisor and i saw your name pop up."


    rhyss stared at alex for a moment. then it shook its head. "i am not sure if that is more or less impressive. committing so decisively to an advisor that you would spend a mythic boon on one is¡­ bold. bolder than most. it was also the right decision."


    "see, there''s the problem. i don''t have the faintest clue as to what i''m doing. i wasn''t even sure you''d be a mythic boon. i thought you might be legendary." alex scratched the back of his head as he glanced over his shoulder at the crowd outside. "and it doesn''t look like i''m getting much help from them."


    "i can assure you that none of them will be nearly as beneficial as i," rhyss said. it extended a hand to alex. "allow me a formal introduction. our ¡ª my ¡ª name is rhyss. from today until the time at which your town is entirely razed, stolen, or otherwise permanently disposed of, i will be your advisor."


    "our?"


    "there are more minds than one present within this form. the merger was¡­ less than pleasant." rhyss'' eye narrowed in what might have been discomfort or anger. it was rather difficult to tell which. "for now, you may think of me as male. i recall wanting to assign gender to most things when i was a whole being."


    "that''s better than thinking of you as an ''it''," alex allowed. he glanced at the screen between them. "pleasure to make your acquaintance when you aren''t trying to kill me. say, could we get aubrey back with this thing as well?"


    "no. she is no longer within the logs. and even if we could, i would strongly advise you against wasting the likes of a mythic boon on her."


    alex went to ask another question, then paused. his brow furrowed. "logs?"


    "records. the system retains all that exist within it¡­ up until those presences are removed." rhyss gave alex a pointed look. "i suggest we focus on the topic at hand. you have a newly established town. i can see that you have 1 mythic and 10 legendary boons remaining to spend."


    "right. thoughts on what i can use those for?"


    "more than i could ever say. it would be better for me to ask what your goals for this town are."


    "defensible," alex said immediately. "i''ve got enemies, and i''m about to have a whole lot more enemies. go ahead and just presume that most people in the world are probably enemies, actually."


    "there are a number of ways to make a town defensible. arrays are the most common one. magical constructs powered by excess energy harvested off all those who live within it. the bigger your town, the more powerful the array."


    huh. i wonder if that''s what valley ford has.


    "however," rhyss continued, raising a finger to the ceiling. "there are more methods than one for a location to be defensible. offense is often the best manner of protection."


    "i should probably say something," alex said, clearing his throat. "the system said the town was going to get destroyed if i couldn''t find a way to fix a little issue it''s got. the stupid thing is meant to exist in the mirrorlands, not here. it''s making the system shit itself."


    rhyss'' eye widened. "how long do we have?"


    "168 hours."


    "the system gave you an entire week for something like that? i was thinking we had minutes," rhyss said, his shoulders slumping. "why did it give you a week?"


    "something about being enshrined."


    "the town was enshrined? already?" rhyss'' eye widened once more. it was going to pop out of his head if he kept doing that. "how ¡ª wait. how long has your world been initiated?"


    "about a week."


    "you are a nativeworlder."


    "yes."


    "and you made a town? in a week?"


    "yes."


    "damnation," rhyss said. "this must be one of the first towns on your planet''s leaderboard. you''ll likely be notified after initialization has been completed. fascinating. there are definitely options to solve the mirrorlands issue in a week. but how did you even get a town meant to be in the mirrorlands?"


    "long story."


    rhyss tilted his head to the side. "i see. i will have to seek it out later. for understanding, of course. for the time being, i will isolate the legendary and mythic boons to narrow down our scope."


    he lifted a hand over the screen and it flickered. words flashed over its surface faster than alex''s eyes could track. within a few moments, every line upon its surface was either golden yellow or blueish-purple.


    rhyss wasn''t done. he flicked his hand again. once more, the words on the screen changed.


    "what are you doing?" alex asked.


    "filtering away the boons that will not lend themselves to the town''s continued existence after a week. i am prioritizing ones that have been unlocked based on accomplishment rather than mass assigned."


    "you mean not everyone gets the same options?"


    "of course not," rhyss said. he let his hand lower and nodded to the screen. "the system always rewards challenge. now, have a look. we have a few choices that i believe would be quite effective. you have amassed some rather impressive options that i did not expect to find. i must admit that i am surprised. just what manner of nativeworlder are you? what is your relation to the mirrorlands?"


    alex just grinned.

 Chapter 150 Boon

    "so, what are the options you''ve narrowed down?" alex asked, leaning forward eagerly to get a better look at the screen.rhyss flicked his hand through the air, pushing the screen to the side before crossing his arms in front of his chest like a disappointed father.


    "no."


    alex blinked. "what? can you even do that?"


    "i am acting within my responsibilities as your advisor. making an uninformed choice here would be stupendously foolish. you must understand what it is that you work with before you can decide on what boons wish to take. correct me if i am wrong, but given your status as a nativeworlder, i do not believe you understand what a town actually entails."


    alex cleared his throat and let his hand lower. "i know that a town is a protected area that''s more defensible than normal buildings¡­ but i''d say your assessment is pretty correct. i would greatly appreciate if you enlightened me."


    "a town," rhyss said, floating clean over the counter before his gangly, wrung-out feet landed gently on the ground to bear his weight like they were meant to, "is a method to invoke challenge. it is opportunity that comes at cost, just like most things the system encourages. the opportunities they provide are almost endless. while towns stand, they allow you a safe place to farm powerful magical plants. you can use them to concentrate magical energy into areas and increase the growth of those who live in the town. you can gather ancient inheritances within the town and allow people to vie in attempt to receive them. i could go on, but there is no point. towns are potential."


    alex wasn''t sure what half of the things rhyss had mentioned even were, but he was following.


    gotcha. lots of opportunities to get stronger if i have a town, but it''s also basically asking things to come try and fuck with me. fair enough. nothing new there.


    "i''m with you."


    "good," rhyss said. "while the options you can take your town in are limitless should you have the power to claim them, there are certain aspects that are universal amongst all towns. chief among them is thus: should the core in the center of your town hall be removed from the town''s premises by anyone, the town will be destroyed and the thief will claim your town token."


    "shit. that''s a bit much, don''t you think?" alex''s eyes widened. "does the system just really like capture the flag or something? also, can i just build a brick wall around this core thing?"


    "you may do what you see fit to protect the core so long as it does not leave its location. it is the heart of your town. should it be moved, the town will fall."


    i suppose a brick wall wouldn''t actually stop anyone, would it? hell, i could probably punch through one of those myself if i was really motivated. either way ¡ª keep people away from the core. got it.


    "noted," alex said. "what else?"


    "the town''s core manifests an ability directly related to the leader of the town. as the town and its leader grows in power, this ability will also grow. it is the most powerful weapon you will have at your disposal. the exact nature of the ability depends on the town leader. so ¡ª you."


    "i get to choose it? or is that something the system does?"


    "the ability is created in accordance with you and your talents. you have already had your influence over it. it is based off you as a whole."


    lovely. i get to see what kind of ability the system thinks represents me. if it''s using my life as a whole¡­ i''m going to be pissed if my town''s special technique is skipping a really boring class or slamming back a copious amount of sugary shit at 3 in the morning.


    "lovely."


    "quite," rhyss agreed without a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "this signature ability will determine much of how you can build your town. unfortunately, your boons must be spent during town creation¡­ so before we choose anything, you must take your best guess as to what your ability will be."


    alex stared at rhyss. "seriously? is everything a goddamn game with the system?"


    "yes."


    fair enough, actually.


    "i''d probably guess my ability would be something involving doing something potentially stupid. high risk, high reward. that kind of thing." sear?h the ¦Çov§×lfire .net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "offensive? defensive? honorable? sly? how do you prefer to fight? nobody can answer those questions better than you. what do you value most?"


    "i generally prefer to win."


    alex and rhyss stared at each other.


    "pragmatic," rhyss declared. "dangerous. and, unfortunately, largely unpredictable. focusing our efforts on what may be will end poorly if our guess is wrong. i suggest selecting boons that will be useful in all situations. if you do not have a specific fighting style, then adaptability is your best friend."


    that seemed logical enough to alex. he didn''t much love the idea of locking the whole town into some singular fighting style in the first place. anyone who was really good at just one thing would inevitably run into someone that was really good at the one thing that fucked them over.


    "i''m with you there," alex said.


    "good," rhyss said. "then i have aligned my understanding with your goals. there is only one more thing you must be aware of. i trust you noticed that not all boons come at the same cost?"


    alex nodded.


    "i also noticed some of them are way too damn expensive."


    "there are other ways to earn boons for your town ¡ª all related to successfully growing it or accomplishing tasks related to it," rhyss explained with a wave of his hand. "for the time being, focus on what we have rather than what we lack. 10 legendary boons could get you a number of individual boons¡­ or a few very good ones."


    "if you''re asking me if i prefer quantity or quality, i''m always going to go with the latter. i don''t want to spread things so thin that we''re a jack of all trades and a master of none. is there some good balance we could hit? three that each cost 3 boons or something like that?"


    "yes. that is the approach that i have already taken," rhyss said. he put his hand over the system screen that he''d pushed to the side and pulled it back over to alex. golden options shimmered upon it. and, this time, alex actually had enough time to read them.


    gilded walls - 4


    source cannons - 4


    vibrant garden - 2


    black fortress plans - 3


    warp shifter - 5


    animated golems - 3


    cultivation array - 3


    haunted graves - 4


    pickling chamber - 2


    "goddamn it. what is it with everyone and pickling?" alex demanded.


    "it is an excellent way to preserve food."


    "i know that! why the hell is it a legendary boon? do you know what a pickling chamber is? a jar. that''s a pickling chamber."


    "i suspect you do not take kindly to the pickling chamber."


    "if i ever pick the pickling chamber, pickle me first."


    "i will remove the chamber from the list. pickles are ¡ª were ¡ª a delicacy in my world. i had thought you may be use them as offerings to make alliances with other towns."


    alex squinted at rhyss. "pickles? really?"


    "yes."


    right. so his advice is definitely less useful in social situations. he knows about the system and about the towns. not about what the proper gifts to people are going to be. suppose that makes sense.


    "what about this thing?" alex asked, pointing at black fortress plans. "a fortress seems pretty badass, but do plans mean i''m literally just getting a blueprint?"


    "you would get detailed instructions on their construction and would find that structure considerably easier to create," rhyss said. "certain objects are powerful enough that the boons only give you access to a method to create them. others, such as the cultivation array, will become active the moment the town is initialized."


    alex rubbed his chin. "i see. how long do you think it would take to build a black fortress?"


    "months. years, depending on the resources in this subsector of your world. i am not aware of the concentrations and distributions of supplies, so a concrete answer would be difficult. given how fresh this world is¡­ i would not be optimistic."


    bad pick for surviving a region boss, then. right. on to the next.


    "what are gilded walls and source cannons?" enjoy exclusive chapters from empire


    "gilded walls are defensible structures that ring the edge of your town''s borders. they are particularly resistant to magic. source cannons are weapons mounted on buildings or walls that gather magical energy from a variety of potential sources and fire concentrated blasts of it. they are a common tool of war in many worlds."


    alex tilted his head to the side as he pondered rhyss'' words. there was something beneath them, hidden just beneath the surface.


    common weapons. that''s an odd thing to include, isn''t it? how freely can rhyss actually guide me here? is the system still breathing down his neck? and if that''s the case¡­ are all of these options really good?


    "question."


    "ask."


    "which of these is the best?"


    "i cannot answer that. i am merely an advisor. all options have potential, but final decisions must be made by you."


    alex''s suspicions deepened. this wasn''t rhyss trying to make sure he didn''t dig himself a hole. the monster was still limited by the system. just because all the options had potential didn''t mean they had equal potential.


    yet another game, huh? well, at least nobody can say the system isn''t consistent.


    "tell me about the other options."


    "vibrant garden creates a magically empowered patch of land that will speed the growth and potency of anything grown upon it. its effectiveness does depend on having a competent gardener, and it will be rather useless in the hands of an idiot."


    "noted," alex said. "what about warp shifter?"


    "a building that enables its operator to execute short-term teleportation on a number of town residents. it is limited by range and duration, which can be as low as minutes."


    interesting.


    "the golems?"


    "exactly as the name sounds. magically empowered statues that will defend your town against any that you see as a threat. their power will scale with the strength of everyone within your town."


    "and the last two?"


    "a cultivation array gathers magical energy in certain locations to allow increased growth of magical strength in those areas. it is commonly used near caves, secluded rooms, or gardens. haunted graves creates a concentrated zone of death energy that brings back the souls of any town residents that die within a certain range, reanimating them as a monster."


    "fuck the last one," alex said without missing a beat. a flicker of anger lit in his chest. if he didn''t know better, he might have thought the system was taunting him with that last option. he would not be turning anyone ¡ª much less the people on his side ¡ª into a monster.


    "very well. it has been removed from the list."


    there might have been a note of approval in rhyss'' voice, but it was hard to say for sure. alex didn''t linger on it. his thoughts had already turned to his other options.


    teleportation¡­ that was something. a way to quickly send people in and out of a fight. even if it didn''t last long, it would basically turn everyone in his town into shock troopers. they could show up, attack, and vanish an instant later.


    and if the range gets long enough, isn''t it just a way to break right into other towns or dungeons? that might be getting ahead of myself, but i can''t pass something like that up. it seems way too good.


    alex tapped a finger against his thigh. if he went with the warp shifter, then he only had 5 boons left. he didn''t want to choose something that left him with just 1 boon left. even if he could fill it in with something else, it felt like a waste.


    hold on. didn''t he actually mention two of these twice, in his examples? rhyss brought up growing magical plants and increased rate of growth while we were talking earlier¡­ before he let me see the options.


    the corner of alex''s mouth twitched in amusement. he might have been jumping at straws, but the options were good nonetheless. if he assumed that his town''s ability would be enough to let them defeat the region boss, then the thing he wanted to invest into the most was a way to keep getting ahead of the competition.


    "one more question before i make a decision. for the cannons ¡ª what kind of potential sources could they use? do they come with one?"


    "no. there are a variety of sources that most energy weapons can consume, but the most common is magical energy. groups of people can work together to power a cannon if one is not strong enough to do it alone."


    alex rubbed his chin. he did want some form of offensive weapon to deal with the upcoming region boss. while the cannon wasn''t exactly at the top of his list, it was the only offensive option before him that would be ready in a short period of time.


    "assume that the people of my town are all, on average, my level or slightly weaker. there are around ten of them. would we be able to power the cannon we get if i choose this?"


    "they would likely be able to manage one or two shots for the duration of a fight before expending all the magical energy within their body."


    that''s a steep cost.


    "would a shot be able to take down an adept level region boss?"


    "i cannot say, but the likelihood of that is relatively low. region bosses are not so easily brought down."


    which means people might honestly be better off fighting themselves. these cannons just aren''t strong enough. looks like i really don''t have much of a choice, then. i''ll go with the strongest options for the long-term.


    "i think i''ll go with the warp shifter, vibrant garden, and cultivation array."


    "very well. then there is only one thing left to do before your town is ready." rhyss'' eye shimmered and he waved a hand over the screen, causing its contents to shimmer and change to a vibrant blueish purple. "choose your final mythic boon."

 Chapter 151 Orb Pondering

    Purple-blue letters shimmered across the screen before Alex, taking shape into the list of Mythic Boons that Rhyss had singled out for him to take a look at. There were a lot less of them than there had been of the Legendary options. That didn''t come as much of a surprise. He only had a single Boon to spend, so the offers he had to pick from would be a lot more limited.Necrolightning Arc Dome - 1


    Sky Render Cannon Blueprints - 1


    Warped Embassy - 1


    Armageddon Gate Blueprints - 1


    Shadowsteel Armory - 1


    The difference in quality between the Legendary Boons and the Mythic Boons was obvious even just from their naming. Alex nearly choked on his own saliva as he read through the options before him.


    Sure, judging a book by its cover might not have been the smartest move, but there was a reason books had covers ¡ª and these options sounded ridiculously powerful. He didn''t even have the slightest idea as to what the hell Necrolightning even was. It just sounded badass.


    "Holy shit," Alex said, running a hand through his hair. "What are these? Do they just have really cool names for no reason? It feels completely unfair that a town just gets to¡­ start out with something like these."


    "You achieved 200% completion on your trial, managing to draw a drop of blood from your trial''s overseer. That is not a trivial accomplishment," Rhyss said with a shrug of his shoulders. "The System rewards challenge. That goes in both ways."


    Alex swallowed and read back over his options. Rhyss definitely wasn''t doing anything to temper his expectations. It sounded like the advisor was agreeing that his options were ridiculously powerful. And if someone like Rhyss thought that these were strong, then they were even stronger than Alex was thinking. He swallowed heavily.


    Then a thought struck him. Alex''s eyes narrowed.


    "Hold on. These are crazy strong. All of them sound completely unfair¡­ and I spent one of my Mythic Boons getting you."


    "Correct," Rhyss said. There was more than a little smugness in his words. "And it was the wisest choice you made today."


    Alex grunted. "How many total Mythic options would I have had before you filtered them down?"


    "Three hundred thousand, four hundred and fifty four. That would have been the number you would had time to read through before the time duration to establish your Town ran to its limit and you were unable to read any more of them."


    And Rhyss had narrowed that down to five. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alex coughed into his fist. "Right. Picking you was definitely the right move. And I don''t suppose you''d be willing to give me any suggestions on these five? Or can you not do that?"


    "I am incapable of making decisions for you. As I am now, the only thing I can do is give information and attempt to ensure you are aware of the consequences of any town-related choices you make."


    As you are now? So that means Rhyss can somehow do more at some point? Maybe I can upgrade him or something. Not something to worry about right now, but definitely good to know. I''ll keep that in mind.


    "Right. Figured. In that case¡­ what is Necrolightning?"


    "A necrotic form of electrical energy. The Necrolightning Dome is a very effective array that is used by a number of top-tier towns across the Infinium. The array forms a dome over the top of your town, effectively protecting it from most arial threats. Given the stage of your world, I would deduce that there is no living creature that would be able to penetrate it for at least a year, if not longer. And even then ¡ª it would prove immensely difficult."


    Complete arial supremacy? Goddamn. Also worth noting there''s a good chance the Region Boss is some form of flying monster. Obviously there''s no way to know that for sure, but the Field Boss could fly so I can''t ignore the possibility.


    Still, if this thing is mostly effective against flying threats, I''d imagine it''s going to fall a lot shorter against ground-based ones.


    "Can it defend against other kinds of enemies?" Alex asked.


    "Not effectively."


    That answers that.


    "What about the Sky Render cannon?"


    "A very powerful energy cannon. It lives up to its name. In terms of sheer destructive force, it is probably at the top of the list."


    "And where does it get the energy to operate? Is that part of the cannon, or do people have to run it manually?"


    "The latter," Rhyss confirmed. "Though it can be passively charged at times when it is not in operation to have power stored for fights."


    Interesting. Definitely a good option, but it''s also worth remembering that I''m only getting the blueprints if I choose this one. We''d still have to actually make the damn cannon. That would take weeks. And, no matter how strong it is, it won''t do me any good if my town gets squished by the System in a week. I still want to know all my options before I make any choices, though.


    "What about the other blueprints? The Armageddon Gate?"


    "An energy source. It draws power from chaotic energy throughout the Infinium and converts it to usable energy for your town. As power sources go, this is one of the better ones. It is also particularly volatile, making it very effective for offensive weapons. I would not recommend using it for any buildings or purposes that would allow the energy to flow directly into your people."


    So something like this would be a great combo if I got a Sky Render Cannon or the like. Good to know. Also not worth choosing yet. Blueprints for an energy source won''t help me.


    "I see," Alex said. "And the last two? The Shadowsteel Armory and the Warped Embassy?"


    "The armory is a building that grants you access to a specialized blacksmith. Shadowsteel is a named world in the Infinium most known for their competent smiths, so if you are planning to invest into effective weaponry and armor, this would be an apt choice."


    "Hold on," Alex said with a frown. "Named world? What''s that?"


    "Certain worlds in the Infinium reach the requirements set to be granted a name. I cannot reveal more information than that at this time."


    "Something tells me that Shadowsteel didn''t just happen to be a planet of blacksmiths before it got its name," Alex said dryly. "So it''s accomplishment based or something?"


    Rhyss just stared at him. It didn''t look like the advisor had any plans of budging from his no-speaking stance.


    Alex waved his hand and quashed his curiosity for the time being. "Fine, fine. Sorry. And the Embassy thing?"


    A small frown pulled at Rhyss'' lips. "I¡­ don''t know."


    "What? Isn''t knowing basically your whole job?"


    "An Advisor is not some omniscient being. I know what I know¡­ but I would like to believe that I have a very extensive understanding of most town-related things. The System did not assign me as a Mythic boon because it found the idea amusing. I earned that title. The reason I selected this Boon is because I do not know of it. I have no information about anything by the name of a Warped Embassy."


    "But it''s a Mythic Boon. That means it''s got to be pretty good, right?"


    "Hypothetically. It is up to you. I cannot offer up conjecture. That is beyond the bounds of what I am capable of aiding you with at this point. All I am currently capable of doing is providing information."


    Ugh. The System limitations are so damn annoying. Then again, I guess they''re the same things that keep the Outworlders from just rolling up with the full strength of their families and completely murdering everyone.


    ¡­unfortunately I can''t give the System too much credit for that, as it is also the reason the Outworlders were allowed to show up in the first place. Buggers.


    Alex blew out a short breath and shook his head. The Warped Embassy wasn''t a complete wild card. The hint as to its purpose was in its name. In particular, his attention was caught be the first word.


    Warped. Explore new worlds at empire


    "Is it from the Mirrorlands?" Alex wondered aloud. "And if it is¡­ would an Embassy maybe somehow allow me to establish some sort of connection that keeps the town from getting destroyed in a week?"


    Rhyss didn''t respond. Answers to Alex''s musings probably would have been taken as conjecture. There wasn''t anyone else to lend their ear ¡ª they were all frozen outside of the Town Hall, waiting for him to finish his selections and finalize the town''s creation.


    "Damn," Alex muttered. He looked back over the options. The cannon was very tempting, but it wasn''t the actual cannon he was being offered. It was blueprints, and those wouldn''t help him anytime soon. An energy source also sounded incredible, but it was definitely a more long-term selection. The Necrolightning Arc Dome also sounded potentially useful for this upcoming fight, but only if the boss actually tried to fly right into their town. It was too much of an if to bet on.


    He would have been a lot more amiable to the Shadowsteel Armory, but it sounded like it was basically a merchant outpost for blacksmiths. He already had a merchant lined up. Even if these were better, Alex doubted they''d be able to afford anything that much better than what Finley had.


    And then there was this mystery option. There was a pretty good chance it was connected to the Mirrorlands. But if it wasn''t¡­ well, it would do something. It was a Mythic Boon, after all. There was a chance it would give him a way to directly fight against the Region Boss. The System certainly hadn''t made it easy for him to find a cheap way out of the fight ¡ª and after the immense amount he''d spent getting Rhyss, Alex doubted the Advisor would steer him wrong.


    He chewed his lower lip in thought, but after just a minute of mulling over everything, it struck Alex that he''d already made his decision.


    "Have you chosen?" Rhyss asked, noticing the change in his eyes. "It is an important one."


    "I''m more than aware of that," Alex said with a chuckle. "Which is why I''m going to do things the same way I always do. The whole overthinking things and weighing the detailed benefits¡­ that isn''t my style. That''s Claire."


    "Your style?" Rhyss repeated, his head tilting to the side.


    "Yeah." Alex grinned. "That shit''s a pain in the ass, man. I really can''t be bothered. There''s no shot I''ve lived through the apocalypse for this long just to turn into some contemplative genius. I''m going with the cool option."


    "And that is?"


    "The Warped Embassy," Alex said. "If you don''t know what it is, then it''s got to do something neat. And hey, the System rewards challenge, right?"


    "Making a blind choice is not a challenge."


    Alex just shrugged.


    Then he pressed his finger into Warped Embassy, selecting the option from the screen. There was a soft pop as the option grayed out. Then the screen vanished entirely, leaving him alone in the room with Rhyss.


    A buzz of energy raced across Alex''s skin and made his hair stand on end. Tremors shook the building around him and he stumbled, nearly losing his balance, as trails of black smoke started to pool on the floor.


    They rose up like the tendrils of some eldritch beast, winding together behind the counter next to Rhyss. Pulses of energy rolled off the twisting smoke and drove into Alex''s chest. They fought to push his body back and the air from his lungs.


    And then, as quickly as it had started, the energy vanished with a loud hiss. It was sucked into the center of the twisting mass, condensed into a single, pitch-black sphere about the size of a baseball. Twisting lines of silver ran across the sphere''s surface, winding into its depths before vanishing in the darkness.


    "Your core is complete," Rhyss said passionlessly, indicating the floating orb. "Your choices are finalized. Once you touch it, your Town Ability will be revealed and the initialization of your town will be complete."


    Alex approached the orb and the electric energy buzzing across his skin intensified until all of his hair stood on end. It was like standing next to a lightning rod. He swallowed.


    Then he set his palm on the orb.

 Chapter 152 Nothing

    A brilliant thrum tore through the air around Alex. Energy poured through his body and churned all around him with enough intensity to make his teeth chatter. It felt like every single bone in his body had suddenly been electrified.The orb warmed against his palm as streams of smoke swirled out from within it, coiling past his fingers and twisting around his wrist. They wound their way down his arm and up his shoulder. His skin prickled with cold wherever the smoke touched it.


    Alex gritted his teeth as the energy around him continued to intensify. He didn''t dare release his grip on the orb and risk somehow damaging the town''s creation. Besides, he was fairly sure making his own town wouldn''t end up killing him. That would be too disrespectful, even for the System.


    Rhyss watched on from the side. The gray-skinned monster said nothing as he observed the smoke twist up from Alex''s body and curl lazily through the air like strands of seaweed swaying underwater.


    Then there was a sharp pop. The pressure in the air changed abruptly. Alex staggered as a wave of force howled past him, ripping out from the Town Hall along with thick streams of coiling smoke.


    Darkness pooled at the edges of his vision. The back of Alex''s head grew fuzzy, almost as if he were trapped in a state between sleep and awareness. He tried to push the sensation back fruitlessly. It was like trying to shovel the ocean with his hands.


    The darkness continued its advance, encircling his head entirely. His vision narrowed down to a point. He gritted his teeth, but a wave of dizziness crushed any final struggles he could have even attempted.


    Then black was all that remained.


    Alex felt a sharp tug in his chest, as if the floor had fallen out from him and he was plummeting into the darkness. His heart bucked and he jerked in place, only to realize that he wasn''t falling at all ¡ª he was flying.


    Vision returned to him in a snap, but it wasn''t what he should have been seeing. Instead of the inner walls of the Town Hall, Alex found himself looking down upon the forest as a whole. At the center of the camp was the hall, surrounding by the milling crowd of people looking in.


    Trees rose around them, but they''d taken on a strange, near-translucent shade. Alex could nearly see straight through them. And it wasn''t just the trees ¡ª he could see through the cabins as well.


    "What is this?" Alex muttered.


    "You have several buildings that you need to place." Rhyss'' voice rang in Alex''s ears as if he were floating right beside him. If Alex had actually been in his body, he might have flinched.


    "Shit. You could have said you were here," Alex said. He went to shake his head, but he couldn''t even do that. It didn''t seem like he had an actual body up here. It was just his consciousness.


    That, or the System had plucked his eyes from his body and tossed them up into the air. Alex wouldn''t have put that past it.


    "My voice was announcement enough." There was a definite note of amusement in Rhyss'' tone. "But you need to select the locations for the buildings you chose. Boon-granted buildings are formed directly by the system rather than ones you and your town will have to build yourselves, but it needs to know where to place them. If you don''t tell it, then the System will decide. Do you like the idea of your sleeping quarters being outside your town walls to increase Challenge?"


    Alex grimaced. He most certainly did not like that idea. His town didn''t even actually have proper walls yet, but that didn''t mean he wanted the System sticking all of his buildings near the edges to make it harder to defend them.


    "For now, let''s stick the Vibrant Garden over there," Alex said, directing his attention to a spot a few crumbling cabins away from the town hall. The areas directly beside the hall were probably best saved for really important buildings. This was out of the way enough that the garden wouldn''t be in the middle of nowhere and open to attacks, but still not right in everyone''s way.


    "And the Warp Shifter?"


    Continue your adventure at empire


    "Put that right over there," Alex said, looking right beside the town hall. It was his most expensive Legendary Boon. It was also his biggest trump card for the upcoming fight. The ability to send people in and out of the fight at rapid speeds was incredible. So long as they could defend the building and keep monsters from getting into the town, they''d be able to use hit-and-run tactics nearly indefinitely.


    "Understood," Rhyss said. "The Cultivation Array will be inscribed within the town hall''s record room. Should it be damaged, the array will collapse."


    "Do I not get to choose the locations it enhances?"


    "No," Rhyss replied. "Think of it like a wellspring. It will increase the magical energy in certain areas. You can''t control which areas those are, but there are ways to guess at their location. They will tend to be the ones where power can easily pool. Caves, concealed locations, and anything that draws energy to it. Further discussion on this topic can be held later. Choose the location for the Warped Embassy."


    "Right beside the town hall," Alex said without a second of hesitation. It was a Mythic Boon. He wasn''t about to go sticking it at the edges of his town.


    Anything else Alex might have said was stolen from him by a violent yank in the center of his chest. The town screamed past him as he was yanked straight back toward the town hall at the speed of a bullet.


    He slammed back into his own body and his eyes snapped open. Alex let out a sharp gasp and staggered back, instinctively lifting his hand from the black orb floating before him. His heart thumped in his chest as if he''d just woken up from a nightmare.


    A distant rumble shook the ground beneath his feet. Alex heard yells from outside the town hall, but ones of surprise and shock rather than fear.


    "Well done," Rhyss said. "The creation of your town is complete. It is currently forming your buildings. The process will be a short one. You should be getting a notification from the System shortly.


    No sooner than the advisor had finished speaking did golden letters twist through the air before Alex. They formed themselves into an extravagant system message, one far more ornate than the messages it had given him before.


    Town establishment completed. All Boons have been spent and building creation will conclude shortly.


    Your Town has finished synchronization with your soul and desires. Its Town Ability has been finalized.


    [Labyrinth]: A twisting maze grows beneath the grounds covered by your town. It will continue to grow so long as the town remains. Magical energy wells within its depths, empowering the monsters that are born within the Labyrinth''s halls. The Labyrinth will adapt to attempt to ensure suitable challenge to any who enter its depths.


    At will, the town leader can expunge all the monsters from within the Labyrinth and release them to the area surrounding the town.


    "Holy shit," Alex muttered. "That''s not what I was expecting. The System definitely got the challenge bits¡­ but doesn''t this mean I have a literal dungeon growing beneath my own town?"


    "That appears to be so," Rhyss said. "How fascinating. I have not seen this ability before. You are truly a unique individual. Only an idiot or a madman would actively want monsters living beneath their town. Congratulations."


    "Thanks," Alex said dryly. "I appreciate the vote of confidence and the kind words."


    "You should. Town abilities are set to ensure they fit your desires and goals. You wanted this."


    Alex''s nose scrunched at that. He couldn''t deny that the ability sounded pretty badass. Being able to just straight up chuck a whole dungeon full of empowered monsters at his enemies definitely held a lot of appeal to it, even if he ignore the fantastic training elements the Labyrinth seemed to offer.


    Can I use this against the Region Boss? If it gets immediately populated with some monsters, that would give me at least something to distract it. I don''t know if the Labyrinth monsters would follow my directions, but I''ve seen them fight each other just as often as the fight humans. A bunch of crazed monsters suddenly popping out around the Region Boss could definitely swing the tides in our favor.


    Before he got a chance to say anything else to Rhyss, new words shimmered through the air before him.


    You have stablished the first natural town in Subsector 735.


    Your standing on several leaderboards has been updated.


    Access to viewing Global Leaderboards has been granted according to your standing upon them.


    Before Alex could even think, the sentences vanished as new ones swirled up to replace them.


    Global Leaderboards


    [Level]


    [Mind Palace]


    [Town Ranking]


    [Wealth]


    "Whoa," Alex said, blinking at the shimmering words before him. The System had mentioned Global Leaderboards initializing a while ago, but it looked like one had to actually place upon one of them to get a look at what they held.


    "Which one am I on?" Alex asked shortly before realizing how stupid that question was. He''d just built a town. It wasn''t that hard to guess. He quickly selected the Town Ranking leaderboard.


    Global Leaderboard ¡ª Town Ranking


    Crux


    Nighteyes


    ????


    Invictus


    Ash


    NattoProblem


    Meat


    Rathvash


    Catastrophy


    TFIAKilometer


    The list continued on, but the names were all fuzzed out and unreadable. He barely even cared. His eyes were locked on the number five spot in the list.


    His town had set him as the 5th ranked person in the entirety of 274-50. It was just one spot below Invictus, who was the one from Valley Ford ¡ª a Hub City. Alex didn''t even know what a Hub City was, but the System had clearly found it to be important.


    He let out a slow whistle.


    "Holy shit. For a town that literally just came into being, that''s not half bad."


    "So long as it does not collapse in a week," Rhyss said.


    "Yeah. There is that little caveat," Alex agreed. He ran a hand through his hair. While he did want to take a glance at the other leaderboards, the whole town was outside waiting for him ¡ª and he wanted to see what the fruits of all his efforts had netted him.


    "Shall we go take a look at your new town?" Rhyss suggested.


    Alex grinned.


    "I would like nothing more." S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 153 Why

    Alex emerged from within the town hall alongside Rhyss, squinting in the sudden daylight. The small crowd of people that had been gathered around the entrance of the building were half-distracted ¡ª presumably by whatever it was the System was doing to create his buildings ¡ª but the ones looking in his direction lurched back in surprise."Shit!" Aaron exclaimed, nearly tripping over himself as he dropped into a fighting stance. "Alex, is that one of your monsters? Because if it isn''t, there''s a really creepy thing floating next to you. Just in case you didn''t notice."


    "This is Rhyss," Alex said, nodding to the one-eyed monster. "He''s the Advisor for the town."


    "Towns come with advisors?" Anna asked. "How does that work? Does the System just¡­ make them? Is it sapient?"


    Trust me. You really don''t want to know how it works.


    Claire studied Rhyss with an unreadable expression. She didn''t look nearly as off-balance as the others, but that was probably more because she was very good at controlling her expression than it was because she wasn''t actually surprised.


    "I am perfectly sapient," Rhyss said. "And my hearing is more than adequate."


    Aaron seemed to shrink in on himself. The rest of the campers backed up, many of them looking from Rhyss off to the sides, toward the areas that Alex had selected to place his buildings.


    Out of everyone present, the only one that wasn''t even slightly interested in the buildings was Orchid. Her gaze was completely focused on Rhyss, eyes widened and lips parted. Alex didn''t miss the shock in her expression. It definitely wasn''t there because Rhyss was a monster. She was an Outworlder with a lot of experience. Orchid had definitely seen weird monsters before.


    No. This had nothing to do with what Rhyss looked like and everything to do with what he was. Orchid knew the significance of having a named Advisor.


    Well, at least that proves I probably made the right choice. Orchid wouldn''t look that impressed by something that every normal Outworlder does since she thinks I''m from the Starfallen family.


    "I don''t know if you all noticed, but I managed to succeed in creating the town. It took a while, so thanks for your patience," Alex said.


    A dozen stared were leveled directly at him.


    "A while? It took you like one second. And the System made the town''s creation abundantly clear," Claire said. "There was a System announcement that the first naturally established town had been created in our Subsector. It didn''t say where we were, fortunately."


    A second? It definitely took longer than that. The System must have sped time up for me or something like that.


    Continue your adventure with empire


    And I suppose the announcement makes sense considering the town got me onto the Leaderboards. Still, though. That''s going to be a pain in the future. Definitely can''t dally around. Even if we manage to defeat the Region Boss, we''re going to have a lot of attention directed our way very soon.


    "I see," Alex said wisely. He squinted past the small crowd and they parted for him, finally granting him his first look at the buildings that had been created by the System.


    The closest was a strange 3-story tower made of black marble. It had a wide, circular base floor with a large tube rising directly up from its center like the center pole of a circus tent. The tube seemed roughly wide enough for one or two people to stand within side by side.


    Dangling vines of metal swayed from the central pole, running down to the wide base floor. Faint crackles of purple energy shimmered within the metal, bright enough to light it from within. Even the air around the building seemed to hum with faint energy, almost like a cloud of static electricity hung around it.


    It was definitely the Warp Relay.


    Out of the corner of Alex''s eye, he spotted the Vibrant Garden. At least, Alex was pretty certain it was the garden. He didn''t know what else it could be. It seemed the System had marked the garden off by placing a giant hedge in a square around the area he''d indicated. The foliage was about ten feet high and completely solid, leaving not so much as a gap in its dense leaves to peek through.


    "You got two buildings?" Orchid asked, clearly choosing her words carefully. "Your town started with two buildings? What rarity is this circular building? It doesn''t look common."


    Is that more than normal? I don''t know what the standard town is meant to start with. Doesn''t it depend on how you end up spending your Boons?


    "Four," Alex said. "I got a Cultivation Array inside the town hall."


    "Where''s the fourth building?" May asked, glancing around. "Or is that the big hall thing you just came out of?"


    "No. That''s the town hall. It came with the package," Alex said. He stepped past the crowd and started toward the left of the town hall. "It''s on the other side."


    Everyone piled after him and rounded the corner, where they all ground to a dead halt. Alex blinked in surprise.


    The fuck is that?


    Standing about fifteen feet away from the hall was what could only be described as a wooden shack. Malformed walls that looked like they were a strong breeze away from collapsing upon themselves supported a poorly shingled roof.


    The door hung askew on one hinge, cracked open just enough to let Alex peer into the building. That didn''t do him a whole lot of good. It was pitch black. Looking through the crack was like trying to peer into the void itself. There was only absolute nothingness lying in wait.


    "What is that?" Orchid asked.


    "The Warped Embassy," Rhyss said helpfully.


    Alex approached the building, his brow furrowed. This little ramshackle pile of wood looked like a joke standing beside the relatively grandiose town hall. But, despite its appearance, something about it felt¡­ odd. Familiar. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He set a hand on the wooden walls of the shack. His fingertips prickled as faint traces of energy danced across his skin. A flicker of dark, purplish-red energy slipped free of the wood and slithered across the back of his hand before darting back into the building.


    The corners of his lips pulled up.


    Riftwarped Energy.


    "That''s¡­ disappointing," someone muttered. "Why did the System give him a shack?"


    "He chose it," another person replied. "I think that''s how it works. Back when I was with Firesong, I heard people talking about building a town. They said something about the leader deciding what buildings can be built on its grounds."


    Alex ignored them. All the Outworlders that had been part of the camp were deserters. That didn''t mean he had anything against them. Alex didn''t see the slightest reason to fight for the invading families ¡ª but it meant that the people here likely didn''t have much more information than he did. These weren''t seasoned warriors. They were just people that had gotten kidnapped from their planets.


    "Hey," Claire said, drawing up alongside him. "Isn''t that¡­"


    "Yeah," Alex said. He squinted past the door in an attempt to see into the embassy, but it was pointless. All that lurked before him was darkness. He turned to look at his Advisor. "Rhyss, how do I activate this thing? Surely it does something."


    "Entering the door would typically be the most common answer." Rhyss'' tone made it abundantly clear that he was not suggesting that Alex walk right into the darkness. "But, unless buildings are concealed by the System, you should be able to summon its information."


    "Really?" Alex looked back to the shack and furrowed his brows. "How do I¡ª"


    A screen, much like the one that the System had given him to choose his Boons, snapped to life in the air before Alex with such speed that he flinched back in surprise. Sentences shimmered across its surface.


    Warped Embassy


    Ambassador: [Unchosen]


    Alex''s eyes narrowed. That was it. The extent of the information that the System had given him on his building was two lines ¡ª and he''d already known the damn thing''s name.


    "You can''t be serious," Alex said.


    "What?" Claire asked.


    "Can you not see it?"


    "See what?"


    "Building information is only available to the Town Leader and its Advisor under certain circumstances," Rhyss supplied.


    "Oh. The System gave me some information on this building, but it''s basically useless," Alex said through a sigh. "It''s called the Warped Embassy, and the only new thing the System revealed was that I need to choose an ambassador. Rhyss, any thoughts?"


    "I have not heard of any buildings that function like this. Towns do have roles that can be assigned, but I have not heard of an ambassador role. This building is unknown to me. All I know is that one person can only occupy a single role."


    So I can''t choose myself as the ambassador. Whelp. Of everyone here, the one I trust the most¡­ it''s Claire. That''s ironic given slightly recent events. Doesn''t change that she''s the reason I went for the Town Token in the first place. She can''t reveal everything, but I think she''s on my side. I can''t think of anyone else who would be a better ambassador. It''s a political role, isn''t it? That has her name written on it.


    "You want this?" Alex asked Claire. "Knowing the System, it''s probably going to come with a challenge."


    "If it increases our chances against the Region Boss, then I won''t say no. I do have some minor experience in the field."


    Alex looked from her to the building. He wasn''t sure exactly how he was meant to select the ambassador, but he had a pretty good guess.


    "I think you''ve got to go in."


    Claire sighed. "Somehow, I thought you were going to say that. Wish me luck."


    Then she stepped into the darkness.


    The askew door creaked shut behind her.


    A shimmer of energy passed through the System screen before Alex as its contents updated.


    Warped Embassy


    Ambassador: Claire (In Town Trial)


    Town Potential: ??/100%


    "What?" Alex breathed, staring at the screen as lips parted in surprise. "Why is Claire in a Town Trial?"

 Chapter 154 Chance

    "Impossible," Rhyss said instantly. "There cannot be a second trial. A trial is a trial. There are no re-does. No second attempts. What''s done is¡­" S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.The advisor trailed off as he stared at the screen before Alex. His words didn''t mean much when the System was literally denying everything he said. Murmurs ran through the crowd behind them as the former campers tried to figure out what was going on.


    In the time that Alex and Rhyss had spent gawking at the screen, it had already updated itself.


    Warped Embassy


    Ambassador: Claire (In Town Trial)


    Town Potential: 24/100%


    The potential continued to change rapidly, uncaring of its stunned spectators. The completion rate raced upward, reaching 50% within moments and showing no signs of stopping.


    "Rhyss?" Alex pressed.


    "I ¡ª I don''t know," the monster said. For once, his controlled exterior was cracking. "This should not be possible. You only had one Town Token. There''s no way for a second trial to occur, much less from a mere building. This has to be something to do with you."


    "With me?" Alex exclaimed. By now, the completion rate of the trial had already reached 70%. "What do you mean?"


    "This option was not one born of the native offerings," Rhyss said, lowering his voice so nobody could overhear their conversation. "It came from you. Much like your town ability. The system tailors certain offerings to the one that created the town, based on their achievements and history. Even if this building became an option because of your completion rate in your trial, giving you a second trial is ridiculous. Such a thing cannot be done."


    Alex pointed at the screen. The completion rate had hit 95%. "Tell that to Claire."


    "What''s going on?" Orchid asked. "Where did Claire go? I don''t hear anything."


    She couldn''t see the screen with the trial upon it and hadn''t been close enough to pick up on Alex''s conversation with Rhyss.


    "She''ll be back soon enough," Alex responded. He knew the Town Trial carried a very real chance of death with it, but he didn''t doubt Claire for a moment. He knew she''d clear it. The only question was how much of the trial she''d be able to clear.


    I wonder if it''s the same trial that I took or an entirely different one.


    "This can''t be happening," Rhyss whispered, pressing two fingers against his temple. His frown deepened. "The potential of such a thing was not even calculated by the System when it formed me. It breaks rules. Rules that the System is built on. You cannot earn something from nothing, and rewards must be fair. Your completion rate was very good, but that cannot justify an entire extra town."


    Alex watched the completion tick up once more, and a small smile parted his lips.


    Town Potential: 105/100%


    Good shit, Claire.


    She wasn''t going down easy. It looked like she was also shooting for the 200% mark. Rhyss barely even seemed to notice. The advisor looked like he was a half-step away from a mental breakdown.


    A distant part of Alex wondered if that would get him a Title Fragment. Causing a System Advisor to lose their shit within five minutes of arriving on a new world had to be a pretty rare feat.


    Town Potential: 152/100%


    Yes! But¡­ honestly, why are we getting a second trial? Rhyss is right. It doesn''t make sense. The System wouldn''t just give me it for free, and this reward seems way too good for even something like a Mythic Boon.


    Wait.


    "You know," Alex said slowly, a theory starting to form in his head. "Rhyss, I think I might know what''s going on."


    Rhyss spun to him. "What is it? How is this possible?"


    Town Potential: 164/100%


    "I don''t think it''s that we''ve gotten a whole new town." Alex''s thoughts whirred, but he became increasingly convinced of his words even as he spoke. "It''s that we''re getting access to what everyone normally has."


    "What are you talking about?" Rhyss asked.


    "The Mirrorlands are a reflection of the world. Worlds, I guess. Either way, the more magic a location has, the stronger its reflection is on the other side." Alex gestured to the Warped Embassy. "And this building is an embassy. What if it''s giving us access to the Mirrorlands version of the town?"


    "That¡­ I''ve never heard of anything like that," Rhyss said. His head tilted to the side as he considered Alex''s words. "If that''s the case¡­ that could be it, yes. But gaining influence over any portion of the Mirrorlands seems ludicrous. Unless¡­"


    Rhyss''s eye narrowed as he examined Alex.


    "What?" Alex asked.


    "How deeply tied to the Mirrorlands are you?"


    A chime echoed in Alex''s ears. He jumped at the sound, his eyes darting back to the screen. His grin widened and a laugh burst from his lips as he read the new information upon its face. There might have just been three measly lines, but they were exactly what he''d wanted to see.


    Warped Embassy


    Ambassador: Claire


    Town Potential: 200/100%


    "A second one," Rhyss breathed. He almost sounded numb at this point. "Two individuals capable of reaching 200% completion. What are the chances of that?"


    There was a thump from within the ramshackle cabin. Everyone other than Alex and Orchid took a step back as the door rattled. Riftwarped energy crackled across the walls of the Warped Embassy, arcing out like skeletal fingers rising from the grave.


    Even Alex felt a wave of goosebumps roll across his back. His skull prickled and the trees around them swayed as if a violent gale had suddenly picked up in the center of the clearing.


    The door to the embassy flew open with a loud bang. Claire stumbled out of it, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Her eyes were wild and skin was dangerously sunken. She locked eyes with Alex and took a stumbling step toward him, extending a hand.


    Alex knew what she wanted before the words had even reached her lips. He extended his arm to her, pulling back the sleeve. Claire grabbed the proffered hand and clamped down on it, her fangs piercing deep into his wrist. She drank deeply between gasps for air.


    Somehow, despite all the strength he''d gained from upgrading his Mind Palace, her fangs pierced through his skin just as easily as they had the first time ¡ª and they didn''t hurt any less.


    Claire drank from him for nearly a minute before she finally pulled back from his wrist. She blew out a relieved breath and wiped her mouth with the back of a hand. Nobody in the crowd seemed too surprised by her appetite for blood. Claire wasn''t the first Dhampir they''d met, after all.


    "Bleed me," Claire groaned. "Thank you. That fucking hurt."


    "I think I''m the one that just bled," Alex said, watching the puncture wounds on his wrist begin the healing process. "What happened in there? I could see you were taking a Trial, but¡ª"


    "I passed," Claire said.


    "Yeah. I could see that bit too." Alex lowered his voice. "200%? Nice. I''m kind of pissed I couldn''t see it. Something tells me you didn''t manage that without using some of those powers you''re so determined not to let me see."


    She grinned in response. "You''d be correct. I was going all out. Still got bloody thwacked at the end, though."


    "Death is inevitable," Rhyss said briskly. "It does not matter. What did you achieve in your trial? Was there truly another town?"


    "Yes," Claire said. "And I have to say, that was not what I was expecting to be doing. I was going in there to bullshit some people, not take a trial. I think your theory about the Mirrorlands is pretty much proven at this point, Alex. The town was reflected over there. Kind of."


    "Kind of?" Alex asked.


    "It''s hard to describe. Same in the way that the Mirrorlands are the same. Things were twisted. Warped. Completing the trial got me some Boons that I had to spend before I came back here. Some pretty good ones."


    "This is fascinating," Rhyss murmured. His eye focused on her. "Did you acquire an advisor in the Mirrorlands?"


    "No. Because the town technically already existed, I didn''t get much extra to work with. The only reason I got anything was because of the 200% completion," Claire said with a shake of her head. "I didn''t have the boons to spend on an Advisor. I only got two things."


    "What things?" Alex asked.


    "You should be able to see in your town management window thing," Claire replied. A grin crossed her features. "But I''d say I got some pretty damn good ones. I spent a long time trying to find them. It was a pain."


    Alex looked back to the Embassy window. It had changed again.


    Warped Embassy


    Continue your journey on empire


    Ambassador: Claire


    Buildings:


    Dual Reality Obelisk [Destabilized]


    Shroudmaker


    Town Ability:


    [The Mists of Vil''Kazer]: Hallucinogenic mist rises up from the grounds this town is built upon. Creatures that breathe in the mist will have their perceptions of reality twisted. The more time they spend within the Mists of Vil''Kazer, the more extensive the effects will become. Residents of the town are naturally resistant to the mist and will not be affected by it except in the case of prolonged exposure.


    "Holy shit," Alex said. "You got a whole new Town Ability?"


    "Incredible," Rhyss said. "The same town, but with new buildings and a unique Town Ability. It is unfortunate those powers are locked in the Mirrorlands. I know of the Shroudmaker. It is a very useful building that conceals a location from all senses by warping the magical area around a town, making it difficult to detect. But what is this other building you have chosen? It is another one unknown to me."


    "There should be one of them within the Town Hall here as well. I thought the same thing you did. It''s a bleedin'' shame to not be able to use any of the powers of the other town. No point in having access to it if we can''t use it. So I fixed that."


    "You fixed it?" Rhyss repeated. "How?"


    "The Obelisk lets the owners of the towns swap their locations," Claire said with a smug grin. "It''s destabilized right now, unfortunately. From what I can tell, that means it''s going to blow up and destroy everything around it at some point¡­ but it pushes our problem back a bit, I''d say."


    Alex''s eyes widened and he let out a delighted laugh. "Shit, Claire! If we can swap locations of the town, doesn''t that mean the System won''t mark it as an issue anymore?"


    "I''d imagine the new town would have the same problem the old one did, but my bet is that we could reset the timer at least once by swapping them," she agreed with a nod. "It''s not a permanent solution, but if we can stabilize the Obelisk, it might become one."


    "And now we have another weapon to use against the Region Boss. A strong one," Alex concluded. He and Claire exchanged an excited grin. "This might just give us a fighting chance."

 Chapter 155 Plan

    Alex didn''t let himself get too excited about just how significant the Embassy''s benefits were. Having an entire extra town to upgrade and interface with ¡ª one that was situated in the Mirrorlands ¡ª was huge. But they still had a Region Boss level monster that was going to be showing up at their doorstop within a few days at the longest¡­ and their town didn''t even have walls. Still, it was a chance. That was a fair bit more than what they''d been working with before."We don''t have much more time to prepare before the Region Boss arrives, so we need to maximize our time as much as possible," Alex said. "Is there anything else we should know about the Mirrorlands version of the town?"


    Claire shook her head. "I don''t think so. Nothing that I''m aware of, at least."


    "Is this going to be enough?" Anna asked from within the crowd. She shifted nervously. "To beat the Region Boss? It sounds like a lot¡­ but the other cities I''ve seen have looked a lot better defended. Not that I''m complaining, of course. This is more than we ever could have hoped for. We''re all thankful for that. I¡ª"


    "It''s fine," Alex said through a chuckle. "There''s nothing wrong with not wanting to put up a good fight. Getting this far has been a lot of work. It would really suck if we just got squished the moment the fight with the boss started."


    "I think I''m a little more concerned about dying," Aaron said, clearing his throat. "I couldn''t care less how we win the fight."


    "We''ve all got our motivations," Alex said with a wave of his hand. "The honest gist of it is we''ve got a shot at winning this, but it definitely won''t come easily."


    "There''s a way for us to temporarily swap this town with one in another location," Claire added. "One with different buildings, including one that will obscure the town with mist while confusing monsters that try to get into it. It isn''t exactly a full defense, but it''ll make it a lot harder for the Region Boss to get too close."


    "Do we have a good way to actually damage it? If it''s even stronger than the Field Boss, it might have flight or something," Aaron said. "Couldn''t it fly out of range of the mist and blow us up from there?"


    "I mean, technically possible," Alex allowed. "The Region Boss is definitely going to be powerful, but I think that might be a bit of overestimation. The System isn''t going to throw enemies that can destroy entire towns at this point. A challenge like that isn''t surmountable. I''d expect its attacks to be blowing buildings up more than entire cities."


    "That¡­ somehow isn''t as reassuring as I was hoping it would be," Aaron said with a small frown. "Do we have a way to actually damage something like that?"


    Alex''s thoughts drifted to the weapons his newest ability upgrade had earned him, not to mention how much stronger all of his monsters had gotten in recent times. His lips twitched in a mixture of excitement and amusement.


    "Yeah, I''d say we''ve got a way to attack it. If I have enough time, I can take the monster out. Claire could probably do some serious damage as well. The bigger issue will be if we don''t get an opportunity to attack."


    "Either way, I don''t think it''s something we should waste energy worrying about right now," Claire said, pursing her lips and tapping a foot on the ground. "This isn''t the time for theory. It''s the time for action. Now that we''ve actually got a home base, we need to begin preparing again. Training in the Mirrorlands, setting up what battlements and defenses we can get, everything. That goes for Alex and I as well. The stronger we can get before the Region Boss arrives, the more chance that we minimize losses."


    "What should we do to help?" one of the campers asked. It was an elderly man, one of those who hadn''t been healthy enough to train in the Mirrorlands. "Anything would be better than just sitting around and waiting for the end. Should we collect wood to make stakes?"


    Claire smiled. "Well, if you''re asking¡­"


    ***


    A few minutes later, every spare set of hands in the camp was at work. Claire had everyone doing something, whether it was collecting resources or mapping out the area around them to have a better understanding of where people could be sent with the Warp Shifter.


    And, speaking of which, Alex and Claire had spent a fair amount of time grilling Rhyss over the abilities of the town buildings. The answers had been largely satisfactory but not particularly helpful and could be boiled down to the buildings are intuitive and will work.


    There was one major drawback that the advisor made them aware of. The buildings didn''t break the laws of reality. Everything still took energy, and the town was no exception to that. Since Alex didn''t have any proper energy-gathering sources such as the Black Gate, that power would have to come from the people operating the buildings¡­ and it wasn''t going to be an insignificant amount.


    With the relatively low level of strength the average person in the camp had, they would have to keep nearly five or six people aside just to operate the Warp Shifter properly during the fight. And, even doing that, it probably wouldn''t last more than ten or twenty minutes of constant uptime.


    That wasn''t the end of the world since many of the campers were nowhere near skilled enough to make a real difference in the fight, but it was just another potential problem they had to be aware of. If monsters actually managed to get into the town or injure the people working the buildings, everything would collapse. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But, like Claire had said, they couldn''t afford to just sit around theorizing. What mattered was that they had the beginnings of a strategy. None of them knew just how much time they had before the Region Boss'' full awakening. Alex could still feel that their fight was getting closer, but it was far from an exact science.


    He wasn''t about to waste a single second of time before then. While Alex wanted to get in all the training he could, there was one thing that he planned to do before anything else. Something that he''d been waiting so long for that a part of him wondered if it was even still possible.


    All the way back in Towntown, there was someone waiting for him. A merchant by the name of Finley, and Alex''s last trick to cash in. He was sitting on 80 credits. Credits that Finley desperately needed.


    If the merchant was still there, Alex was confident he could get some huge benefits for the town that would give them the final edge they needed. There wasn''t going to be anything he could buy that could guarantee a win, but every single thing helped.


    He just had to figure out how to actually get back to Finley.


    Continue your adventure with My Virtual Library Empire


    "Where," Alex asked Rhyss, glancing around with a furrowed brow. "Is our Starstone thing? Aren''t we supposed to have a way to teleport to the other towns and the like?"


    "That doesn''t come for free," Rhyss said. "Any towns that are built after Initialization need to create it themselves."


    You have to be fucking kidding me. I mean, I guess that makes sense. It would be weird if we just randomly got a building popping into existence without doing anything for it, but still. Seriously?


    "And how do we do that? Do we have to use a Boon to make every single building?"


    "No, of course not. You need an engineer," Rhyss said with a shake of his head. His lone eye blinked. "Someone whose Class is focused on creating magical structures. Gaining access to the Astral Map isn''t actually too¡ª"


    "Astral map?" Alex interrupted. "What''s that?"


    "What you think of teleportation is actually using an invisible set of energy leylines that flow through the world. The more magical power in a location, the more energy is pulled to that direction and the easier it is to establish a connection with the rest of the network. There are obviously exceptions, such as locations with intentional defenses, but you get the gist of it. Starstones are objects that have immense energy stored within them. They almost instantly connect to the Astral Map."


    "I see," Alex said with a frown. "So if we could get one of those, we could teleport to Towntown?"


    "Starstones can only connect to the closest major point on their own. I suspect Towntown is a minor town rather than a Hub city, so no. But if you were to make a building that harnessed a Starstone or a different power source to access the Astral Map, then yes. You would be able to establish a two-way connection to this location."


    "What else would work as a power source?" Claire asked. "And do you know where we could get one?"


    Rhyss chuckled. "No. My assistance is limited entirely to buildings and advice directly related to the town. I cannot answer all of your questions, but energy sources are energy sources. Anything that gathers power would hypothetically function as a source. You would need a suitable individual to create the building once you had the source as well."


    "I don''t suppose anyone in the town is an Engineer?" Alex asked.


    Claire shook her head. "I already asked around. All combat classes or things like baking."


    "We have a baker?" Alex''s eyes lit up. "Fresh baked bread. That sounds fucking incredible. Can we¡ª"


    "And no bakery. He can''t do anything right now."


    "Figures," Alex grumbled. "But if we survive this shit, the first building I''m having constructed after the fight is a bakery. I want bread."


    "If you want bread, then you better think of what might work as a power source and who can build that building for us," Claire said, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Because I''m stumped. Maybe we could grow magical plants strong enough to use as fuel?"


    "Would still need someone to build the thing, and that''ll definitely take too long," Alex said with a shake of his head. "We need something now. Something that already exists. You know, we could always try to go through Valley Ford. We could sneak in and use their Starstone."


    "Not a bad idea, but it means we''d have to teleport back to Valley Ford as well," Claire pointed out. "That would be pretty dangerous. Invictus knows what we look like. Even if most people think we''re dead, the chances of getting caught are pretty high¡­ and I don''t think we want to try to fight Invictus inside his town. Getting into it wouldn''t be too hard, but actually using the Starstone would bring a lot more attention onto us."


    "True," Alex agreed with a frown. They would definitely lose if they tried to go up against Invictus when he could use Valley Ford''s powers against them. He''d seen what the town''s water attacks could do to an entire horde of monsters.


    Something tickled the back of his mind. A thoughtful look crossed over his features.


    "What is it?" Claire asked. "Do you have an idea?"


    "Well, we could probably try to recruit an engineer from Valley Ford. That means we just have to find a power source, right?"


    Claire nodded.


    "What about that big silver thing in the Mirrorlands?"


    The Dhampir''s eyes widened. "The Disruptor? But where are we¡­ oh, bleed me. You want to steal Valley Ford''s Disruptor from the Mirrorlands?"


    "I mean, it looks like a giant spaceship. Surely it''s got some form of power source¡­ and it isn''t like there''s anyone in the Mirrorlands to protect it. We can even get some training in by fighting monsters on the way over to it. Win-win."


    Claire started to laugh. "That seems like a fair point. The Disruptor definitely has energy of some sort. Stealing right from the Great Tide Family after yanking the Town Token out from under their noses¡­ now that sounds fun. But isn''t Valley Ford a bit of a trip?"


    "It is the normal way," Alex confirmed with a nod. "But distance isn''t exactly one to one in the Mirrorlands. The only things that get fully reflected over are high-magic areas. I''ve never actually measured, but I''m sure that means we should be able to cover ground faster there."


    "Or slower, if something else showed up between us."


    "Or that," Alex admitted. "Only one way to find out. It''s not like we have another way to get an engineer or a power source right now. If it takes too long, we can just turn back and we''ll at least have gotten some training from fighting monsters along the way."


    Claire pondered over his words for a few moment before slowly starting to nod.


    Rhyss said nothing. Either he didn''t know enough about what they were talking about or their topic wasn''t close enough to the town. It didn''t matter. They had a plan.


    Alex and Claire exchanged a grin.


    "Let''s do it."

 Chapter 156 Insist

    "You want me to watch over the town?" Orchid asked, her eyes going wide as she looked from Alex to Claire. "Why?""Because you''re the strongest person here," Claire replied simply. "And that isn''t even counting your position as an Offworlder. Nobody here has any idea of what''s going on other than you."


    "There are other Offworlders in the camp," Orchid pointed out.


    "And they''re barely any less fresh than the humans," Claire countered. "They wouldn''t have the slightest idea as to what to do if things go wrong. You do. Do you have an issue with the request?"


    Orchid''s eyes flicked to Alex and she grimaced. It was clear she didn''t want to accidentally offend the young master of the Starfallen family by refusing his offer, but she definitely wasn''t keen to take the opportunity. "I wouldn''t say I have an issue. It''s just¡­" Your next chapter is on My Virtual Library Empire


    "Just what?" Claire raised an eyebrow.


    Alex, as he much preferred to do in situations like this, remained silent. There was some sort of invisible fight going down between Claire and Orchid. He didn''t want any part in it. Tricking a bunch of Outworlders and stealing their toy had been fun. But this was solidly in Claire''s domain. He didn''t want to fumble her efforts and reveal more than they wanted to.


    "Responsibility tends to come with more drawbacks than rewards," Orchid said finally. "And, if I''m completely honest with you, my family can''t afford any more failures. We''re in dire straits. If the Region Boss wakes up while you''re gone and wipes out the town, I don''t want to be the one whose shoulders the blame falls on."


    That''s a fair request. It would be ridiculous for anyone to expect Orchid to defend the town when its owner isn''t even here. Would the Starfallen family really have held her accountable for something that out of her control?


    "We aren''t expecting that. It would be ridiculous," Claire said with a roll of her eyes. "I''m talking about normal threats. Just keep the babies from running themselves through. Make sure they continue training. Every minute counts. The more energy they can amass before the Region Boss pops up, the better."


    Orchid pondered Claire''s words for a moment before inclining her head. Her hands tightened around the gnarled wood of the staff she''d taken from the Mirrorlands. "I will do what I can. My power is still far from where it should be, but it will continue to improve as I strengthen the bond between myself and my new staff. That should be sufficient. But most of the training is done in the Mirrorlands."


    "There are monsters here. It won''t be as effective as the Mirrorlands, but training is training. They can always do what Alex did."


    Orchid glanced over to him again. "And what would that be?" Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Make the fights intentionally harder," Alex said. "Monsters have a total amount of energy in them. You can''t make it from nothing. But the amount of that energy you get versus what dissipates depends on challenge. So if you stomp a monster easily, you won''t get as much of its energy than if you really struggled."


    "How in the world would you make a fight harder, though? Get the attention of more monsters?"


    "That''s one way," Alex said with a nod. "Or you could tie a hand behind your back. Some form of serious disadvantage that forces you to perform even better than normal. It''s not the most efficient manner to get stronger, but I''ve used it. It works in a pinch. Also makes sure you''re really pushing yourself."


    "You tied your hand behind your back while fighting an enemy just to squeeze a little more reward out of it?" Orchid''s eye twitched. "The Starfallen family employs some very interesting strategies. I will pass these along."


    "Just hold for around a day. Probably less," Claire said as Orchid started to walk off. "We''ll be back before then."


    The other woman just nodded. Her attention was already focused on a group of campers that were gathering large sticks in the center of the clearing. Alex noted that Aaron and May were amongst their number.


    "Orchid''s definitely taken a liking to them," Claire observed.


    "Particularly May," Alex said with a nod. "Good for her. She''s a good teacher."


    "An effective one. Good is debatable," Claire corrected with a twitch of a smile. "But no point worrying about it now. We''ve got an engineer to recruit and a power source to steal. Not necessarily in that order. Might be smarter to grab the power source and then split."


    "Why? There''s a pretty good chance that messing with the Disruptor will end up putting the Great Tide family on guard, isn''t there? Going into Valley Ford would be easier if we do it before taking anything."


    "You''re definitely right about that," Claire agreed. "But we also won''t have any leverage if we just stride into the town now. Think about it. If you''ve got a class that lets you make magical buildings, where would you want to be?"


    "Somewhere with resources," Alex said immediately, catching onto her train of thought. "Because the class probably doesn''t lend itself all that well to fighting. So you''d probably want to stay in a city. One that could fund your stuff."


    "And you probably aren''t going to be willing to go off with two random people unless they give you a whole lot of proof that they have a town that''s better than the one you''re in. I''d imagine someone who can make town buildings would be in high demand," Claire said with a nod. "Thus, we need to prove that we are the superior choice over Valley Ford¡­ and we don''t want a coward. They''ll betray us at the first opportunity."


    "You''re right. What we need is someone stupid enough to take a risk on us, but bold enough to actually stick with it when we prove it''s worth their while. Having the thing that the Great Tide is looking for will definitely prove our money is where our mouth is. We''ll just have to make sure we don''t get caught."


    "Nothing good ever comes easy."


    "You don''t have to tell that to me," Alex said with a grin. He reached for the magic within himself and activated Riftsense to point himself toward the nearest portal back into the Mirrorlands. "Let''s get to it then, shall we? I''ve got something I want to show you in the Mirrorlands."


    "You do?" Claire blinked. "What is it?"


    "Just a fun new ability. Nothing too crazy. If we''re lucky, dropping through the portal will call a Riftwarped monster to us."


    ***


    A whirring roar cut through the Mirrorlands as the peaceful, rolling hills of blue grass were splattered with ichor and viscera. Alex''s chainsword bucked and jerked in his hands as it dug through the body of the Riftwarped Fleshcutter ¡ª a seven foot tall preying mantis monster with a malformed head and massive scythes for arms.


    His weapon tore through the bottom of the monster, having completed its path from its head all the way down through its abdomen, and the two halves of the creature split apart to crash down on either side of him.


    Sweat dripped from Alex''s forehead as he straightened and turned back to Claire. The black sword in his hand continued to rumble hungrily, the sharp centipede legs twitching as their whirring slowed.


    "Well that''s certainly a weapon. A very effective one," Claire said, staring at the desecrated body on the ground. Blood pooled around the remains of the monster and dripped from the legs of the sword in Alex''s hands. She licked her lips. "Kind of disturbing, actually. And also¡­ never mind, actually. We''ll leave it at that."


    Now I really want to know what she was about to say.


    I will admit that the chainsword is a little messy." Alex glanced down at himself and cleared his throat. "Not exactly a very polite weapon."


    "You have a name for it, but there are no chains in the chainsword. Why?"


    "I guess the System didn''t have an equivalent name to translate to in your language. I named it after something on Earth," Alex said. "A chainsaw. It''s¡­ er, a tool. One that has little blades on it that move really fast so it can cut through trees easily. Lots of movies here show people brutally killing each other with it."


    Claire studied Alex for a second. "You watched this for recreation? Just for fun?"


    "You literally participate in a giant killing game."


    "That is to rule. This is for enjoyment. No wonder you turned out like this. I think I am going to need to learn more about your culture at some point."


    She almost sounded impressed. Alex wasn''t sure if that was a good thing.


    "The movies are just for fun," he said with a shrug. "Nobody actually kills each other with chainsaws in real life. Well¡­ usually. I''m sure it''s happened a few times. But that''s not the point."


    "I don''t think the word movie is translating properly either," Claire said. Her brow furrowed for a moment. "You will have to try to show me at some point. I want to see a movie."


    "Noted. I''ll keep an eye out," Alex said, wondering if introducing a blood drinking Dhampir to slasher movies was a smart idea or not. He scooped the Riftwarped monster''s Soul Flame up and deposited it into his mirror.


    Killing it had given him a decent bit of energy. Nothing crazy, but it wasn''t anything to scoff at either. Every single bit would help in the coming days, and he could use the soul to help push one of his monsters closer to evolution.


    "I will hold you to that," Claire said. She turned, looking in the direction of Valley Ford''s Mirrorlands reflection. "Shall we get to the main event? There are a number of other monsters to test that thing out on. We don''t want to waste time."


    "We don''t have to use it for everything. I just wanted to show¡ª"


    "Oh, no." Claire''s eyes sparkled as a grin pulled across her lips. "I insist."


    Alex swallowed.


    Ah, shit. I think I''ve heavily misread the situation. I thought she was a little uneasy with how brutal the chainsword is given how elegant her normal fighting style is¡­ but it might be the dead opposite. She likes this thing a bit too much.


    I may have made a mistake.

 Chapter 157 No more talk

    Alex and Claire advanced through the Mirrorlands in the direction of Valley Ford''s reflection. Even though monsters tended not to show up too often away from concentrated areas of magic such as cities, they didn''t have any shortage of enemies.The chainsword was fantastic at a lot of things. Stealth was not one of them. The weapon seemed to have two prime directives. The first was to rip through everything in its path, and the second was to do its damn best to get the attention of everything within shouting distance. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That actually turned out to be a bit of a blessing in disguise. At least, it was for the time being. Alex had some decent experience fighting at this point, but he''d only rarely actually gotten up close enough to use a melee weapon very effectively.


    Sure, he''d occasionally used Claire''s sword, but only as an extension for Glint''s glass shard magic. He was by no means a swordsman.


    Claire had taken this trip as an opportunity to fix that. Alex hadn''t been too optimistic about his chances of learning much at the start. The elegant fighting style of a Dhampir didn''t seem like they would even slightly mesh with the brutal, violent, techniques that felt like they would work well with a makeshift chainsaw.


    He was pleasantly surprised to be completely wrong. As it turned out, Claire knew how to fight with more than one kind of weapon. The Dhampirs trained their young to do combat with a wide variety of weapons. And, while they didn''t have any chainsaws, that didn''t seem to stop Claire from quickly picking up a few dozen ideas on how he could improve.


    What should have just been a trip through the Mirrorlands ended up being a surprise learning experience. Claire and Alex alternated their fights. Whenever it was Alex''s turn, the Dhampir called out suggestions and corrections every time he made a misstep in her eyes ¡ª which, even though he won the fights handily ¡ª turned out to be quite often.


    "Your feet," Claire insisted as she walked up to join Alex, who stood over the corpse of a particularly unfortunate bug monster that had accosted them near the edge of the forest. "You fight with your feet. Not your arms."


    "I don''t swing my chainsword with my feet. I use my arms."


    "And that''s the problem!" Claire exclaimed, poking him in the chest with a sharp fingernail. "You shouldn''t use your arms. You should use your whole body. Focus on the arms and everything else becomes an opening. A swordsman does not only use their arms. They use everything. That starts with the feet."


    Alex scrunched his nose in annoyance. "I know, I know. It''s just difficult to remember everything."


    "Nobody learns sword work in a bleedin'' day," Claire said, flicking him in the forehead before turning and starting back off. "It takes years and years of practice. I''m trying to squish that all down as much as possible."


    Alex followed after her. "Well, for what it''s worth, I appreciate it. Even if I''m not getting any better."


    "You are," Claire said. "Quite quickly, actually."


    "I am?"


    "Don''t get too excited. If you were a prodigy, I''d have said that. You''d probably lose a swordfight to a 5 year old Dhampir. You''re just going from utterly abhorrent to eventually having potential. I doubt you''ll get anywhere insane anytime soon."


    "Hey, baby steps. Getting better is getting better, right?"


    "Definitely," Claire agreed. She gave him a dangerous smile. "So get back to it. There''s still a ways to go before we make it to Valley Ford and have to start getting more serious with the monsters. Most of the things out here aren''t really that dangerous, but we can''t play around when we get near the Disruptor."


    They exchanged a serious nod and set back off without any more delay. There was a lot of ground to cover, monsters to kill, and an Outworlder town to rob before they could let themselves slack off for too long.


    ***


    Time slipped by quickly. It was difficult to keep track of exactly how much of it passed while they continued on through the Mirrorlands. He couldn''t tell if the weariness setting in on his shoulders was from the long trip or the constant combat.


    There was no way for him to know if the Region Boss had arrived yet. He couldn''t sense its awakening when he was here, so all he could do was press on and hope that they would return fast enough.


    Sometime after they''d left the twisted forest that marked their town''s location in the Mirrorlands and continued on through the rolling hills and deserts, the warped walls of a city rose in the distance.


    They''d arrived at Valley Ford.


    "It definitely hasn''t been a few days. It''s been one at most," Claire said, raising a hand to her face to block the twisting red and purple light pounding down through the twisting streams of mist far above them. "I think you were right."


    "How do you know? I can''t keep track of time here." Alex asked. "Were you counting the minutes or something?"


    "Blood," Claire replied as the two of them started back off toward Valley Ford''s walls. "I''d be really feeling the burn if I hadn''t had a chance to eat for several days. That goes doubly so considering we''ve been fighting most of the trip. Not against anything all that strong, but it''s still been enough that I''d be really worn out if that much time had passed."


    "Convenient. Dhampirs come with a built-in clock."


    "And humans come in with a built-in snack."


    Alex grimaced. He was pretty sure she''d gotten the better of him there. Both of them fell silent as they grew closer to the city and the massive, twisted white trees that sprawled throughout it.


    He summoned his monsters, who had all long since recovered in the Spatial Mirrors, and the group traveled down familiar streets. Monsters occasionally tried attacking, but the majority of the ones that lived in this area were smart enough to avoid trying their hand against them.


    Alex and Claire paused as they passed by a hollowed-out white trunk. Twisting within it was a green portal. It had a certain pull to it, almost as if it were trying to drag Alex into its depths.


    He hadn''t forgotten what laid beyond the portal. The Cracked Steps. He''d met a member of the Empty Court within them. That was probably the only reason he and Claire had actually survived. If he''d run into anything else in the odd dungeon ¡ª or whatever it was classified as ¡ª he was pretty sure they''d have been dead.


    They hadn''t been anywhere near ready to challenge it at the time. Even now, Alex was pretty sure they didn''t stand so much as a flicker o fa chance. Zeal had said he''d suppressed his strength all the way down to the Adept stage.


    I''m not going back in here until I get a Domain¡­ or at least, a partial one. But I''m definitely coming back. This is clearly an incredible location to train. I don''t know why it''s just randomly sitting in the middle of Valley Ford, but I won''t complain. It''s not like the Offworlders can do anything to stop me from getting in here. They can''t even get into the Mirrorlands.


    "You better not be thinking about going in," Claire warned Alex, grabbing his wrist and sending him a pointed look. "We don''t have time."


    "Do you really think I''m that impulsive?"


    Claire arched an eyebrow.


    He coughed into his other hand. "Okay. Fair enough. I''m not that insane, though. After all the damn effort we put into getting the town, there''s no way I''m just going to get distracted while it''s in imminent danger of getting smushed."


    "Doesn''t hurt to make sure," Claire said.


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    They continued past the hollow tree trunk. The Disruptor wasn''t far, now. The silver ship was perched at the top of the massive white tree looming above them, the purple, flesh-like substance showing through the cracks its metallic exterior pulsating.


    "What part of the Disruptor do you think we''ll need to take?" Alex asked. "I mean¡­ it''s huge."


    "You didn''t have one in mind?"


    "I was kind of hoping you knew something about them and just couldn''t say because of your Trial thing."


    Claire''s nose scrunched and she shook her head. "Not enough to know the engineering of how one of those things is made or what bit is its power source¡­ but it probably won''t be that hard to guess. We''ll just have to rip it apart until we find something that looks powerful."


    "Very precise. Were you a caveman in a past life?"


    "Do you have a better idea?"


    Alex scratched the back of his head. "How strong are you?"


    "You think I could pick the whole bleedin'' ship up?" Claire''s eyes widened. "I''m flattered."


    "I didn''t say that."


    "You implied it."


    "Does that mean you can''t?"


    "Definitely not," Claire said with a small laugh.


    "Then I guess we''ll be cavemen. A better question might be what to do after. Once we rip the Disruptor up, we''ll have to hop back into 274-50 and get into Valley Ford as soon as possible. Then¡­ what? We just run around asking if anyone knows an engineer? That''ll have Invictus breathing down our backs in no time."


    "Going with a decoy is probably the best strategy," Claire said. "If you run off and distract Invictus, I should be able to locate someone easily enough. Trust me on that."


    Alex nearly asked how before he saw the look in Claire''s eyes. This had something to do with her class ¡ª which meant she couldn''t say anything else without risking getting strangled.


    Goddamn it. I really hate this stupid Trial. I hope she manages to finish it sometime soon. I want to know just how strong she actually is.


    "I''m with you," Alex said with an annoyed but understanding nod. His thoughts were already drifting once more. It was hard to think about much else with the massive tree looming above him. A mixture of trepidation and excitement prickled within him.


    Before them rose a massive tree. They''d arrived at its base. And, within its branches far above, surrounded by crackling purple fissures, was the Disruptor.


    Alex licked his lips and quickly drew on Riftsense. Energy slithered across the ground, but it didn''t have to travel far. There was a portal out of the Mirrorlands close to them.


    "You realize this is definitely going to be a shitshow, right?" Claire asked.


    "Oh, absolutely. Have our escape route planned already."


    "And you know there''s definitely going to be something guarding the Disruptor? I doubt the noble families would put something this important in the Mirrorlands without some form of insurance."


    "I''m counting on it."


    Claire snorted. Then she cracked her neck and drew her sword. "Figured. Just thought I''d ask. No more talk. Let''s do this."

 Chapter 158 The ship

    The start of the ascent went surprisingly well. Alex had half-expected the entire enormous tree to come alive the moment he and Claire set foot in its gnarled, white bark. He''d been prepared to jump right into a fight as everything came alive around him.Instead, nothing had happened. Their feet had landed on solid, if old, wood. And that was it. A part of Alex wondered if the tree being white meant it had died and withered away somehow, but he wasn''t optimistic enough to pin his hopes on that.


    He and Claire made their way up the massive trunk. It wasn''t particularly difficult. They used the huge growths and sprawling branches that jutted from the center trunk to ascend toward the Disruptor far above them.


    Both of them kept their eyes out for monsters on the way up. None showed themselves. The strange lack of enemies within the area around the Disruptor never failed to set Alex''s hair on end. Somehow, the Mirrorlands not trying to kill him was more unsettling than when it was.


    He could tell that Claire was just as on edge as he was. Her jaw was clenched and her movements were jerky and sharp. Having an actual enemy to fight was much more preferrable to wondering what it was the System had in store for them.


    But wondering was all they could do. Wondering ¡ª and climbing. And so that was what they did.


    And before long, they stood before the Disruptor.


    Coils of purplish-red mist passed by his body like fingers trailing through water, caressing his back on their journey through the sky. Far below him, the ground seemed to sway. The only thing between him and it was the large branch he stood on now.


    He swallowed as he stared at the Disruptor, adrenaline making his heart pound like a hammering smith. The metallic ship far larger than Alex had initially thought. It stood somewhere around fifty feet high, looming far above him.


    A faint whine emitted from it, interrupted by rhythmic squelching thumps that arrived in conjunction with the undulating purple flesh within the Disruptor''s core. The very ship seemed to be breathing.


    "Gods, talk about gross," Claire said. She shifted her weight from foot to foot. "I don''t even know where to start. It''s huge."


    "Just start ripping at it, I guess," Alex said. "I''d guess that the power source is probably at the top. Or at the bottom. Or in the middle. One of the three.


    "Very helpful," Claire said dryly. She craned her neck back to squint up to the very top of the Great Tide''s Disruptor. Alex followed her gaze. It wasn''t very useful. The family hadn''t been kind enough to print a schematic or a giant red target identifying the ships heart anywhere on its surface. After a few more seconds, the Dhampir heaved a sigh. "Shit. I think you''re right. I''m just going to have to start digging at it. You ready?"


    Alex re-summoned all of his monsters, having dismissed them for the climb. Glint, Spark, and Princess all emerged around him and silently waited a command ¡ª or an enemy.


    "At this point, I''m going to pop from the anticipation. I''m as ready as I''ll ever be."


    "Just make sure you don''t get knocked off the tree," Claire warned as she approached the base of the Disruptor. "Because, Mind Palace or no, you aren''t going to heal from a fall at this height."


    "Noted. You too."


    "I have wings."


    "It was about the sentiment."


    Claire snorted. She reared back, taking aim at the exposed mass of pulsating purple flesh within the Disruptor''s silvery armor. Then she drove her blade straight into it. The sword sank all the way down to the hilt, carving deep into its target without resistance.


    A wall of pressure slammed into Alex''s chest like a hammer as a scream tore through the Mirrorlands. His eardrums ruptured in an instant as he was hurled off his feet, thrown from the branch like a discarded doll.


    Spark blurred, leaping from the tree after him. The Knight Wraith slammed into Alex and wrapped his arms around him. There was a sharp jerk in Alex''s stomach and he felt the world shift around him.


    His feet landed back on the white bark and he staggered, heart slamming even more furiously in his chest. Glint and Princess had both been hurled from where they stood as well and were well on their way toward the ground.


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    With a thought, Alex dismissed them. Canceling his summons was far too slow to let him use it to let his monsters dodge direct attacks, but they definitely weren''t going to be falling to their deaths anytime soon.


    Alex didn''t waste time watching them return to the Spatial Mirrors. His gaze was transfixed on the Disruptor.


    The silver ship wasn''t a ship anymore.


    Its top had split open, thick triangles of metal peeling back like the petals of a blooming flower to reveal a pulsating pillar about the size of a man. A bulb at its very top burned with brilliant purple light. Crackles of Rift energy hissed and popped around the orb as miniature portals ripped open.


    Strands of energy extended from the portals, reaching out to each other and snapping together with buzzing cracks. Two of the portals lurched together, droplets of water flowing through the canvas of the misty sky. Then another joined. And another, and another.


    Within moments, the portals had all merged together to form a massive disk burning in the air above the bright tip of the Disruptor. Pressure rolled out from within the portal. It bore down on Alex''s shoulders, trying to force him to his knees.


    Claire ripped her sword free of the purple flesh and took a step back, lowering into a fighting stance as she fought to keep from stumbling. Then she reared back and drove the sword back into the Disruptor''s side.


    Another scream ripped through the Mirrorlands. But, this time, Alex was ready for it. He grabbed onto Princess, who braced him with one hand while digging her other into the branch of the tree beneath them.


    The wave of pressure that exploded from the Disruptor slammed into them, but it failed to knock anyone from their spot.


    But they had far bigger problems than that.


    The portal buzzed with increased intensity. A miniature storm roiled within its murky surface, streaks of lightning carving across the face of the purple disk in slow motion. And then, from within the portal, the point of a sword emerged.


    Alex and his monsters all readied themselves. It seemed that the Disruptor''s reinforcements were arriving. He couldn''t exactly attack a sword, but the moment he saw the hand holding it, they would strike.


    The sword, made from a black slab of obsidian lined with brilliant purple crystal that had been sharpened to a razor edge, sliced down from the portal and slammed into the trunk with a loud crunch.


    And Alex stared at it in confusion. The portal snapped shut an instant later, confusing him even further.


    There was no hand around the hilt of the sword. It was just a sword, devoid of an owner.


    "What the hell?" Alex asked. "Did they fuck something up?"


    A loud crack split through the air. It was followed by several more in rapid succession. The metal around the flesh that Claire had stabbed split ¡ª but not from damage. Perfectly straight lines appeared within the sleek silver surface of the Disruptor.


    She took a step back, raising her sword before her.


    Segments of the Disruptor shifted out of the way with a hiss, revealing a compartment of purple flesh hidden in the ship. A hiss of steam burst from within the chamber. It thumped, illuminated for a brief instant by crackles of pink lightning racing within it.


    There was a man seated in the center of the chamber. Tubes dangled from his body, running from him to the walls of the ship.


    He shifted. Rose to his feet, nothing more than a shadow in the pulsing purple prison. Another arc of pink light passed through the chamber as a second hiss echoed out. The tubes split away, squelched against the walls, splattered to the ground.


    "I''ll deal with this!" Alex hissed to Claire. "Time, remember? The orb thing at the top is definitely the power source. Grab it while I distract whoever this¡ª"


    Lines raced up the sides of the Disruptor. Segments of metal split apart, transforming into segmented metal limbs that ended in wicked-looking blades. Claire''s lips thinned.


    "Shit."


    "Deal with the ship. I''ll get the guy," Alex said.


    "You sure? The ship seems a whole lot scarier. Probably more up your¡­"


    Claire trailed off as the man took a lumbering step out of the shadowed chamber and into the red-purple light of the Mirrorlands. The man was huge. He stood at easily twelve feet tall, but Alex barely even noticed his height for more than a brief moment.


    They''d been wrong. The man hadn''t been wearing armor. His body was the armor. Or at least, it was part of it. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thick metal rods ran throughout the man''s body, impaling him and connecting him to the metal shell surrounding his body. Parts of his flesh had been melted; grafted right into the metal itself. Purple liquid dribbled down the man''s metal armor and across the spikes that ran from it into his flesh.


    The only un-damaged part of his body was his face. It was completely hairless, shaved as smooth as that of a baby. His eyelids fluttered as if in sleep as he took another lumbering step forward.


    Bark cracked beneath his heavy sabaton and he extended a hand. It slammed down on the hilt of the sword, fingers stiff.


    Then man''s eyes snapped open. They burned a brilliant purple, like two miniature suns had been trapped within his skull.


    There were several loud pops as stitching that Alex hadn''t even noticed popped and tore around the man''s lips. They pulled apart to allow a deluge of purple fluid to pour out from his mouth and splatter across his warped chest.


    Loud crunches echoed out from the man''s metal fingers as they ground to a close around the hilt of the sword embedded in the tree. Purple liquid dripped down the blade''s surface and sizzled against the metal with a loud hiss.


    "Have I not served penitence enough?" the man whispered. His burning eyes focused on Alex. "If I kill you, will it end?"


    "You know what?" Claire asked, swallowing. "I''ll take the ship."

 Chapter 159 How hard

    Alex didn''t waste any time on words. He was already sending mental commands to his monsters and taking a step back, making sure Princess was between him and the lumbering monster of a man that had just emerged from the Disruptor."Who are you?" Alex asked. "What happened to you?"


    The questions were far more to buy time and keep the behemoth''s attention away from Claire than they were to actually get any information. Something told Alex that the tortured man-metal amalgamation before him wasn''t about to sit down and have a long chat over a cup of tea.


    A grating screech marked his thoughts correct as the man dragged his massive sword across the ground and lifted it into the air before him. Metal ground and bones popped as he lowered himself into a fighting position.


    The purple fluid dripping from his lips and joints sizzled as it splattered against the ground, eating into the bleached white wood of the huge tree branch they stood on.


    Great. He''s got acid blood. Even better.


    Burning light lit within the man''s body as the machinery encasing him like a metal coffin started to whir. Neon pink energy pumped through tubing and illuminated it from within as a huge piston on the man''s back let out a whump.


    His veins bulged as they were pumped full of whatever liquid it was that filled his suit. The air above his head shimmered as the System finally seemed to remember that it had a purpose beyond fucking with the people under its domain.


    Vaxon, Living Revenant (Adept 5)


    "Oh," Alex said intelligently. "Fuck."


    Vaxon blurred. An enormous crack echoed out through the still air as the branch beneath his feet shattered from the force of his movement. His sword carved through the air in a streak. The huge man was terrifyingly fast, but Princess was already in position.


    She lurched forward and slammed herself into Vaxon, driving her huge hands into his shoulders like a sumo wrestler trying to throw his opponent from the ring. Vaxon''s massive sword continued on its path, carving deep into Princess'' sludgy body. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Strands of black goop reached up from the severed portion of her torso, reconnecting to the rest of Princess even as she pushed Vaxon a step back, her grip on his metal body tightening.


    Vaxon lifted his free hand before his fleshy face, protecting it as the undulating centipede arms on Princess'' back streaked out. They slammed into his armor and screeched against it harmlessly.


    Spark and Glint both burst into motion. A shadow rose up from the ground before the Knight Wraith as he loped forward on all four limbs, forming a perfect clone of him that split away to search for an opening.


    The Glasmir chose a considerably more direct opening. He leapt straight over Princess, vaulting through the air like an acrobat and aiming to dig his razor-sharp claws straight into Vaxon''s fleshy face while he recovered from Princess'' attack.


    Vaxon shifted his weight to the side, slamming Princess'' massive body to the branch like she was nothing more than a child. Sludge splattered across the white wood and the entire thing trembled from the force of the strike.


    In the same motion, the man reached out and grabbed Glint from the air with an armored hand, whipping the Glasmir to the side and sending him hurtling out into the open air. The motion had been so fast that Alex had barely even had a moment to process what had happened before he saw his monster doing its best swan dive impression toward the ground below.


    From the corner of his eye, he spotted Claire dart past them and toward the Disruptor. Its guardian was distracted beating the shit out of Alex''s team ¡ª and that was probably their best chance to actually get away with this.


    There''s no chance we can beat this guy. He hasn''t even activated his domain yet and he''s already manhandling my team. But we don''t need to beat him. As long as I can keep his attention and hold him off until Claire manages to rip the power source from the Disruptor, we can make a run for it and claim victory.


    Vaxon straightened, something within his body making a horrible grinding noise as his neck turned so his gaze could be directed straight at Alex once more. He lifted his massive sword, stepping over Princess'' fallen body ¡ª


    Alex cast Rift Flood.


    Power exploded through Princess'' body. Deep purple lit within the veins buried deep within her sludgy form. She exploded up from the ground in strands of goop, entangling his armor and binding around him as tightly as she could.


    Spark and his shadow both took that opportunity to charge, simultaneously lunging at the openings in Vaxon''s armor without a sound.


    The huge man twisted his body, ripping through Princess'' grip like it was nothing but strands of painter''s tape. He swung his sword in a broad arc, carving through Spark''s shadow and sending it hurtling right for the real monster.


    Spark swapped positions with his severed shadow a mere instant before the blade connected with him. It passed by him harmlessly and his claws dug into Vaxon''s flesh, ripping deep furrows across the man''s neck and shoulder.


    Yes!


    Purple fluid exploded out from the wound in a geyser. It splattered across Spark, who staggered back, his armored form melting away like snow in the desert. The elation in Alex''s eyes evaporated in an instant as he watched his monster disintegrate before him.


    Within a second, the only part of Spark that remained was his warped lower half. Everything that had been touched by the acidic blood had been completely consumed ¡ª and even his lower half faded a moment later, transforming into a streak of energy that flew back into Alex.


    Vaxon continued toward him without missing a step. He barely even seemed to notice the weeping cut on his neck. Princess pulled herself together once more and threw her body into Vaxon, attempting to shove the man off the branch fruitlessly.


    It was like watching a toddler trying to push over a fully grown man. If the Drudge had a bit of momentum she may have had a chance, but at the range she was at, her strength was nothing compared to him.


    Vaxon didn''t even look back. The piston on his back just raised and fell a second time. There was a deep whump and a wave of pressure exploded out from him. Alex staggered back, barely managing to keep his balance.


    Princess, who was directly on top of him, tanked the full brunt of the force. Her body was ripped to shreds and sent flying through the air in a black rain, plummeting to the ground far below. Fragments of her ceramic mask spun through the air along with the sludge. It had been shattered just from the sheer intensity of the shockwave.


    Power rushed into Alex as Princess joined the ranks of the dead. He was already calling Glint back to the fight, pumping the summons full of Riftwarped Qi. There would be no saving power in this fight. The moment he didn''t go all out, he was ¡ª


    Vaxon was in front of him.


    Alex hurled himself to the side, diving under the larger man''s left arm to avoid the spraying acid to the right. He hit the white wood in a rough roll and shoved himself to his feet, still running even as he heard the sound of shattering glass ring through the air behind him.


    He threw a glance over his shoulder, only to find a blur of gray filling his vision.


    Oh, shit¡ª


    He split straight down the center. The sword slammed into the ground at his feet, digging deep into the branch.


    Pain didn''t even get a chance to process. Alex''s brain had been the first thing to go. The two halves of his body split apart, peeling like a banana.


    They never hit the ground.


    Strands of black sludge shot out from them, connecting and yanking his body back together with a wet squelch. A wave of exhaustion slammed into Alex like a physical blow and bile bubbled in his stomach. His reserves of magical energy had practically evaporated all at once to let him survive the attack. There was almost nothing left, now.


    The mildest flicker of surprise passed over Vaxon''s features. It was probably the only reason the man didn''t just yank his sword straight up and kill Alex again for the second time.


    But, whatever the reason, it gave Alex the split instant he needed to force his limbs into motion. He threw himself back to put as much distance between himself as Vaxon as he could.


    A brilliant, ringing chime rang through the air as Glint fully emerged from the portal ¡ª but the Glasmir hadn''t returned as he had been. Polished silver plates covered Glint''s body in sleek armor and his wing elongated into a flowing cloak.


    He blurred forward, dancing through the air. His cloak trailed behind him like a mesmerizing silver river. Glint closed the distance between himself and Vaxon within moments.


    For the first time, the large man turned away from Alex. He raised his sword before him an instant before Glint''s cloak slammed into it with a ringing clang. The cloak screeched along the blade, wrapping around Vaxon like a coiling snake.


    Then Glint jerked it back. It tightened in an instant, digging deep into Vaxon''s armor on its way back to him. The large man staggered as he was pulled off balance. It wasn''t a significant amount of damage, amounting to little more than a deep scratch, but it was enough.


    His attention shifted for the first time. The man''s gaze turned to Glint as he raised his sword once more. A whump filled the air, followed by another. And another. And another. Pink fluid pumped through his body as the piston on his back started to churn.


    A thick haze filled the air around the man as his veins bulged.


    Alex risked a quick glance back to Claire. She''d managed to scale a fair portion of the Disruptor, but the ship was attacking her from every angle. He had to buy her more time.


    He''d managed to get Vaxon''s attention. Now he just had to keep it for as long as he could without dying. His lips pulled back into a grim smile.


    I only need to survive for a minute. How hard could that be?

 Chapter 160 Plunge

    Vaxon ripped Glint in half.


    Really, Alex should have seen it coming. He probably would have if he hadn''t been so drained from just having recovered from being split clean in two.


    Vaxon had charged forward and Glint had countered by sending his razor-sharp cloak whistling out to delay him. That, theoretically, would have bought Alex enough time to dodge away and keep their game of cat and mouse going until Claire could get her hands on the energy core in the Disruptor.


    It was a pretty good plan. After all, as fast as Vaxon was, Glint was faster. There was no way for the man to easily avoid the attack, and Glint''s silvered mirrors could do enough damage to kill Vaxon if he didn''t take a moment to block the strike.


    Vaxon should have just raised his hands to before his neck like he had the previous time. That would have been the easiest way to avoid the strike, after all. He could have taken it on his arms, receiving minimal damage, but allowing their game to continue.


    That had been what Alex was counting on.


    He''d been right on the first part. Vaxon raised his arms before his face to protect his neck. The second bit was unfortunately where the rest of Alex''s plan fell apart. Vaxon turned his hands in the opposite direction, letting Glint carve deep into the metal of his gauntlets with his cloak.


    Then his hands had tightened around the silvered weapon before Glint could pull it back.


    With a roar, he''d given the cloak a violent yank. A normal cloak would have just come clean off. Unfortunately, this one was connected to Glint. Glasmir and cloak alike flew through the air.


    Vaxon grabbed Glint by the neck mid-flight, before he could land on anything and try to reposition. Mirrored blades screeched as they cut deep into his gauntleted hands. Vaxon didn''t seem to notice. He spun his massive sword around and planted it into the white trunk at his feet . Then he grabbed onto Glint''s other leg with his newly-freed hand.


    By the time Alex realized what was happening, it was too late.


    The two halves of Glint''s body were already spinning down toward the ground, energy trailing away from them as he was called back into Alex''s Spatial Mirror. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Purple fluid dripped from the deep gauges in Vaxon''s gauntlets. It coated the surface of his palms and beaded at his fingers ¡ª Glint''s mirrors must have managed to cut a tube somewhere within him.


    Unfortunately, it didn''t look like the man was anywhere near his breaking point. His gaze locked on Alex like the lens of a refocusing camera.


    "Persistent. Still, you remain?" Vaxon ground out. He shifted his stance, the piston on his back still thumping away. Pink mist warped the air around him like waves of heat. He reached out and grabbed onto the hilt of his sword. Tongues of mist wrapped around the blade and coiled into the air like a translucent flame. "You are persistent. Your death will serve as penitence."


    It sounded more like Vaxon was trying to convince himself of that last bit. The man''s words were more desperate than determined.


    "Maybe not," Alex said. "I could be a friend of the family. You never know."


    Vaxon didn''t even bother gracing him with an answer. He drew the sword free from the branch with a grinding crunch and leveled it before him, holding the weapon with both hands. The whump of the piston on his back grew louder still.


    It almost felt like someone was banging a drum right beside Alex''s ears. The incessant strike of air against his eardrums threatened to rip his balance from him, and only his System-empowered body let him remain standing.


    Shit. Claire might have been able to somehow do it, but I''m definitely not going to be able to distract this guy with small talk.


    Ah, fuck it. I just have to keep his attention for a little longer. If he looks back and sees Claire halfway up the Disruptor, he might just turn around and go for her instead. Then we''re completely fucked. There''s no way she''ll get the power source if this guy is breathing down her neck.


    "Come at me, then," Alex said, cracking his neck and lowering his weary body into a fighting stance. He didn''t have much magical energy left. There wasn''t enough death energy around him to call his monsters back and Encore wasn''t about to make enough of a difference. There was no delusion in Alex''s mind that he had a chance of actually killing Vaxon. Using Encore would just buy him a few seconds¡­ and that wasn''t enough.


    He was running out of options. That didn''t mean he was completely spent, though. There was still more he had left to call on.


    Alex extended his hands and clenched his teeth, drawing on every last scrap of energy he had to spend.


    Then he used Armament Elegy.


    Like the last time he''d activated the ability, a heavy force slammed into his back. But, unlike the last time, he was ready for it. Alex staggered but managed to hold his ground as silver flashed at his shoulders and a mirrored cloak spooled out from his shoulders to coil protectively around his back.


    Sludge burst from his palms at the same time, bubbling up like a fountain. Jagged centipede legs burst from within the viscus, wormy liquid, slicing into place to form the links of his chainsword.


    The base of the sword yawned open as a sharp-toothed maw opened upon it, a gray tongue lolling out from within it in preparation for the upcoming feast.


    He wasn''t the only one that changed. Strands of darkness twisted across the white wood at his feet, painted there by the colorful mist churning through the skies of the Mirrorlands. Stay tuned for updates on My Virtual Library Empire


    His shadow was changing as well. It squirmed as if possessed by some eldritch abomination, bubbling and expanding until it barely even looked like it had been cast by a human. The first time he''d used Armament Elegy, Spark hadn''t been dead. He had one more weapon this time around¡­ though he didn''t know what it did.


    Vaxon didn''t seem too impressed by his magic. The large man drove a sabaton down into the tree branch, shattering the wood beneath his weight, and charged forward.


    Alex lunged to the side and his cloak coiled around him. He knew firsthand just how fast Vaxon was. Trying to sit around and wait for his attack was just asking to get killed. The best he could do was try and guess where the blow would be coming from and react before Vaxon even swung.


    Alex''s cloak slammed into the trunk, digging deep into it a moment for stability before a ringing clang ripped through the air like a church bell being pelted by a boulder. A violent vibration ripped through his body and clacked his teeth together so hard that he could have sworn some of them broke.


    He''d managed to block Vaxon''s strike ¡ª but the blow had been so strong it almost didn''t matter. It didn''t matter. He couldn''t afford to sit around and waste the brief moment he''d bought himself.


    Fighting against the protests of his own body, Alex lunged past the cloak, which ripped itself free to buy him space to move. Vaxon stood over him, sword already raised to come crashing down once more.


    Alex drove his chainsword forward and into Vaxon''s side. The weapon roared to life instantly, vibrating in his hand as it clawed into the metal armor-flesh covering the massive man''s body.


    It didn''t do nearly as much damage as a blow from Glint would have, but it ate an inch into Vaxon before Alex was forced to fling himself out of the way. He hit the ground in a roll, grunting as gnarled knots of wood dug into his shoulders and back. His cloak reflexively shot out behind him to intercept the next strike.


    Not a moment later, Vaxon''s blade slammed down onto the silvered metal with a brilliant crash. It carved along it, sliding off to the side and driving into the tree trunk an inch away from Alex''s face.


    Purple liquid dripped from the large man, sizzling against the branch around Alex. Several droplets fell right on his leg. Spikes of pain pierced into him as they ate through his clothes and bit into his skin nearly instantly.


    Alex didn''t give himself time to process it. He lunged upward with a yell, thrusting his Chainsword up ¡ª


    Vaxon grabbed the blade with a hand. The weapon whirred, ripping through metal as it desperately strained to reach for flesh, but it found nothing to feed on. A sickening screech cut through the air as the man''s hand tightened on the weapon even as it cut into his palm.


    Then he ripped it clean from Alex''s hands.


    It was like taking a toy from a child. Despite Alex''s best efforts to keep a grip on it, Vaxon''s strength was a hundredfold what his was. His shoulder was nearly ripped from its socket from the effort of trying to keep a hold on the hilt.


    Shit!


    Vaxon''s features were expressionless as he lifted his sword once more, spinning it around in a deft motion so the blade was pointed straight down at Alex.


    He tried to swap with his shadow, but he didn''t even have the magic left for that. Using Armament Elegy had completely drained him of every scrap he had left ¡ª which meant Princess'' passive energy wasn''t going to be healing him from another mortal wound.


    "Ah, fuck," Alex said.


    The sword plunged down.

 Chapter 161 Vaxon

    Lying on the ground as he was, Alex knew he wasn''t going to be fast enough to fully avoid the sword crashing down for his head. Vaxon was just too fast. Instinct took over. His arms shot up in a futile effort to cover his face, as if mere limbs could do anything to stop the path of the plummeting wall of metal.


    He instinctively reached for any scrap of magic that remained within his body, but it was like trying to squeeze water from a dry sponge. Aside from some Qi, there was absolutely no magic left to draw from.


    As powerful as Princess'' healing abilities were, they drew energy at an enormous rate. Such was the cost of cheating all forms of injury. It was a cost that he could no longer afford to pay. He had no magic left to call on.


    And so, something else responded in its stead.


    His shadow exploded up from the ground in a black streak. It crashed into Vaxon''s sword arm with a resounding clang. Metal scraped on metal as the huge man''s body was jerked to the side.


    The sword slammed into the trunk beside Alex''s head, pelting him with wooden fragments and splinters. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alex rolled to the side and thrust himself to his feet, flinging himself away from Vaxon before even daring to turn and look back to see what had saved him.


    Vaxon''s right arm and sword were covered with spiked metal armor ¡ª but it wasn''t his. Inky plates clung to him like they''d been magnetized. They overlapped over each other like a segmented coffin, shadows dripping from them like honey.


    Droplets of purple beaded up between the thin gaps in the black armor, rolling down their surface in rivulets. It took Alex a moment to realize that the plates weren''t just clinging to Vaxon from their own volition.


    The underside of the armor that had just saved his life was spiked like the interior of an iron maiden. Spines dug into Vaxon''s arm and held it in a vice grip. Even though many hadn''t managed to pierce through his heavy gauntlets, enough of them had found purchase that they showed no signs of falling away.


    "What is this?" Vaxon ground out, gritting his teeth as he heaved his sword arm ¡ª extra plates of armor and all ¡ª into the air with a grunt of effort. His arm tottered, clearly unstable. The shadowy metal clearly weighed a fair bit more than it appeared to.


    Alex was midway through asking the very same question that Vaxon had when he realized that he did know what the plates were. The corners of his lips pulled up into a smug, weary grin.


    So that''s the piece of equipment I get from Spark when I use Armament Elegy, huh? It''s literally the Knight Wraith armor. Didn''t realize the inside was spikey. That''s¡­ gruesome. I could probably actually encase someone normal-sized with it if I wanted to. But, against someone like Vaxon, I can only get his arm and sword. But if it slows him down, I''ll take it.


    "I''d love to sit down over a cup of tea and discuss it," Alex offered.


    To his complete surprise, a laugh slipped free from Vaxon''s lips. Purple liquid followed after it, dribbling down his chin like mushy food along a toddler''s face. The large man brought his sword down to the ground with a resounding crash.


    Cracks exploded through the wood at his feet. Several of the plates of armor cracked and fell away, but the rest managed to hold firm. That didn''t fool Alex into any complacency. It was only a matter of time ¡ª and a very short amount of time at that ¡ª before Vaxon managed to free himself.


    "You will not be the one," Vaxon said, lifting his sword once more.


    "The one what?" Alex asked in hope of buying a few more seconds. "The chosen one? Me?"


    Claire hadn''t gotten the power source yet¡­ but Vaxon hadn''t used his domain either. The moment he did, it was over. There was no way he could go up against an Adept 5 using a domain to try and kill him.


    I do have to wonder why he hasn''t used it yet, but I''m not going to complain about good fortune.


    "Chosen?" Vaxon''s lips twitched again as he brought the sword crashing back down into the white trunk. Loud cracks split the air and a tremor ran through the bark beneath Alex''s feet. More plates of armor rained down from Vaxon''s arm amidst a rain of purple droplets. "No."


    "No, what? You could at least answer the question!"


    Vaxon grabbed onto one of the loose hanging plates and ripped it free. It transformed into shadows as he discarded it and grabbed onto another, prying the weights off himself one after the other. "You will not be the one to end my penitence. You are weak."


    The tone of Vaxon''s words was wrong. He didn''t sound like he was trying to insult Alex. If anything, it sounded more like he was disappointed. Like he had wished the answer could have been anything else.


    He wants to die. Something tells me the whole metal-human fusion thing he''s got going on here wasn''t exactly voluntary. I really shouldn''t be surprised, it''s some Warhammer 40k bullshit.


    "I could if you just hold still for approximately as long as it takes me to saw through that tree trunk of a neck," Alex offered hopefully.


    Vaxon tore another plate away from his arm, then slammed his sword into the ground. The last pieces of the shadowed armor holding him down crumbled away. Rivers of purple acid poured down his right arm, but the man barely even seemed to notice them. He just raised his sword once more.


    "That," Vaxon said, lowering his stance and pressing his other hand to the flat of the blade, "is not an option. You should not have come here. Fear not. I will ensure there is not enough of you left for them to work with."


    "Your tone implies that I''m supposed to find that comforting, but I can assure you, it''s not working."


    Vaxon''s lips twitched.


    Then he vanished.


    A loud crack split the air as the wood that had been beneath Vaxon abruptly shattered, a large crater forming in the thick branch that was now suddenly devoid of a mountain of a man.


    And then a wall of warped flesh-metal armor was directly before Alex. Wind slammed into him, sending him stumbling back, as surprise grabbed him in a vice grip. Vaxon was directly in front of him, but he hadn''t even seen the other man move.


    Alex only managed to raise his gaze as a shadow passed over him, blocking out the twisting skies of the Mirrorlands. It was Vaxon''s sword. The weapon was already beginning its descent toward him ¡ª and this time around he was completely out of tricks.


    Ah, damn. Good fight, though. Could have been worse.


    A clang split the air, followed by the loud crunch of Vaxon''s sword ripping into wood. A flicker of surprise passed through Alex''s mind. He was pretty sure that a clang wasn''t the noise a body made when it got cut in half.


    Then Vaxon took a single step back to catch his balance.


    Claire dropped to the ground beside Alex, two leathery wings jutting from her back. Deep cuts covered her body and her breath came in sharp, controlled gasps as she fought to recover it ¡ª and tucked under one of her arms was a silvery egg about the size of a small child.


    "Shit," Claire wheezed, leaning heavily on one foot. "Why is he so bleeding heavy? That felt like kicking a fucking boulder!"


    Vaxon''s eyes locked onto her. Then they widened. He spun, looking to the Disruptor behind him. Alex couldn''t keep himself from doing the same.


    Behind them was the Disruptor ¡ª but the purple flesh within its silvery casing no longer pulsed. The ship sat dead and still. All the weaponry that had popped up to keep Claire back had fallen slack and hung like strands of dead seaweed.


    "Took me longer than I''d hoped," Claire said apologetically. "But I found the power source."


    "No!" Vaxon spun back to them. His eyes burned with fury as the wood cracked beneath him. He started accelerating into motion before he was even fully facing them.


    "I hope those wings can hold two people!" Alex yelled. He knew all too well just how fast the other man could be. Claire had managed to get a sneak attack on him once, but something told him that Vaxon wasn''t about to let that happen a second time.


    Alex looped an arm around Claire''s waist and leapt off the branch.


    Wind howled past Alex''s face as they plummeted through the air above the warped reflection of Valley Ford. He clung onto Claire with all the strength he had. For a brief moment, he saw Vaxon''s face peering down at them over the edge of the branch.


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    Then Claire''s wings snapped out. His stomach jerked into his throat as the wind caught under them, but he managed to keep his grip as their fall slipped into a glide. The Disruptor and Vaxon quickly receded as they angled down toward the city floor.


    The ground approached quickly ¡ª too quickly. Alex only had a moment to suppress a curse before they hit it in a tumble of limbs, rolling for several feet before thudding to a halt against a cracked wall.


    They both let out pained grunts. Alex couldn''t even muster up the energy to push himself upright. He just let his head rest on the rubble as he stared up into the twisting skies of the Mirrorlands above.


    Damn. What a fight. I wish I''d been stronger. If I had access to a Partial Domain, I bet I could have given Vaxon a real run for his money. Maybe I would have been able to save him.


    "Ow," Claire groaned. She pushed herself up and rolled off Alex. "My leg. My wings. My ass. My back. My everything, actually. Are you okay?"


    "I''m fine," Alex said through a grimace. "Better than Vaxon is."


    "I think roadkill is in better shape than he is," Claire muttered.


    "Not wrong about that. These families are seriously fucked up."


    She pushed herself upright. Alex did the same.


    They exchanged a look, then both turned their gazes down. Nestled under one of Claire''s arms was the silvered egg. Now that Alex had a moment to get a proper look at it, he realized it was more than just smooth metal.


    Faint lines of purple energy pulsed deep within the egg like veins and the air around the egg had a faint staticky buzz to it. Alex reached out to the egg. The closer his hand got, the stiffer the air seemed to feel.


    There was power within the inconspicuous looking object, and a lot of it.


    A grin pulled at Claire''s lips as they studied their prize.


    "Well, it didn''t do the families much good in the end. We got it."


    "How''d you even figure out what bit was the power source?" Alex asked.


    "I kept pulling things out until something broke the Disruptor. Process of elimination."


    He let out a bark of laughter. "Should have thought of that."


    The two of them slowly clambered back to their feet. Claire tucked the orb under her arm, then grinned. "Well, then. There should be a bit of chaos going down in Valley Ford right now. And if there isn''t, there will be soon enough after they figure out the Disruptor is screwed. So¡­ shall we go find our engineer?"

 Chapter 162 Applicant

    Returning to Valley Ford was surprisingly easy. After spending a few minutes to catch their breath and recover a little magical energy, Alex led Claire over to the nearest rift. It was mercifully unguarded by any Riftwarped monsters, and they slipped back onto 274-50 without any trouble.


    Their plan of breaking into Valley Ford had a grand total of one step.


    They walked through the gate.


    It worked. The city as a whole didn''t seem to be any wiser about their damaged Disruptor as of yet. All the people they passed by were just going about business as usual. Survivors wandered between shops and gathered around the Ocean''s Tide, trying to get at whatever fancy wares the city had for sale.


    But below that casual air was something more. Alex could see it in the way the guards carried themselves. Eyes darted around and knuckles whitened around the hilts of weapons. They were nervous.


    "Looks like they''re trying to keep things under wraps for now," Claire said in a quiet, casual tone as the two of them made their way through the crowd.


    Alex couldn''t help but feel a little nervous himself. As much as he loved a good challenge, waltzing right into enemy territory was a bit much, even for him. He preferred things he could just fight.


    If the Great Tide realized who they were, the whole town would collapse on their heads. But they had bigger problems than inspecting the faces of everyone wandering around right now ¡ª and that meant the safest place he and Claire could have possibly been was in the crowd.


    I guess it makes sense. After all, what kind of idiot sabotages a powerful family''s Disruptor-thingie and then goes waltzing around right in the middle of their stronghold? It''s so stupid that nobody would ever think to do it.


    Claire had told him as much on the way over. Evidently, the game of Court also included infiltrating enemy groups. Alex was pretty sure that every single Dhampir was basically just a special agent in disguise.


    He didn''t let his thoughts drift for long. Even though things were going to plan for the time being, they were still in a race against time. Not only did they have to actually find an engineer, but they had to convince said engineer to come back with them to his town before the Region Boss destroyed it.


    "What does an engineer even look like?" Alex muttered to Claire. "How stereotypical do you think the System is? Because I see a few people that definitely look like the guys I used to see in my classes."


    "Yes," Claire said in distaste. "I see the ones you''re looking at. I smell them too. Are engineers in your world marked by an¡­ odor?" Find your next read at My Virtual Library Empire


    "Only the good ones."


    Claire sent him a horrified look. "Seriously?"


    "No, I''m pulling your leg. They just forget to take showers a fair bit. College is rough. But you''d have to actually choose engineer as your class from a list of options, right? I was doing computer science, but none of my options had anything to do with that. So most of these guys probably didn''t get engineer as an option."


    Claire chewed her lower lip. She shifted the egg ¡ª which she''d covered with a scrap of trash they''d found lying around in the Mirrorlands ¡ª then glanced around the ever-shifting crowd again. "We''ll just have to keep walking and see if we can find anyone interesting. If someone has a class meant to build stuff, surely they''ve got something similar to your Riftsense, right?"


    That''s a good point. And as far as powerful items go, this egg has to be pretty damn good. The Disruptor is what lets the Great Tide pull their really powerful people over to 274-50 without breaking the System''s rules. That means it definitely has a pretty damn good energy source, right? It would be weird if it didn''t.


    "I''d assume so," Alex said with a slow nod. "It feels pretty prudent. Why have an engineering class if you can''t find materials to work with? But maybe we''re a bit too in the middle of the crowd. If I was going to try to approach you, I wouldn''t do it here."


    "Good point," Claire said with a small nod. "Let''s move to the edge and see if we can sit in an alleyway."


    Alex nodded. They worked their way through the crowd and over to the edges of the market. Walking casually, the two of them slipped into an alley and continued on until the sounds of the market were a distant buzz.


    He didn''t miss the one thing that neither he nor Claire had mentioned ¡ª though he was certain they''d both thought of it.


    If someone has an ability to detect powerful magical items, we better hope they aren''t working too closely for the Great Tide. If they are, this is going to be a real big pain in the ¡ª


    "Hey. You there."


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    No way. That fast?


    Alex and Claire spun. Standing in the alley behind them was a tall, thin man wearing a long cloak that obscured his features completely. The cloak was clearly too large for him. It hung well below his arms and dragged on the ground behind him like a child in his mother''s bathrobe.


    "Me?" Claire asked, tilting her head to the side.


    "You," the man said with a sharp, jerky nod. "How much do you want for that thing under your arm?"


    "Depends. What are you offering?" Claire asked, tilting her head to the side and raising an eyebrow.


    "I wasn''t talking to you," the man said. Their posture shifted to look in what Alex presumed to be his direction. It was a bit hard to be certain when he couldn''t see the person''s eyes. "He''s the leader. You do what he says."


    Where''d he get that idea? Is this someone that overheard the bullshit we were feeding Orchid? That doesn''t seem likely. We would have seen them.


    "What makes you think that?" Claire asked. "That''s a rather odd assumption to make for someone trying to buy something from me."


    "The leader wouldn''t be carrying the goods," the thin man said simply. "They''d want their hands open. So he''s the leader. He tells you what to do ¡ª and I want to buy the thing you''ve got under your arms. And I''d reckon that''s why you''re here, isn''t it? You wouldn''t wander into an alleyway with that if you weren''t trying to pawn it off or get robbed."


    This person was definitely watching us from the crowd somewhere. They found us way too fast for it to be a coincidence.


    "Interesting observation," Claire said, tapping a foot against the ground. "But if he really was my leader, then there''s no reason for him to talk with the likes of you."


    "We are on equal ground. Buyer and seller. You are merely a¡ª"


    "Puppet?" Claire finished. Her brow arched up and the corner of her lip twitched. "Maybe you were going to use a different word there, but I think I like puppet. What about you?"


    There were a few long seconds of silence. Alex glanced from Claire to the thin man in befuddlement. He was pretty sure he was missing some subtext to their words here. A lot of it. It wasn''t hard to tell Claire was implying the man was a puppet, but he didn''t have the faintest idea why.


    Then the thin man slumped. At first, Alex had thought it was in defeat ¡ª but the man kept slumping until he leaned forward at an impossible angle. His body poked up against his cloak in sharp angles that a human really shouldn''t have been able to make.


    A soft footstep tickled Alex''s ears. He turned to the other end of the alley as a brown-haired boy probably around sixteen years old walked into it. The boy was thin and carried a smooth orb made of blue metal in one hand.


    "You got me fast," the boy said with a sheepish grin. He looked down at his feet. "That''s really embarrassing, actually. Sorry for being rude."


    Alex looked from him to the slumped figure at the other end of the alley ¡ª and then to the orb in the boy''s hand.


    Oh, goddamn it. Claire meant a literal puppet. Not a metaphorical one.


    "You did make it pretty easy for me," Claire said. "When you give hints, it should probably be a few small ones, not a massive landslide."


    "I''ll keep that in mind. I''m Mite. You are here to sell that thing, right?"


    "I''m Claire. And not exactly," Claire said. "We''re here looking for someone. That someone might be you."


    "Walking around with something like that without plans to sell it is probably a bad idea," Mite said. "Someone might try to take it from you."


    "They''re welcome to try," Claire said with a dry smile. "I don''t think they''d be very lucky."


    Mite''s gaze flicked to Alex. "What, he your bodyguard or something?"


    Damn. I got demoted from leader to bodyguard real fast.


    "No," Alex said. "Our bodyguards aren''t somewhere you can see them. Revealing everything we''re capable of would be stupid."


    Mite gave Alex a once over, then nodded slightly. "True. So you aren''t here to sell that? I''m not going to rob you. I''ve already done enough of that, and I realized I don''t have much fun doing it. I''ll just find a different¡ª"


    "What''s your class?" Claire asked.


    Mite blinked. Then he shook his head. "Sorry, no. I''m not saying that. I think we''re done here."


    "You made this, didn''t you?" Claire asked, sending a glance to the hunched figure behind her. "Impressive. This couldn''t have been easy. You must be really talented. You were probably working with sub-par materials as well, weren''t you? Getting something like this is impressive with what you''ve got to work with."


    God, that''s just the most blatant flattery I''ve ever heard. There''s no way¡ª


    Mite reddened. He coughed into a fist and did his best to give Claire a collected nod. "Thanks. It wasn''t easy. It also isn''t for sale. You couldn''t use it anyway."


    "So you can control it. Some sort of building class, then?" Claire pressed.


    "¡­yes. You aren''t getting any more than that, though."


    "Bummer," Claire said with a shrug. She turned on her heel so her back was to Mite. "Let''s go, Alex. I took a wrong turn. This isn''t where we were meant to meet the Great Tide''s prize engineer to talk about the weapon. We don''t want to keep him waiting with a contract of this size. He''s one of the best in the business, after all."


    Just about none of that was true, of course. If Mite had made the puppet in front of Claire and had an engineer class, he was basically exactly what they needed. The chances of finding anyone else with his abilities, especially in the time they had, were basically zero. They needed him far more than he needed them.


    But Mite didn''t know that.


    "Whoa," Mite said, his eyes narrowing. "Weapon? Hold on. What are you talking about? And don''t be in such a hurry to talk to the idiots here. They aren''t that good. Anyone could build what they have when they have the resources of a giant rich guy behind them."


    Claire''s eyes glinted. She turned back toward Mite.


    And even though Claire was on Alex''s side, a shiver ran down the back of his spine. She''d hit his buttons perfectly. Mite didn''t know it yet, but he was already caught in her web.


    "Yes?" Claire asked sweetly.


    "Maybe you should tell me a bit more about what it is you''re looking for," Mite hedged.


    Claire''s lips pulled up into a thin, controlled smile. "Well, if you insist, I suppose we can spend a little more time here. I''d hate to pass up on a promising applicant when the job hasn''t been filled yet."

 Chapter 163 Mite

    "Tell me about that weapon you mentioned," Mite said, studying Alex and Claire intently from beneath the mop of brown hair on his head. "I might not have some fancy group backing me, but that means I''ve got to figure shit out myself instead of just getting it handed to me."


    "Are you implying that you''re better than the Great Tide''s best man?" Claire arched an eyebrow. "That''s arrogant, to say the least. He''s been in the business for longer than you''ve been alive. Experience means more than almost anything."


    There was a large part of Alex that just wanted to grab Mite, sling the boy over his shoulder, and make a run for it. They didn''t have time for a long debate in the middle of Valley Ford.


    He still had no idea what the destruction of the Disruptor would do to the city or its Outworlder inhabitants. Whatever it did definitely wouldn''t be good¡­ and it was clear that the Great Tide had already realized their property had been destroyed. Even though their guards were putting up a front, Alex had no doubt they were searching to figure out who had attacked them.


    No part of him wanted to be sitting around in enemy territory if or when they realized it had been him and Claire.


    Alex was fairly certain they''d find out soon enough. He just didn''t want to be around when that happened.


    But Claire knew what she was doing ¡ª and there was no benefit to rushing ahead. He''d managed to pick up that Claire was trying to make the situation seem like they were doing Mite a favor and not the other way around.


    That would all come crumbling down if he let on just how much of a hurry they were in.


    Fortunately, it seemed that Claire''s strategy was working.


    A spark of anger flashed in Mite''s eyes.


    "There''s more to making things than just experience, and you can''t get experience without work!" Mite snapped. "If you only ever look at what someone can do right now, then you''ll regret it in the future when they''re capable of more than you ever dreamed. There''s more to ability than just what someone was lucky enough to be able to afford. That asshole had access to all the resources of the Great Tide family. I don''t, but I''d be willing to bet I can do anything just as well as he could if I could get some material that wasn''t steaming horse shit. God, how am I getting screwed over in my essays even after the apocalypse?"


    Alex bit back a laugh. It was pretty clear Claire had hit a nerve. The boy had more than a small hot streak to him.


    "Were you applying to college before shit went south?" Alex asked.


    Mite glanced at him mid-breath, clearly not having planned on finishing his rant yet. He blinked, then coughed into a fist and adjusted his shirt.


    "Yes. It was not an enjoyable experience."


    Tell me about it.


    "I''ll give you one thing," Claire said. "You''re not wrong about the potential versus current ability argument ¡ª but we aren''t running a school or a charity. Nobody wants a weapon made because they like giving their workers practice. We need it for a reason. Are you capable of making something powerful?"


    "Depends how powerful we''re talking. If I had time and materials, I''m confident I could." sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "And you think you could do it better than what the Great Tide''s engineer could do?" The tone of Claire''s voice made it abundantly clear that she didn''t believe her words.


    Mite scratched the back of his head and let out a short sigh. "You have to realize that these guys will overcharge you for anything they do. That''s how fame works. Engineering is about optimizing costs, you know. Who cares how good their guy is if you pay 100 times more for a product that''s only slightly improved from what I could do? Look to the future."


    "To the future?" Claire tilted her head to the side. "Keep going."


    "Well, I can tell you''ve got powerful materials," Mite said with a nod to the egg tucked under Claire''s arm. "And I can''t imagine you only want a single thing made, right? Once this weapon is done, you''ll want another. Then another. It never ends. You''ll have to keep hiring people to do stuff for you."


    "Right," Claire said. "That would be how things generally work. Those who sit around inactive fall behind. And in a world like this, falling behind means death."


    "Exactly. So why not establish a relationship with someone that has potential and something to prove?" Mite asked. "My prices are good right now. But soon enough, people are going to learn my name. Then I''ll have so many customers that you''ll need to get in a waiting list to hire me. I''ll be charging ten times what I do now. Maybe more. But if we already have a good relationship¡­"


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    He trailed off, letting them fill the rest in on their own.


    Alex suppressed a laugh. The kid definitely held himself in high esteem. There wasn''t so much as an once of self-doubt in his voice. That was a good thing. The System wasn''t going to be kind to anyone that didn''t make themselves believe in their own abilities.


    The only question was if that esteem was born of confidence or arrogance. There was a stark difference between the two. One was born from reason, while the other was nothing but delusion.


    So all that really remains is to see which one Mite is. Realistically speaking, I don''t think we''ve got much of a choice. He might think we''re picking from some list, but we really need the first bloke who can smack things together that we can get.


    Mite does actually seem to be somewhat competent, though. That puppet thing was pretty good. It could even speak. Then again, I know shitall about engineering classes. Maybe that''s easy as fuck to do.


    "I see what you''re getting at," Claire said. She hesitated, as if considering his words. "So your biggest pitch is that if we hire you now, you believe your potential and determination will carry you farther than the Great Tide''s man?"


    Mite gave her a firm nod. "And if you give me that power source you''ve got under your arm, I can show you."


    "How are you with dangerous environments?" Claire asked. "We don''t need someone that buckles at the first sight of danger. You have to realize that selling yourself as potential means we''re going to expect a lot more hands-on effort from you. It won''t be safe."


    "I don''t care," Mite said. "I''ve fought monsters when I was making my way here. As long as you aren''t expecting me to hold my own against someone whose whole job is fighting, then I''m more than capable of working on the field. Good luck getting someone from the great Tide to put themselves at risk, though. They''ll definitely void your contract."


    Claire studied Mite for a few more seconds. Then she inclined her head. "You make a good argument. Very well. You''re provisionally hired. So long as you prove that you''re as capable as you claim, we can improve the terms of that offer to something more permanent."


    Mite blinked. "What? Just like that?"


    "Why would we waste time? You made your point. I heard it ¡ª and if you were wrong, we''ll just come back and hire the other guy," Claire said with a shrug. "We have nothing to lose. You have everything to prove. Seems like it works out either way."


    "Yeah, that''s true," Mite said with a hurried nod. "What am I getting paid, then?"


    "Materials." Claire tapped the egg. "And a chance to harvest that potential you were so proud of. We can arrange for further pay depending on what you''re actually capable of making. How''s that sound?"


    "Incredible!" Mite exclaimed, his voice cracking slightly as his eyes lit up. He paused and coughed awkwardly into his fist. "Uh, okay. I guess. It''s okay. When do we start?"


    "Today." Alex jerked his chin over his shoulder toward the city gates. The sooner they could get out of here, the better. "We don''t like wasting time. Let''s get going."


    "I ¡ª now?" Mite blinked. "Like right now?"


    "Right now," Alex said. "Unless you''ve got something else you''d rather be doing?"


    "No! Nothing like that, no." Mite hurriedly shook his head. The hunched puppet that had originally followed them into the ally abruptly jerked upright. It walked over to stand beside Mite without a word, and Mite gave them a nod. "I''m ready. Have everything I need, actually. Always bring my stuff around with me. In case of situations like this. Lots of people that might want to hire me on a dime, you know." Stay connected with My Virtual Library Empire


    Right. He definitely just doesn''t have anything, but that works with me.


    "Then let''s get moving," Claire said.


    They all followed after her, making their way back into and through the market. There was a very large part of Alex that couldn''t help but feel like this had been far too easy. He''d been certain the Great Tide would have figured something out while they were waltzing through the city.


    But nobody stopped them as they continued on their way and stepped out of the city gate, emerging back into the outside world. A minute ticked by in silence as they all walked. Alex''s confusion only grew.


    I haven''t even seen any major effects from the Disruptor going down. Maybe it stored the energy it gathered in some form of battery? If that was the case, maybe the Great Tide doesn''t actually know the extent of the damage yet. That does make me wonder just how much energy it could have ¡ª


    A rumble ran through the air from the direction of Valley Ford.


    All three of them spun.


    The massive rivers of water swirling through the air above Valley Ford to flow into the huge ocean suspended above the city were trembling.


    And, standing at the edge of the city walls, staring straight in their direction, was Invictus.


    The water swirled behind him, flowing away from the ocean to gather at his back. It was the very same pattern that it had taken moments before Invictus had destroyed an entire horde of monsters charging the city with one blow.


    "Oh, shit," Alex said.


    No wonder they weren''t pressed to attack earlier. That ability has a huge range. They could have hit us with it whenever they wanted to, and attacking in the town would have just destroyed it needlessly.


    We may have fucked up.


    "They were watching us," Claire said with a curse. "Probably waiting for us to regroup with our team so they could take us out at once. They must have known what we were doing the whole time."


    "Known? Known what?" Mite asked, taking a step back. "The Great Tide got that mad you didn''t hire their engineer?"


    "I think it might have been something else," Alex said, coughing into a fist. Riftsense told him that the nearest portal to the Mirrorlands was around a minute or two away if they ran at a full sprint.


    No time like the present.


    Alex grabbed Mite by the arm.


    "What are you do¡ª"


    "Run!" Alex roared, sprinting for the unopened portal as fast as his legs could carry him. Claire and Mite''s puppet sprinted after him.


    And, in the air above Valley Ford, an ocean prepared to come crashing down upon their heads.

 Chapter 164 Giant

    Alex made sure that the only thoughts passing through his mind were ones of speed. All that mattered was the thump of his feet against the ground, the burn of the muscles in his legs. He was pretty sure there was no way they''d make it to the portal before Invictus attacked, but there was no way he wouldn''t try.


    Water didn''t sound too scary until there was a literal ocean of it gathering in the air above them. Getting hit by that would be like getting flattened with a mountain. Not even the System enhancements his body had been improved by would let him survive that.


    "How close?" Claire yelled.


    "Not close enough!" Alex yelled back. "Thirty seconds at least!"


    "We''re going to get flattened before then!"


    "I don''t want to get flattened!" Mite yelled, joining in. "Why are they so mad at you? What did you do? This is definitely an overreaction, isn''t it? Why would someone use an attack like this on two random people?"


    "You''d have to pick from an ever-growing list," Claire said as she threw another glance over her shoulder. "I don''t even know how they''re pulling that much power. After what we just did to their Disruptor, the System should be suppressing the town at the bare minimum."


    "I think it might have some kind of battery. They might not know the full extent of what happened," Alex said between breaths.


    A shadow passed over all of them. Rippling shadows spun across the ground like writhing worms. The water wasn''t quite upon them yet, but it had passed between them and the sun.


    I could try to use Funhouse to block the brunt of the blow, but that''s just rolling a dice and hoping it works. Some of the water will definitely still hit us. From that height, with the full force of Invictus'' magic and the weight it has behind it¡­


    We''re probably still dead. Shit.


    Alex''s mind whirred at a mile a minute as he fought to come up with a way out. Even if they made it to the portal before Invictus'' magic reached them, wasn''t going to be enough time to open a portal to the Mirrorlands and escape through it.


    Princess would probably be able to absorb a fair amount of damage from the water. If she died, he''d have a chance of surviving the attack himself. The same couldn''t be said for Claire and Mite. They''d definitely get squashed.


    Still, it wasn''t like he could just do nothing and hope it would work out. At the very least, between Princess and Funhouse, he could divert some water and hope that what made it past wouldn''t be enough to kill them with the first strike.


    "I can try something for the water!" Alex yelled. "But keep running in this direction. We need to get to the portal!"


    In response, Claire grabbed Alex mid-step. Black arced through her veins as she pumped her body full of energy and strengthened herself to avoid falling behind from the extra weight.


    Mite''s puppet hoisted him into the air as well, cradling him like a baby. He stared up at the sky with a mixture of awe and terror.


    "What are you guys? Terrorists?"


    "Why do you immediately jump there? We could be revolutionaries!" Alex exclaimed, sending his mind inward and calling on all the magic he could muster. This was going to need every drop of it ¡ª and Qi ¡ª that he could muster.


    The sky above them had already been filled with a churning sea. More rivers swirled to join it, but the water could drop at any instant. There was no time to waste. Alex ripped magic from within himself as he summoned Princess to his side, pumping her full of Riftwarped Qi.


    Sludge exploded from the ground at Claire''s feet. They quickly left it behind as she continued her dead sprint, but out of the corner of Alex''s eye, he saw Princess explode from within the bubbling darkness.


    Pointed legs swam through the air as a sludgy centipede rose up. Shimmering crackles of Riftwarped Energy arced across her carapace beneath the sludge and her stark white mask shimmered like a light in the darkness upon her dark body.


    "Holy shit!" Mite screamed as Princess swam through the air in pursuit of them. Terror made his voice crack. "There''s a demon on our asses! Run faster! What the hell did you do to that guy? Boink his daughter?"


    Alex didn''t waste time on a reply. He was busy gathering his magic once more, pouring it and what Qi he had left into what would be the largest application of Funhouse he''d ever attempted. If this was going to keep them from getting crushed, it would have to displace as much of the water as possible.


    Power burned in his arms and sizzled at his fingertips. Arcs of angry, buzzing Qi flashed across his palms and down his arms to scorch his clothes. Alex gritted his teeth and forced his gaze up, fighting to keep his focus as he bounced with every step that Claire took. Her shoulder repeatedly drove into his stomach and tried to knock the breath from his lungs.


    It wasn''t exactly the best situation to concentrate in, but it was the best they were going to get.


    I''ve got to time this perfectly. If I cast it too early, we''ll have to stop running to stay under Funhouse''s area. That''ll cost us precious seconds and give Invictus time to get another attack in.


    The crash of waves was roaring above them now. Alex could feel pressure bearing down on him from the sheer amount of magic infusing the ocean in the sky. A small part of his mind couldn''t help but be impressed.


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    Towns were incredible. The amount of power they could command was just ridiculous. He had no doubt that Invictus himself was very strong, but this was on an entirely different level. And, deep within Alex, past the determination and focus, a spark of excitement burned in his chest.


    If we keep growing, my town will get as strong as Valley Ford. Stronger. How much will it be able to do then? For that reason alone, we can''t die here. I need to see it with my own eyes.


    In the distance, standing on the walls of Valley Ford and looking down at them, a flicker of motion caught the corner of Alex''s eyes.


    Invictus swept his hand down.


    The sky fell.


    Alex waited for an instant longer to make absolutely sure they would all be beneath Funhouse''s area of effect. Wind buffeted his face as it was pushed out of the way by the enormous amount of crashing water.


    Then he released all the magic he''d been gathering with a roar of defiance. The air above him shattered. White cracks ripped through it as reality warped and cracked. Then the water slammed into his magic.


    Princess leapt over them, her body coiling to absorb as much of the attack as it could, and there was nothing left to do but brace.


    A roar tore through the air, the earth quaked, and what little light that still remained vanished. Claire was thrown to the ground as the ground bucked beneath her from the sheer weight of the crashing water. They hit the ground in a tumble of limbs.


    Alex''s hearing vanished in the thunderous boom of the furious ocean. He drew in the biggest breath he could and squeezed his eyes shut¡ª


    Water drove into him like a train. It smashed into his chest and drove the breath he''d gathered from his lungs.


    Liquid forced its way into his nose, his ears, his throat. The world spun and bubbled around him and his consciousness sputtered like a candle threatening to go out.


    He instinctively drew in another breath. Water raced down his lungs by the gallon with enough force to bruise his insides.


    Alex was dimly aware of a rush of energy driving into his body as Princess died, but that was the last coherent thought he managed before his body was picked up and tossed like a ragdoll.


    It was all he could do to keep his grip on Claire''s arm. The two of them spun through the roaring water.


    And then, as quickly as it had arrived, the water receded. Alex suddenly felt himself falling. He wasn''t even sure from where or how ¡ª he was so disoriented that he couldn''t even tell which direction was up. The water must have lifted him into the air at some point.


    The ground abruptly slammed into him. He let out a sputtering cough, spewing water from his lungs as pain tore through his body. His skull pounded violently as he hacked and wheezed, shoving himself upright with trembling arms.


    Claire staggered up beside him. Her hair was matted to the sides of her face and her clothes were completely soaked through, much as Alex''s were. Mite rose a few dozen feet away from them, equally soaked and miserable-looking ¡ª but alive.


    They''d managed to weather one of the town''s enormous attacks, but it wasn''t a card that they could play again. Princess was dead and Alex had spent nearly all his magic and Qi just barely letting them pull through the attack.


    "Come on!" Alex staggered back into motion toward the Mirrorlands portal. Every step felt like agony. He was pretty sure the water had given him a number of micro-fractures in his bones, but there was no time to nurse his injuries. Princess'' power was already starting to heal them. He''d be fine if they made it into the Mirrorlands ¡ª and if they didn''t, it wouldn''t matter. "We can''t take another attack like that!"


    "You''re going to owe me hazard pay for this!" Mite said through a wet cough as they pushed themselves as fast as their bodies could still move. "A lot of it!"


    Alex didn''t have the energy for a response. The water had pushed them away from the location of the Mirrorlands rift, but they weren''t far away from it now. They all raced forward with him at the lead.


    He drew on his magic, calling power to his hands before they even reached the portal. Alex had no clue why Invictus hadn''t tried to attack them again. He doubted the town could only use its ocean for a single attack ¡ª but he wasn''t about to count his blessings.


    As soon as he arrived at the thin rift, he thrust his hands forward and into it. Energy crackled and hissed as he grit his teeth, pulling as hard as he could. A portal begun to yawn open. It fought against him, but Alex''s grip was relentless. This was far from the first time he''d opened a Mirrorlands portal¡­ and he was going to do everything in his power to make sure it wouldn''t be his last.


    Seconds ground by. The confusion in the back of his mind only grew. Invictus definitely should have been able to attack at least once more. If the town''s ability really only functioned a single time, it wouldn''t be much of an ability. There was no way it was that limited.


    "Bleed me," Claire whispered in awed horror. "What is that?"


    Alex risked a glance over his shoulder. The surprise in her voice was too much to ignore.


    Rivers of water hung suspended in the air as if frozen in time around them ¡ª but they weren''t moving. Invictus stood at the wall of the town, both of his arms extended. Even though Alex couldn''t make the man''s expression out from where he stood, he could just barely see that the man was moving.


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    Riftsense let out a buzzing warning in the back of his mind, but it needn''t have bothered. He didn''t need it. There was another portal in the area. One that hadn''t been there before¡ª and the path leading to it went straight up into the air, to a massive purple line buzzing in the sky above Valley Ford, easily as long as the city itself.


    Riftwarped Energy danced around the edges of the portal as it slowly stretched open. The line sliced through the clouds, pulling them into itself as it grew ever wider. A deep, thrumming base rolled out from within it like the distant roar of thunder.


    The hair on Alex''s arms stood on end.


    Within the portal was a hand as black as night ¡ª one that was easily the size of a City-Eater Centipede if not larger.


    Void Goliath (???)


    Invictus made a sharp motion and all the water surrounding Alex''s group leapt into the air to fly back toward the city. Gongs echoed across the plains as alarms went off within Valley Ford.


    "I think I figured out what happens if Offworlders lose their Disruptor. It wasn''t just letting them access more strength. It was hiding them¡­ and I think they didn''t draw any attention until they used the Town ability," Claire whispered, staring slack-jawed at the enormous hand as it emerged from within the portal and reached down for the city below.


    "An impact from a hand like that might cause tremors large enough to split the ground," Mite said nervously, his eyes as wide as saucers. He swallowed. For a moment, all of them were silent as they watched the hand move, its approach silent in the face of the thunderous alarms going off within Valley Ford. Then Mite''s eyes flicked to Alex. "We need to get out of here. Before that thing gets out of the portal."


    The portal at Alex''s hands finally snapped open fully as he gave it a final push, ripping himself from the trance.


    "Come on," Alex said, grabbing Claire by one arm and Mite by the other. Mite snagged the arm of his puppet a moment before they all raced into the portal and it snapped shut behind them, leaving Valley Ford to its fate.


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 Chapter 165 Void Goliath

    Twisting snakes of red and purple smoke greeted Alex with their ruddy glow as he stumbled into the Mirrorlands. He could still hear his heart pounding in his ears. Faint pops prickled throughout his body as the micro-fractures in his bones repaired themselves with the aid of Princess'' magic, drawing a faint stream of magic from his already dwindling reserves.


    He threw a glance at the portal beside them. It was already starting to close. They''d gotten lucky ¡ª no Riftwarped monster had been drawn to their arrival. That was good. He wasn''t sure if they''d been in the right shape to handle another fight quite yet.


    Mite flopped straight down to the ground and promptly let out a pained groan. His puppet stood over him. With its cloak completely soaked through from Valley Ford''s water, it was considerably more apparent that it was not a human.


    Its wet cloak stuck to its body, revealing impossibly spindly limbs and jagged protrusions. The cloth had torn in several spots to reveal silvery-gray components hidden beneath it, but the hood had somehow managed to not only survive but remain over the puppet''s head.


    Alex still couldn''t get a good look at the thing''s face no matter how hard he tried.


    "That was terrible. Thank god you had a get out of jail free card," Mite said, his voice muffled by the ground. "You guys definitely left some stuff out. What the fuck was all that? It was fucking crazy! Like, holy shit! The ocean nearly murdered us and an evil sludge monster shows up from the fucking ground to save us? Then a giant comes out of the sky? Like Seriously? What the hell?"


    "Pro tip," Alex said as he braced his hands against his knees and caught his breath. "The more you swear, the less effective it is. Save it for the right time and it''ll hit way harder."


    "What are you, my dad?"


    "No. Just someone who has a sense of appreciation for good timing."


    "I''ll keep that in mind," Mite said. His face was still muffled from the ground pressing up against his cheek, but he rolled over slightly to squint at Alex out of one eye. "Where¡­ are we?"


    "The Mirrorlands," Alex replied. "You can think of it as the dumping grounds between realities. Valley Ford can''t follow us¡ª"


    "Alex?" Claire asked.


    "Yeah?"


    Claire pointed over his shoulder, her pale fast cast in shifting lights from the glowing mist far overhead.


    Alex turned. Then he froze as all the blood drained from his face as he realized the reason why there hadn''t been a Riftwarped monster waiting to greet them upon their arrival in the Mirrorlands.


    Looming in the sky above them were what have been thousands of purple rifts. They were so far that the crackle of energy dancing between them was inscrutable, but Alex''s attention was far more focused on the air in front of them.


    The body of an enormous, giant floated in the air far above them amongst the streamers of mist. Its smooth, glossy skin almost resembled the night sky. Arcs of energy danced across its body whenever the buzzing energy touched it.


    Only portions of it were visible from beneath the clouds, but from what little Alex could make out, the monster must have been the size of a city. It had a single hand extended, reaching through a positively massive portal. Beyond it, Alex could just barely make out Valley Ford.


    Shimmering, deep red letters danced in the air before Alex''s eyes to identify the monster. They needn''t have bothered. He knew exactly what it was.


    Void Goliath (???)


    It technically shouldn''t have been a surprise. Some rational, distant part of Alex''s brain pointed out that he really should have expected this. It wasn''t like things just popped up out of nowhere.


    The Mirrorlands were the pathway between worlds. It only made logical sense for the monster to be here.


    But logic wasn''t exactly the primary thing ruling Alex''s thoughts right now. If it had been, he would have started running. Anyone ¡ª sane or not ¡ª would have. There wasn''t even any challenge to be gleaned from something like this. Trying to go up against the Void Goliath couldn''t even be properly called a fight.


    It could probably fall asleep for a week while he did his absolute best to kill it and he wouldn''t even be able to give it the equivalent of a paper cut. Even enormous wouldn''t have been an accurate word to describe the monster.


    Gargantuan might have come close, but even that felt like an understatement. An existence this size was incomprehensible. Alex was pretty sure that several laws of physics had to have been broken by something this big, but he wasn''t about to take that matter up with the giant. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Fuck," Alex breathed.


    Mite pushed himself upright to stare up at the Void Goliath. His eyes were so wide that the whites threatened to swallow his irises entirely. For a second all three of them stared wordlessly into the sky.


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    "You know what?" Mite asked, swallowing heavily. "I think I see what you mean about the cursing at the right time bit. Can we leave now?"


    Alex couldn''t pull his eyes away from the scene before him. He watched, unaware that his lips had pulled slightly apart, as the Goliath''s hand extended through the portal toward Valley Ford.


    That''s the city of a really powerful Outworlder family. It had to have been equipped with a ton of really powerful defenses. I''m sure they were holding back a lot of their strength to avoid pissing off the System or something, but now that their lives are on the line, won''t they use it?


    This could be my best chance to see just how powerful a town can really be.


    He could just barely make out Invictus standing on the walls of the town. An ocean of empowered water swirled around him, brilliant shimmers of blue energy swirling within it like a thunderstorm had been trapped within it.


    Alex could feel the pressure from the intensity of the magic from where he stood ¡ª he just wasn''t sure if that pressure came from the Void Goliath or Valley Ford''s defenses. With the size of the portal connecting the Mirrorlands to 274-50, it could have been either of them.


    Invictus thrust his hands up. All the water above Valley Ford exploded upward in an airborne tsunami. It slammed into the Void Goliath''s hand with a brilliant crash loud enough to echo through even the Mirrorlands.


    Alex''s body instinctively tightened. It sounded like a god had taken a hammer to the earth itself. If he''d been any closer to the explosion, his eardrums probably would have burst on the spot. The immense force behind the crashing water was incredible.


    It''s a good thing Invictus didn''t think we were a real threat. That attack must have cost a ton of energy, but we would have been turned to paste the instant that much magic hit us, defenses or not. Holy shit.


    For a moment, Valley Ford''s water swallowed the Goliath''s arm entirely. It raced up into the portal, pouring through it and scattering into the Mirrorlands in shimmering drops. Alex raised a hand as the water pattered down all around them.


    He squinted through it, waiting for the Goliath to flinch or pull back.


    A hit like that had to have at least hurt¡ª


    The water cleared.


    "Oh," Claire said weakly.


    The Goliath''s arm hadn''t so much as budged from its course. It continued on its ponderous path down toward the city, an inevitable end that could not be denied no matter how hard those beneath it struggled.


    Water roared as Invictus pulled it back to himself. It sprayed through the air around Valley Ford as he flung it forward once more. A shimmering blue dome exploded through the air above the city, burning with energy so bright that it threatened to scald Alex''s eyes from his skull.


    It was a valiant effort.


    It was pointless.


    The Void Goliath''s hand continued on.


    Valley Ford''s defensive dome shattered like sugar glass.


    Alex tensed in preparation for the colission, but he mistimed it. The monster was so huge that its movements were impossible to properly read. Its hand connected with the city a whole two seconds after Alex had mentally prepared for it.


    There was an echoing boom. A deep rumble rolled through the air and the ground of 274-50 bucked as a shockwave raced out from the city.


    It wasn''t the explosive force of a massive explosion or a sudden, immense impact. It was the grinding, ponderous crunch of a trash compactor crushing everything within its jaws to rubble.


    And in the wake of that horrible noise¡­ there was nothing but silence.


    The Goliath flattened Valley Ford in a single blow.


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    Alex stared on in slack-jawed disbelief. He''d been certain that the Great Tide would have been able to do something. They should have at least had a way to fight back. To stall the monster''s advance, if only for a little.


    But there hadn''t even been a fight. All of Invictus'' efforts looked more like a childish protest than anything else.


    Alex had lost sight of Invictus in the final moments of the city. There was a good chance he''d managed to dodge out of the way or run, but that didn''t change the fate of the city. It was gone. Wiped from the map completely and utterly.


    Twisting golden letters sliced through the air before Alex''s eyes.


    Title Fragment Acquired.


    Cataclysm: Granted to one whose actions have directly caused the complete and utter destruction of a Town on the Global Leaderboards.


    Your standing on one leaderboard has been updated.


    If there had been any doubt about if any part of Valley Ford had survived, that System message quashed it completely.


    "So that''s what happens when your Disruptor gets destroyed and you use power the System doesn''t permit you to," Claire said. She swallowed heavily. "Never let it be said that it doesn''t punish those who fail to abide by its rules. Guess that''s the risk of trying to cheat."


    Alex didn''t even want to think about how many people had just gotten killed. He had no problem with killing to survive and grow stronger ¡ª but there had been innocent survivors in Valley Ford. People who had just been taking up residence in the town. Ones who had nothing to do with the Great Tide.


    He might not have been the one to kill them, but even the System had made it abundantly clear their blood rested on his shoulders. Queasiness built in his stomach. Alex clenched his teeth and pushed it down.


    This had never been his intention. It had been Invictus and the Great Tide who had used a Disruptor to cheat the System and show up on 274-50. He hadn''t been the one who killed them. Innocent lives had been lost, but beating himself up over that would accomplish absolutely nothing.


    He had lives of his own that he planned to save. The people in his own town ¡ª and the ones that would join it in the future. Alex had absolutely no delusions about being a hero. He wasn''t one, but there were still people relying on him.


    I''ll let myself think about this when we aren''t anywhere near that¡­ thing. If it decides it doesn''t like the look of us when it''s done pulling its arm out of that portal, there won''t be a damn thing we can do about it.


    "Come on," Alex said, ripping his gaze from the Goliath. "We need to get back. Now. I don''t know how long we have until the Region Boss wakes up. Every minute counts."


    "Region Boss?" Mite asked, scrambling to his feet and looking from Alex to the Goliath. "You''re trying to fight a Region Boss? You know where one is?"


    "We''ve got a fair bit to fill you in on," Claire said as they set off, all sending glances over their shoulders at the Goliath. The monster was so big that the steps they took barely even seemed to change the distance between them.


    "I really should have argued for more hazard pay," Mite muttered.

 Chapter 166 Boss

    "You built your town next to a Region Boss'' waking spot?" Mite repeated in a sharp whisper for what must have been the fourth time.


    The three of them ¡ª four if one counted his puppet ¡ª were making their way through the Mirrorlands back in the direction of the town with Claire at the lead. Her directional sense was impressive. Alex wasn''t a complete slouch at it, but he''d have already gotten lost a few times if it hadn''t been for her.


    It had been several hours since they''d left the Void Goliath behind them. The monster hadn''t bothered giving chase. Realistically, it probably hadn''t even registered them. It was so much stronger than they were that they may as well have been ants in its presence.


    Alex and Claire had taken the time to bring Mite up to speed on what he needed to know about the town and the situation it was in. They hadn''t given away any major secrets that could be turned against them should things go south ¡ª but it wasn''t like Mite was going to have anyone to tell about the Region Boss in the near future.


    When they got back to the town, if the monster hadn''t already woken up, it would soon. Even if Mite had wanted to, there wouldn''t be enough time for him to go and find someone to tell about it.


    They didn''t go into any detail about the full extent of the town''s abilities or its connection to the Mirrorlands, though they did warn him that they had the entire town under the impression that they were Outworlders.


    Alex hadn''t been particularly thrilled to reveal that. He didn''t like leaving opportunities for someone to screw him over if they wanted to ¡ª but Mite had nothing to gain from telling Orchid that he wasn''t from the Starfallen family. It would just get the young engineer killed. And, in the end, trust had to start somewhere. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If they were going to have him building buildings and working closely with the town, they''d be putting a whole lot more stake in Mite than just some information.


    "You know nobody has killed a Region Boss yet, right?" Mite asked. "I heard some people from the Great Tide family talking about it. They haven''t even found one! I think they were apparently getting close to finding one, but they don''t know where it is. How do you?"


    "I have a very particular set of skills. Skills that¡ª"


    "Don''t quote Taken at me, man. That''s just lame."


    Alex winced. "I kind of thought you were too young to know it. Damn."


    "Too young?" Mite glared at him. "I''m eighteen, man!"


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    "You''re eighteen? Holy shit. I thought you were¡­" Alex trailed off, wisely choosing not to continue that sentence. The malice in Mite''s eyes told him more than enough about what would happen if he did.


    It was a bit difficult to tell if Mite was actually 18 and just looked both short and incredibly young, or if he was trying to hide his actual age.


    I suppose it doesn''t really matter in the end. The System isn''t going to be any nicer to someone whether they''re 16 or 18. No reason to treat him any different because he''s a few years younger than I am. All that matters is if he can do what he says he can.


    "Eighteen, then," Alex said. "That movie was kind of old even for me, though."


    "I watched it with my dad," Mite said. "He liked it."


    Wow, I''m really good at hitting sore subjects.


    "Ah," Alex said lamely. "Sorry."


    "Why?" Mite tilted his head to the side. "He''s not dead, man."


    "He isn''t?"


    "No. He was an apocalypse prepper. Had a bunch of shit ready for one. I don''t think I''ve ever seen him happier than the day the System showed up on earth. He''d been waiting for something like this to happen since before I was born."


    "Then¡­" Alex trailed off, unable to word the question right.


    Mite smirked. "He loaded me up with some gear in the weeks leading to the Apocalypse. Then, when it happened, he said some shit about this always happening in his favorite books, that he couldn''t be loaded down with a kid, and fucked off to build a harem."


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    "Sounds like an ass," Claire said.


    "You should have seen his favorite series," Mite grumbled. "He is. Pretty sure he''s doing fine, though. He smoked the first few monsters we ran into. He''s ex-military. I don''t really care, honestly. I don''t really like spending too much time with other people. I prefer working alone ¡ª and he''s been such a wreck since my mom died that maybe this is good for him."


    Abandoning your kid to go build a harem? Yup, definitely a healthy coping mechanism.


    "Right," Alex said slowly. "Well¡­ my condolences or congratulations. Pick which one you prefer."


    Mite let out an amused snort. "What about you? Parents get cooked?"


    Jesus. He''s like¡­ a few years younger than me. Why do I feel like his lingo is a generation out of date? Am I lame? And what''s this blas¨¦ attitude? I mean, it''s probably actually for the best and I don''t disagree with it, but I didn''t expect someone to be this chill about the Apocalypse.


    "Died before it. Several years."


    "Ah. Nice." Mite raised a hand to give Alex a fist bump. "Tragic backstory. Sweet."


    Alex stared at the offered for a moment. Then his lips twitched in amusement and he knocked his knuckles against Mite''s. There were probably quite a number of words that could be used to describe him, but interesting would probably be the most apt until further notice.


    "Maybe it''s time you shared a little more about what you''re capable of," Claire said. "You wouldn''t tell us your exact class before, but I trust you''re capable of creating buildings?"


    "Of course," Mite said, a note of offense entering his tone. "At least, theoretically. Haven''t done it yet. It''s in one of my abilities."


    Very reassuring.


    "And you can defend yourself, at least a little?" Claire asked.


    Mite nodded. "Yeah. Not exactly going to be looking for fights, but I''m not completely helpless. I have a pretty good balance. You aren''t expecting me to fight the Region Boss directly, are you? Because that isn''t happening. I''m nowhere near that strong."


    "Nothing like that," Alex said with a shake of his head. "But some monsters might make it into the town during the fight. It''s¡­ not the most defended location yet."


    Mite''s eyes narrowed and he paused to squint at Alex. "That sounds like a fancy way of saying the town is a strong breeze away from falling down. How thick are the walls?"


    "We don''t have walls." Alex coughed into his fist. "It''s more of a camping ground at the moment, actually."


    "You''re going to try and take on a Region Boss with a camping ground." Mite''s words rang with incredulity. "Are you stupid? Or really strong?"


    "Is there a line somewhere between the two?"


    Mite snickered. "Well, at least it''ll be interesting. I guess there isn''t much of Valley Ford to run back to. Being part of something big is always a risk. That''s what my dad says, but he''s also tanked like five different startups."


    "That''s¡­ not reassuring," Claire said.


    An idle part of Alex''s mind wondered what word startup had translated to her as. Something told him that Dhampirs didn''t have startup companies, but now didn''t feel like the right time to ask.


    Mite shrugged. "It''s chill. It is what it is, you know? To be honest, I was losing my fucking mind in Valley Ford. Nobody would hire me. They just gave all the jobs to their own teams. When I sensed you guys walk in with that thing under Claire''s arm, I practically ca¡ª uh, got super excited. Nobody wants to work with a new engineer when they can nurture their own. You guys are totally screwed, though. You don''t have a choice but to work with me."


    "Is it wise to admit that?" Claire raised an eyebrow. "Admitting you aren''t the optimal choice is a bad bargaining tactic."


    "I''m the only choice," Mite corrected. "Especially if you want to kill this Region Boss before it deep fries your town. We need each other. That seems like a pretty good balance to me. As long as you give me some parts from the strong monsters that die around the town in addition to some money and a place to sleep, I''m happy to stick around."


    That''s a pretty reasonable request. If there''s stuff we can use to upgrade the town, I don''t see why we wouldn''t give it to Mite. He''s basically offering to move in permanently.


    Alex cast a glance in Claire''s direction to see if she could find anything bad with the offer, but she just inclined her head.


    "That seems fine with me," Claire said. "As you''ve observed, we''re in a unique position. Things are going to go really well or really terrible. One of the two. If it''s the former, throwing your lot in with us will be very beneficial. If it doesn''t, well, you''ll be dead. It is what it is, right?"


    Mite grinned. "You know it. I''m in. Obviously. Not like I can''t be in. Nowhere else to go. But while we''re walking, why don''t you tell me more about what it is you want me to get started on? Maybe I can brainstorm before we get there."


    "A way to connect to the Astral Map. Something that replaces a Starstone, the things that let you teleport between towns," Alex said immediately. He nodded to the egg tucked under Claire''s arm. "That''s what this energy source is for."


    "Huh. That''s a difficult opener," Mite said. His eyes glazed over as he walked, presumably reading something in his class information. "I¡­ think that should be possible. Depends how strong that power source is and what else we''ve got to work with. Sounds like a good challenge. Sweet. This will get me a ton of energy."


    "He''s got your attitude," Claire whispered to Alex, hiding a grin. "Just none of the insanity."


    "Good. Then he might survive."


    "I heard that," Mite said.


    "I know," Alex said. "Wasn''t trying to hide it. We''re going to be relying on you. If we can get that teleporter built, we''ll get access to a merchant. It could completely tip the scales in this fight."


    "Noted. Pressure''s on," Mite said, giving Alex a sharp salute. "Don''t worry. I won''t let you down. Keep feeding me expensive materials and I''ll help you kill a god."


    "Let''s stick with the Region Boss for now, shall we?"


    "Got it, boss."

 Chapter 167 Portal

    The trip through the Mirrorlands back to the campsite went without any major disturbance. Claire handled the majority of the monsters that tried to attack them along the way, dealing with them fairly easily.


    Alex didn''t mind letting her take the energy from all the fights. She was still trying to catch up to him and he''d gotten a whole bunch of extra strength recently ¡ª not to mention there was going to be more than enough power waiting for them to harvest very soon.


    He took the time to observe Mite. The boy was quite interesting. Alex would have expected him to be at least a little on edge from the Mirrorlands. They were unsettling, even in comparison to what the apocalypse had done to Earth.


    The monsters within them were considerably stronger and creepier than anything Alex had seen on the surface ¡ª and yet, Mite barely even seemed to care. He just stood by silently as Claire took the fights. Only after the monsters died did any interest spark in his eyes.


    He''d looted every single monster she''d killed, digging through their guts like a delighted child playing in a sandbox. Mite had harvested everything from claws and teeth to strips of organs and other assorted bits that Alex had no idea as to the origin of.


    Everything had gone right into a spatial ring on Mite''s hand. It looked similar to the one Alex had, which meant it wasn''t going to be able to store any magical artifacts, but evidently the System didn''t see normal body parts as magical.


    Mite''s ring was definitely bigger than Alex''s ¡ª the sheer number of things he''d stuffed into it was ridiculous. If anything, it was a bit surprising that Mite wasn''t shoveling entire monster corpses into the thing.


    He and his puppet just followed Claire around, harvesting pieces from the monsters she killed along their way back to the rift leading to the campsite.


    The three of them eventually arrived at their destination in the thick forest that surrounded the town, both in the Mirrorlands and on 274-50.


    "Right," Alex said as they came to a stop in the trees. "We''re here."


    "Where?" Mite asked.


    "The portal," Alex replied. "We''ll hop through it and the town will be right beside us, assuming it hasn''t been destroyed it. It probably hasn''t. I think we would have seen some form of reflection in the Mirorrlands if a Region Boss had awakened. Probably."


    "You don''t sound particularly confident about that."


    "Anyone who sounds confident about anything to do with the Mirrorlands is probably lying," Alex said. "I don''t know if even the System knows what goes on here. They''re kind of just a trashbin where all the shit without a place to stay falls."


    Strands of Riftwarped energy crackled across Alex''s fingertips and coiled up his arm as he extended his hands, grabbing onto the thin line that marked the closed passage between the Mirrorlands and 274-50.


    Energy hissed as he begun to pull the rift open. His fingers prickled as power coiled along the protective magic barrier covering his arms and the portal steadily grew.


    "Brace yourself," Claire suggested.


    "For what?" Mite asked, glancing around them curiously.


    "Every time a portal gets opened, there''s a small chance that we might have¡ª"


    The portal snapped open fully.


    A glossy black sheen flashed over it before any of them could even think about trying to use it.


    "¡ªcompany," Claire finished. She lowered her stance and raised her katana. "If you''ve got any defensive abilities, I would suggest preparing them."


    The ground before Alex turned pitch black. Bubbles burst from the shadowy pool as Princess rose up from within it, the centipede legs on her back twitching and squirming as they folded into place.


    Ringing glass marked Glint''s arrival as he emerged to stand beside Alex, and Spark rose from his shadow.


    "I really don''t have much," Mite said nervously. He stepped behind his puppet and hunched in an attempt to make himself look smaller. "What''s coming? It''s not another one of those goliath things, is it?"


    "There''s no way we''d get the attention of something that strong," Alex said. His eyes scanned through the air before he turned his attention to the ground ¡ª he wouldn''t put it past the Mirrorlands to have the Riftwarped monster just appear from the ground beneath them. "This is just going to be a bit of cleanup."


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    Something crunched in the forest to their side. Glint''s head snapped toward the source of the noise and Alex''s gaze followed a moment later. A dark mass slithered through the trees, just out of vision. He caught a glimpse of the tip of a tail and a flash of heavy black scales.


    Mite''s features paled and he took a step back. His puppet moved to stay between him and the monster lurking in the shadows of the trees.


    "That looks big," Mite muttered.


    "This one''s yours, Alex," Claire said, stretching her arms over her head and letting out a yawn. "I''ve gotten my fill for the time being. I just want to take a nap and meditate."


    "Glint," Alex said. The fact the snake hadn''t struck yet meant it was probably some sort of ambush predator looking for an opening. And if it needed an opening¡­ it probably wasn''t going to be particularly powerful if they caught it off guard. "Lure it out."


    The Glasmir blurred into motion. He vanished into the trees, his graceful movements barely even making a noise. There were several long seconds of silence.


    Mite swallowed. He opened his mouth ¡ª


    The ringing shriek of glass on metal tore through the silent forest. A huge, shadowed tail cut through the darkness. It slammed into a tree and tore right through it with a splintering crunch.


    A rain of fragmented wood pattered against the ground as a furious hiss echoed out and the tail continued to thrash, tearing through the trees around it like they were made out of paper mache.


    Princess lumbered forward, throwing herself forward and clamping onto the squirming tail. She wrapped her huge hands around it and used her entire body to pin the tail to the ground. Another furious hiss tore through the forest ¡ª and the head of a massive snake blurred free from the darkness.


    The monster''s head was more than twice as large as Alex was. It could have swallowed a human whole without blinking. Sleek black scales covered its surface, marred by purplish streaks that ran throughout them.


    It might have been nearly completely invisible in the darkness if not for its eyes, which glowed with the trademark purple hue of Riftwarped energy.


    It slammed into Princess'' shoulder, its large fangs driving deep into her sludgy form, but she didn''t so much as budge from her spot. The centipede arms on her back shot out to wrap around the snake''s head. The tiny hooks along them found purchase in the thin gaps between the snake''s scales.


    With the monster''s form revealed, the System finally granted Alex a look at the Riftwarped monster''s stats.


    Riftwarped Nightscale (Initiate 5)


    "Holy shit," Mite whispered. "What the fuck is that? It''s the size of a car! And what''s with that level? Why is it so strong?"


    That was an exaggeration ¡ª or Mite was used to very small cars.


    "It''s kind of lame," Alex said with a frown. "Only Initiate 5? The Riftwarped Monsters are usually stronger than that. Maybe the Region Boss waking up kind of marked the territory or something, so the good fights aren''t hanging around anymore."


    The Nightscale yanked its head back, tearing away nearly half of Princess'' body in the process. Sludge splattered across the dirt and the huge snake let out a victorious hiss.


    "Lame?" Mite exclaimed. "What are you talking about? It just killed your monster!"


    Alex arched an eyebrow. The remaining half of Princess body bubbled as black fluid slithered along the ground and up her leg, beginning to reform her. She didn''t even try to pull the portions of her body that were still in the snake''s mouth back.


    Her partially reformed form lunged forward, grabbing onto the Nightscale''s upper jaw with one hand. Sludgy tendrils extended from the monster''s mouth as her other hand re-connected to her and clamped down on the monster''s lower jaw.


    The large snake thrashed in her grip as it tried to free itself. Its tail smashed through the trees around it, but Princess wasn''t just standing around in wait to get splattered again. She started to strain, slowly pulling the monster''s jaws farther away from each other.


    Fury lit behind the Nightscale''s purple eyes. It convulsed its entire body, sending its tail whipping through the air for Princess like a wrecking ball. The huge wall of flesh slammed into her, obliterating the middle of her body.


    And, in that moment, Glint and Spark struck as one.


    The Glasmir blurred from the forest. He alighted on the Nightscale''s head and drove both of his bladed claws down, plunging one into each of the monster''s eyes. It let out an agonized scream, opening its mouth wide for the Night Wraith.


    Spark leapt into the monster''s mouth, ripping his arms up from the shadows binding him and pressing up to keep its jaws from closing again. An agonized hiss tore from the snake''s mouth and it writhed in agony.


    It was fruitless. Glint ripped his claws from the monster''s eyes and slid down the side of its head, sliding past Spark to drive his claws straight up into the roof of the snake''s mouth and through its brain.


    The Nighteye jerked. Then its head crashed to the ground as its body fell still. Glint and Spark slipped free from its corpse as Princess'' body reformed.


    Alex shivered as energy poured into him. The snake hadn''t been all that much of a challenge, but it had still been a fairly strong monster and killing it had netted a decent reward.


    "Holy shit," Mite whispered.


    A shimmer passed over the portal as the dark sheen covering it evaporated. The portal crackled in wait for them.


    Alex strode over to the monster and scooped the Soul Flame from the ground, sliding it into a Spatial Mirror before sending a glance back to Mite. "Were you going to harvest anything from this thing?"


    Mite blinked his surprise away. He hurriedly nodded and darted over to the monster alongside his puppet. The two of them proceeded to tear the creature to bits from within, desecrating its corpse as they stripped it of everything interesting. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Once Mite had finished stuffing his loot into his spatial ring, he turned back to Alex and gave him a nod.


    "Okay. I''m ready. What''s next?"


    "We head through this," Alex replied, nodding to the portal. "I introduce you to everyone ¡ª and then you build us a way to teleport so we can get a merchant and prepare for the biggest fight of our lives. Exciting, right?"


    "To be honest?" Mite asked, looking from Alex to the portal as a tiny grin tugged at one corner of his lips. "Yeah. It is."

 Chapter 168 Engineer

    The first thing that came out of Mite''s mouth after he''d stepped through the portal alongside Alex and Claire and made the trek over to the campsite was, "wow".


    And, even though Alex had only just come into possession of his town some time ago, he couldn''t help but feel a flicker of pride.


    "This place is a shithole," Mite said.


    Alex''s pride sputtered. The town might not have been much to look at yet. That didn''t matter. Before the apocalypse, the idea of having a house, much less an entire town, had been foreign. He''d gone into the apocalypse with absolutely nothing but a willingness to meet whatever it threw at him.


    A large part of him had loved that. Complete and utter freedom. Nobody that could control him. It was a world reset, in which anyone could accomplish what they wanted so long as they had the skill and strength to take it.


    And Alex still loved that feeling ¡ª but now there was more. Visions loomed at the edges of his thoughts. Ben and the others from Towntown. Aubrey, her body ripped to shreds by the System. A massive hand descending toward Valley Ford like the sky itself was falling.


    The System was not evil nor cold. It simply was. It didn''t care who anyone was or what their desires were. Natural laws existed indifferent to what they wrought. Only those who lived could determine what to make of them.


    Honestly, I''m not sure what I think anymore. The apocalypse is everything I thought it would be¡­ and also everything I didn''t. Am I responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people that didn''t deserve it? It wasn''t my intention to kill them. It was objectively the Great Tide''s fault for trying to cheat and getting punished.


    What am I supposed to feel?


    Alex pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. He wasn''t so sure he had the answer to that question. What he did know was that there were a number of lives that were definitely going to be on his hands if this upcoming fight didn''t go well ¡ª and even if it did.


    He''d never really thought of himself as someone that liked leading teams. Teddy had always taken over managing the group projects they''d been in together. He''d usually been content to just sit back, do the bare minimum, and be done with it.


    But there was a certain feeling that came with standing at the head of the ship. From having the weight of lives and expectations placed squarely on his shoulders. Perhaps a better man would have called that feeling responsibility.


    Alex called it a bigger challenge.


    "The town might not be pretty yet, but you''d be surprised," Alex said. "It''s got a lot of potential. These buildings are pretty damn strong ¡ª and frankly, the whole scuffed aspect is the reason we brought you here."


    "I really hope you aren''t expecting me to build a fortress in a few days," Mite said as the group approached. "Because that''s not happening. I''m not a miracle worker."


    "I don''t think we have a few days," Alex replied. "But no, I''m not. I''m expecting you to build a teleporter. Speaking of which ¡ª the egg is yours."


    Claire held the bundle out.


    Mite''s puppet took it from her hands as a delighted grin crossed the boy''s face. His puppet pulled the blanket covering it back, revealing the glossy silver egg. Faint purple veins pulsed within the metal like they were being pumped by an invisible heart.


    "Whoa," Mite breathed, his eyes sparkling. "This is beautiful."


    "What else do you need?" Claire asked. "We need that teleporter up and running as soon as possible. We do have another building that has to do with teleporting people, by the way. I''m not sure if that could be useful."


    "You do?" Mite lifted his eyes from the egg. "Why do you need two of them?"


    "It''s called a Warp Relay," Alex said. "It''s only short range and duration. For combat scenarios more than proper teleportation. It''s really more like a fast deployment and recall system."


    "Huh. That sounds¡­ really difficult, actually. Way more complex than a normal teleporter, from what I know of them," Mite said. He scratched the side of his chin. "Why do you have that before the real thing?"


    Alex just stared at him.


    "Will it help?" Claire pressed.


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    Mite thought for a moment. Then he scrunched his nose. "Well, the actual building won''t. I can take a look at it, though. Might have some useful things I could use for inspiration. My class is kind of open ended. I don''t just have a ''build a yacht'' skill."


    "Could you modify the building, maybe?" Claire suggested. "Add normal teleportation capabilities in?"


    Mite was shaking his head before she''d finished speaking. "You can''t combine buildings as far as I know. You can upgrade ''em, but my class isn''t at the point where I can do that. Especially not with your buildings."


    "What''s wrong with them? They''re perfectly¡ª"


    "Isn''t them that''s the problem," Mite said with a crooked grin. "It''s my class. I''m not exactly a normal Engineer. I did have that option, but it sounded kind of boring. I went with something more interesting."


    "Maybe you should share exactly what it is you''ve got?" Alex''s eyes narrowed.


    "I''d rather just show you," Mite said, entirely nonplussed. "I''ll check the place out and get started once I''ve got enough information. No point rushing good work along. Measure twice, cut once, you know?"


    Mite set off for the town without giving Alex or Claire a chance to say anything else. The two of them exchanged a glance.


    "He''s¡­ interesting," Claire said.


    "As long as he gets us that teleporter quickly, I don''t care what he is," Alex said. He let himself fall silent for a moment as he listened to his senses. The Region Boss was still waking up ¡ª he could feel its presence growing stronger. It was a bit difficult to tell just how much stronger it would get before it awoke. The monster could be at their door in minutes, or it could have been days. He just had nothing to compare it to. Alex shook his head. "We should definitely meditate and get ourselves and the town ready for the fight. It could be any moment, now."


    "At least it didn''t wake up while we were gone," Claire said with a small laugh. The two of them started toward the town ¡ª a small group of people had already noticed their arrival and were waiting near the edges of a broken cabin in wait of them. Orchid was among them, along with May and Aaron. Claire nodded in the campers'' direction. "We should probably get an update on what things are looking like before we shut ourselves away. Good to know what resources we have."


    "Can''t hurt. Hopefully they''ve kept up training while we were gone." Alex let his gaze focus on May. She didn''t have any equipment to conceal her level, so the System pulled it up within moments.


    May - Snapcaster (Novice 4)


    She''d gone up from Novice 2 to 4 in the time since Alex had last seen her. For a moment, a frown flickered across his face. That wasn''t necessarily bad. The girl was fairly young. Advancing to Novice 4 at her age was probably pretty decent¡­ but she''d had Orchid as a teacher.


    That changed things. There was no way May should have been moving that slowly if Orchid was instructing her. A quick glance in Aaron''s direction told Alex that his level was only one higher at Novice 5.


    There was no way the two of them had just been sitting around. They''d both been motivated and should have been training extensively ¡ª which meant they''d been allocating magical energy to their Mind Palaces far more than their level.


    Orchid caught Alex''s eye. She inclined her head slightly, as if she''d guessed what he''d been thinking. There was a pretty decent chance that she had. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Well, well. That''s interesting. Putting that much energy into a Mind Palace means that Aaron and May will have weaker damage and fewer abilities, but they''ll be much harder to kill and will recover from more damage. She''s trying to keep them alive rather than optimizing for a victory using expendable pawns.


    Orchid didn''t strike me as the type of person to care that much about mere Nativeworlders¡­ but maybe I was thinking too poorly of her. She''s not half bad at all.


    "You''re back!" May exclaimed as Alex and Claire drew up to their group. "Are you going to kill the Region Boss now? Who''s the small guy that came with you? Is he going to help us? Can he build walls for the city? We really need walls, you know. Monsters keep trying to walk in."


    "One at a time, May," Aaron said, putting a hand on her head and ruffling her hair. There was a weariness in his eyes that spoke of constant work without any chance to recover. It looked like Orchid had been pushing him pretty hard.


    "We''re doing everything we can," Alex said. "The person that came with us is Mite. He''s an Engineer. We''re going to have him build a teleporter so we can get access to an old ally."


    "You actually managed to find one?" Orchid raised her eyebrows. "That''s¡­ impressive. How''d you manage to get your hands on him? Did you steal him from Valley Ford?"


    "That''s one way to put it," Claire said.


    "And you didn''t have trouble?" Orchid raised her eyebrows. "I suppose that''s what I should have expected. The Starfallen family is something else. Going up against the Great Tide with just two people and making it out with one of their Engineers¡­"


    "Well, he wasn''t officially theirs," Alex said. "He was more of a free agent."


    "We don''t actually know his full class yet," Claire admitted. "Mite is a bit odd. He seems competent, though. Just odd."


    "You don''t'' know what his class is? But he''s an Engineer? Are you sure? I had him struck as more of a mage with that thing he''s got shambling along with him."


    "Thing? That''s a puppet," Claire said.


    Orchid turned to look at Mite, who stood a few houses away with his arms crossed in front of his chest, examining the Warp Relay. His puppet stood beside him. Orchid shook her head. "I''m a mage as well, Claire. And that thing is not just a puppet. It''s organic. My family specializes in growth-based magic. I would recognize something like that."


    "Then what do you think it is?" Claire asked.


    "Give me a moment," Orchid said. Her grip on her staff tightened and she squinted at Mite. "He''s got some concealing equipment, but I''m not without ways to see¡­" Stay connected via My Virtual Library Empire


    Orchid trailed off.


    "What?" Alex asked.


    "Shit," Orchid breathed. Her features twisted in disgust and she took a step back. "That is vile."


    "The puppet?" Alex blinked. "Why?"


    "It''s still alive. Like some sort of metal-organism hive mind," Orchid said, letting her staff lower as she took a step back. "Mite is no engineer. He''s a necromancer."

 Chapter 169 Visit

    "What?" Claire exclaimed, with far more disgust than Alex felt appropriate for the situation. "Are you serious?"


    There was genuine distaste in her words. She looked as if she''d taken a bite out of a rancid worm. That, more than anything else, set Alex on edge instantly. He hadn''t felt like being a necromancer was necessarily such a terrible thing.


    After all, dead people were dead. Re-using their corpses was just a little bit of recycling. There was no way Mite was strong enough to be straight up bringing their souls back from the lands beyond. Sure, the job was a little gross, but it really didn''t feel like that big of a deal.


    But Claire''s reaction was real. Or, at least, it seemed real. It was always hard to tell with her.


    Alex sent a sidelong glance in Mite''s direction. He didn''t seem like some horrifying evil presence¡­ but it was hard to imagine many things eliciting such a horrified reaction from Claire. She normally had far too good of a grasp over her emotions for something like that to happen.


    Shit. I want to ask what the hell is wrong with being a necromancer, but with reactions like this from both of them, I''d look completely clueless if I did. That would definitely give me away as not being from the Starfallen family. What a pain in the ass.


    Let''s see. They both think necromancers are something horrible. So if I word things right, I could just sound like some arrogant prick that doesn''t care about other people''s weak, insignificant powers. Maybe I can get some information that way.


    "Necromancy is hardly worth getting that worked up over," Alex said derisively. "Though if Mite isn''t able to do the job he promised, then we''re going to have a problem." Experience exclusive tales on My Virtual Library Empire


    Mite could be the damn tooth fairy if it meant we got that teleporter. Though, now that I think about it, necromancers aren''t exactly well known for building shit. How is he going to build anything?


    To his surprise, it was Claire that sent him a disgusted look.


    "That''s just gross. Why would we want someone like that in the town? We have standards."


    "Building materials are building materials," Alex said with a one-shouldered shrug. "And we are of limited resources. No reason not to take advantage of the one thing we''re going to have a whole lot of. Corpses."


    "Gross," Claire said. She definitely didn''t seem like she was acting. "I can assure you that we most certainly do not need to do anything like that. No desires could ever get so strong so as to reduce me to such a level."


    Alex stared at her. He glanced to Orchid, but the mage looked just as confused as he did.


    "Uh¡­ desires?" Alex asked. "What are you talking about? This has nothing to do with desires. It''s about protecting the town."


    "It has absolutely nothing to do with protecting a town," Claire said, sending a baffled look at him. "If anything, keeping someone like that out of the town would be the best way to protect it."


    Alex''s brow furrowed. "Claire, what exactly do you think Mite is?"


    "A necromancer, of course."


    "Describe it with a different mix of words."


    She blinked, then thought for a few moments before speaking again. "Someone who does¡­ vile acts to dead bodies."


    Goddamn it. You have to be kidding me. I''m pretty sure Claire isn''t actually thinking about a necromancer, but I can''t exactly take the risk.


    "One moment," Alex said to Orchid. He looped an arm around Claire''s shoulder''s and lowered his voice to a whisper. "I''m going to need you to be a little more explicit with exactly what it is you think a necromancer is. I think we might have a possible mistranslation happening, but I need to know for sure."


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    "A necromancer copulates with dead¡ª"


    "Right," Alex said sharply, unsure if he was relieved or exasperated. If the System was going to offer translation magic, then the least it could do was make sure the magic actually worked properly. "Nope. That''s not a necromancer. Not at all. That''s a necrophiliac."


    "You said the same word twice."


    "Different," Alex said firmly, still in his muted tone. "Necromancers bring the dead to life. Necrophiliacs boink dead bodies."


    Claire tilted her head to the side.


    Alex''s eye twitched. If he hadn''t known better, he would have sworn the System was screwing with him. The confusion in her eyes made it evident his intent had not gotten anywhere near properly translating through. Evidently, it wasn''t completely up to date with modern slang ¡ª or perhaps it just didn''t care.


    "Necromancers raise the dead. Necrophiliacs screw corpses."


    Claire''s cheeks went bright red. "Oh, shit."


    Alex released her shoulders and cleared his throat, adjusting his clothing. May and Aaron peered at him. It was clear from Aaron''s choked expression that he''d also managed to deduce where Claire''s confusion had been.


    Somehow, perhaps by some miracle, Orchid still seemed confused.


    "I didn''t overhear you correctly," Claire said, clearing her throat into a fist. She''d managed to wrestle down the color heating her cheeks in an impressive feat of self-control. But even though she looked nearly normal, Alex could still see the faintest traces of embarrassment lingering on her.


    "I see," Orchid said, not sounding like she saw at all. "In that case¡ª"


    "I don''t see how this is a big deal. As Alex said, so long as Mite is capable of actually creating the buildings we need, then it doesn''t matter what he is," Claire said. "And he said he had an engineer-adjacent class. Were you able to see his exact class?"


    "No," Orchid admitted. "But I was able to see a lot. He''s definitely a necromancer."


    They all fell silent for a few moments to watch Mite. He was walking in circles around the Warp Relay, studying it with features so intent that it was hard to believe he was anything but someone who loved architecture. Alex had never seen someone give that much of a shit about a building before.


    He might be a bit young looking, but Mite definitely fits the bill of someone who builds buildings. He seemed to have a decent understanding of how things worked as well. Why go through all that hassle if the only thing he was after was the egg?


    "Odd," Orchid muttered. "Perhaps I am lacking in my understanding of the class. Maybe my identification was incorrect? I didn''t get the full information. There''s a chance I misunderstood something, but I am certain his class is at least close to that of a necromancer."


    "Well¡­ maybe he''s a necromancer that can build," Claire said. She hesitated for the word on necromancer, only pausing for a moment to make sure she''d said it right before she continued speaking again. "So as long as he didn''t lie to us about being able to help, there isn''t an issue. We just have to make sure nothing starts stinking the town up. His puppet smelled fine enough to me."


    Orchid''s brow furrowed. "Huh. That''s true. I didn''t smell anything. How odd. Necromancers do tend to have a certain¡­ stench to them. Perhaps he has a way to conceal it."


    "I can sniff him," May volunteered.


    "That won''t be necessary," Alex said with a shake of his head. "For now, I think it''s fine to just sit back and observe. We really don''t have the resources to waste kicking someone out just because his class is a bit odd. He''s just studying the Warp Relay right now. If he necromancers a teleporter to life, then that''s fine by me."


    "That¡­ is not typically how necromancers work," Orchid said, but she didn''t press the matter too hard.


    "Alex is right," Claire said. "Orchid, keep an eye on him for now. No point being stupid. He isn''t exactly tied too closely to us right now. Make sure he doesn''t do anything that could screw the town over. In the meantime, I need to meditate. I don''t want to face the Region Boss without spending the energy I''ve been gathering up."


    "Same here," Alex said, though he had an entirely different direction of advancement in mind. Claire was probably going to be pushing her level up to get higher in the Initiate Stage, but he''d gotten some new abilities recently.


    Now, his focus was entirely on reinforcing his Mind Palace even further. Something told him that this upcoming fight was one in which endurance would be vital. He was going to need to be able to tank as much damage as possible and keep going if he wanted to have a fighting chance against a Region Boss considerably more powerful than he was.


    "I''ll keep an eye out. Just don''t take too long if you can avoid it," Orchid said. Her tone made it abundantly clear that she didn''t trust Mite.


    "We''ll help," May volunteered. "I''m really persuasive. He''ll tell me what he''s doing."


    "Persistent," Aaron corrected. "You''re really persistent."


    His words fell on deaf ears. May was already heading off. Aaron hurried after her, and Orchid followed a few moments later.


    Alex and Claire exchanged a glance.


    "It''ll be fine," Claire said. She didn''t sound too sure of her own words.


    But, in the end, it didn''t matter. There was nothing to do here but wait and watch ¡ª and Alex had some gathered power waiting for him to cash it in. The two of them headed for the lodge so they could find a quiet place to meditate. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was time for Alex to pay his Mind Palace a visit.

 Chapter 170 Deal

    Alex''s soul was much as he''d left it, bar the newly refilled ball of smokey blue energy swirling above his basin. Shimmers of delicate light danced over the surface of the dark lake and illuminated the three pillars rising around him. It caught on the Aspect Gems he''d set into two of the three pillars, making their faceted surfaces dance.


    Situated between two of the pillars, amidst piles of unused brick and scattered building materials, was the doorway that blocked the way to his domain.


    It was as inconspicuous as it had ever been. The plain marble bore no design beyond three lines that ran up the surface of the door and gathered around a clear gem embedded at its center.


    Alex walked across the surface of his soul, watching the ripples his footsteps made slowly fade into the darkness, and begun his ascent up the stairwell leading to the top of the basin.


    He came to a stop at the edge. Undulating snakes of mist swirled in a thick ball before him. His skin tingled as tiny arcs of energy popped and rolled across it like static electricity. Alex turned to look back over the soul below.


    Reflections of even more building materials rippled just beneath the lake, waiting for him to pull them up to its surface. He really had quite a bit to work with, now ¡ª and even less idea what to do with it now than he had before.


    I was never the kid that took a bunch of random Legos and made something out of them. If I''m being honest, I much preferred the minifigures. Sue me. But I don''t have the faintest idea as to what the hell I''m meant to do with all these damn bricks and pieces.


    I''m certainly not delusional enough to think I can just start tossing a castle together and hope it stands strong. I have to get one of those Visualizations that Finley mentioned¡­ though I really don''t want to get locked in on a bad one.


    Maybe he''s got something better stored away. After all the effort we''re going through to pull him over here, he''s going to owe me big time. Could get a pretty good deal or something¡­ but that''s a problem to worry about once I''m done here.


    He had a more pressing matter at hand. Unless he got really, really lucky, this was going to be the last time he got a chance to meditate before the fight with the Region Boss. The way he allocated his resources now had a significant chance of being the difference between success and failure.


    "Let''s see," Alex muttered. "I don''t have any points left over to get skills right now. I cashed all of those in the last time to get Armament Elegy. So if I want to get any sort of new skill, the cheapest one would be upgrading Monster Medley¡­ and it would cost me 4 points."


    That was a steep cost. It was 4 whole levels of energy ¡ª and he wasn''t even sure if he had that much power gathered before him. It got harder to advance with every single passing level. The System was certainly making sure they had to earn every single step they took.


    Given the previous rate I converted energy at, I think I could probably get 3 levels from this. There''s a chance I could get 4¡­ but I wouldn''t bet on it.


    But, honestly?


    That might be fine.


    Monster Medley was an incredible skill for advancing his monsters, and he didn''t know exactly what the next evolution of it would offer, but it was very geared toward long-term power and growth. There was a very good chance it wouldn''t make a significant difference in such a nearby fight.


    "I think the most important thing right now is to make sure I can just keep fighting for as long as possible," Alex mused to himself. If he''d had enough levels to advance Riftwalk or Requiem to the King again, things certainly would have been different.


    But his soul needed to be advanced either way. Completely filling it when he''d been a Novice had given him some huge advantages. There was no reason to believe this would be any different. Improving his soul would make him stronger, faster, and more resilient.


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    Advancing my soul could be the difference between getting one-shot by the Region Boss and managing to hold on by a thread. Sure, that''s a reach, but you never know. I''m quite certain it''s the best move in my current situation.


    Sure, it was going to land him a bunch of bricks and other shit he couldn''t use yet¡­ but that would eventually change, and then he''d be glad to have them.


    Alex sat down on the edge of the basin. He drew in a deep breath, stilling his mind as he extended a hand to brush against the swirling energy. Freezing cold met his fingertips. It raced down his palm and sliced into his veins, but it was nothing he hadn''t felt before.


    The meditation had become oddly natural. It almost felt as if he''d been doing it his entire life ¡ª and there was a sense of peace that came with letting the rest of the world drift away. All that remained was him and the power lying in wait.


    Droplet by droplet, he condensed the mist and sent it raining down into his basin. Alex didn''t know how long the process took, nor did he care to. Someone would wake him up if the Region Boss attacked, and his mind had no room to focus on anything other than the power before him.


    Alex eventually condensed every single drop of power into the waiting basin beneath. He''d managed to fill it just over three quarters of the way, which was absolutely nothing to scoff at considering he hadn''t defeated any particularly powerful enemies since the last time he''d meditated. All this power was just from training and cleaning up monsters in the Mirrorlands that had happened to get in his way.


    He didn''t hesitate to drink every droplet of the condensed magic. The power burned as it slipped through his lips and entered his body, spreading throughout him like a growing frost.


    Ripples passed through the lake beneath the basin. Bricks rose up from beneath the water, piling higher as his soul grew stronger. Alex barely even noticed. His attention was completely on gathering every scrap of power he could get. There would be time to see the fruits of his labor later.


    The basin seemed to drain at an agonizingly slow speed. It had gotten large enough that drinking all the water stored within it, even when it was only three quarters of the way full, was not a simple task.


    Alex''s concentration threatened to waver. He''d never lost focus while absorbing energy, and he had absolutely no desire to start now. Wasting even a scrap of magic felt like an affront. He''d worked for all this power, and he''d be damned if he let it get away right before the finish line.


    The water level of the basin lowered. It sank from half to a quarter, then dwindled still. Alex continued to drink. His body was so cold that he couldn''t even feel his fingers anymore. He could have sworn that his skin was frosting over and icicles were forming on his eyebrows.


    All he could see was the water before him, lowering and lowering and lowering. And that was all that mattered. The numbness of the cold actually helped. It muted out what few distractions remained in his soul, swallowed his vision to a pinpoint, and filled his ears with the thundering pump of blood until nothing else remained.


    And the freezing sensation enveloping him evaporated. The pinpricks of pain throughout his veins pulled back. Alex drew in a sharp breath as his body suddenly remembered that it was meant to need air.


    There was no water left in the basin.


    He''d drained every last droplet of it. Newfound power thrummed within Alex. His body was already beginning to adapt to the changes, but the feeling was unmistakable. He was stronger. Faster. He was simply more.


    "What a rush," Alex said, shaking his head as he slowly rose back to his feet. His movements were intentionally slow¡ª the last thing he wanted to do was trip over his own feet and accidentally send himself plunging into his own basin. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I don''t know if you can kill yourself inside your own soul, but I''m not about to find out.


    Alex took a moment to steady himself and acclimate to the energy thrumming within him. Then he turned to look down the stairs and down upon what the fruits of his labor had netted him.


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    He froze.


    "What the fuck?" Alex breathed.


    Rivers of bricks flowed, piled in unruly stacks and in wait of an architect to assign them their places. They were stacked alongside piles of dirt and rolls of grass and other masonry ¡ª though there wasn''t so much as a single tool to work with amongst the litter.


    But Alex wasn''t looking at any of the building materials.


    His eyes were focused on the side of his soul, between two of the pillars and opposite to the plain doorway.


    They were focused on the massive demon sitting cross legged upon the surface of his lake, chin rested on its palm, thick white chains hanging like vines from its enormous body. The demon shifted, raising his hand from his palm as amusement lit behind his catlike eyes.


    "Ah," Berith said. The rattle of his chains echoed through Alex''s soul like distant thunder. "You''ve finished. I was wondering when you''d notice me. It''s been some time since we last traded words. I hope you haven''t forgotten our deal, Alex."

 Chapter 171 Amuse

    "How are you here?" Alex asked. He didn''t let his eyes drift from Berith as he carefully made his way down the basin staircase. The demon may have helped him when they were in the Mirrorlands, but he had absolutely no delusions about what their relationship was.


    Berith saw him as a curiosity at best¡­ and a tool at worst. From what Alex had understood, it should have been impossible for Berith to be here right now. His soul was nowhere near strong enough.


    "What an odd question." Berith examined the beds of his nails. "You brought me into your soul, Alex. What did you think would happen?"


    "Not that. You know as well as I do what I''m asking," Alex said as he reached the base of the stairs. He stared at Berith, waiting to see if the white chains would drag him back beneath the water, but it didn''t seem like the demon was going anywhere. "You''re supposed to be bound. I most certainly haven''t forgotten our deal, but I also know I''ve seen your chains beneath the water. They weren''t anywhere near close enough to let you out yet."


    "You sound displeased." Berith let his hand lower to rest against the water. Ripples passed through it, rolling throughout Alex''s soul before fading into the darkness. "Could it be you did not plan on carrying out our arrangement?"


    "Are you kidding? Of course I am. But I''m not an idiot. Even if I was capable of breaking those chains right now ¡ª which I am not ¡ª fighting you would be about as clever as flinging myself off a cliff. I want a fight, not to kill myself."


    Berith nodded amiably. "Good, good. You are correct on both counts. A fight right now would hardly be worth my time, and you would have more luck lifting a mountain than you would breaking a single link of these chains."


    "Right." Alex crossed his arms in front of his chest. "So why are you here?"


    "Would you enjoy sitting around in the cramped confines of someone else''s pathetic little soul? There isn''t much to do there, deep in the darkness. I have sat for eons longer than you can even comprehend, Alex. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. It has been far too long since I have witnessed anything worthy of my attention. Would you not seek new sights were you in the same situation?"


    That was a convincing argument. If Alex had so much as a flicker of trust for Berith, he might have believed it.


    "You can''t see much more here than you could down there," Alex pointed out. "In fact, given all the stuff I keep dredging up from the lake, I''d imagine there''s actually less here than there is inside the lake."


    A soft laugh slipped from Berith''s lips. His chains jerked taut as he shifted. For a flicker of a second, anger passed through his eyes. Then his normal demeanor returned as quickly as it had vanished.


    "It is not so much about quantity as it is about quality. You will find that to become increasingly true as you grow stronger. A thousand pathetic stars are nothing in the face of a single sun."


    "A sun is a¡ª"


    Berith levied a withering glare at Alex that killed his sentence before it could finish leaving his lips. Antagonizing an ancient demon that lived inside his soul was not on the top of Alex''s priority list. He didn''t know how much damage Berith could do if suitably motivated and he didn''t want to find out.


    "So you''re here to¡­ sit around?" Alex asked.


    "I am here to observe. Your soul grew enough that a sliver of the sliver could solidify its presence," Berith said. "I am patient¡­ but I must admit that after all these years, that patience wears thin when an opportunity to do anything else arises."


    A sliver of a sliver¡­ so that''s what''s going on. My deal with Berith let him put a tiny piece of himself into me in exchange for giving me the Riftwalk ability. The majority of that fragment is still hidden away, deep in my soul. This is just a small piece of the already small piece¡­


    And I can''t tell the difference.


    Alex swallowed. Of all the emotions that he''d felt since the beginning of the apocalypse, fear had rarely been one of them. But only a fool didn''t know fear ¡ª and he had met no being more worthy of fear than the chained demon.


    There was a chance that Berith was lying, but Alex doubted it. Lies served a purpose. An ant could not tell the difference between a mountain and the stars above it. They were both impossibly large, and Berith was no different.


    And from that fear came a burning wick of excitement. The very same emotion that had propelled Alex through the apocalypse up until this point. He''d only seen the tiniest piece of the universe.


    There was so much more out there. So much power to be claimed. And if there was anything that he''d learned from the world before it had all gone to shit, it was that power compounded. Those who gathered strength would see it come in increasing amounts.


    I may not be able to fight you yet, Berith, but I will. And I will win. You can count on that.


    "Well then," Alex said. "I''d say you could make yourself at home, but I''d really prefer you didn''t. Just¡­ stay over there."


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    Berith chuckled. "It seems you are largely unchanged from our previous meeting. Are you not going to ask for my help? I can see you have made a mess of your soul."


    A mess might be a bit of an understatement.


    There were piles of building materials everywhere. It was like someone had blown up an ancient civilization''s construction site. Some help would have been very, very appreciated ¡ª which was exactly why Alex''s hair stood on end the moment Berith offered it.


    "Hell no," Alex said. "Do I look like an idiot to you?"


    "Are you certain you want me to answer that question?"


    "I''m not asking you for help," Alex said.


    "How arrogant." Berith leaned back. His chains went taut and he draped an arm over one of them, using his bindings like a lounge chair. "Do you really think you are in a position to refuse help? Or are you so bold that you believe yourself to know better than me?"


    "Nope. I just don''t think you''d do shit for free. There are some strings attached, and I''m not turning myself into a puppet."


    Alex pulled Princess'' Soul Mirror out and summoned her with a thought. Sludge bubbled at his feet as she rose up in a mound, the centipede legs expending from her back clawing at the air as her white mask quietly turned to Alex in wait of a command.


    "You imply I am not trustworthy?" Berith asked. He paid Princess absolutely no attention.


    "Yes," Alex replied.


    Berith let out a bark of laughter. "Then you are not a complete fool. Good."


    Alex scrunched his nose. He pulled a Soul Flame free from the Spatial Mirror and fed it to Princess. There was no reason to waste time. He had a fair bit of energy to feed Princess. The stronger she was before this fight, the better. Princess was his best tank. Alex didn''t have enough energy to evolve her quite yet, but he got the feeling that winning the fight against the Region Boss would change that.


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    It was a chance to catapult himself and his town even farther ahead of their competition. Nobody had managed to defeat a Region Boss yet on 274-50, which meant the System would reward them well for it. Evolving Princess was only one of the smaller things he could potentially wrest from a victory.


    A chuckle rolled through Alex''s soul as Berith inclined his head ¡ª though the demon''s gaze never once went lower than Alex''s. The demon made absolutely no attempts to hide his thoughts. In Berith''s eyes, they were not equals.


    "I see the desire burning in your eyes. So greedy. Good. Power is torn from existence by those with the will and hunger to wield it," Berith said. The demon flicked a lazy finger. "Though leaving the foundations of your soul so¡­ unkept¡­ is mildly distressing."


    Alex''s eyebrow twitched. He wasn''t sure if Berith was joking or not. It was impossible to tell.


    Is an ancient demon implying that he''s genuinely bothered by the fact that my soul is a giant mess? I mean, I''m not exactly thrilled about it either, but I''m not screwing with shit until I know what I''m doing.


    "I''ll mess with things once I get a Visualization," Alex said, continuing to feed Princess all the normal souls he had within his mirror. "Speaking of which ¡ª and I''m only talking in hypotheticals, mind you, but I wonder if not having a Visualization right now is going to cause me any problems."


    Berith stared at him. "Who do you think you''re fooling? Are you trying to pretend as if that isn''t a question directed at me?"


    "Just pure hypotheticals. No questions here," Alex said with a firm shake of his head. "Just wondering. You know. A Visualization seems really important. I know I need one, but I don''t know if delaying in getting it will be an issue."


    "Do you think this is some schoolyard playground?"


    Alex was more than aware he was being petty ¡ª but Berith was humoring him. The demon wouldn''t have been doing that if he didn''t find some level of amusement in his actions¡­ which very likely meant Alex was skirting closer to danger than he was aware.


    If I ask him directly for help, he''s definitely going to hold it over my head somehow. I can''t be stupid here. Whether Berith answers my question or not, nothing changes in the short term. No point putting myself into debt over something like that."


    "I''m just thinking aloud, here. I''m not trying to destroy my soul before I get a chance to make sure I know what I''m doing."


    "That," Berith said, leaning forward until the chains binding him grew completely taut, "may be the smartest thing you''ve ever said. While we''re in the habit of thinking aloud, I would mention that I found my Visualization''s rewards only made themselves known at the brink between Stages."


    Alex nodded as if that made perfect sense ¡ª which, in all honesty, it did. Everything to do with the Mind Palace seemed to be most important right before advancements in Stage¡­ which meant he had time to work with.


    "I see. Pondering really lightens the chest, doesn''t it?"


    Berith snorted. "Perhaps you''ll be something of a fight after all. Just don''t keep me waiting longer than a few thousand years."


    "I ¡ª wait. A few thousand years?"


    "I am keeping my expectations in check."


    "That''s keeping them in check?" Alex asked, aghast. He paused for a moment, then fed another soul to Princess. He''d never really considered how long he could live¡­ but with the upgrades the System was giving his body, increased longevity hardly seemed like a surprise now that he actually thought about it. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With every flame Princess ate, her body grew larger. Thin engravings carved themselves into the mask, almost like the opening strokes of some immense tapestry. The centipede legs that composed the arms on her back lengthened, barbs forming along their length as their shape grew more defined.


    You can take anything you want from this world. That''s what the truth of the System. Life, power, happiness, all of it. You just have to be strong enough to claim what you desire.


    Alex fed the last of the monster souls to Princess, his thoughts still drifting. Her body bubbled was she absorbed the final scraps, and Alex took a surprised step back.


    Princess had grown nearly three feet in size. The massive mouth on her stomach had grown as well. A purple, barbed tongue lolled from the within it. Dark lips that stretched in a wide leer were ringed by wide, flat yellowed teeth.


    "Sickening," Berith said. "You have managed to take the filth that reside within the Mirrorlands and somehow make it viler. Well done."


    Alex grinned. His preparations were done. The only thing left to do was head back to the real world and finalize their preparations.


    "Thank you. Now sit tight and watch me kill a Region Boss, yeah?"


    Berith roared with laughter. "I shall. Succeed or perish. It matters not. You will amuse me either way."


    Alex let his Mind Palace drift away.


    But, even as his eyes opened in 274-50, Berith''s fading laughter continued to ring in his ears.

 Chapter 1 - 1: Celebrating the end of the world

    The System told the world it was coming a week in advance. It was a cruel joke. Humans couldn''t stop killing each other for a single day, much less unite to face an apocalypse. If anything, the warning just made things worse.


    Governments tried to reach out and assure everyone that everything would be alright ¨C that all people had to do was fall in line and they would be protected. The police and armies came out in force to control the riots that sprung up in just about every city.


    That didn''t last long. When people got a magical message in their head telling them that the world as they knew it was going to end, threats from talking heads hardly held the weight they once did.


    By the time the week came to its end, the world was on fire. It was chaos. Supply chains collapsed. Soldiers deserted. Communities divided. Everyone was desperate to find a way to survive for just a moment longer.


    And, as the world collapsed, Alex had a pizza party with his best friend.


    "To us." Alex laughed as he raised a red plastic cup full of flat soda to the air. The smell of burnt rubber and ash filtered through their window from the distant fires on the street below. "It''s been shit, but sometimes it was slightly less so."


    "As eloquent as always." Teddy pushed his glasses back up his nose, then matched Alex''s grin and raised his own glass. "I rather liked it myself."


    "That''s because you were actually good at school." Alex downed his soda. He considered throwing his cup behind him but opted to set it down by his side, next to the go-bag he''d prepared. The end of the world didn''t mean he had to start littering.


    Teddy tossed his cup over his shoulder. He brushed his long, blonde hair away from his face, tying it back behind his head in a bun. Despite the impending apocalypse, it was still somehow perfectly taken care of. While everyone else had rushed to the stores to steal food and other necessities, Teddy had bought every last bottle of shampoo he could get his hands on and stuffed them into an old blue knapsack that now rested behind him.


    Alex''s own backpack was stuffed full of food, an old med-kit his late mom had forced him to bring to college that he''d been fortunate enough to keep purely because he couldn''t bring himself to part with it, and a few crumpled up old exams that had snuck their way in.


    "So, what do you think is going to happen?" Teddy asked, finishing his work and letting his hands drop.


    Alex shrugged. The smell of smoke grew stronger. A restaurant had completely been engulfed in flame and thick black clouds were rising up from it in a pillar that aimed to claw its way into the heavens. "Aliens?"


    "I''m hoping it''s more demons and wizards and the like. If I die, I''d rather die to a cool orc than a tentacle monster."


    "Neither will make you any less dead. I''d rather live through this whole thing myself." Alex took a bite of frozen pizza. It tasted like wet cardboard that someone had slapped with a sausage. The electricity to their college dorm was long gone, but he''d let the pizza sit out in the sun for a day to warm it. It wasn''t exactly cooked, but food poisoning was the least of his worries.


    "Like that''s going to happen."


    "Says the guy that constantly carries around four sets of his glasses in case one of them breaks."


    "And look how it paid off." Teddy shot Alex a smug look. "I''m a genius. Twilight Zone had a message in it, man."


    "If I was the last guy alive, I think I''d just kill myself. That sounds awful."


    Teddy tilted his head slightly askew, then inclined it in agreement. "Fair point, man."


    A twinge of nervous excitement swirled in Alex''s stomach, but he didn''t let it show on his face. He''d never tell Teddy ¨C or anyone else for that matter ¨C but the day he''d gotten the message from the System had been one of the most exciting ones he''d had in years.


    Life is a waste. Wake up, go to school, take shitty exams for a subject that I don''t care about, and then go to bed. Rinse and repeat until I get a job and then spend the rest of my life slaving away for something that doesn''t even matter.


    That''s not how things should be. In just a few minutes, everyone gets screwed. No more work. Just a fight for survival ¨C and that means we''re all on even ground. The System wouldn''t warn us it was happening if we didn''t have a way to survive. That means we''re going to get challenged, but there should be a way through.


    A challenge that isn''t ripping my hair out trying to make a piece of code run correctly¡­ I think I''m actually looking forward to the end of the world.


    A bulky watch on Teddy''s wrist let out a shrill beep. He''d sworn by the thing for years, claiming it was the greatest watch ever made. He claimed it was somehow hooked up to the true clocks that were always perfectly accurate. Alex was convinced the damn thing was slow by a few seconds, but he didn''t have the heart to tell Teddy. They both fell silent, looking down at the piece of plastic as it went off, its shrill scream breaking their calm. Teddy reached down and turned it off.


    "One minute until the end." Some of Teddy''s bravado faded away and he set his droopy pizza down, swallowing. "What are the chances that this whole thing is just a really elaborate prank and the apocalypse never happens?"


    Alex looked out the window. The street was littered with shattered barricades and broken glass from protests and fights between the campus police and students. Cars sat abandoned, most of them demolished. Distant sirens rang, but most of them had already run out of battery or had their electricity cut.


    "I think it already did."


    "In that case, I''ve changed my mind. I hope I get magic. It would be badass to start slinging fireballs around."


    "You''d probably blow yourself up."


    "Probably," Teddy agreed.


    The two of them fell silent. Seconds ticked by on the watch.


    10.


    9.


    8.


    "Alex?"


    "Yeah?" Alex raised his eyes from the watch. Staring at it wouldn''t change anything.


    "It''s been¨C"


    The rest of Teddy''s sentence vanished in an earth-shattering roar. Brilliant blue light lit up the day with such intensity that it momentarily blinded Alex. He threw his hands up, crying out in surprise.


    I knew his goddamn watch was off.


    A booming roar slammed into Alex''s mind, echoing through his very being. Golden letters scrawled through the air before him.


    Welcome, Planet 274-50, colloquially known as Earth.


    Your warning period has ended. Earth will now begin to be assimilated into the Infinium. Please sit or lie down for the first stage of Initialization to avoid being injured.


    Initialization will take place over 3 stages to minimize critical damage during integration.


    Alex blinked the letters away as a rumble shook the building. Blood rushed in his ears as his spine tingled and his hair stood on end. He and Teddy exchanged a wild-eyed look, but they didn''t have time to say anything.


    As quickly as the first message had faded, a new one appeared before Alex.


    Initialization has begun.


    Welcome, Alex Vaya. Please remain still while your information is processed. You are number 2,105,294,612 in the queue.


    The smell of ozone bit at Alex''s nostrils. Energy crackled through the room, tiny arcs of blue light dancing along the walls and racing around their feet.


    Alex''s hair stood on end. More and more energy gathered around them. Out of the corner of his eye, Alex saw a flash of dark energy through his window. A black beam carved through the air, ripping through the ground. A pillar of black crystal erupted where the energy had struck and a car that had been unfortunate enough to be in its path warped in on itself before getting sucked into an obelisk. Rings of blue light flickered around the rippling black object, humming a shrill whistle.


    It was the very same energy that was filling the room.


    Oh, shit.


    "We need to move!" Alex yelled.


    Teddy didn''t need to be told twice. He and Alex lurched to their feet. The energy gathering around them grew even stronger. It screamed in Alex''s ears like a raging siren. Flashes of blue light swirled around him, forcing him to squint.


    A sliver of black light sliced through the air in the center of the room, directly in front of Teddy''s path. It carved through the ground like a knife and expanded outward. It split through splitting apart everything in its path.


    Alex lunged and shoved Teddy out of the way just as the darkness roared out between them, forming into a crackling obelisk of energy. He hit the ground with a grunt, rolling to the side an instant before the black crystal finished taking form.


    A flicker of blue energy arced past Alex''s arms and the smell of burnt hair filled the room. He let out a hiss of pain and shook his arm off.


    "Alex!" Teddy yelled. "Are you okay?"


    "I''m fine," Alex yelled back, stepping around the obelisk. His heart slammed violently in his chest. Dark swirls of smoke twisted and shimmered within the strange object that had materialized in their room. It was oddly mesmerizing ¨C but not nearly enough to get Alex to stand around for a second longer.


    Teddy scrambled to his feet and darted around the obelisk. Alex felt energy crackle at his back and jumped forward, just barely managing to avoid another obelisk as it slammed into place in their room, roaring with violent energy.


    "Holy shit," Alex breathed. "That was a close call. We need to get out of here."


    "Yeah," Teddy agreed, steadying Alex. For a moment, it looked like he wanted to say something. Teddy''s mouth opened for just an instant before he closed it, pressing his lips together as his features darkened.


    Then Teddy shoved him.


    Alex''s back hit the churning energy and a roar filled his mind, the words stolen from his mouth as it opened in shock. The determined look in Teddy''s eyes was the last thing Alex saw before the darkness took him.


    ***


    Alex was surprised to find his eyes open. He was sprawled across cold, clammy floor, his body intact and somehow entirely unsevered.


    It was silent. The sirens had vanished and the crackle of energy and flame was gone. It was so silent that he could hear the thump of his heart like a metronome. Alex groaned and pushed himself upright, the taste of iron stinging his clammy tongue. For a moment, it looked like he was still in his dorm room, but something was deeply wrong with all of it.


    The same ratty walls rose up around him, and he could see the door to his room in the far wall, but that was where the similarities ended. The knitted Shrek rug he''d found in a thrift store had been replaced by warped, glittering stone. None of the furniture was quite where it should have been and all of it was just slightly wrong. A cabinet twisted like a spiral staircase, a desk with three legs that sat askew and partially lodged in the wall ¡ª a mirror that definitely hadn''t been there before, its reflection nothing but a black void.


    What the hell was that? Did Teddy just try to kill me?


    Did he succeed?


    I don''t feel dead.


    Alex swallowed as the dim light revealed shadows that were just long enough to be noticeably out of place. His skin prickled. The feeling of being watched gripped at him and he turned in a slow circle, but the room seemed to be empty. It certainly didn''t feel empty, though. Alex was denied the opportunity to look around for any longer when a flash of blocky golden lettering appeared before him.


    [Trial Assigned: The Mirrorlands]


    Objective: Escape.


    No sooner than Alex had read the words did they vanish, replaced by new, considerably fancier ones.


    Alex Vaya. It is now your turn in queue. Please select your class.


    You may choose ¨C


    ERROR.


    All living beings must obtain a class before departing their origin area. You may not leave Planet 274-50 until you have selected a class.


    ERROR. Current location is [FORBIDDEN]. Dimension mismatch.


    Attempting to manually assign class¡­


    ERROR. No available classes are available to select from location [FORBIDDEN]. Dimension mismatch.


    Anomaly detected.


    Alex stared at the golden letters, then swallowed heavily. He''d had a week to process that the apocalypse was coming. There was no room to wonder if he was hallucinating or somehow asleep.


    Of course, he hadn''t expected his best friend to shove him through a portal into hell, but no plan ever held up through first contact. Panic wouldn''t help him now.


    This was real life. He''d mentally prepared himself to fight. He''d prepared himself to die. Teddy could be dealt with later. Right now, his concern was survival and getting angry wasn''t going to help anything.


    I''m punching that asshole in the face if I ever see him again, though.


    The System wasn''t satisfied with leaving Alex to his thoughts. The floating messages disappeared as a new one replaced them.


    Title Acquired.


    Anomaly (FORBIDDEN): You were successfully marked as an Anomaly by the System. This Title cannot be removed.


    ERROR. [Alex Vaya] has not finished the first stage of Initialization and cannot earn Titles. Removing Title¡­


    ERROR. Title [Anomaly] cannot be removed.


    Setting origin for [Alex Vaya] to [Mirrorlands].


    Title Fragment Acquired.


    Mirrorlander: Granted to all native Mirrorlanders, however few of them there may be. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alex squinted, the sudden glare of flashing letters in the darkness stinging his eyes. It felt simultaneously burning hot and freezing cold. His internal organs lurched and he stumbled, catching himself on the wall as the world swam before him.


    As quickly as the sensation had started, it vanished. A loud ding echoed through Alex''s mind ¨C the very same noise that had heralded the beginning of the nightmare that the world had been plunged into for the past week.


    You have access to [4] new Classes.


    Please select your class. Your choice will unlock the power latent within you and allow it to take shape according to your soul''s desires. Though many classes start with the same name, no two ever remain identical.


    You may choose from the following options:


    Berserker [Mirrorlands]


    Hunter [Mirrorlands]


    Mancer [Mirrorlands]


    Evoker [Mirrorlands]


    This time, the glowing letters didn''t float away on their own. It finally looked like the System had figured itself out and was running properly again ¨C for what good that was. As far as Alex could tell, the black obelisk had somehow sucked him into a location that wasn''t on Earth before he''d had a chance to select his class, which had thrown the System for a loop. Despite everything that had happened, he let out a snort of amusement. It was funny, in a bleak way.


    At least I actually get to choose a class. For a good few seconds there, I thought I was going to end up with nothing.


    Alex turned his attention toward the four class names floating in the air before him. As soon as his mind brushed over them, the writing shifted and new information shimmered to life beneath each of them.


    Berserker [Mirrorlands]: A close-range fighter with an aggressive combat style. The Berserker focuses on draining energy from their opponents and thrives in the chaos of battle. Class Modification: Gain an appropriate, randomly selected Mirrorlands Weapon upon selecting this Class. The weapon will scale and grow together with you.


    Hunter [Mirrorlands]: A long range fighter with a stealth-based fighting style. Hunters possess abilities that allow them to conceal themselves, setting up traps and striking from the darkness. Class Modification: Gain an appropriate, randomly selected Mirrorlands Weapon upon selecting this Class. The weapon will scale and grow together with you.


    Mancer [Mirrorlands]: A versatile Class that calls on the Way to wield powerful magic at the cost of their defenses. Mancers have immense destructive force and can specialize into many different branches but are vulnerable to most types of attacks. Class Modification: The Core & first Auxiliary Skill granted by this class will both be improved.


    Evoker [Mirrorlands]: A versatile Class that draws power from monsters, summoning and commanding them at will. Evokers can wield enormous power but are limited by their ability to capture and control monsters. Class Modification: Gain a randomly selected Mirrorlands Inhabitant of increased rarity. The first Auxiliary Skill granted by this class will be improved.


    Alex''s eyes raced over the words, drinking them all in. He re-read each of the classes several times. The System didn''t seem to have a time limit on anything, but he didn''t want to sit around for long enough to find out if it did.


    These hardly seem like proper starting classes. There''s no way these were what I was supposed to get as my first class. I guess I''ve got the Anomaly Title to thank for that. I bet I didn''t get access to any normal classes because I got yanked off Earth before the System initialized, or whatever it was talking about.


    And, if Alex hadn''t gotten the title¡­ he shuddered. The System would have still been stuck spamming him with errors, and he never would have gotten any sort of class.


    The first two classes give a scaling weapon. That basically sounds like the equivalent of a legendary weapon or something once I get strong enough, but it didn''t say anything about the weapons other than they would be appropriate, which means they could initially suck or just not be something I can use.


    Berserker¡­ well, I''ve never swung any kind of real melee weapon before. It sounds like it could be really strong, but it would also force me to take every single fight up close. It probably wouldn''t offer much in the way of range. I''d like to have some way to fight from afar when the time calls for it. It also sounds squishy. I''d probably get killed the first time I got hit by anything.


    Going with a bow seems like an overcorrection though. I''m a terrible shot and I don''t fancy not being able to have good options for fighting someone when they get right on top of me. I''ll probably cross off both Hunter and Berserker, then.


    The shadows at the corner of Alex''s vision shifted. He stiffened, jerking his head toward them, but nothing was there. He turned his gaze back to the shimmering letters, clenching his fists.


    That left Mancer and Evoker. A squishy mage and a summoner. It only took a few moments for Alex to make his decision.


    Magic is tempting, but I don''t relish the idea of having to worry about dying in a single blow. Mancers sound like they need a frontline to do anything, especially when they''re weak and don''t have much power to work with yet.


    It feels like Evokers are kind of mages as well, but they''re more like some weird mix between a warlock and a Pok¨¦mon Trainer. That seems pretty damn cool, and I also get a free summon right off the bat so I won''t be wandering around completely defenseless.


    That doesn''t even get into how much of an advantage I''ll get when I have more numbers on my side than my opponents do. Even one extra body on my side will heavily tilt pretty much any even fight in my direction. Rolling up to a fight with a horde behind me also just sounds badass.


    A grin tugged at Alex''s lips and he focused on his chosen class. Cool wasn''t really the best criteria with which to base his decision, but the world had ended a few minutes ago. Having at least a little fun as everything burned around him felt like the least he could aim for.


    The words floating in the air didn''t react in the slightest under Alex''s gaze. He frowned and reached out, expecting his finger to pass clean through them. Instead, it made contact, a faint static energy pushing back against his skin.


    You have selected Evoker [Mirrorlands].


    The prickling feeling covering Alex''s body intensified a hundred-fold. He scrambled back on all fours, batting at himself and letting out a startled curse as what felt like thousands of spiders suddenly crawled beneath his skin and along the insides of his organs.


    As quickly as the awful sensation arrived, it vanished. The golden lettering faded away as new messages took the previous one''s place.


    Soul Manifestation Unlocked: [Spatial Mirrors] (Novice 1) ¨C Spatial Mirrors contain the Evoker''s bonded creatures. They can only contain bonded creatures that originate from the Mirrorlands. The creatures stored within Spatial Mirrors can be summoned at will. Upon death, the creature''s energy will return to the Spatial Mirror until it recovers. Each Spatial Mirror can bond to a single creature.


    Only contain monsters that come from the Mirrorlands -- son of a bitch. It never said that in the description!


    Sounds like I just got an unintentional trial upgrade. Not only do I have to get out of here, but I''ve got to make sure I can get back as well.


    That said, if I can pull it off... the monsters in this creepy place have to be stronger than the ones back on Earth, right? I''ll have a huge advantage if I survive.


    Just a tiny little caveat. I have to actually survive.


    An invisible band coiled around Alex''s chest even as the System''s message shimmered, locking in place almost as if it had frozen. For an instant, his lungs refused to draw breath. Then his teeth clenched and he forced himself to inhale. There was a sharp pop as the pressure in his ears changed.


    The Improved Auxiliary Skill has insufficient strength to overwrite Singularity Core. Your innate skill has taken priority.


    Auxiliary Skill Unlocked: [Requiem to the King] (Novice 1) ¨C Even in death, all must serve. When a bonded creature is slain in battle, a portion of their energy and abilities will empower their summoner. This effect will remain until the bonded creature reforms in their Spatial Mirror.


    Alex took in the messages, not sure if he was supposed to be excited or terrified. He had absolutely no idea what a Singularity Core was or what it did, but it seemed that it had somehow provided a skill stronger than what the System had been planning on giving him.


    And then there was Soul Manifestation. It certainly seemed like a skill, but it clearly had more relevance to it than just a random ability if it got a whole unique title. Whatever they were, he got the feeling he wasn''t going to find answers just sitting around like a duck. He needed to get moving.


    Where''s my free summon? I thought I got¡ª


    A pebble clattered across the floor behind Alex. He spun, his hand waving through the gold letters and blowing them away. A jolt of ice raced through his veins and shot straight into his heart.


    Staring at him from the shadows of a doorway, burning with hunger, were two slanted red eyes. Alex took a step back, raising his hands in what he hoped was a soothing motion. The eyes bored into him, and the world was utterly silent.


    He almost wished that the monster would do something ¨C make noise, attack ¨C anything. Instead, it just watched him silently, as if it were reveling in his growing fear. The darkness was split apart as a new message from the System arrived before him.


    Congratulations on acquiring your new class. Would you like to view the Class Guide? They will aid you in summoning your first [Mirrorlands] inhabitant.


    WARNING: The Class Guide will remove you from your current location until it has concluded. Ensure you are prepared before proceeding. Are you prepared to proceed? [Yes/No]


    Alex mashed his finger against yes without a second of hesitation.


    Anything that gets me the hell out of here for even a few minutes.


    The world shattered, falling apart around him like planes of broken glass.

 Chapter 2 - 2: All that Glimmers

    Fractals of shimmering mirrors glittered around Alex, piecing themselves into place one by one like a jigsaw puzzle. He floated in their midst, unable to move so much as an eyebrow. His reflection peered back at him from every direction, frozen in horror in a sea of black. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Color washed across the mirrors, splitting the darkness. The mirrors disappeared, melting into the background as a plain stone room took form around Alex. Solid ground formed beneath Alex''s feet. Control returned to him as the last of the mirrors vanished.


    Alex glanced over his shoulder. The room had no door. It didn''t even have furniture. Aside from him, it was completely empty.


    "Hello?" Alex called.


    His voice didn''t even echo. There was no response, and there certainly wasn''t any sign of the promised Class Guide. A harrowing thought struck Alex and he swore under his breath.


    I got scammed out of the Class Guide because I''m stuck in the Mirrorlands, didn''t I?


    He waited for a few more seconds, the hope that he was wrong and that someone would show up to tell him what in the world was going on dwindling quickly. Finally, he sighed.


    Always look on the bright side. Challenge is a good thing.


    "Forget it. I''ll just do this myself. It does kind of take the fun out of something when someone tells you how to do it." Alex rubbed his hands together. "How do I access my Spatial Mirror things? That seems to be what everything for my Class is tied up to."


    Alex tried picturing the messages that the System had been sending him, but nothing happened. He waved his hand in the air, trying to picture a large mirror appearing before him, half expecting that to meet equal success.


    To his surprise, his fingers pressed against something cold. Alex latched onto it, pulling a silvery metal box the size of a deck of playing cards out from nothingness. Alex''s reflection looked back at him from it. The harder he focused on it, the less of himself he actually saw.


    Tiny letters flashed across the back of the box, nearly making Alex drop it in surprise.


    Alex Vaya [Human]


    Class: Evoker [Mirrorlands]


    Stage: Novice 1


    Title Fragments:


    [Mirrorlander]


    Active Titles:


    [Anomaly]


    [1/5]


    Soul Manifestation:


    [Spatial Mirrors] (Novice 1)


    Auxiliary Skills:


    [Requiem to the King] (Novice 1)


    Alex spent a minute looking through the letters on the box.


    When he turned his attention to any of the skills, the descriptions expanded to the full ones that he''d seen when he''d first chosen the Class. There wasn''t a single mention of the Singularity Core that had gotten him his Auxiliary Skill anywhere in his status page. He wasn''t sure if that was a good thing or not, but he couldn''t dwell on it.


    The only thing that really surprised him in his status page was a lack of any actual stats. He''d been expecting a list of dungeons and dragons style values such as dexterity or constitution, but nothing of the sort seemed to be present.


    That stuff doesn''t matter right now. I just need to figure out how to summon my first monster. I can figure out the other things later, assuming I don''t get my throat ripped out the moment I get booted out of this Class Guide thing.


    Alex ran his finger along the box, searching for a seam. As if waiting for that very thought, the back of it popped open. He turned the box around, pushing the top up to reveal a single, glittering mirror in its center. A thin trim of purple metal ran around the edge of the mirror, and a swirl of dark energy spun at the mirror''s center, almost as if he were looking through a window into another dimension.


    Gotcha.


    Alex pulled the mirror free with two fingers and examined it closer. As soon as it was free of the box, letters shimmered to life across its surface.


    Spatial Mirror


    Stored Energy: System Gift ¨C 1


    Bonded Creature: None


    "Well," Alex said to himself, "There''s the free monster. I just need to figure out how to actually get it."


    He turned the mirror left and right, trying to get a better look at the swirling darkness in its center. No matter how he turned the mirror, it always seemed to peer back at him like some emotionless eye.


    Alex grimaced, then brushed his fingers against the surface of the mirror. It rippled in response, sending a faint tingle down his wrist. Alex yanked his hand back. Tiny waves passed over the surface of the mirror like a lake before going still again.


    Narrowing his eyes, Alex touched the mirror again. Cool energy pressed back against his hand, gently pulling it in. This time, Alex didn''t resist.


    Even though his hand was far too large to fit into the card-sized mirror, it still somehow plunged into it. Ice raced up Alex''s veins and through his shoulder, coiling around his heart. His fist closed around a crackling ball of static electricity.


    It bucked, trying to slip free. Alex didn''t let it. He tightened his grip as the freezing sensation intensified.


    The energy doesn''t do anything for me when it''s inside the mirror, which means my best bet is to pull it out.


    The cold wound deeper into Alex''s body. His fingers felt like they were about to freeze off, but the energy finally stopped fighting against him and he felt it settle comfortably into his palm.


    Alex yanked his hand back. For a moment, the mirror resisted him. Then, with a pop, it pulled free. As soon as the energy left the confines of the mirror, the freezing cold was banished.


    What took its place was shooting pain. Alex let out a slew of curses and yanked his hand back. A mote of black and purple flame rose into the air, floating at eye level as it pulsated. Faint waves of force rolled off it, pushing Alex back.


    It began to shimmer, motes of white light appearing around the energy and orbiting it at increasing speeds. The light intensified and Alex took a step back, raising a hand to cover his eyes and squinting.


    Colors flashed at a rapid pace, moving through every color of the rainbow and then some. They grew brighter and brighter as they cycled past before finally snapping to a halt, frozen a dark blue.


    A rush of wind swirled past him and buffeted his hair. There was a brilliant flash and a wave of heat slammed into Alex, nearly bowling him over. He managed to keep his footing under him and forced his eyes open, blinking furiously to see past the dots floating in his vision.


    Standing before him, in a sea of fading purple and black dots, was a gaunt humanoid. It was just a little over four feet tall, with gangly limbs covered with stretched grey skin and a large maw. Shards of shimmering silver jutted out of it at odd angles, forming rough spikes along its back and claws at its fingertips.


    The monster''s teeth, just like its claws, were rows of mismatching shards that had been shoved into a long, lipless mouth. Two motes of yellow light marked its eyes, which had no real shape beyond their glow.


    Alex didn''t even dare to move. He''d been promised a monster, but he''d been expecting something like a giant fluffy dog with big teeth or something, not¡­ whatever this demon was. But the longer he looked at it, the more excited Alex got.


    Glass ground against itself as the monster worked its jaw, staring expectantly at him. One of its claws hung low enough that it actually touched the ground. It was sharp enough that it cut straight into the stone, passing through it like nothing.


    The mirror in Alex''s hand warmed. It took a force of will just to tear his eyes away from the monster and look down. The writing upon its surface had changed.


    Spatial Mirror


    Stored Energy: None


    Bonded Creature: Shardwalker (Novice 1)


    That''s interesting. So this ugly little creature is my improved summon? It certainly looks scary. But¡­ does that mean this creepy little guy is stronger than average? He''s just a Novice, same as me. Maybe he''s just rare. Rare is good.


    Alex cleared his throat and looked back to the Shardwalker watching him expectantly. "Hello?"


    The monster didn''t respond. Its claws twitched slightly, carving through the ground again.


    "I''m Alex."


    The monster continued to stare.


    Not much of a conversationalist, huh? For that matter, does this thing even have any thoughts?


    "Can you do something if you understand me?"


    As he was starting to get used to, the monster remained in place. Alex chewed his lower lip, then changed his strategy.


    "Raise your hand."


    The monster lifted a hand into the air in a blur. Alex jumped back before he realized that the Shardwalker was just following his orders, not attacking him. He suddenly found himself glad that nobody else was there to see him stumble around.


    It follows my orders, then. Doesn''t seem like it''s intelligent. Not yet, at least. That''s honestly a relief. I''m not sure how I''d feel about forcing an intelligent creature to do my bidding.


    Alex held the card-sized mirror up and sent it a pointed look. "Can¡­ you get back in this? Or are you just stuck walking around outside?"


    No sooner than he had finished speaking did the Shardwalker vanish in a shimmer of light. The surface of the mirror in his hand changed, his reflection disappearing as the monster appeared in its place.


    The Shardwalker stared out of the mirror at Alex, then sat down on the nothingness surrounding it. Alex carefully slid the card back into the box and snapped it shut. A loud crack echoed through the still room and Alex spun around, raising his hands defensively.


    A gap ran along one of the walls, revealing an endless expanse of darkness outside his room ¨C one that didn''t seem all that dissimilar from the one that the Shardwalker currently sat in. The room was falling apart.


    Shit. I''m going to get pulled back to the Mirrorlands really soon. I need to get a hold of the rest of my Class. I''ve got my monster, so I just have to figure out how to summon it.


    Alex snapped the box open and pulled the mirror back out of it. He held it before him, flipping the card so that the Shardwalker faced away from him. If the summoning just had the Shardwalker jump out of the card, he didn''t want it cutting him to ribbons on the way out.


    "I''m going to call you Glint," Alex proclaimed. "And I''d like a little help. Can you get out here?"


    Not like it''ll actually work that way. I''ll probably have to do something special to summon Glint ¡ª


    With the sound of shattering glass, a claw carved through the air in front of Alex. Glint pulled itself out from a tear in space, dropping to the ground. Light shimmered across the pieces of glass covering its body.


    Despite his situation, a slight grin flickered across Alex''s face. He held the card up.


    "I think you''re going to be a dude. Do you mind, Glint?"


    Glint turned toward Alex and watched him mutely. He seemed to enjoy doing that, and that was just fine with Alex. Silence was the same as approval, after all.


    "Looking forward to working with you then. I think we''re going to have quite a bit of fun together. Can you get back into the card?"


    Glint vanished in a flash, reappearing within the Spatial Mirror. Alex studied it for a second, then tightened his grip. Maybe ¨C just maybe ¨C he actually had a chance of surviving this nightmare and making it back to the surface.


    Another crack tore through the room, this time above him. Alex looked up at the crack. He stretched his arms above his head, then rolled his neck.


    "Okay. Let''s do this, Glint."


    The thing that was watching me might have moved. I need to be ready the moment I get out of here.


    Golden letters flashed through the air before Alex.


    You have requested to leave the Class Guide. Are you prepared to return to the location you were at before it initiated? [Yes/No]


    Alex reached out with his free hand and selected yes, keeping the other tightly wrapped around Glint''s card.


    For the second time that day, the world shattered around him.


    But, this time, Alex was ready for it.

 Chapter 3 - 3: Filled with determination (and a dead monster)

    Alex''s feet hit solid ground as the warped version of his dorm materialized, painted in the unsettlingly long shadows. Even though Alex was expecting it, his heart lurched into his throat as he saw a pair of eyes waiting for him.


    Instead of watching him from the darkness, they were now just a few feet away from him in the doorway leading over to the next room. A ghostly black form floated in the air, its body twisted like a rope. Parts of it were solid while others were completely translucent, and a long, jagged sword hung loosely in one of its hands.


    Purple letters shimmered above the monster''s head.


    Shaded Hauntling (Novice 2)


    The Hauntling''s red eyes smoldered and its mouth split apart as it let out a low, keening wail. Alex thrust his card forward. Before he could even say Glint''s name, the monster seemed to sense his desires.


    Glass tinkled across the ground as Glint''s claws ripped a portal through the air and the monster stepped out and stood between Alex and the apparition. The Hauntling''s wail turned to a scream and it lurched toward him.


    "Defend me!" Alex yelled.


    Glint leapt into motion. The Hauntling''s sword flashed down toward the glass monster, but Glint made no move to dodge it. A loud clang echoed through the dark, warped room as claws collided against blade.


    Even though Glint''s claws had carved clean through stone with no difficulty, whatever the Hauntling''s blade was made from was strong enough to withstand them. The Hauntling pulled back, and Alex noted that even though the blade had survived the attack, there were several large notches in its metal.


    "Go for the sword again!" Alex commanded. The Hauntling''s eyes latched onto him and it flew forward, trying to run him through.


    Alex threw himself into a roll, and Glint snarled behind him. Another clang echoed through the room, followed by a third. This one was accompanied by a loud crash. Alex turned just in time to see the top of the Hauntling''s sword bounce off the stone ground, severed.


    "Now finish it." Adrenaline pumped through Alex''s veins. "Cut its head off!"


    Glint leapt ¨C and the Hauntling turned fully translucent. The Shardwalker hurtled straight through the other monster, passing it harmlessly. As soon as Glint was behind the Hauntling, the ghostly creature spun and slammed what remained of its sword into the back of the smaller creature''s neck.


    Glass shattered as the sword bit home, and Glint slumped like a puppet with its strings cut. Alex''s stomach clenched and he swore. He didn''t even bother hoping that Glint would get back up ¨C the monster was limp and lifeless.


    Shit. What am I doing? I don''t know what I''m up against, and I just threw my only weapon''s life away because I was too impatient to feel things out better.


    The Hauntling turned its eyes toward Alex, flicking Glint from the end of its broken sword. It started to howl, not giving him time to lament his mistake any longer.


    Glint''s body shimmered as it flew through the air, then turned into a streamer of shimmering silver energy a moment before it hit the ground. The energy flew past the Hauntling and sank into Alex''s body.


    A river of prickling cold coursed across Alex''s skin. Still screaming, the Hauntling charged him, rearing back to plunge its damaged weapon into his neck.


    Alex grabbed the monster''s arm as it slammed into him. His muscles screamed as he pushed with all his might, keeping the blade from plunging down into his skin. The Hauntling drove its other hand into his stomach, knocking the air from his lungs and sending him stumbling back into the wall.


    Brick rippled behind Alex and gave way like a net. He shoved himself away from the wall and it reformed, but not before he caught a glimpse of a dim red sky outside. His heart slammed in his chest. His dorm was six stories up. If he''d completely fallen through the wall ¡ª


    The hauntling''s sword flashed. Alex''s eyes widened and he drove his hands up with all the strength he could muster, grabbing the weapon by its hilt. His arms trembled with exertion as the monster slowly brought the sword closer to his neck. He was losing.


    He thrust his hands to the side and twisted his body to the left, letting the sword flash right past his arm. In the same motion, Alex grabbed onto the solid parts of the Hauntling''s throat. It might have been strong, but it had no legs to keep him from tossing it. He drove his shoulder into the wall behind him.


    Brick burst out and flew back, scattering through the air like dozens of pool balls. Alex put all his weight into his shoulder as he let out a scream of defiance and twisted his body, flinging the Hauntling into the open air.


    Its free hand shot out as it fell and snagged Alex by the ankle. There was a sharp tug, and then the world spun above him. His back slammed into the ground and the air drove from his lungs for the second time as the Hauntling dragged him toward his death.


    Alex''s hands scrabbled against the ground as he struggled to find purchase on the rug. He slipped over the edge, but his fingers found a lip in the wall a moment before he pitched down to his death. He held on for dear life as he dangled in the open air, wind howling around him. The Hauntling let out a screech. Its hand dug into the back of his pants as it started to pull itself up. The monster''s sword slammed into the building just beside Alex''s head, digging into the stone and acting as a handhold as the Hauntling extended a hand over him to reach for solid ground.


    "I don''t think so," Alex snarled, grabbing the hilt of the sword and flinging his body to the side. The Hauntling kept its grip on the blade, but it wasn''t anywhere near as heavy as it was strong. It flailed through the air and momentarily lost its balance.


    Alex twisted himself, locking eyes with the Hauntling. The monster screamed in his face. He drove his free hand forward with a snarl, striking the monster in the chest and pushing with everything he had.


    There was a loud snik.


    The Haunting''s screech cut off abruptly. Alex stared at the monster, his heart hammering violently in his chest. It looked equally as surprised as it pitched back, sliding off his hand and plummeting through the air toward a mess of odd, twisted buildings far below.


    A glittering mirror fragment had burst free from the center of his palm and driven straight through the monster''s chest. The mirror shattered, falling to the ground in a rain of shimmering silver.


    Alex didn''t question his luck or stick around to properly take a look at the scenery. He grabbed the sword with both hands and braced his legs against the side of the building. With a heave, he pulled himself back into the room and pushed himself away from the wall. He rolled across the ground and laid flat, his heart slamming so hard in his chest that it threatened to break a bone. He drew in deep, shaky breaths as he steadied himself.


    A rush of cool energy entered his chest, wound around his heart, and sent a shiver down his spine. It felt like he''d just downed the strongest, freshest energy drink of his life ¡ª but infinitely more satisfying. He didn''t just feel energized. He felt stronger.


    Swallowing to try and get some moisture back in his mouth, he pushed himself upright. A small mote of greenish flame floated just beside the edge of the wall, which had already reformed as if nothing had happened.


    He looked from it to his palm.


    There was no trace of where the blade had emerged from on Alex''s skin, but a simple thought brought another glistening blade to bear at the tip of one of his fingers. Alex dismissed it with another, staring at his body in disbelief.


    So that''s what it means to take on Glint''s abilities? I suppose I should be happy I didn''t grow spikes out of my entire body and destroy my clothes.


    His hands shook as he clenched and unclenched them a few times, hardly able to believe that he was still alive.


    It wasn''t fear that made him tremble, though. It was excitement. A laugh slipped from Alex''s lips, intensifying as the adrenaline drove his frayed nerves to the max. He was alive. And, more importantly, that fight had been fun.


    "Oh, yeah. This is it," Alex murmured to himself as his laughter finally petered out. He drew in a deep breath to steady himself and let it out slowly. "That was exhilarating. I''m going to enjoy this."


    He glanced around for his Spatial Mirror, only to find that it was back in the metal box. Alex had lost track of it during the fight after the Hauntling attacked him, but he knew for a fact that he hadn''t returned it to the box.


    It must return automatically. Convenient.


    Alex pulled the mirror out and glanced over it. From the description of his abilities, he was pretty sure that Glint wasn''t dead, but he wanted to make sure.


    Spatial Mirror


    Stored Energy: None


    Bonded Creature: Shardwalker (Regenerating)


    Alex breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn''t completely wasted his companion''s life. There wasn''t much point in being a summoner if all his summons got killed in the first few seconds of a fight.


    His gaze lowered to the floating mote of black light that the Hauntling had left behind. It looked remarkably similar to the energy that had been floating in his mirror ¨C aside from the color, that was.


    He extended a hand and let a finger brush across the flame. A faint shiver ran down his arm. It wasn''t anything near as intense as the energy that had summoned Glint, but it was definitely of the same variant.


    Alex grabbed the mote and brought it over to the mirror. It had a spot to hold energy, so he was pretty sure that¡ª


    Before he could even bring the flame all the way up to the mirror''s face, it was sucked from his fingers and drawn into its silvery surface. The card rippled before returning to a plain, dark background, but the words at the top changed.


    Spatial Mirror


    Stored Energy: S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Low Novice Grade (Shaded Hauntling) ¨C 1


    Bonded Creature: Shardwalker (Regenerating)


    "Well then," Alex said, lowering the mirror and scooting up to lean against one of the warped walls. "I guess it''s time to sit around and wait for Glint to come back. And, once he does, I''m going to check out where the hell we''re stuck. That Trial message I got right when I arrived here said I had to escape, and that means there''s a way out. And, if there''s a way out, we''re going to find it."

 Chapter 4 - 4: Structural integrity

    It took just about an hour for Glint''s status on the Spatial Mirror to return to normal. At the exact same time, Alex''s ability to create mirror shards vanished. That was far from a surprise, but at least it confirmed that the System was working properly.


    That was a relief. After all the ERRORS and the Anomaly Title ¨C whatever that meant ¨C Alex wasn''t all that confident in the System''s structural integrity. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Glint, come help me," Alex requested. The card in his hand rippled and a claw cut through the air beside him. Glass tinkled to the ground to announce Glint''s arrival and the monster stared at Alex, a blank expression in his eyes.


    He set the card down and it vanished into a stream of black smoke, flowing into the box at his hip. Alex glanced down at it and blinked. He drew the mirror out once more, then let go of it again.


    It streamed back into the box.


    "At least I know you can''t be lost," Alex informed Glint. The monster, unsurprisingly, didn''t respond. Alex jerked his head toward the door. "Let''s go. Stay by my side, please. If you see any monsters, try to quietly alert me by pointing before doing anything else. I''d prefer stealth to attacking everything like an idiot. Nod if you are capable of following those orders."


    Glint nodded and they started off. It looked like Glint was more than capable of understanding long orders, so the monster was far from dumb. Perhaps it was more a question of intent rather than just words.


    He''d have time to test it later. Right now, he needed to find out about where in the world ¨C or more accurately, off it ¨C he was. Alex and Glint headed down the warped hall, both moving as silently as they could.


    Part of him wondered if the shitshow leading up to the apocalypse had been better or worse because he''d been in Texas. They''d certainly gone out with a bang ¡ª but it was a moot point now.


    It was a strange feeling, heading down a place Alex should have known like the back of his hand. He''d spent months in this shitty old building and had walked down its beige walled paths more times than he could count. He probably could have drawn the uninspired pattern on the rug at his feet from memory. Even the smell of the musty walls had etched itself into his mind.


    The only real signs of color had been the half-assed drawings on the whiteboards that hung from some of the other students'' doors, with the occasional one by an artist that actually looked half decent.


    Now, doors twisted like spiraling breadsticks. Parts of some were entirely missing, leaving pieces floating inexplicably in the air, while others were slanted in a myriad of directions other than the one they were actually meant to. Strips of carpet had torn themselves up and stretched up the walls like climbing vines and the entire hallway smelled like absolutely nothing. There was no dust. No faint chemical stench from where people had drawn on the whiteboards with sharpies instead of erasable pens. Not even mold. There was just nothing.


    The silence bore down on Alex like a twenty-pound blanket. Every step he took, no matter how silent it was, felt like its echoes had echoes. He had to alternate from looking around the funhouse-mirror hallway and watching his every move to make sure he didn''t stumble over a piece of randomly slanted ground or slip and fall.


    His awkward gait slowly brought him to the stairs at the end of the hall. They were fortunately still where he recalled them to be. Sure, the door leading to them was now embedded in the wall and covered with twisting wood growth, but at least it was there. Pieces of it floated in the air, shifting back and forth gently in the air and blocking his way.


    Alex grimaced. Even though the door was broken to pieces, there was no way to get past it without touching its remains. He carefully braced a hand against the largest of the fragments and pushed. It resisted him for a moment before slowly shifting back through the air. Alex grabbed another piece and shoved it out of the way before hurriedly stepping through.


    The pieces of the door floated back to their places, as if he''d never been there. A shiver ran down Alex''s spine as he turned to look down the stairwell. The stairs, like everything else in the building, were a shitshow. Jagged black roots ran throughout the stairwell and jutted out from the walls in random spots. Some of the stairs had been ripped free and hung suspended in the air, held in place only by a few measly roots running through them.


    Fortunately, there were still enough of them left to actually use to get down. That was all he could really ask for.


    Alex and Glint headed down the stairwell, avoiding the other rooms on the way down to the first floor. He did his best to avoid the roots and Glint did the same. They just looked like wood, but there was no reason to take any chances. Risk was fun when it had a reward. He wasn''t trying to get himself killed.


    The stairs reached their conclusion. Normally, they should have led out into a wide-open lobby that connected to some of the other dorm buildings in the cluster. Instead, Alex found a massive tree sitting dead center in the middle of the lobby.


    It rose straight up through the building, ripping through the floors and sending roots and branches out in every direction. There wasn''t a single leaf to be seen upon its surface, but the tree had decided to compensate for that particular failing by covering itself with howling visages of human faces pressed up against its bark as if just mere instants from breaking free.


    Alex froze in place, his heart jumping in his chest. He half expected the tree to come alive and start screaming as it ripped the building down around him.


    No such thing happened. It just¡­ sat there. Watching.


    He remained still for a few more seconds before swallowing and starting off once more. Alex crept out of the stairwell, gladder than ever that he''d avoided touching any of the wood. Beyond the tree, at the far end of the room, he could see the door leading out onto the street. It hung askew as if beckoning him over.


    "Don''t touch the wood," Alex said a hushed whisper as he started to creep toward the door. He didn''t try rushing anything. The tree wasn''t moving, but its roots were practically everywhere. Slow and steady movement was his friend.


    He crept past a thick branch, crouching to avoid a pair of roots that ran parallel to each other. Every movement sent thrills of adrenaline pumping through his veins. He didn''t even know if touching the tree would do anything, but he had absolutely no plan of finding out.


    Step by step, he approached the door. A glance back at Glint showed that the monster was having a considerably easier time than he was. Glint just hopped past the roots without a second glance, moving through them with casual ease.


    At least I don''t have to worry about him.


    Alex finally drew up to the exit. A delighted grin crossed his lips and he finally got his first look outside through the roots obscuring the top of the doorframe.


    Dull purple-red light shone down on the street, which was so badly changed that it took Alex several moments to even realize he was in the same city. Enormous crevices ran throughout the street, dark energy glowing from somewhere deep within them.


    There was a sharp, acrid smell in the air that Alex couldn''t quite place. It was almost electric, but like nothing he''d ever experienced before. He barely even paid it attention ¡ª all of his senses were nearly completely overwhelmed as he stared in disbelief.


    Entire buildings had been lifted into the air and were in various stages of what he could only describe as disassembly. One of his favorite restaurants, a dingy wooden building by the name of the Dixie Chicken, hung hundreds of feet in the air. Every plank of wood that had made it up had separated and floated ominously beside one another. It was almost as if an explosion had gone off on the inside of the building, but something had locked it in both space and time just milliseconds afterward.


    The other buildings along the street weren''t in much better shape. The ones that had actually managed to remain on the ground had been squished and warped like taffy. He barely recognized the glass windows of the physics building across the street from him. It had been elongated and stretched into a massive arch that cast a long shadow over the street.


    "Holy shit," Alex breathed despite himself. It looked like his old dorm had gotten lucky. It definitely hadn''t been this close to any of these buildings back in the real world, but a short jaunt through space seemed to be a relatively fortunate hand to be dealt given the alternative.


    The buildings weren''t the only changes. In the near distance, where there had once been only flat land, was a jagged mountain. It rose far into the sky, its sharp peak just below where the clouds should have been. Purple crackled at its top like a miniature lightning storm and rocks swirled up from the mountain, frozen in space as they reached up toward it.


    A shadow passed overhead. Alex instinctually craned his neck back. He froze in place as his blood went cold. A huge, apartment-sized plate of chitin had blocked out the sky. Not just one, but dozens. Hundreds of massive legs, each one the size of a towering tree, swirled through the air. It was an enormous centipede.


    City-Eater Centipede (???)


    Alex swallowed and remained locked in place, not daring to make a noise. A rippling purple portal sprang open before the City-Eater Centipede, which swam into it. The portal snapped shut behind the monster, leaving the sky empty once more.


    City-Eater seems like an apt name. Holy shit. Where the hell did Teddy send me? There''s absolutely no way I''m supposed to be here.


    A moment later, a second thought struck him.


    If a bug can get that powerful in this world¡­ then I can too.


    A flicker of excitement swirled in his stomach, but Alex crushed it. He couldn''t afford to start fantasizing about the future yet. That could be something he''d worry about once he managed to find a way out of the Mirrorlands ¡ª assuming such a thing was actually possible. The idea of being stuck here for the rest of his life sent a spike of ice down Alex''s spine.


    He shook his head. There was no reason to panic. Panic wasn''t going to help him. What he needed was a plan. And, for a plan, he was going to need information. Alex glanced left and right to check for monsters, then crept out into the street with Glint in his wake.


    They kept to the shadows of the buildings, moving slowly but confidently. Alex did his best to stay out from under the sky. Flickers of purple occasionally flashed as other centipedes, not quite as large as the first but still far bigger than a building, swam above him.


    Alex couldn''t shake how eerily silent everything was. Even though there were monsters larger than city blocks above him, their arrivals and departures through the purple portals didn''t make a single noise. The only noise in the city seemed to be him.


    His only saving grace was that it didn''t seem like they were all that concerned with the city below them ¡ª but that was a theory he had absolutely no desire to test. Alex continued along the streets, scanning them for literally anything he could use.


    He wasn''t sure what that would actually be. A flashing neon ''exit'' sign certainly wouldn''t have gone amiss, but he was more than willing to settle for just a clue as to where he could go.


    The back of Alex''s spine prickled. He couldn''t place quite what it was, but something felt off. That sentiment should have been laughable considering literally everything was off, but he couldn''t shake it.


    Alex pressed himself against the twisted wall of the building beside him as he tried to figure out what was nipping at his subconscious. He re-scanned the street, adrenaline pumping in his veins and causing his heart to beat so loudly that he feared the City-Eater Centipedes might hear it.


    Am I just deluding myself? I don''t see ¡ª


    There was a flicker of movement across the street. Alex''s eyes snapped over to the window of a building just a short way in front of him and his breath caught in his chest. Within the darkness behind the glass were two yellowed eyes ¡ª and they were staring right at him.

 Chapter 5 - 5: What lurks in the dark

    The eyes vanished from the window. Alex tensed and Glint flexed his claws, ready to jump into battle at a moment''s notice. He couldn''t help but notice that there hadn''t been any sort of identification as to what the creature within the house was.


    Maybe spotting the eyes isn''t enough to actually reveal it and I need to see a certain amount of the monster''s body or something like that?


    It was a moot point. The pressing matter was twofold. First, there was a monster that had spotted him. It was small enough to fit into a house, which was good. That led to the second part of the problem. If he got into a fight in the middle of the street, it wasn''t going to be quiet.


    I need to kill it without making any noise or somehow bring the fight somewhere where nothing can overhear us.


    Alex''s fingers twitched as his mind raced, but his opponent made their move before he did. The door to the building swung open. He couldn''t make out anything in the darkness beyond, but it was a clear invitation.


    It''s intelligent. Does it also want to avoid the street? It wouldn''t surprise me if monsters ate other monsters. Maybe it wants this fight to be just as quiet as I do. Well, I can oblige. If something wants to challenge me and is scared of the other monsters, then we''re likely to be at least a bit closer in strength ¡ª and I''m not backing down from a challenge.


    The idea of continuing on without investigating the house didn''t so much as pass his mind. Leaving a monster behind that knew of his presence was the same as leaving his back wide open and painting a target on it. It was better to take the fight when he knew the general area from where his opponent would strike.


    "Glint, you first," Alex whispered. "Prioritize surviving and scope out what we''re up against. If it attacks or makes any aggressive moves, do your best to avoid the attack and then go for the kill. If it does look like they''re going to kill you, make sure you die in front of the doorway or where I can see it."


    Glint crossed the street and Alex followed after his monster, only pausing to scoop a rock off the ground. He wasn''t going to be very useful until Glint was dead, but he got the feeling nothing would enjoy getting pelted with a stone. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They reached the opened door and Alex hung back, letting Glint take the lead and leaving enough space for himself to reposition or flee if he had to. He didn''t know what he was up against. And, until he did, he couldn''t let himself overcommit. Alex''s grip tightened around the rock and he raised his hand, preparing to throw it at a moment''s notice.


    Glint stepped into the darkness. The spined monster managed two whole steps before it spun to the right and lunged, letting out a grating snarl. He vanished from view for a brief instant before there was a loud thunk. Glint went flying back past the doorway and disappeared into the darkness on the far side.


    Alex tensed.


    Something made an aggressive move toward Glint if he attacked first.


    Glass scraped as the protrusions jutting from Glint''s skin dug into the floor and he flashed past the doorway once more. Alex gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to charge into the darkness. He needed to bide his time for the right moment.


    A metal blade carved down toward Glint and the small monster leapt out of the way before lunging forward once more. There was a wet squelch and a hiss of pain. Blood splattered across the ground.


    An instant later, Glint slammed into the ground. Blood covered the end of one of the blades along his arm. He''d landed a hit. Glint rolled over and shot to his feet square in the center of the doorway.


    Before he could move again, the blade flashed once more. It drove straight into Glint''s chest as a humanoid form stepped out of the darkness to finish him off. And, in doing so, they moved into Alex''s line of sight. He could just barely make their form out in the darkness, but it was enough.


    Now!


    Alex hurled his rock. He''d never been a particularly athletic student, but it flew true and sailed through the air, striking the figure in the side of the head even as they ripped their sword out of Glint''s limp body, which turned into a streak of blue light and flooded into Alex.


    A blade of mirrored glass erupted from his palm and he took a step forward, preparing to drive it into the heavily obscured figure''s neck as they staggered, a hand flying up to their head.


    "Ow!" the figure cursed.


    Alex skidded to a stop a moment before lunging for their neck. "What the hell?"


    The figure spun toward him. "You speak common?"


    They stared at each other in mute shock for nearly a second. Alex took a step back, keeping the blade protruding from his hand at the ready. "What''s common? And who are you? One sudden move and I''m running you through."


    Despite his words, he''d lost the element of surprise. Out of all the things he''d been expecting to fight, another person wasn''t one of them.


    Oh, shit. Could it be some sort of monster with a trick to sound human? Damn it. I didn''t even think of that.


    The shaded figure raised their sword slowly, then slid it into a sheathe and lifted their hands, palms forward. "I didn''t think there was anyone else in this cursed shithole. I thought you were a monster."


    Now that Alex was paying attention to it, the person''s voice was a little high pitched. It sounded like a woman ¡ª but that didn''t mean it was one.


    Alex''s eyes narrowed. "I thought you were a monster. Step out into the light."


    "Are you kidding me? With all the damn spookies out there?" the figure shook their head vehemently. "You come in here. It''s safe. Or, about as safe as the Mirorlands are ever going to get."


    "Into the darkness?" Alex snorted. "That''s not happening. You can clearly see in it."


    "Oh, bleed it," the figure muttered. "Look, give me a second. I''ve got a torch here somewhere. I hate the idea of wasting it, but I can''t pass up on the chance to talk to another person. Just don''t run me through when I reach for my pocket or I''m going to be right pissed."


    Alex blinked, then nodded. "Go ahead."


    The figure slowly lifted a hand to their side. There was a moment of silence, followed by a faint scratching noise. Light bloomed from a matchstick, pushing back the cloak of darkness to reveal a young woman.


    Alex tensed. A woman she may have been, but a human she was not. Two small fangs jutted down from the corners of her pitch-black mouth and her skin was a shade of gray that should have been reserved for brick, not living flesh. The woman''s hair, as black as her lips, had been tied into a ponytail and revealed two ears as pointed as daggers, one of which had a tiny silver stud earing within its lobe. Blood streamed down her upper arm from the cut that Glint had left on her.


    No glowing letters appeared to identify the woman. Alex wasn''t sure if that was exactly a good thing, but it seemed like it might have been a point in her favor. Thus far, the only things he''d seen information on had been monsters.


    "See?" she asked. "Not a monster."


    I''m not so sure I''d go that far.


    "What are you?" Alex asked warily. He shifted from foot to foot, still ready to lunge at a moment''s notice. He''d be damned if a pretty face was the reason he died this early into the most interesting event in his life.


    "I''d like to ask you the same damn question, but please close that bleeding door before something sees this light and rips us both apart from the asshole out."


    Alex bit back a laugh. He caught the door with his foot and slowly shut it behind him, not taking his eyes off the woman. She did have a point ¡ª the biggest threat was attracting the attention of a monster too big to fight.


    But, just in case, he didn''t close the door all the way and kept his foot in the doorway. It would only take him an instant to fling it open and throw himself into the street if she made any moves toward him.


    "Door''s closed as much as I''m going to close it," Alex said. "You first. What are you? Are you a native to the Mirrorlands?"


    "A native?" the woman let out a muted snort. "I''d thank you not to associate me with the hideous¡­ things down here. I''m from Ayrin."


    Alex stared at her blankly.


    "Ayrin. You know?"


    "No."


    "The planet Ayrin?" she tried. "We got pulled into the System a week ago."


    Alex shook his head. "That means nothing to me. How''d you end up here?"


    "I was midway through a dungeon when I fell into a trapdoor and onto a giant bleeding obelisk. The next thing I knew, I was in this shithole. If you''re not from Ayrin¡­ please tell me you know something about how to get out of here."


    Oh, shit. She might be telling the truth.


    "What color was the obelisk?"


    "Black. Why?" A flicker of excitement passed through her features. "Do you know a way out of here?"


    Alex blew out a breath. "We might be in a bit of a pickle. I fell into one of those just an hour ago. I''m from Earth. I don''t suppose I''d be wrong in guessing that means nothing to you?"


    "Nothing," she confirmed, her excitement snuffed like a candle. She blew out a defeated breath. "Is Earth another planet? How long has it been part of the System?"


    "Er¡­ about an hour, I think."


    The woman stared at him, matchlight dancing as it illuminated her features. Then she groaned and lowered herself into a seated position. "Bleed it all. You fell in right as the System arrived?"


    No. I got pushed in.


    "Yep."


    "And here I thought I was unlucky. Guess I''ve met my match." The woman blew out a huff. "What to do. My name''s Claire."


    "I''m Alex. Why is it that you don''t have any golden letters illuminating you? Is there a way to hide them?"


    "Oh, that''s because of this." Claire held her wrist up, revealing a metal bracelet. "It conceals my information. They''re pretty common. This one is shit, so it doesn''t work against anyone of a higher Stage. Not like it matters anymore."


    Claire pulled the band off her wrist. The air above her head rippled and golden words scrawled themselves into existence.


    Claire - Dhampir Warrior (Novice 3)


    An actual name rather than just a generic monster title. She''s also stronger than me. How big is the difference between Novice 1 and Novice 3? Either way¡­ it seems like she might be trustworthy. Not enough to let my guard down, but I''m a summoner. If she actually is friendly, an ally would go a long way in keeping me alive.


    Claire put the band back onto her wrist and the writing above her head vanished. She kept the flickering match held in the air with one hand as she dug through her pocket with the other, her features pressed thin in pain.


    "Mind taking this?" Claire asked, holding the match to him. "I need to find my bandages."


    He wasn''t going to say no to that. It was clear he needed the light more than she did. Alex crept closer, watching her movements with narrowed eyes as he took the candle. Claire released it and he took a step back to keep some space between them.


    "You''re a cautious one, aren''t you?" Claire asked through a wince as she found the bandages she was searching for and started to try and wrap her wound. "Can''t blame you if the System really just showed up on your planet. That''s rough. I''m, uh, sorry about your spiky rat."


    "It''s fine," Alex said. "He doesn''t stay dead long."


    "Doesn''t stay dead? You didn''t hit your head, did you?" Claire fumbled with her bandages, then let out a curse. "Damn it. Hold on. I need to concentrate on this for a second."


    Alex went to nod ¡ª and a flicker moved through the darkness behind Claire, toward the back of the room. He stiffened. "Claire? Get up."


    She glanced up at his tone, then hurriedly rose to her feet and turned to follow his gaze. "What is it?"


    Alex shifted the match to pinch it between his thumb and the bed of his hand, then ripped a portion of his t-shirt away and held it to the match until the flame caught. He then threw the burning scrap over her shoulder and toward the center of the room.


    The light was so dim that it was barely worth noting at all, but it was just enough to reveal another flicker of movement ¡ª and this time, for long enough for gold letters to shimmer through the air.


    Shade (Novice 4)


    A shadowy form lurched back from the light with a pained hiss, retreating into the corner of the room and cringing back. The small strip didn''t buy them much time. It burned away to embers with frightening speed. The glowing letters went with it, swallowed by the tiny curl of smoke that rose into the darkness ¡ª and without them or the light, the Shade was invisible once more.


    "Oh shit," Claire breathed, taking a step back and drawing her sword with a pained wince. "That''s not good."

 Chapter 6 - 6: Patterns in the sky

    Alex backed up until his shoulders pressed up against the wall behind him. It was too dark in the room for him to cover every angle, so cutting off one of them would go a long way.


    Claire followed him ¡ª and their dim light source ¡ª back. She held her sword in a tight grip, but it was clear that she wasn''t in the best shape to fight. The wound Glint had left on her was still bleeding pretty badly and she''d just been smacked in the head with a pretty large rock. On top of that, now that they were closer, Alex picked up on a fair amount of dirt and marred spots on her clothes.


    It looked like she''d been traveling for quite some time. While that lent quite a bit of credence to her claims of being from a different planet, it also meant she was probably quite tired.


    "Why isn''t it attacking us?" Claire asked, waving her sword through the darkness. "Maybe we should head back out onto the street. It''s giving us a way out."


    Alex resisted the urge to glance at the door. It wasn''t too far from them¡­ but he wasn''t so sure he believed that the Shade was just going to let them go. And, somewhere deep inside himself, he had to admit that wasn''t so sure he himself wanted to leave.


    Fighting a City-Eating Centipede was impossible¡­ but he''d beaten a Novice 2 Shaded Hauntling when he''d completely butchered the fight. If there was any realistic chance that he could come out on top against the Shade, he was going to take it.


    "How much stronger is a Novice 4 than a Novice 1?" Alex asked.


    "A good bit," Claire muttered. She edged toward the door then jerked back with a hiss. Something flashed through the darkness, but she managed to pull herself out of the way just in time. She hurriedly backed up into the faint light cast by the match. "Shit. Okay. It might not be willing to let us go easily."


    Hardly a surprise. I haven''t met much here yet, but I''d be willing to take a bet that everything in the Mirrorlands wants to kill us.


    "Can''t you see in the dark?" Alex asked. "Where''s the monster?"


    "I can''t see in the dark. I can pick up strong heat signatures ¡ª and that bleeding thing doesn''t have one."


    They both scanned the shadows, but the Shade wasn''t making any more moves. Alex''s eyes flicked to the match. It was already halfway burned through. The monster was probably waiting for it to go out completely.


    "How much stronger is a Novice 4 than a Novice 1 and a Novice 3 working together?"


    "When the Novice 3 is half-dead? My money''s on the spook."


    I wish I still had Glint to work with. I need to get myself more summons as soon as possible.


    "Great. I hate sides with good odds. The payout is always worse," Alex said. "The Shade is scared of the fire. It can also put it out, but it''s not getting close enough to us to actually do that."


    "I''m a big believer of talking things out, but are you going anywhere with this?" Claire asked tersely. "Because that little match isn''t going to last much longer and I don''t have another one. You''d best get to the point."


    "I don''t have one! I''m just trying to list everything we know. Do you know if the monsters can understand us?"


    "Never tried talking to them myself. I''ve got no bleeding idea. Probably not? Most of the ones back in my world couldn''t."


    "Great. Then it can''t figure out what we''re planning."


    "We don''t have a plan."


    "I just came up with one. You''re going to stab it."


    Claire snorted. "Great plan. And how are we going to do that?"


    "I''m going to go for the door with my match. When it tries to stab me, I''ll duck out of the way ¡ª and you take that moment to cut at it."


    "And if it doesn''t try to go for you?"


    "Then we just walk right on out of here," Alex replied, starting to edge toward the door. He really wished that Claire had invested in some slightly higher quality matches. This one was already almost burned all the way through. He couldn''t complain, though ¡ª it wasn''t like he''d brought matches of his own.


    The shadows shifted. Alex threw himself to the ground and something whooshed over his head. Claire swung her sword and a loud, otherworldly hiss of pain split the air in the room marking that her blow had been successful.


    Alex scrambled back to his feet and tore off another piece of his shirt. Beside him, Claire ducked as a dark appendage whipped through the air where her head had been. The Shade was done waiting around.


    I don''t know if the monster can actually hear us or not, but no reason to say everything I''m going to do out loud.


    Alex pressed the remains of the match to the edge of the cloth scrap he''d torn off. Claire still had the monster''s attention, but she was losing ground quickly. Fortunately, the flame caught to his shirt quickly. Fire engulphed the makeshift rag in seconds.


    Golden letters shimmered through the air as he stepped forward and thrust the flaming rag forward, revealing a flicker of the Shade. It was really more of an amorphous blob than a being with actual form, but it shrank back from the light with a hiss.


    Claire pressed the brief advantage, diving forward and driving her sword into the Shade''s rippling black body. It bit deep into the shadows that made up the creature and it screamed in pain.


    And, in the brief moment that it was pinned in place, Alex lunged. He slammed the flaming rag right into the center of the monster''s body. The fire caught instantly, as if the Shade was made of tar. Alex pushed away from the monster, shaking his hand off as the fire singed it. A wave of heat washed over his face and he felt an arm snake around his neck, yanking him back an instant before the Shade erupted in a ball of flame.


    He and Claire both staggered several steps back as fire roiled across the room and washed over the ceiling like a grease fire gone mad. It burned as quickly as it had started, and the room was plunged into darkness just seconds later.


    A rush of cool energy flowed into Alex''s body and he drew in a sharp breath, stiffening in surprise and delight. It was the same sensation he''d gotten after killing the Shaded Haunting, and nothing quite compared to it. He couldn''t quite find a way to describe it other than the feeling he got when he looked in a mirror after going to the gym for a few months and realizing that he''d started to show a little muscle ¡ª but magnified by a thousandfold.


    The darkness was broken by a tiny flicker of light. A purple-black flame curled up from where the monster had died at their feet.


    Claire flopped to the ground behind Alex, letting out a groan. "Too close."


    She''d pulled him out of the way of the fire. If she''d been planning to betray him, that would have been the time to do it. It looked like she''d been honest.


    Alex scooped the tiny flame off the ground and pulled Glint''s Spatial Mirror out, pressing the fire to it. With a tingle and a pop, the energy shot into it.


    Spatial Mirror


    Stored Energy:


    Low Novice Grade (Shaded Hauntling) ¨C 1


    Low-Mid Novice Grade (Shade) - 1


    Bonded Creature: Shardwalker (Regenerating)


    Alex released the mirror and it transformed into a streamer of dark energy that shot back into the box at his side. He then edged over to the door and pulled it open a crack, allowing purple-red light to spill into the room.


    "What are you doing?" Claire whispered. She''d gone back to trying to wrap her wound with the bandages.


    "I can''t see," Alex whispered back. "And as long as we''re quiet, we won''t draw anything''s attention. Do you need help with that?"


    Claire glanced down, then grimaced. "Yeah. That might be nice. Thanks. If you could just hold the bleeding thing in place at the top of my shoulder I can do the rest."


    Alex walked over to her and crouched, doing as she''d asked. Claire wrapped the bandage around herself several times, then tucked it in on itself and let out a mixture between a sigh and a groan. "Thanks."


    "No problem. My monster was the one that cut you in the first place, so I''m partially responsible."


    Claire winced. "Ah. Yeah. Sorry again about your gopher."


    "I told you, it''s fine. He''ll be back soon enough."


    She sent him a doubtful look but didn''t press the matter. "You''re a summoner, then?"


    "An Evoker," Alex corrected, but it didn''t look like the difference meant anything to her. Now that he knew Claire wasn''t moments from betraying him, she was the best source of information he had. "Do you know anything about this place at all? How long have you been down here?"


    "I''m not sure. A few days at least. It''s hard to keep track," Claire admitted. She shifted onto her knees and then rose up to her feet. "You''ll see soon enough."


    "We''ll find a way out," Alex said with more confidence than he felt. "Have you been down here alone this whole time? There isn''t anyone else?"


    Claire''s expression tightened and she looked to the side. "Not anymore. I ¡ª it doesn''t matter, actually. There was someone else down here, but they died. It''s just me now. You''re the first new person I''ve seen."


    That wasn''t good news, but Alex didn''t let it hold him up. Information was just information. It was what they did with it that mattered. He clung to the trial that the System had given to him like a raft in a violent storm. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There was no point giving a trial if it was impossible to accomplish. He just had to find out where the escape was. And, in the meantime, he had to learn everything about the System that he could.


    "Do you have a class?" Alex asked.


    "Yeah. Everyone does," Claire said with a sigh. "Mine is just kind of useless."


    "How so?"


    "I''m a Dhampir Warrior," Claire said dryly. "You saw when I took my bracelet off, didn''t you?"


    Alex nodded. "Yeah. What about it? I''ve never heard of it. What can you do? If we''re going to find a way out of here, it would help to know."


    "Here? Nothing. Literally nothing. Dhampirs are energy vampires." Claire rubbed at her teeth and let out a huff. "The problem is I can''t eat any of the energy down here. Energy is stored in blood, and nothing down here has blood. I might as well not even have a class."


    "Wait. You''re telling me you were a vampire before the System showed up?"


    "Dhampir," Claire corrected, an affronted note in her voice. "And yes. Why? What''s wrong with that?"


    "Er¡­ nothing, I suppose. We just didn''t have anything like that on Earth." He scratched at his chin. It wasn''t really all that much of a surprise if he thought about it. If there was magic in the universe, then it was perfectly realistic for there to be a world where both vampires ¡ª or Dhampirs ¡ª and matches existed. "No matter. Well¡­ what can you tell me about the System? Anything useful?"


    "Kill stuff," Claire replied immediately. "It makes you stronger. Any challenge related to what you''re aiming for does, really. I''m far from an expert on it."


    That caught Alex''s attention. "Any challenge? What do you mean?"


    "The System is a sadist or something," Claire said with a snort. "The harder something you''re doing is, the better the reward. We figured that out pretty quickly when the easy monsters stopped giving us energy when we killed them."


    "So it''s measured by relative difficulty?" Alex asked, tilting his head to the side. He''d definitely gotten more energy from killing the Shade than he had from the Hauntling.


    Claire nodded. "Yup. As far as I know, at least. The first few days of the System''s arrival were mostly a panicked blur. I really don''t have that much time on you. Honestly, I''m surprised you''re not a gibbering mess right now."


    "I''ll save that for once we''re out of here." Alex chewed his lower lip and looked over his shoulder at the street behind them. "If it''s relative challenge¡­ what would happen if you made a fight harder for yourself?"


    "I don''t know. That sounds like a good way to get yourself killed. I don''t know if you''ve noticed, but we aren''t exactly in the right place to test that. The monsters here are nothing like they''re supposed to be. There''s something really bleeding wrong with them."


    "Yeah," Alex muttered. "I''ve gathered that much."


    His thoughts were still on her answer to his question. If the only thing that mattered was challenge, then it would make logical sense that making a fight harder would result in better rewards. A grin pulled at the corner of his lips.


    I can''t just not test this out.


    "We should get moving," Alex said. He poked his head out of the doorway and glanced around the street to check for monsters.


    "To where?" Claire asked. "It''s screwed everywhere¡­ unless you happen to have an idea as to how we can get out of this hellhole?"


    Alex''s eyes caught on the mountain in the distance once more. It towered over the city, crackles of purple energy dancing at its peak ¡ªthe exact same color as the portals that the City-Eater Centipedes had been going through.


    "You know, I might just have an inkling."

 Chapter 7 - 7: ???

    Alex and Claire remained in the house to rest for a little longer before leaving. Claire looked exhausted and definitely needed the breather, and Alex wasn''t eager to press further without Glint to back him up.


    "So what does killing monsters actually get me?" Alex whispered from where he sat beside the Dhampir. "More abilities? Or is it more like levels?"


    "Just raw energy. It enters your soul and floats around in it until you refine it."


    Alex tilted his head to the side. "And how do I do that? I take it that refining the energy will somehow let me use it or the like?"


    "Yeah. You refine it by meditating, and it''ll let you improve your soul''s strength, gaining levels and eventually going up Stages. That''s how I''m a Novice 3. Then you can use that refined energy to get or improve your Auxiliary Skills. You''re Novice 1, so you have one of them, right?"


    "Yeah. Do I get one every level or something?"


    "You get one at Novice 2 and 3," Claire replied. "The strongest person I knew reached Novice 5, and he said that he got to upgrade them at 4 and 5. Apparently the upgrades were really useful, but I don''t know much more than that. I guess we''ll find out soon enough."


    "Good to know. And I can only refine energy when I meditate?"


    "Yep. It takes a while. At least it did for me. The System guided me through it my first time, so I''m sure it''ll do the same for you as well."


    I''m not so sure. It hasn''t given me much of anything other than errors so far.


    "Yeah, probably. I guess we''ll see," Alex said. He felt a faint tingle at his side from his deck. He pulled Glint''s card free to take a look at it.


    Spatial Mirror


    Stored Energy:


    Low Novice Grade (Shaded Hauntling) ¨C 1


    Low-Mid Novice Grade (Shade) - 1


    Bonded Creature: Shardwalker


    "Ah. There we go," Alex said. He stretched his arms over his head, then rose to his feet and held a hand out to Claire. She took it, letting him pull her to her feet.


    "Thanks," she said. "We didn''t really rest that long. You sure you''re ready?"


    "I think it might be better if I''m the one asking you that question." Alex glanced at the bandages wrapping her arm. "I''m not the one that was injured."


    Claire touched the wound gingerly. "I''ll make it. This should be healed soon enough. I just don''t want the weight of everything suddenly slamming down on you all at once, you know? It took me a little while to really register that my life was over and everything had gone to shit." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alex didn''t respond immediately. He still wasn''t sure how he was meant to feel about the apocalypse. He''d nearly died more times in the last two hours than he had in the entirety of his life leading up to them¡­ and he''d never felt more alive.


    Not like I''m going to mention that. I don''t need Claire thinking I''m completely insane.


    "Did you have computers in your world?" Alex asked abruptly.


    Claire blinked, then shook her head. "I haven''t heard that word before."


    "What about university? Jobs?"


    "We had jobs. I don''t know university either."


    "School."


    "Oh, yeah. We had academies," Claire said. "What''s that got to do with anything?"


    "Did you have a job?"


    She shook her head and her eyes went distant as she slipped into memory. "I was in my last year of academy training. I was going to join the guard for my city."


    "I take it you were looking forward to that."


    "More than I can describe. I worked so bleeding hard for it. I never thought my whole life could just¡­ evaporate. Poof." Claire flicked her fingers and shook her head as her shoulders slumped. "Nothing to do about it now. I can''t complain as long as I''m still kicking. What about you?"


    "I was in school. Had no damn idea what I wanted to do."


    "You were going to school for something without knowing if you wanted to do it?"


    Alex gave her a wry grin and shrugged. "My world was a bit weird. Like you said, it doesn''t matter much now. I''m ready to get moving again if you are."


    "Sure. It beats sitting around and waiting for the next spooky freak of nature to rock up and turn me into a fillet."


    Alex flicked Glint''s card. It transformed into a streamer of black smoke, returning to its deck, and small claws raked through the air beside him, leaving a thin rend in reality. Glint stepped out from within it and the portal snapped shut behind him.


    "Bleeding hell." Claire''s hand darted to the hilt of her sword and she took a surprised step back before catching herself. "Your hedgehog is back. I thought you were off your rocker. It actually can''t die?"


    "His name is Glint," Alex said. "And yes. I''d be in dire straits if he didn''t. Is that not common for Evokers?"


    "Hell if I know," Claire said, releasing her sword and rubbing the back of her neck. "I''ve never worked personally with one. I know about as much about it as I do about your backside."


    Alex raised an eyebrow. "That''s certainly an¡­ odd turn of phrase. It''s interesting, actually. You''re from a whole different world, but we speak the same language."


    "I assume the System must be automatically translating our words or something. I guess that doesn''t carry through to idioms and the like," Claire said.


    He nodded. That seemed like the most reasonable conclusion. It was surprisingly hard to keep in mind that Claire wasn''t from Earth. Despite her appearance, her friendly demeanor made it easy to forget that she was, at the very least, a strong relative of a literal vampire.


    "What to do. We might as well get moving," Alex said with a nod to the street. "I''ll have Glint take up the front and find the monsters before we do. We''ll follow a bit behind him and figure out if we''re going to take fights or not. It might not be the fastest way to handle things, but I don''t think we''re in a rush."


    "I''m not so sure I''d say that. I don''t know about you, but I need to eat," Claire said.


    Alex paused. "I¡­ kind of thought that hunger and thirst paused here or something."


    Claire shook her head. "Nope. I had some rations, but they''re gone. Have been for a day. I''d gut someone for a drink of water. You don''t have any, do you?"


    That complicates things. Even if there''s water anywhere in the area, I''ve got no clue if we can actually drink it. Then again, doesn''t that mean the challenge of surviving is even harder? According to Claire, that means the reward should be way better too.


    "I don''t have anything other than Glint and the clothes on my back," Alex said apologetically. "But I suppose that means we should get moving faster rather than slower."


    Claire nodded and they stepped out onto the street. Glint took the lead as they started toward the mountain looming over them, keeping to the shadows of the buildings to avoid the enormous monsters in the air.


    They didn''t make good time, but they moved along, nonetheless. Minutes ground by at an agonizingly slow speed. Every errant noise and gust of wind set Alex''s hair on end. The adrenaline pumping through his veins mixed with fear and excitement in a cocktail that definitely wasn''t good for his heart.


    A purple ripple of energy washed over the street just a few dozen feet above them. Alex and Claire pressed themselves to the wall of a cracked building and hid beneath a thick, twisting root as an enormous City-Eater Centipede spiraled out from the disk of energy. Its legs swam as it passed through the sky.


    Alex stared up at it in mute awe. Even though he was seeing it with his own eyes, the monster was unbelievably large. It was difficult to register just how large the City-Eaters could get until one was passing just above the tops of the buildings overhead.


    He didn''t so much as dare to to draw in a breath. There was no way something as huge as a City-Eater Centipede would even want to eat him, but he wasn''t about to tempt fate. There was challenge and there was suicide ¡ª and the massive bugs were undoubtedly the latter.


    A portal yawned open before the City-Eater Centipede and it swam in its direction ¡ª but it didn''t quite make it. Pink light lit the street as another portal carved open above the centipede. An enormous, three fingered hand stretched out from it and wrapped around the centipede.


    ??? (???)


    Then the towering monster vanished, yanked through the portal like a piece of popcorn plucked from a bucket during a movie. The centipede didn''t even get a chance to struggle. Loud cracks rang out as its body shattered under the force of the hand and it was pulled into the rippling pink energy.


    The portal snapped shut behind it, leaving the street in silence once more. The golden letters that had "identified" the hand disappeared as well. Alex and Claire exchanged a wide-eyed look.


    The Centipedes aren''t at the top of the food chain?


    A shiver ran down Alex''s spine as a thought, equal parts horrifying and electrifying, ran through his head.


    What if they''re actually just centipedes? Are those massive things literally nothing but bugs in the grand scheme of things? And if they are¡­ what does that make us?


    "That made a lot of noise," Claire whispered. "We should get moving before something comes to check it out and finds us."


    "Good idea," Alex muttered back. They set back off, moving a little faster than they had before.


    They made it all the way down the street and turned the corner, only to find that their luck had run out. A humanoid figure knelt by a warped house, scooping large handfuls of a torn-up root into its mouth. Curls of shadow rolled off its body, wafting away from brownish-grey flesh. It was difficult to tell exactly where the shadows ended and body began.


    The monster''s gaze, two motes of dull red, snapped over to them and it rose to its feet in a smooth motion.


    Wight (Novice 3)


    Claire drew her sword. "I''ve got this one. I''ve fought them before. Just stay back. It won''t be too hard to take out."


    "Hold on," Alex said, catching Claire by the shoulder before she could step forward. "You''re injured. I''ll take it myself."


    "You''re a Novice 1," Claire pointed out, keeping her eyes on the Wight as it sized them up. "It''s dangerous."


    "Exactly," Alex said. A smile pulled across his lips and Glint flexed his talons. "Which means I''m going to get a better reward if I take this out myself. It''s not as strong as the Shade, so I should be able to handle it."


    "You''re a bit insane, aren''t you?"


    "If we want to get strong enough to survive this place, then I think a little insanity isn''t misplaced," Alex replied.


    The Wight groaned and took a hesitant step toward them. It seemed confused by their lack of action, but Alex didn''t mind. If it was going to let them set the terms of the fight, he certainly wouldn''t complain.


    "If you''re sure," Claire said doubtfully. "Just be careful. The System isn''t going to register as much of a challenge if it knows I''m sitting around to back you up, so I''ll actually have to stay away if you want to handle it without help. Just be careful."


    "Thanks." Alex nodded his appreciation, then nodded to the Wight. "Glint, come on. Let''s go kill this thing."

 Chapter 8 - 8: What lurks within

    Glint darted into motion. The small Shardwalker sprinted up to the Wight, which lurched out of its spot and reached out with grasping hands.


    "Dodge!" Alex hissed. "Prioritize avoiding attacks over landing them!"


    Glint skipped to the side, then brought a jagged claw raking down over the Wight''s arm. The humanoid monster let out a hiss of pain. Its fingers extended into tendrils that reached out for Glint, attempting to wrap him up.


    Alex edged around the side of the fight as Glint leapt over the tendrils and brought his claws down across the Wight''s chest. The monster staggered back, then whipped its other hand into Glint''s chest.


    The Shardwalker flew back and slammed into a building with enough force to crack several of the spikes on his back and leave a small dent in the stone. Glint fell to the ground amidst tinkling mirror fragments.


    Alex''s hands tightened. Glint was still a Novice 1 monster. No matter how clever or fast he was, the Wight outclassed him. The smartest way to handle the fight would have been to work together with Claire ¡ª but smart didn''t mean beneficial.


    He couldn''t afford to play things safe and he couldn''t constantly hide behind Claire. If he did, they''d both die the moment they ran into a monster she couldn''t properly handle.


    I need to take all the damn challenge I can whenever we''re up against a monster I have even a sliver of a chance to take out.


    Glint staggered upright and the Wight reached for him again. He dodged back, then raked his mirrored claws across the extended hand. They cut deep into the monster''s body, but it didn''t bleed.


    The Shardwalker was forced to jump back as the Wight swung at it again. Glint just barely managed to avoid the attack. The previous one had clearly shaken him pretty badly. Even if Glint didn''t seem to have emotions or desires, the monster was still a living being. He couldn''t just take blows and keep going.


    He''s going to lose if I don''t back him up, and I don''t fancy my chances against that thing alone.


    Alex flexed his fingers. Adrenaline pumped through his veins and he shifted from foot to foot. Glint jumped at the Wight again, only to find a grasping hand in his path. The Wight grabbed him out of the air and tendrils tightened around his body, starting to squeeze.


    Now or never.


    Throwing caution to the wind, Alex burst into motion. He threw himself forward, driving his shoulder into the Wight''s back. The shadowy creature let out a pained grunt as he drove into it with all the force he could muster.


    Its grip on Glint loosened for a brief instant and the Shardwalker took the opportunity to rip into the Wight''s body, raking jagged claws down its face and torso. Alex shoved himself away, but he only made it a step before long fingers wrapped around his foot and yanked him off his feet.


    All the air exploded from his lungs in a pained grunt as he hit the ground. The Wight grabbed Glint with its other hand, ripping him away from its face and pulling Alex closer. Its mouth opened in a hissing wail and its grip on his leg tightened until the bone groaned beneath it.


    There was no way to break the monster''s grip. It was too strong ¡ª and so Alex didn''t try to escape. Instead, he gathered all the energy he could muster and shoved himself toward. He shoved himself off his free leg and slammed his fingers into the Wight''s left eye.


    Freezing cold washed over his hand as it let out a hiss of surprised pain. Alex dug around its head and found purchase on a chilly orb the size of his palm suspended in something liquid. He wrapped his fingers around the orb and braced his good leg against the monster''s chest, ripping it free with a snarl.


    Blue matter splattered across the ground. The Wight released his leg with a pained cry and he staggered back. Before it could try to attack him again, Glint jumped onto the shadowy monster''s neck and dug into its throat with reckless abandon.


    The Wight''s final wail was lost in a gargle as it crumpled to the ground. The shadows swirled away from its body and left behind a gaunt, mostly featureless form. Glint continued ripping it apart even as they hit the street, not stopping until it was nothing but a shredded pile of flesh.


    A wisp of black energy rose up from the Wight''s mouth and pushed through the ravaged remains of its lips to float above its head. Adrenaline thumped in Alex''s body with such intensity that his feet shook beneath him with every step he took.


    Energy flooded into his body and he stiffened as it ran its course through him. It was several seconds before the rush came to a stop.


    That definitely confirms what Claire said. I got more energy for that fight than I did for any of the others. Challenge is the way to go.


    He summoned Glint''s card to his hand and scooped the black flame off the ground, pushing it into the mirror.


    Spatial Mirror


    Stored Energy:


    Low Novice Grade (Shaded Hauntling) ¨C 1


    Low Novice Grade (Wight) - 1


    Low-Mid Novice Grade (Shade) - 1


    Bonded Creature: Shardwalker (Novice 1)


    Alex blew out a breath, doing his best to gather himself before turning back to Claire with a grin. "See? Had it handled."


    "You''re definitely insane," Claire said. "Aren''t you an Evoker?"


    "Yeah. And?"


    "I nearly bleeding choked when you threw yourself at the Wight. What''s wrong with you? You realize you''re not meant to get close to your enemies, right?" Claire kept her voice to a muted hiss to avoid drawing too much attention to them.


    "We can''t play things safe," Alex replied. He straightened his clothes and brushed himself off. "And I''m not strong enough to just let Glint do all the work for me. You can''t get strong without a few risks, right?"


    Claire shook her head, letting a smile play across her lips. "I guess I can''t argue with you there. You weren''t pulling my leg about Earth being new to the System, were you? I''m going to be pissed if you were."


    "Swear on my heart," Alex said, pressing his hand to his chest. He nodded over his shoulder to the mountain. "And I''m more than happy to talk more on our way, but we should really get out of here before something finds us."


    Claire paled and gave him a hurried nod, suddenly reminded that there could be more than one monster on a street. The two of them set back off toward the mountain at a brisk pace with Glint as their guide.


    Minutes stretched on. Alex lost track of time, though he was pretty sure it hadn''t been more than an hour. Several times they slowed and ducked to the shadows to avoid a monster as it flew overhead.


    The skies weren''t the only thing they had to be wary of. Alex and Claire both froze in place as they turned a corner to find a massive, shambling mound of limbs and mouths covering the street before them.


    ??? (???)


    Mutely, Alex beckoned Glint back and they crept over to the next street over. It quickly became apparent that there were a whole lot more threats than just the ones in the sky, and the vast majority of them were just masses of question marks in the eyes of the System.


    Their only saving grace was that the enormous ??? monsters didn''t appear to have any real interest in them. They didn''t get close enough to one to test his theory out, nor did he have any plans to.


    He and Claire managed to make their way through the town streets without getting into another fight over the course of another hour or two. They both slowed as they drew up to the end of the buildings.


    A large, gaping canyon had split the ground at the edge of the town. Thick bridges of curling roots connected the two halves of the ground. Beyond the canyon, leading all the way up to the base of the mountain was a forest of sparse, towering trees.


    They were the same ones that had ripped apart Alex''s old apartment. Huge trunks of black wood laden with screaming visages that definitely hadn''t been put there by any natural means. The trees were taller than some of the buildings behind them and some were easily as wide.


    "That gives me the creeps," Claire muttered, her grip tightening on the hilt of her sword. "Whoever made those things has to be messed in the head."


    Alex nodded in mute agreement. He glanced up at the sky. They''d be fully exposed while they were running across the roots and into the trees. There weren''t as many centipedes in this area as there had been near the center of town, but it only took one.


    I still don''t know if they''d even bother trying to kill us, but I really don''t want to try and take the risk.


    The idea of having to run made his body groan in displeasure. Weariness had already started to wrap itself around him like a cloak. It had been a long day, and adrenaline could only keep him going for so long.


    "I think our best shot here is speed," Alex said, shaking his head to clear it. "We''ll have to run across the roots and get to the trees for cover as fast as possible. How are you doing on energy?"


    "Not the best," Claire said, giving him a small smile that quickly faltered. "I''m eating fumes here. I haven''t eaten or drank anything in a long time, and I''ve been up for longer than I care to remember."


    "It might be best to try and take cover for the night, or at least for a few hours," Alex said. "We could try to search a house for food."


    "I tried doing that before we ran into each other. There isn''t a single edible thing in this town, but I wouldn''t oppose to sitting down for a bit," Claire said.


    They peered into the window of the nearest house. Its door had been somehow plastered into the wall, leaving behind an open walkway into a tiny room of what had probably once been a dingy bar.


    It was dark, but it looked empty. Alex sent Glint in just in case. The Shardwalker walked a circuit around the room before returning to him.


    "I think it''s relatively safe," Alex said. He and Claire slipped inside and headed over to the far corner, putting as much distance between themselves and the entrance as possible. They did a quick check through the room, but Claire had been right ¡ª there wasn''t anything edible.


    "You really need to refine all the energy you''ve gathered," Claire whispered. "Just sit down and meditate over here. I''ll keep watch."


    "Don''t you need to rest too?"


    "I need a lot of things," Claire said with a weak grin. "I don''t think I can get any of them here. Getting you a bit stronger is the best thing we can do."


    Alex sat down against the wall, then looked back up at her as a thought struck him. "Wait. What kind of thing can you draw energy out of? You''re a vampire, aren''t you?"


    "Dhampir," Claire corrected automatically. "And yes, but my class made it so I can only drink from monsters a lower level than me."


    "Oh, that''s it? I fought something called a Shaded Hauntling that was Novice 2. You¡ª"


    "The problem is, they still need blood," Claire finished with a sigh. She rubbed her forehead with the back of a hand and slumped down beside him. Her eyes looked distant and glassy. "I can''t drink normal blood unless it''s got energy in it, but nothing in this bleeding place actually has blood."


    Alex glanced over to Glint. She was right. Even the Shardwalker was bloodless. "What about me?"


    Claire swallowed. "It probably wouldn''t work. The System imposed limits on what I can consume and I''m currently limited to monsters due to how low of a level I am."


    "Well, how much longer can you go without food?"


    "Not much," Claire admitted. "You''d let me try to drink from you?"


    "Depends on if that means you''re going to literally drain my life."


    "Nothing like that," she said hurriedly. "It would definitely make you tired, though."


    She looks an inch from passing out. I''d rather be tired than lose an ally.


    "Then go ahead. Just¡­ don''t take too much."


    Claire swallowed again. Hunger swirled in her eyes and she moved toward him, then caught herself and clenched her jaw. "Not yet. You should meditate first. If you don''t refine your energy, I''ll end up taking a lot of it from you. I draw out unrefined energy, but I can''t remove the stuff that''s permanently part of your soul."


    "Wouldn''t that leave you with nothing to eat?" Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "There''s never going to be perfect conversion. There should be at least a little bit left over, and that''ll be enough," Claire said. She ran her tongue over her lips, then realized what she was doing and turned away, her gray skin reddening. "Sorry. That was rude. I can wait. Just meditate already."


    "Watch over us," Alex told Glint. He was starting to trust Claire, but he wasn''t about to leave himself defenseless. Besides, having backup with her if something went wrong couldn''t hurt.


    He then put his hands on his lap and let out a slow breath. The System definitely wasn''t giving him any guidance as to how he was meant to meditate, but he knew the gist of things from a class he''d attended in college for a kinesiology credit.


    Alex closed his eyes and steadied his breathing, trying to focus on every breath and sink into himself. The world stilled around him and he dove into his mind, searching for the power that would let him advance to Novice 2 and hopefully give him a better way to survive the Mirrorlands.


    And, deep within the reaches of his own mind, he found it.

 Chapter 9 - 9: The Black Lake

    Color traced through the nothingness and a ripple passed out from beneath Alex''s feet. He stood on the surface of a dark lake. It stretched out in every direction, just barely visible. An old stone basin rested just before him, covered with dust and cracks. It rose up to his chest in height and was about three times as wide as it was tall. Above it was a huge ball of glittering blue mist. It spun like a globe, sending shimmers of light dancing as they reflected off the surface of the dark water.


    Alex stared up in mute awe. Despite everything he''d already seen today, his mouth fell agape.


    "Where am I?" he breathed.


    It was a supremely strange feeling. Cold stone pressed into his back from where he sat back in the Mirrorlands, and yet all his other senses told him he was standing in a lake. Alex knelt and touched the chilly water.


    He rubbed his fingers together. There was no doubt that it was wet. His mind was completely convinced that this place was real. As far as he could tell, it was. He was just simultaneously existing in a spot in his own mind as well as the Mirrorlands.


    Given everything that had happened today, it really wasn''t that much of a stretch.


    "I''m meant to condense this swirly blue stuff somehow?" Alex asked himself, looking up at the churning orb of cyan energy. A faint pressure roiled off it like a gentle sea breeze. He reached up and brushed a hand through the wispy smoke.


    A cool chill ran down his arm. It carried a sharp spike of energy along with it, like the world''s strongest shot of coffee. He drew in a breath and pulled his hand back, flexing his fingers and shaking his hand off.


    Alex hesitated for a second, then stuck his hand back into the energy. He scooped a small portion of it free and it pooled in his palm. Electrifying lines coursed down his arm and into his body.


    He pressed the pool of mist between his palms, trying to squeeze it down. It squelched out and swirled up into the air.


    "Okay. Maybe it isn''t that simple," Alex muttered as the wisps of blue light rose back to rejoin the teeming mass of power above the basin.


    "What an astute observation."


    Unfamiliar words rang through Alex''s mind and he spun toward their source. A dour-faced man wearing a tailored velvet suit stood across from him. He was as thin as a rake and his face was creased with the first lines of aging. His full head of sleek black hair had been combed back to reveal slightly pointed ears.


    Alex barely even registered all of those features. His gaze was instantly drawn to the man''s eyes ¡ª or rather, the lack of them. Two pitch black voids had taken their place, swallowing all the light that dared grow near the man''s face.


    "Who are you? What are you doing in my mind?" Alex demanded, taking a step back and searching for some kind of weapon.


    "Our very short relationship is going to go poorly if you''re always this pushy," the man said, adjusting the gloves on his hands before letting his arms drop back to his sides.


    "You need to have a relationship in the first place for it to go poorly," Alex said, watching the man through narrowed eyes. "And I think it''s pretty fair to ask why someone''s strolling around in my head. Did the System put you here?"


    The man''s lips pursed in distaste and he ignored Alex''s question completely. "Your complete lack of a Mind Palace and stark incompetence would imply that you are either the most useless creature to be graced by the System or were only recently inducted into its loving embrace."


    Something about the way the man spoke told Alex that, despite his words, he didn''t care for the System in the slightest.


    "The latter," Alex said. "What are you? The Class Guide I didn''t get?"


    "You seem to misunderstand," the man said. "I will not be answering random questions."


    "Then get out of my head."


    "No."


    They stared at each other.


    "Why¡ª"


    "I am not here to answer random questions," the man repeated. He snapped his fingers, then nodded to the swirling ball of blue illuminating them both. "I am here to aid you in dealing with this. Nothing more. Nothing less. I will not interfere in your life. I will not answer your questions, nor will I hinder or aid you in any way, shape, or form. We will complete this task and then I will leave. That is all."


    Alex reached for the sensation of the stone pressed against his back and focused on it. The world around him shuddered, then collapsed in on itself as his eyes snapped back open.


    Claire blinked in surprise. "You''re back early. Really early."


    "There was a creepy guy in my head," Alex said. "Why the hell is there someone in there? Is it normal?"


    "Oh, your guide?" Claire asked. "I have no bleeding clue what they are, but mine never led me astray. Didn''t lead me much of anywhere if I''m being completely honest. Just demonstrated how to do a few basic things and then vanished. The System told me their memories would shatter, so you don''t have to worry about revealing anything to them. Everything you say will disappear when they do. Mine wasn''t creepy, though. That''s on you."


    "Ah. Thanks," Alex said.


    He closed his eyes and sank back into his mind once more. The dour faced man was still standing by the basin where he''d been before, a scowl on his features.


    "I''ll thank you not to drag this on any more than it needs to be," the man said.


    "If anyone just sits around and listens to what random people popping up in their head tell them to do, they''re an idiot," Alex said. "I was just checking to see what you were on about. So what is it that you are here to do?" S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The man''s lip curled up in what might have been a smile. He splayed his fingers out before him. "First, you must properly refine the energy you have into the basin of your Mind Palace. Then¡ª"


    "That''s the second time you''ve said Mind Palace," Alex said. "What is that?"


    A flicker of emotion passed over the man''s face. It might have been surprised, or it might have been annoyance. It was impossible to tell which. "Disregard that. Simply condense your energy."


    "How?"


    "If you cannot follow the instructions left by the System, then you are completely hopeless. Figure it out so I can be done with this."


    Be done with this? He''s stuck here? Is it some kind of weird punishment by the System? And is it for him or me?


    "I''d be thrilled to. Unfortunately, I haven''t gotten shit for instructions." Alex matched the man''s glare. "I''d gratefully accept any suggestions you have, though. I want you in my head even less than you want to be here. I can assure you of that."


    The man''s head tilted to the side. "You did not receive instructions?"


    "The only thing I''ve gotten is you, and I''m hoping the System has a good refund policy. We''re going to be here a really long time if you aren''t answering questions."


    "Your state of mind is what compresses the energy," the man said after a long pause. "Use your breathing to control your consciousness. You are not enlightened enough to do it with mere intent alone. Will the energy together and into the basin."


    I guess the meditation bit was more literal than I initially thought.


    Alex inclined his head in appreciation and sat down. It was a bit odd to be sitting in the exact same way in two different places, but his mind quickly forgot about it as he directed his attention to his breathing.


    The empty-eyed man didn''t say a word as Alex sank into his second layer of meditation. He focused on the rise and fall of his chest. And, as time started to slip by, he became increasingly aware of the tingling energy floating in the air above him.


    It was surprisingly easy for him to will the energy to move. It transformed into a streamer and swirled through his mind at his command before returning to its original spot.


    "Don''t play with it. Form it," the dour-faced man said.


    Alex''s eye twitched and he nearly lost his sense of peace. Fortunately, meditation seemed far easier than it ever had before the System had arrived. It wasn''t like he had all that much experience doing it back in school.


    I bet it helps a lot that I''m literally already in my mind. A lot of meditation is supposed to be connecting the mind and body. That bit''s done.


    He increased his attention on the mist, trying to wrap it up with his mind. He felt it tremble and start to condense, but large swathes of mist swirled out from his mental hands and curled into the air.


    Alex focused on the bits of smoke that he had gathered and didn''t waste any attention on the bits that swirled back to rejoin the sphere. His lips pressed thin as he pushed the energy in on itself like he was wringing the life out of a lemon.


    A single droplet of brilliant blue energy dropped from the sky and splashed into the bottom of the basin. A shiver of energy raced through Alex and he drew in a sharp breath. His eyes snapped open.


    He rose to his feet. The droplet rested in the basin, just like he knew it would have ¡ª and yet, his eyes had been closed.


    How did I see anything?


    "You are inside your own mind," the man said dryly. "Anything that happens in this space is known to you, should you have the awareness to perceive it."


    "Don''t tell me you can read my mind."


    "Only what you physically show me." The guide gestured to the empty black lake around them. "Which is nothing. Now complete your task so that I may finish mine."


    Alex looked up at the ball of energy. He''d barely put a dent into it. A grimace crossed his lips and he sat back down, refocusing himself.


    This is going to take a while.


    ***


    Alex didn''t actually know how much time had passed when he finally squeezed the last droplet of energy into his basin. He''d lost count of the droplets as well, but when he rose to check on what his labors had reaped him, he found that the basin had barely been filled. The amount of energy within it felt pitiful at best.


    "Okay. I did it."


    "So you did," the eyeless man said. "Now use it."


    "I''d be thrilled to if I actually knew how," Alex said, a note of exasperation entering his tone. "Trust me, I don''t want to be wasting time here. I''m sitting around surrounded by a bunch of creepy monsters waiting to rip my throat out. I need power."


    "Your attempt to wring information from me that the System did not give you is clever, but I was not born yesterday," the man said with a sigh. "I will not humor you any further. I will grant no inspiration."


    "What, you think I''m lying? Why would I lie?" Alex asked, throwing his hands up. "Just tell me exactly what the System told you, then. That wouldn''t give me any inspiration or whatever. I just want to get the shit that everyone else got."


    The man''s eyes narrowed. "You are committed to this. Did you truly not get guidance from the System?"


    "Be honest with yourself. Does it look like I''m enjoying this? I want to get to the fun bit, and you''re in the way."


    To his surprise, a smirk passed over the man''s face. "That is quite apparent. Very well. Perhaps you are an apt liar, but you have my curiosity. I will retract my words and oblige this request. Drink from the well and let the energy in your mind merge with your body. You are Novice 1, so you have yet to reveal all of your Auxiliary Skills yet. You have two more."


    "Which I get at 2 and 3."


    "I am in the presence of an untold genius."


    Alex bit back a snarky remark. "So I only ever get three Auxiliary Skills?"


    "And a human only ever gets 5 senses." The man tilted his head from side to side. "It would be apt to say you get three pathways, and each one is endlessly versatile. Can a sword do nothing but cut? There are an endless number of movements and blade techniques that can be learned and mastered. Your abilities are no different. The initial Auxiliary Skills are nothing but a single step onto a path. A hint at the power that lies beyond. I would advise you to look to the future when choosing and envision what may be, not what is. Their potential is limitless, but only if you can advance far enough to grasp it."


    "What about my Soul Manifestation?" Alex pressed his luck with just one more question.


    The worst that could happen was that he would be told to get lost. It didn''t seem like he could leave, after all. A flicker of irritation passed over the eyeless man''s features, but he blew out a sigh.


    "It is the core of both you and your class. Your Soul Manifestation advances every full Stage you complete, though its true strength depends on your Mind Palace. If you make it to the Third stage, your Manifestation will evolve into a domain. And before you ask ¡ª the first six stages are Novice, Initiate, Adept, Expert, Master and Grandmaster. You can figure the upper ranks out if you make it that far. Now¡ª"


    "Wait. Just one more. Please."


    The man''s empty eye sockets bored into Alex. His lips pressed thin, but his head inclined slightly. "Ask."


    I lied. I''ve got a whole lot more than just one more. My Soul Manifestation depends on both my Stage and my Mind Palace? What does that mean? And how does it work? I want to know so much ¡ª but I''m running this guy''s patience thin. I need to prioritize.


    "What''s the point of all of this? The System. What does it want? Why is it doing this?"


    The man''s mouth curled up into a smile. "That is a very good question. Not many enjoy the answer."


    "You know it, then?"


    "I know a portion of it. There are few who can claim to truly understand the System. It seeks to grow, and to grow those within its reach. The System expands endlessly throughout the universes and changes all in its wake. I have heard it called a virus and a blessing alike. It is a subject of great debate as to what its ultimate purpose is. Many have come to simply view it as a natural law."


    "Is that how you view it?"


    His lips pulled apart even further. Whether it was a smile or a sneer was entirely up to interpretation. "You are inquisitive. That will serve you well. The System encourages the ambitious. I will not be answering that question. If you seek to discover the System''s purpose, then seek it yourself. Now, I believe you were doing something."


    Alex had more questions than he could possibly fit into an hour, much less a few minutes, but he pushed them to the side. He''d already gotten some useful information and it was abundantly clear that pressing the man further would take him nowhere. Alex walked up to the basin and lowered his head into it, drinking the blue liquid within.


    It flowed into his mouth, seemingly of its own volition. Icy chills raced through Alex''s chest and extended their tendrils throughout the rest of his body. Violent prickles bit at his insides and he took a step back from the basin, his entire body buzzing.


    He doubled over, heaving, as the liquid pushed its way out of his mouth and back into the basin. It crackled as it splashed against the sides of the stone. But, this time, instead of remaining pooled within it, the blue energy sank into the stone.


    The cracks sealed and knitted themselves shut as the stone itself lightened. Years of age washed away until the old basin looked new. It was still plain, but it looked refreshed and whole.


    "What was that about?" Alex demanded, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.


    "A hammer in the hands of a monkey is nothing but a stick," the man replied. "If you wish to grow strong, you must act with understanding. Intent is just as important as power."


    Alex looked back down to the basin. A small amount of the blue energy still twinkled in its base, but far less than there had been before. The man was clearly waiting for him to say something.


    And, more importantly, there was an unspoken challenge in his words. The man was telling Alex to try and figure out what the point of drinking the liquid was. Alex chewed his lower lip and drummed his fingers on the edge of the basin.


    "Is it about the way I think of the magic? This is all kind of meditation, so was it some form of body-soul connection you were trying to make me think of?"


    A flicker of surprise passed over the man''s features. "That¡­ is not an inept guess. It is far from the whole, but you are correct. You and your class are one and the same. Your soul is an extension of you. When you look around your soul, what do you see?"


    "A lake and a basin."


    The irritation on the eyeless man''s face told Alex that he hadn''t gotten the right answer this time around.


    "Think," the man ordered. "I have given you all the information you need. Use it. If you cannot, then dip your hand into the water that remains in your basin and will yourself to advance."


    If the man had been trying to make sure Alex refused to so much as budge a step from where he stood, he''d succeeded. There was already a hint in his last answer. He''d said something accidentally.


    He mentioned a Mind Palace. What is that, though?


    Alex cast his gaze around his soul. It really was empty. The only thing in it was the basin that was before him. Confusion knit his brows and he dug deeper. It wasn''t like there were a lot of options. This had to have something to do with the basin.


    He''d drank the liquid and the basin had repaired itself and grown¡­ more whole, for lack of a better word. It was stronger and more resilient. Alex''s eyes narrowed.


    Is the basin literally the palace? Or part of it? If I filled it up before it was whole, the magic water stuff probably would have started leaking through the cracks. By drinking it, I guess I patched the damage.


    "Is it the Mind Palace that I''m missing?" Alex tried. "I need to build it so I can contain the energy¡­ or something like that."


    "If nothing else, you have proven the System indeed did not tell you anything," the eyeless man said. "That was the first piece of information it should have told you, and I refuse to believe a lesser being would be able to lie this well. You are mostly correct. A Mind Palace is the foundation of your soul."


    "So drinking the water helped me visualize a connection between myself and my soul and also¡­ what, reinforced my soul a bit at the cost of my power?"


    "Very good." There was a note of genuine approval in the eyeless man''s eyes. "You are correct. Congratulations. You now know what every other sentient being in the System knows. It is my turn for a question."


    Alex blinked in surprise. "What is it?"


    "How is it that you came to have no knowledge of this? The System does not allow any free of its grasp."


    Claire did say that anything I tell this guy will vanish forever when he fulfills his purpose. Getting more information out of him is worth the risk.


    "I fell between the cracks in the world and landed in a place called the Mirrorlands before the System Initialization completed in my world," Alex said. "You don''t happen know how to get out of here, do you?"


    The eyeless man let out a burst of laughter. "Truly? You begain Intialization on your homeworld and finished it in the Mirrorlands? Now that is quite interesting. Perhaps you will become someone of worth. Perhaps not. Should we ever meet, call me by the name Meiderly. I will be curious to hear of what you have learned."


    "Didn''t we just meet?"


    "I meant my true form, not this mere fragment of energy. I do not know how long I laid dormant in the Mirrorlands, but I will return to my true self once you have finished here. No memory of our conversation will remain. I would suggest you keep record of my name and utilize it if the time comes. Should we meet unnanounced, I would be likely to kill you."


    Alex blinked. "What? Why?"


    "Because you are not the only Anomaly." Meiderly''s lips parted in a toothy smile. He lifted a hand and twisted it to the side, his fingers closing into his palm as he grasped the air. A mote of white light dropped from Meiderly''s palm and fell into the water at their feet. A ripple passed through the darkness before sinking into its depth and fading from view.


    "What was that?" Alex asked.


    "The price of my curiosity. A sliver of intent," Meiderly replied. "Seek entrance to the Empty Court. Should you grow near one of their passageways, my gift will help guide you for a short period of time. Do not let it go to waste."


    Alex opened his mouth to ask a question, but the eyeless man lifted a finger before it could form. "No more. I will give you a final gift of knowledge, one that the System does not distribute freely. Your Mind Palace is not merely a basin to hold power. It is you. Do not allow your Soul Manifestation to advance until you have grown your Mind Palace until you can push no farther. It is far more than what it appears. Now drink. My energy grows thin and I will speak no more."


    Alex squinted at the eyeless man, then lowered his hand into the thin pool of energy rippling at the bottom of the basin. Cold blades pierced into his fingertips and he stiffened in surprise. A spike of ice drove through his heart and the liquid drained away, flowing into his palm and vanishing.


    Gold letters traced through the darkness before Alex.


    Your Stage has advanced to Novice 2.


    Please select your second Auxiliary Skill from the following options.


    [Mirrormancy] ¡ª Gain limited control over the medium in which you bind your monsters. This ability can influence any materials with the properties of glass or mirrors.


    [Monster Medley] ¡ª Combine an existing monster with the energy gathered in your Spatial Mirrors. The results of this combination are variable and depend on the quality of the monster and energy as well as their synergy.


    [Shimmering Shadows] ¡ª Gain limited understanding illusion and the reflective properties of the Mirrorlands to the point where you can manifest images entirely from your will.

 Chapter 10 - 10: Evolution

    Goddamn. Those are some awesome skills. Controlling Mirrors? Combining my monsters with energy to make them stronger? The illusions ¡ª eh. Not sold on that, but the other two sound incredible.


    Alex swallowed. From what Meiderly had told him, he only got a total of three Auxiliary skills, and his choice would be with him for the rest of his life. This wasn''t just choosing a skill for now. It was picking something that would be shaping his future.


    Think about which one has the best scaling in the long term as well as the short term. All of these are relatively weak right now. The point is what they can become, not what they currently are. I wonder if I''ll get a chance to pick one of the two abilities I don''t take this time around.


    He looked over to Meiderly, but the eyeless man was gone. His soul was devoid of any presence aside from his own once more.


    Figures. Fine. I''ll just operate off the assumption that I''ll never see these again. No point getting too invested in something that isn''t already in my hands. I''ll just focus on the current choice.


    His options boiled down to being able to use glass and mirror magic, illusions, or upgrade his monsters. He drummed his fingers against his thigh as he pondered the skills. They were all pretty easy to grasp right now but extrapolating them far into the future was far from a simple task.


    I don''t know what my power limits are. If I can get as strong as the City-Eater Centipedes, much less the thing that was snacking on them, then what would Mirrormancy let me do? Control a sea of glass? Summon it, maybe? Probably both.


    The image of bringing down a literal tsunami of mirror shards on top of something was as appealing as it was gruesome. It was basically controlling an element¡­ just only glass and mirrors instead.


    Thank God nobody was around to hear that particular comparison. Definitely far from my finest work.


    He moved on to another option. Illusion was a little harder to conceptualize. Perhaps it would just let him make his illusions take physical form, or he could blanket massive areas with his power to the point where they were indistinguishable from reality.


    Illusion felt like one of the abilities that was impossible to properly judge unless he knew where the line in the sand got drawn. A child with illusion magic could just claim their illusions were completely impenetrable and anything they made turned into reality.


    That was no different from just pretending to be a god and hardly even classified as illusion anymore. There was no way the system would be letting him alter reality with illusions, but they had to get stronger somehow.


    Not something I''m willing to risk. I''ve always been shit at sleight of hand anyway. I remember trying to do a magic show for my folks when I was eight or nine. Dropped all the stupid cards and broke my nose when I tripped over my shoelace trying to catch them.


    It may have been sightly unfair to place that burden on the shoulders of a whole branch of magic, but Alex had already decided that he was going to live through the apocalypse in a way that befitted him.


    I don''t like it, so I''m not taking it. If it was better, then I''d like it. Simple as that, really.


    That left Monster Medley. It was pretty easy to tell where that path was leading. It would focus on upgrading and combining monsters that he found, much like a twisted version of Pok¨¦mon.


    The upper reaches of the skill weren''t hard to see either. He''d already seen the City-Eater Centipedes. If they existed, then he could control them once he got strong enough. Not just that ¡ª he''d be able to improve them as well. Any monster that he ran into became a potential building block as long as he managed to harvest its energy.


    This''ll also let me power Glint up right now. I''ve got some Energy sitting around in his card that I don''t know how to use. That''s clearly a core part of my class. Something tells me I''d be able to use that energy for something else, probably a skill I''ll get offered down the line if I don''t take this one.


    The more Alex thought about it, the more Monster Medley appealed to him. He''d chosen Evoker to be a summoner, and any upgrades he made to Glint would also indirectly make him stronger as well whenever the monster died.


    It was the ability that best fit with his class, not just in the future, but right now. He needed enough strength to get out of the Mirrorlands ¡ª if he didn''t, all the challenges in the world wouldn''t save him when there was literally nothing to drink and he just died of dehydration.


    He took a moment longer to turn his attention back to Mirrormancy, just to make absolutely sure he was making the right decision. It only took a few moments for him to determine that he had.


    There would be other ways for him to get control over mirrors, and that included literally just killing Glint to take the monster''s powers. He was already only a step away from throwing mirror shards around whenever Glint died.


    When the monster got stronger, his own powers would too. It wasn''t unrealistic for Glint to get some sort of mirror control skill himself.


    Actually, do monsters get skills? I have no idea. I suppose I''ll find out. They definitely get something. Either way, choosing Monster Medley gets me the most strength and potential in every stage.


    "I choose Monster Medley," Alex said.


    The other skill options flickered and vanished, and new words scrawled out.


    Alex Vaya [Human]


    Class: Evoker [Mirrorlands]


    Stage: Novice 2 sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Title Fragments:


    [Mirrorlander]


    Active Titles:


    [Anomaly]


    [1/5]


    Soul Manifestation:


    [Spatial Mirrors] (Novice 1)


    Auxiliary Skills:


    [Requiem to the King] (Novice 1)


    [Monster Medley] (Novice 1)


    Alex blew out a breath and waved the floating words away. He felt a little odd. It was difficult to place exactly what it was, but his motions felt smoother and his body more defined. The change was subtle enough to be nearly unnoticeable but present enough to keep him from dismissing it as mere confusion.


    Now that I think about it, this makes sense. If the soul and the body are linked, then improving the soul would logically improve the body as well. But if that''s true¡­ the inverse applies as well. I guess it''s time to start working out more seriously. I''m just glad that my head feels the same as it did before.


    That was definitely for the best. Alex wasn''t sure how he felt about the skills he took actually changing how he saw the world or filling his mind with information about how they worked. If it had stuffed a bunch of knowledge into his head, it would have made him question how much of himself was actually him.


    That line of thought had fortunately been avoided. For better or for worse, he''d reached Novice 2 and had a new skill to show for it. There was only one last thing left to do. He didn''t know if he could summon his cards inside his soul, but ¡ª


    Glint''s card snapped into his hands like it had always been there. Alex nearly dropped it in surprise.


    "Well, I suppose that answers that question," he said with a chuckle. There were currently three different forms of energy stored within the card ¡ª two Low Grades and one Low-Mid Grade.


    "Now, how do I combine you with Glint?" Alex muttered to himself. He focused his attention on the new skill, trying to draw its powers out. In response, a tingling sensation erupted along the fingertips of his right hand and he felt them sink slightly into the card.


    He hurriedly swapped the mirror over to his left hand before his arm could sink into it completely. When nothing happened, he brushed his tingling fingers across its surface. Ripples passed through the card''s silver surface and the prickling sensation grew stronger.


    "Glint, can you come out in here?"


    Glass shattered and claws raked through the darkness beside Alex as Glint took form inside his mind. Alex gave his mute companion an impressed glance. He''d been a bit optimistic hoping the monster would be able to enter his literal soul, but evidently that was fair game.


    "Which one of these energy flames do you want?" Alex asked, turning the card toward Glint. "Is there one that suits you better?"


    Glint studied the mirror but made no move to do anything.


    "Is that too complex of a request?" A frown crossed Alex''s face. "Can you point out which one would work with you, regardless of desire?"


    Still, Glint was still. Alex blew out a huff and turned the mirror back to himself. It didn''t look like his monsters were going to be able to give him much help with his decisions. If that was the case, then all he could do was experiment.


    Alex pressed his fingertips into the mirror. It rippled, then gave way. His arm sank into what felt like a freezing cold pool. Alex focused his thoughts on the Low-Grade Novice belonging to the Shaded Hauntling and his hand wrapped around a mote of warm energy. He pulled it free, revealing a dark ball of fire as he unfurled his fingers.


    "Well, that worked."


    He held the mote of flame up before his face. Rather than warmth, it gave off a faint pressure.


    I wonder which aspect Glint will take on if I give him this. It''s not like you can boil a monster down to a single thing. Will he just consume the energy and get stronger?


    Alex studied the heatless fire, but he wasn''t getting any answers by looking at it. The only way to learn was to do. He crouched down before Glint and held the flame out.


    "Here. Merge with this," Alex said.


    Glint extended his clawed hands, taking the flame from Alex. He lifted it to his mouth and swallowed the fire whole. Alex''s fingers tingled, but the sensation soon passed. Glint stared at him expectantly.


    Not enough, huh?


    Alex took out the second Low-Grade Novice flame and fed it to Glint, achieving the same result as the first. His eyes narrowed and he pulled out the Low-Mid-Grade flame, nearly stumbling over the length of the thought, and extended his hand for the third time.


    Glint plucked it from his fingers and devoured it whole.


    This time, the tingling sensation running down Alex''s fingers intensified as something pulled at his chest. His stomach clenched and his breath caught in his throat as energy rushed out of his body, leaving behind a sudden wave of weariness.


    It passed as quickly as it had come. He shook his head off and squinted through his disorientation. A dozen cracks rang out and Alex drew in a surprised breath. A tremor shook the shards of glass along Glint''s back. The Shardwalker hunched over with a hiss and ripples passed over his grey skin.


    Glint was changing.

 Chapter 11 - 11: Mountains

    The tips of the mirror shards jutting out of Glint''s body darkened. They jerked and twisted like worms were running beneath his flesh. The jagged glass that had been Glint''s claws sharpened and lengthened, turning to honed, crescent-shaped blades.


    His eyes brightened, the yellow within them intensifying as his jaw shifted to accommodate for the extra mirrored teeth pushing out from within his mouth. His arms and legs lengthened, his back hunched.


    Three grating screeches rang within his body, muted by layers of gaunt flesh, as blades of glass, curved like the fins of a shark, sliced free his back. His flesh sealed around them as the new permanent additions found their home on his increasingly intimidating body.


    All the noise finally faded away and left Glint standing before Alex expectantly.


    Glint - Shardwalker (Novice 2)


    "Well, look at you." A smile split Alex''s mouth. Glint was looking positively terrifying ¡ª and this wasn''t even a proper change yet. Monster Medley had strongly implied he''d actually be able to make concrete changes to Glint, not just make him stronger. He didn''t know what something like Glint would evolve into, but he was eager to find out. Alex just had to make sure he lived long enough to do so. "Caught up with me already? I hope you aren''t abandoning the whole mind-body bit that Meiderly just told us about. I don''t suppose you understand me more now?"


    Glint stared at him mutely.


    A second passed before Alex let out a sigh and shook his head. "Okay, fair enough. I can''t say I''m surprised. We''ll just have to see how you hold up in a fight. You can head back."


    Glint rippled, then transformed into a streamer of smoke that flew back into the card in Alex''s left hand. He released the card and it vanished, disappearing from his mind as if it had never been there.


    I wonder if the key to fully evolving Glint would be getting better soul flames to feed him. I''ll have to try again when I''ve got something more worthwhile to feed him.


    Alex cast his gaze around his soul once more. Aside from the faint basin in its center, there was nothing. A small frown flickered across his face as his eyes caught on something that he''d missed before.


    Carved into the top of the basin were designs, so faint that he could barely make them out. Alex approached it and ran his fingers over them in an attempt to see if he could make them out.


    From what he could tell, it was just three circles. A large one, with two slightly smaller ones just below it. Further studies revealed nothing.


    I don''t want to just start randomly reaching for things, but I''d imagine they represent something in my soul. Doesn''t take a huge stretch to guess that might be my Soul Manifestation and the two Auxiliary Skills I''ve got. Not sure what that means yet, but I imagine I''ll find out as I get stronger.


    Meiderly put a lot of emphasis on making my Mind Palace stronger. It sounded like the System might not have let on about its importance to everyone else. I should keep that knowledge to myself for now until I learn a little more about what the System told everyone else.


    Alex let himself slip out of his meditation. He wasn''t sure how long he''d been in it and didn''t want to waste any more time than he had to. Sensation trickled back as his attention returned to the real world.


    Claire sat beside him, her eyes fluttering in attempt to keep herself awake. Her face was pale and she started slightly as Alex moved.


    "Oh, huh. You did it," Claire said in a strained tone. "I forgot how long the first level takes. Did everything turn out okay?"


    "Pretty well, yeah. How long has it been?" Alex asked.


    "Five hours, maybe?" Claire''s shoulder twitched in what might have been meant to be a shrug. "Kind of lost count. Not that long."


    She did her best to keep the exhaustion from showing in her voice and tone, but her best wasn''t nearly enough. Her words had started to slur and it looked like a light breeze would be enough to knock her over.


    "Do you want to try eating? I''ve got no idea if it''ll work, but it''ll be a lot easier than having to sling you over my shoulder and carry you out of here," Alex said.


    The smallest corner of her mouth quirked up for an instant. "You mean you wouldn''t just ditch me back here?"


    Of course not. Imagine the challenge reward I''d get if I lugged an unconscious person out of the Mirrorlands. Then again, we''d probably both just end up dead.


    Claire shifted to lean against the wall and dragged herself over to Alex, who scooted closer to save what little remained of her energy.


    "How does this work?" Alex asked. "And if you can drink my blood, make sure you leave enough for me to operate normally. I''m not letting you turn me into a shriveled husk."


    "Noted," Claire said wearily. She took his arm and turned it over, bringing his wrist up to her lips. An involuntary shiver ran down Alex''s spine as her mouth opened to reveal the rest of her fangs.


    There was something deeply ingrained into his mind that screamed in protest against letting anything with long fangs get anywhere near him. Before he could get any second thoughts, Claire bit down on his wrist.


    It felt like getting two shots at once, and not small ones. Alex suppressed a pained hiss. He hadn''t consumed all that much vampire media before the apocalypse, but the things he had seen had all implied getting bitten would feel good or pleasurable.


    That most certainly wasn''t the case. Claire''s wet lips pressed against his skin and she swallowed greedily as his blood ran into her mouth.


    If I ever get blood drawn again, I''m giving whoever does it a written apology about all the complaints I used to give my mom about getting bloodwork done. That was a thousand times better than this.


    Just as Alex was preparing to pull his hand back out of fear that Claire had no plans of stopping, her fangs slipped out of his arm. She pressed her hand over the wound as she lifted her head and ran her tongue along her lips, swallowing once more before letting out a relieved sigh.


    "Bleeding hell," Claire said through a poorly repressed groan. "That was incredible. Thank you."


    Alex glanced down at his hand. He could still feel the two puncture wounds throbbing. They weren''t really all that big, but they were still there.


    "That''s not going to close or something, is it?"


    "I mean¡­ it will eventually?" Claire offered, giving him a weak grin. "I can''t heal you if that''s what you''re asking."


    "Everything I read about vampires said that was supposed to feel good," Alex grumbled. "And usually you''ve got some kind of magical stuff in your fangs that makes the wound seal up after."


    Claire scrunched her nose. "I''m going to forgive that because you probably just saved my life, but I''m serious about not being a vampire. I''m a Dhampir. Very different. And you were getting bit. What did you expect? Sunshine and rainbows?"


    "Point taken," Alex said. Claire released his hand and pulled her bandages out, wrapping the bite for him.


    "I wonder¡­" Claire muttered as she worked. "You''re human, right?"


    "I certainly hope so."


    "Your blood has a lot of energy. It didn''t taste great ¡ª no offense ¡ª but it was actually pretty good. More than what I''ve ever felt in a human. I wonder if it''s because you aren''t from my world? Maybe you don''t count as human." Claire finished wrapping his arm. "And if it helps, you won''t get infected. My saliva is poisonous. Nothing that''ll affect a human, but it kills any germs that try to live in my mouth."


    "Lovely," Alex said. He pushed himself to his feet and a small wave of dizziness passed over him. It passed quickly and he shook his head. "Bleh. Never liked the feeling of losing blood."


    "Sorry," Claire said sheepishly. "I won''t need to feed again for a few days. You must have really had a lot of energy left over after you ranked up. Everything went well, right?"


    Alex''s brow furrowed. Unless he''d somehow missed it, reaching Novice 2 had drained every single scrap of energy that he had. There was no blue mist or water left anywhere in his soul.


    "Yeah. It went well. I got my second Auxiliary Skill. Just one more and I can start upgrading them."


    "I''m looking forward to that bit myself," Claire muttered. "I just don''t have enough energy to make it yet. Oh ¡ª I don''t think I ever told you what I could actually do. Should probably do that properly before we run into our next spook. It''s not all that useful down here, but my Soul Manifestation is Siphon. It lets me drain power from a monster and strengthen myself in the process."


    "What about your Auxiliaries?"


    "Two of them are self-buffs. The first lets me take on minor traits from monsters I drain while the second just lets me evolve my own body temporarily when I drink enough blood," Claire replied. "The third one is a blood manipulation skill. It doesn''t do much now, and it doesn''t work when the blood is still inside someone''s body. I already tried."


    Alex nodded. "And you''ve seen just about everything I can do myself."


    "Didn''t you just get a new skill?"


    In response, Alex pulled Glint''s card from his deck. Sensing his mental call, Glint''s claws carved through the air and he stepped into the cave. The mirrors on his back rippling slightly as he shook himself off and waited for a command.


    "Bleed me. He got even creepier," Claire said. "You took something that makes him stronger?"


    "A skill that lets me combine him with the energy that dead monsters leave behind," Alex said with a nod. There was no reason not to share information ¡ª the more they knew about what the other could do, the more they''d be able to rely on each other in a fight. "Anything else? You don''t know about Titles or the like, do you?"


    "Unfortunately not. I don''t have any. Do you?"


    That''s interesting. She didn''t get the Anomaly Title, then. So the only people who get it are the ones that actually get a class inside the Mirrorlands.


    Given what I could see of Claire, the only thing she can see about me is my name and that I''m a human. That means she has no way to tell if I''ve got titles or not.


    He wasn''t keen on straight out lying, but he wasn''t so sure he wanted to give any information that wasn''t related to fighting out either. Not yet. He hadn''t known Claire for that long. The best way to handle it was to give some of the truth, but not all. "I got one for being stupid enough to fall into the Mirrorlands less than a day into the apocalypse. It isn''t really doing anything, though."


    Claire let out a snort. "At least you got something out of it. Well, we''ve got some more time to find a way out of here now."


    "Not really," Alex said with a shake of his head. "You might be good, but I''m not. There''s no water here that you saw, right?"


    "None. Nothing that looks potable, at least."


    "Then I''ve got two more days and a bit, max. Humans don''t live for longer than that without being able to drink water, and blood isn''t going to do it for me."


    "Oh, shit. That slipped right past my mind," Claire said, her eyes widening slightly. "Is there anything else you can drink? I don''t know human physiology very well."


    I don''t care how bad things get. I am not about to pull a Bear Grylls.


    "Lots of things, but nothing I suspect you''ve got on or in you ¡ª or at least nothing that I''m willing to try drinking," Alex said dryly. "As long as we make it out, it doesn''t matter. If you think about it, I''m actually lucky."


    "Seriously? How?"


    "When we make it out of here, my reward is going to be better than yours because the challenge was harder."


    Claire stared at him. Then she shook her head. "Yeah. You''re off your rocker¡­ but you won''t see me complaining. I''m in good shape again thanks to you, so if we''ve only got two days, we don''t have time to waste standing around."


    "Agreed." Alex directed his gaze out of the house they''d sheltered in and out over to the mountain beyond the forest of face-barked trees. The storm of crackling purple energy churned on at its peak, uncaring.


    That''s a fair bit to get through in just two days. Some challenge, huh?


    A grin pulled across Alex''s lips. He''d be damned if he died of something as lame as dehydration in the midst of an apocalypse. The System wasn''t going to get rid of him that easily. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Let''s get to it. We have a mountain to climb."

 Chapter 12 - 12: Interesting

    Before Alex and Claire could think about scaling the mountain, they had to actually get to it. Between them and their best guess at freedom was a forest of trees stuffed chock-full of human faces.


    The two of them peered out of the doorway of their temporary shelter and studied the pathways of roots spanning the chasm over to the forest. Luckily, there didn''t seem to be any monsters in the immediate area.


    "How are you with balance?" Claire asked. "Those roots are big, but they aren''t huge."


    "The less you talk about it, the less I think I''ll worry about it," Alex replied. "Some things are best done without thinking. This is one of them. It''s not like we don''t walk in straight lines all the time. It''s just that now we''re going tohave to."


    "The roots aren''t straight."


    "My point remains the same," Alex grumbled. "I say we just sprint. Sneaking isn''t going to do us any good when we''re in the middle of the open, and the sooner we can get across the better."


    Claire nodded. "Yeah. I''m with that. Just be ready for there to be a whole bunch of ugly little shits waiting around on the far side. That forest is way too creepy to be empty."


    "Who knows. Maybe they''ll be just as creeped out as we are," Alex said with a smirk. "Come on. The coast is clear right now."


    They stepped out of the house and took a second to scan the sky to confirm it was clear before making for the chasm. Adrenaline started to pump through Alex''s veins. At this point, he was surprised his body had any left to make.


    "You realize there''s a good chance the forest is alive and will try to kill us, right?" Claire asked.


    "There are faces in the trees. If it doesn''t, I''m going to be disappointed. That means we just have to be faster than the forest. We can see the whole base of the mountain, and the forest surrounds the entire thing. There''s no other way up there. If I''m going to die, I''m going to do it doing something, not just sitting around. Besides, maybe we''ll get lucky and the faces will just be decorative."


    Neither of them believed that, but there was nothing to be done. They couldn''t just stick around and wait until Alex died of dehydration. With him gone, it wasn''t like Claire would last much longer on her own.


    Alex broke into a jog, then a sprint. Glint ran in front of him. Alex wasn''t so sure running across the wood would actually be safer than walking it, but the less time he spent suspended with nowhere to dodge, the better.


    His foot landed on the trunk of the tree and he was off. Fortunately, it had good purchase and the branch was still as wide as two people laying side by side. There was enough room for him to run relatively normally ¡ª and that was what he did.


    If the trees really were aware, he needed to get to land before they started moving their roots around.


    I just hope it doesn''t wake the whole forest up. If it does, we''re going to be sprinting for quite ¡ª


    The roots shuddered. Alex''s footing slipped. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Glint! Arm!"


    The monster spun, digging one claw into the wood to increase the speed of his turn as he stuck his hand out to ward Alex. He grabbed onto the monster''s grey flesh and Glint yanked him up, tossing him onto the branch.


    It continued to tremble beneath Alex, but he didn''t wait around to see what else would happen. He lurched to his feet and scrambled the rest of the way across the gap before diving onto the ground.


    Claire was just a few steps behind him and Glint. She pulled him to his feet, panic in her eyes as loud creaks echoed out from the forest around them.


    "The trees!" Claire hissed. "They''re¡ª"


    Alex grabbed her by the arm and took off. "Stop wasting time talking and run! Are you really surprised? We already covered this!"


    She didn''t bother wasting words on a response. Their feet slammed into the packed dirt as the trees cracked and groaned. The faces in the bark worked and blinked, low moans picking up like howling wind.


    Roots twisted through the ground in their path and rose up before them. Alex ducked and weaved past them, not letting himself slow for long enough to take a proper look at what the forest had to offer.


    The faces went from moans to howls, and it quickly became quite apparent why there weren''t any other monsters there. They''d been correct. The forest was the monster. There wasn''t even any form of identification to reveal what kind of monster it was, but Alex didn''t care.


    A root whistled past his head and he dropped to the ground, skidding a foot on his knees before launching back to his feet and breaking back into a sprint.


    "Cut anything in front of us!" Alex yelled. Glint accelerated, bounding past Alex despite his shorter legs, and tore into a root as it lifted to bind the monster''s legs.


    Unfortunately, the small monster wasn''t anywhere near enough to actually take on the entire forest on his own. There were hundreds of trees in their path, and every single one of them seemed to have woken up at the same time.


    Roots reached for Alex and Claire from every direction. Their only saving grace was that their enemies, no matter how numerous, were still trees. The roots moved slowly and the trees weren''t close enough to each other to completely wall off his path.


    With Glint tearing up the path before them, it was manageable. Alex bounded over an extending root and twisted out of the way of a brittle, leafless branch that reached for his neck. His breath came out in short bursts as he pressed himself, moving as fast as his body would allow him to.


    Trees whipped by. Blood pumped, more adrenaline than oxygen, and the edge of the forest drew closer with every step. Alex pushed himself even harder, unable to keep a grin from starting to form on his lips.


    There was no doubt in his mind that if even a single tree managed to trip him up, he was dead. The roots would have him bound completely in seconds. But, despite that, racing through the forest was fun.


    Alex let out an involuntary cackle. He dove forward, clearing a branch and hitting the ground in a roll. Roots rose in his path and he launched himself forward in a slide. He slipped just beneath them and Glint carved the path ahead open as he leapt back to his feet.


    Claire''s footsteps marked her presence behind Alex as he broke back into a run. The edge of the forest drew closer and closer ¡ª and then he was upon it. The trees gave one last desperate attempt to hold him back, but Glint carved a path through them.


    He launched himself through the thin hole and landed on the other side of the forest, rolling across barren dirt and scrambling until he was at the base of the mountain. Alex turned back as Claire skidded to a stop beside him. The forest continued to creak and in moan in fury ¡ª but the trees didn''t seem like they could actually rip themselves free of the ground. They slowly fell silent and the forest returned to its former state.


    "Goddamn," Alex breathed, as flopping back on the dirt and pressing a hand to his hammering chest. "What a rush."


    Claire dropped down beside him with a disbelieving huff. "That''s not the word I''d use, but it sure did get my heart beating."


    A grin pulled across Alex''s face. "I almost want to do that again."


    "You''re insane," Claire said, but she couldn''t keep a small laugh from slipping out from her lips.


    Alex took a moment to catch his breath before he rolled over and pushed himself to his feet. Glint stood beside them, waiting mutely for more orders.


    I wonder if I could have him just go kill some of those trees. Would that count as challenge? There are a whole lot of them¡­ but given how they were acting, would killing a single tree even count? It seemed more like a hive mind.


    If that''s the case, I''d probably have to kill all of them to get the reward. No point getting Glint killed here and wasting a ton of time waiting for him to come back when there''s more than enough challenge still waiting for us. I''ll eat my socks if this mountain is any less riddled with monsters than the rest of the Mirrorlands.


    Alex brushed the dirt off his clothes and blew out a breath to steady himself as he squinted up at the mountain before them. The storm crackled in the distance. They were fortunate that the mountain wasn''t restrictively steep, but it still looked like it would be at least a day of climbing before they reached the top.


    "Well, might as well get going," Alex said, adjusting his ruffled shirt and blowing out a breath. "That mountain isn''t going to climb itself."


    "Why do I get the feeling you''re somehow already bored?" Claire asked.


    "I haven''t the faintest idea." Alex grinned. "You aren''t telling me you want to sit around here longer, are you?"


    Claire started to shake her head, but they both froze as a loud crack split the air. Alex spun back to the forest as a branchy hand wrapped around a trunk and pushed, causing the wood to creak and groan until it let out a crunch and ripped in two.


    A crouched, wooden humanoid stepped out from the forest. It straightened, gnarled body unfurling to easily eight or nine feet tall. It had long, spindly fingers and jagged growths protruding from all over its chest. The monster had no eyes and its mouth was nothing but a rough hole in the center of its face full of jagged spines.


    Ent Harvester (Novice 4)


    A low moan escaped the monster''s mouth hole and it started stumbling in their direction. Claire let out a curse and lowered into a fighting stance.


    "I knew that was too easy. Shit. Get ready."


    "Hold on," Alex said, squinting at the monster as it lumbered closer. It was a relatively high level, but it wasn''t all that fast ¡ª which was made apparent by the fact that it had only shown up after they''d gotten out of the forest.


    "What? Do you want to run?"


    "Run? Hell no." Alex kept his eyes on the monster. "Glint, get closer to that thing, but focus avoiding getting hit."


    Glint scampered to follow his commands. As soon as the Shardwalker grew near the Ent, the tall monster swung a spindly arm. Glint hopped back, easily avoiding the strike. The wooden fingers raked through the ground and cut through it like butter.


    "It''s pretty slow, isn''t it?" Alex observed.


    "Yeah. It does look like Glint is perfectly matched against a monster like this. Just have him finish it off. It''ll be easy energy for you."


    "That would be a waste, wouldn''t it? Back on my world, the apocalypse only just started ¡ª that means that every scrap of energy now is way more valuable than normal. Getting ahead early means you can stay ahead."


    "We''re not on your world," Claire pointed out.


    "No, but I plan to get back. I''m not going to plan for failure. That does nothing. I''m going for success, and this is a way to get some extra energy. If we''re faster than it is, then we have a huge advantage as long as we don''t get hit. That means we can try something."


    "Try what?" Claire''s eyes narrowed in suspicion.


    A grin stretched across Alex''s lips. "Making the fight a little more interesting."

 Chapter 13 - 13: Harder, Faster, Stronger

    "If you even try to suggest stabbing yourself, I''m leaving you right bleeding here," Claire said flatly.


    "I''m not completely insane," Alex said. The Ent swung at Glint again, but the Shardwalker dodged out of the way once more. "But don''t you think we''d get a better reward if we won this with some sort of handicap? I''m not going to do this forever, but while the apocalypse is still fresh¡­"


    "Yeah, yeah. Extra energy can make a huge difference when everyone still only has scraps to work with. I know," Claire admitted. "But what kind of hairbrained idiot makes a fight harder for themselves, though? You do realize that your life is the thing you''re betting here, right?"


    "We''re in an apocalypse. It''s getting bet anyway," Alex replied, his gaze focused on the Ent Harvester. "Might as well up the ante. It''s not like I can lose anything more, so why not make the rewards better? Even if this fight isn''t necessarily the biggest threat, not getting all the power we can could lead to us finding something too strong to defeat in the future. It''s about more than the present."


    Glint avoided another series of strikes from the Ent, keeping just out of range. Claire blew out a breath. "Well, shit. I can''t believe you''re making me admit this, but you''ve got a point. A stupid one. I don''t think we should both do it, though. We need a way to make sure we can actually win this fight if things go wrong."


    Alex looked to the sky. There weren''t any City-Eaters in the area. As far as he could tell, aside from the Ent, the base of the mountain was actually rather empty of monsters. There was one thing he could do that immediately came to mind.


    "Do you think you could kill that if you had to?" Alex asked.


    "With how fast it is? Probably. It wouldn''t be easy. Why?"


    Alex steadied his nerves and flexed his fingers. His heart started to thump in anticipation of the upcoming fight. "I''ve got an idea. I''ll probably need you to back me up, though. I might not be able to handle this on my own."


    "Right. Whenever you''re ready," Claire said, drawing her sword and lowering into a fighting stance. "And for the record, if this gets us killed, I''m haunting you."


    "Glint, stand still."


    The Shardwalker froze in place. An instant later, the Ent''s claws carved straight through Glint. Claire let out a series of curses as Glint disintegrated, blowing away into energy that swirled into Alex.


    "You got him killed on purpose?" Claire asked in disbelief. "That''s a bit more than a tiny handicap, don''t you think?"


    "It''s slow," Alex replied. He raised a hand and a spike of glass jutted out of his palm, glistening in the dull purple light that permeated the Mirrorlands. "Now get ready. I''ll try to avoid its first attack. If we sandwich it, we''ll have the best chance of taking it down. Two versus 1 is worse odds than 3 versus 1, so we should get better rewards for this."


    The Ent lumbered in their direction. It let out a creaking groan as it drew closer. Claire shifted to the side and Alex took a step forward, drawing the monster''s attention to himself.


    It barely even acknowledged Claire as she looped around behind it. The monster''s attention was fully focused on Alex. He grinned and waved to it.


    "Come on, then. Let''s¡ª"


    The Ent swung. Alex flung himself back, hitting the ground in a roll and springing back to his feet as a wave of adrenaline slammed into him. It was a whole lot easier to watch something else dodge the monster''s attack than doing it himself.


    More groans escaped the Ent''s mouth as it lurched toward him, swinging again. Alex jumped back, making sure to leave enough space to keep out of the way of the monster''s gangly arms.


    Claire dashed at it from behind and brought her sword down on its back, carving through the wood with crunch. She leapt away as the Ent howled and spun in her direction. Alex took the opportunity to dart forward and drive his palm into its back, extending a mirror shard from his palm in the process.


    The blade pierced deep into the monster and he snapped it off, already flinging himself away. No matter how slow the Ent Harvester was, its arms were still incredibly long. He wasn''t a moment too soon. Thin fingers tore up the ground behind Alex, just barely missing his back.


    He and Claire wove in and out, effectively nipping at the towering monster. None of their attacks were all that effective with the short amount of time they had to execute them, but striking it over and over again in the same area was having an effect remarkably reminiscent of chopping down a tree.


    The Ent''s body creaked dangerously with every step it took. It didn''t seem even slightly concerned with its own health. It just kept swinging away, desperately trying to catch one of them off guard.


    Alex''s mirror blade carved across the Ent''s already damaged side. It dug deep through the wood. Even as the Ent turned toward him, Claire thrust her blade into its other side. Alex worked his blade even deeper, wedging it into the Ent as hard as he could.


    A loud snap split the air. The upper half of the Ent''s body pitched back. Alex and Claire scrambled away as the huge piece of living lumber hit the ground with a resounding crash. For a brief second, the only sound was the sound of their labored breathing.


    Cold energy drove into Alex''s chest like a spike. He inhaled sharply as he felt power course through his body and gather in his soul. A wisp of smoldering brown fire rose up from the dead Ent''s body and a grin stretched across his lips.


    "See?" he asked, wiping his face with the back of a sleeve. "Tell me that wasn''t a lot of energy. There''s no way we would have gotten that much if we''d just had Glint handle it himself."


    Claire let out a disbelieving laugh and shook her head. "You are a menace. What kind of psychopathic Evoker kills his own summoned creature?"


    "This one," Alex replied. "Don''t worry. I checked to make sure Glint wasn''t intelligent. As far as I can tell, he doesn''t have any thoughts of his own and dying doesn''t seem to really affect him that much. I''m not just going around killing a sentient creature for fun."


    He pulled Glint''s Spatial Mirror from the box at his side and scooped the brown flame up, pressing it into the mirror.


    Spatial Mirror


    Stored Energy:


    Low-Mid Novice Grade (Ent Harvester) - 1


    Bonded Creature: Shardwalker (Regenerating) sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It''ll be about an hour before Glint is back. We should probably wait for him to return before we continue," Alex said as released the mirror and let it flow back to the box at his side.


    "What happened to being in a rush?" Claire asked as they headed over take shelter by a large rock at the base of the mountain.


    "I''ve got two days. It''s about finding a balance. If we just sprint ahead the whole time, we''re probably going to run into something we can''t fight. You can''t tell me that the energy we just got isn''t useful."


    Claire blew out a breath and inclined her head in defeat. "I don''t understand how you''re simultaneously insane and yet still somehow have a point. That energy might actually be enough for me to make it to Novice 4. You probably got a lot more than I did because you shouldered half the challenge yourself, but the System definitely registered that as a decent fight."


    "Probably means we would have been completely dead if we ever got hit," Alex said. "I bet that thing would have been absolutely devastating if it had caught us while we were in the forest. Getting tripped up by a root while fighting it definitely wouldn''t have gone well."


    "I wouldn''t be surprised if the System was counting that mad dash through the forest as part of our challenge rewards," Claire admitted. "Can you watch over me until Glint is back? I think I should be able to do this pretty quickly."


    Alex nodded. Claire sat down in the boulder''s shadow and let her eyes shut as she started to meditate. Her breathing stilled and her features relaxed as she sank deeper into herself. Alex studied her for a few moments.


    Maybe I''m just paranoid after my best friend shoved me into hell, but she really seems to trust people easily. Maybe that''s just because she doesn''t have much of a choice. I had Glint to keep an eye on me, but she has nothing like that in her class.


    The Mirrorlands seemed like the absolute worst place that Claire could have landed. She was so limited by having to fight enemies with actual blood that her abilities didn''t even work here.


    I''ll need to make sure to avoid specializing into something so badly that a certain type of opponent makes me completely helpless.


    Alex ran his tongue along his lips. They were parched. He''d had a little to drink before he''d fallen into the Mirrorlands, but not nearly enough. With any luck they''d make it to the mountain sooner than his deadline of two days.


    He settled in to wait. It would have been stupid to push ahead without Glint and if Claire could get a useful upgrade from reaching Novice 4, the detour would have been worth it.


    Minutes ticked by. Alex kept his eyes moving to make sure he didn''t get lazy and miss something sneaking up on them. Fortunately, the base of the mountain continued to be as abandoned as it appeared.


    Aside from him and Claire, there was nothing. Eventually, a full hour passed. Alex resummoned Glint as soon as he was able to and had the monster stand guard beside him.


    It was a short while longer before Claire stirred. Her eyes fluttered open and she blinked, squinting up at him. "How long was I?"


    "Pretty much on time. Just a bit over an hour. Did you make it?"


    A grin crossed over her lips and she nodded, rising to her feet. "Yeah. I''m a bit stronger now. I¡­ uh, still don''t have anything new that''s going to make all that much of a difference here, though. Not in most cases, at least. I upgraded the skill that lets me grow a lot stronger when I drink blood."


    "By most cases, do you mean no cases?" Alex asked dryly. "No monsters here have blood."


    Claire shot him a pointed look. Her cheeks colored slightly, and Alex realized what she was thinking.


    "You''re going to power up by drinking my blood?"


    "Well, if it''s an emergency¡­ it''s better than nothing, right?" Claire asked sheepishly. "Sorry. I was hoping I''d get a more suitable option, but there wasn''t one. Everything I''ve got is just too blood related. It was that or getting better at controlling blood, and I think that would have been even worse. I won''t drink your blood if you don''t let me."


    Alex blew out a huff and shook his head. "I mean, you''re right. A powerup is a powerup. If we''re in a pinch, it might come in use."


    "And hey, if I drink enough of your blood, you might be dizzy enough for the challenge of whatever we''re doing to go up," Claire said with a smirk that quickly faded as she saw Alex''s eyes light up. "That was a joke!"


    "One that I have noted." Alex wet his lips again.


    "Are you thirsty?" Claire asked with a worried frown.


    "A bit," Alex admitted. "Nothing to do about it."


    "Are you sure you don''t want to try¡ª"


    "Unless whatever you''re about to offer me is water or something completely equivalent to it, then the answer is no. I''m not nearly that desperate," Alex said with a shake of his head. He looked up to the mountain rising over them. "That''s one challenge I think I''m going to push off to later. If you''re ready, let''s just get moving and try to get up this mountain before night falls¡­ if that even happens here."


    "If you''re sure. And it doesn''t. Not from what I''ve seen so far, at least."


    With that, they started back up the mountain toward the storm crackling in the distance and ¡ª hopefully ¡ª a way out of the Mirrorlands.

 Chapter 14 - 14: Those who live in glass houses

    It didn''t take long for Alex and Claire to realize something might have been wrong, and it took a few hours to prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt.


    There wasn''t a single monster on the mountainside. It was completely barren ¡ª but that wasn''t to say it hadn''t been warped. The mountain was every bit as twisted as the rest of the Mirrorlands.


    Trees curved in odd paths, forming around the sloping path that led up to the peak of the mountain. Rocks had been arranged and packed down in a way that resembled a road, many of them floating mid-air or merged unnaturally with a tree trunk.


    Islands large enough to house several trees cast shadows over Alex and Claire as they passed beneath them, but despite it all, there wasn''t a single sign of hostile life. That should have been reassuring.


    Instead, all it did was set Alex''s hair on end to the point where he almost completely forgot about just how thirsty he was getting. There weren''t even any City-Eaters in the air above them.


    There was only the path ¡ª and the storm in the distance.


    "You reckon there''s a reason this place is abandoned? If even the monsters are smart enough to avoid it, I get the inkling that there might be," Claire muttered to Alex, keeping her voice low as if speaking louder than a whisper would bring the sky crashing down on top of them.


    "I think we''re going to find out soon enough," Alex whispered back. "At this point, there''s no path but forward ¡ª unless you''ve got a better idea as to how we''re going to get out of here?"


    Claire shook her head, and so they pressed on. It wasn''t long before the exact time of how long they''d been walking was lost to Alex. His legs burned and his throat turned so dry that it hurt.


    It had definitely been hours. Exactly how many, Alex wasn''t sure. His body definitely wasn''t pleased with him, but the mere idea of stopping made him grimace. If the way out of the Mirrorlands really was so close, then he refused to rest until it was within his grasp.


    The walk was the first time he''d had to properly think since the apocalypse had formerly started, and Alex found his thoughts drifting to exactly how the System worked ¡ª and how he could best take advantage of it to continue growing.


    Challenge was an abstract concept. It had to be constrained by something. If it wasn''t, the optimal way to grow would probably be crippling oneself and then fighting a bunch of miserably weak monsters.


    Sure, the fights would eventually get easier as someone grew used to fighting the monsters and figured out their styles, but then they could just move onto a different kind of weak monster.


    Alex doubted the System would have overseen that. If he had to guess, the challenge was some sort of percentage multiplier. The System still had to follow the laws of physics to some degree ¡ª and energy didn''t come from nowhere. That meant it was probably coming from the monsters he killed.


    But I''m obviously not getting every single level that something has when I kill it. So my best guess is that I get a percentage of a monster''s power when it dies, and that percentage is based off how difficult the fight was. It almost certainly caps out at a certain point and the System takes the rest of the energy to do¡­ well, whatever it is the System does.


    In the end, intentionally making fights more difficult against weaker monsters would give him a boost for the future, but it was a terrible long-term strategy. The optimal strategy would be to be seeking out the strongest monsters, which would have the highest amounts of potential energy to take from in the first place.


    So if there''s the possibility, it''s always better to look for a difficult fight rather than make a difficult fight. Anyone can get killed at any point. Intentionally weakening myself will inevitably catch up to me and fuck me over if I keep at it forever.


    But right now, that risk is worth it. I need every extra scrap of power I can get to give myself a lead, and I can only work with the monsters I''m up against. I can stop and focus on finding real threats once I''ve got that lead solidified.


    Alex was still lost in thought when a shadow passed overhead.


    A City-Eater Centipede?


    His eyes jerked up as fear gripped his chest ¡ª but it was not a centipede that he found.


    It was an enormous silver ship ¡ª or possibly a squid. Huge tendrils trailed through the air behind it, their tips ending in spaded points. The massive vessel came to a needlelike point at its tip, where glistening coils of purple and red smoke broke and curled past its sides. Sections of pulsing purple flesh were exposed between gaps of the ship''s metallic exterior. Ripples ran through it, causing it to inflate and deflate like a lung.


    For the briefest of instants, a name shimmered to life above the ship.


    Disruptor [Starfallen Family]


    Then the ship vanished as if it had never been there.


    Alex gaped up at the sky.


    "Did you see that?"


    "For a moment," Claire replied. "Did you?"


    "Just a glimpse," Alex replied, rubbing at his eyes. "Do you know what the Starfallen family is?"


    "No. Never heard of them. You think it''s going to come back?"


    Alex looked back up to the sky, then shook his head. "No idea. I don''t think I want to stick around to find out. That thing did not look friendly."


    They picked up their pace. As they walked, Alex ran his thoughts on the System''s energy distribution methods by Claire, who seemed agreeable to the direction he was taking them. There was no way to actually verify his theories at the moment, so they slipped into silence.


    Neither of them said a word over the next few hours as they drew closer to the peak of the mountain. With their increased proximity to it, Alex could actually make out the peak itself.


    There was a large outcropping just beneath the churning storm, surrounded by a ring of jutting, spiked rocks that almost resembled a crown at the top of the mountain. He couldn''t tell what was beyond them, but it was so high up that it literally brushed the crackling purple energy.


    If there''s any way out of the Mirrorlands, then it''s got to be this. The only question is if we can actually pass through it.


    The winding path wrapped around the peak of the mountain, then finally arrived at its final bend. A knot clenched Alex''s stomach as they rounded it and stepped onto a straight stretch that led up to the crown.


    The smell of electricity had grown a hundred times stronger, joined by something in between honey and cinnamon that seemed to be coming from a large patch of brilliant blue grass covering the top of the mountain.


    Dark purple cracks shimmered in the air at the far side of the rock formation, arcs of energy crackling around them. There was no doubt about it. It was the exact same color as the portal that had sucked him into the Mirrorlands in the first place.


    There was just one problem.


    Sitting between him and the way out of the Mirrorlands was a towering, red skinned demon. It was humanoid and easily ten feet tall, even with its legs crossed in a yogi pose beneath it.


    A wide menacing grin of straight teeth stretched across its face and two curved tusks protruding from the corners of its mouth. The skin on its face was smooth and glossy, almost reminiscent of an Oni mask. That comparison was only made stronger by a pair of huge horns that jutted out of the top of its head. Flowing hair like pure white gossamer rose to frame its face, suspended in the air by an intangible wind.


    ??? (???)


    The nameless demon sat before the crackling storm, but it wasn''t a guardian.


    It was a prisoner.


    Enormous shackles bound the monster from almost every direction. Each link was several feet wide and covered in flowing designs and patterns that burned with faint white light. They were secured to the ground by massive white stones that were scattered throughout the mountain''s crown.


    Alex and Claire both froze in place. The demon''s glowing eyes were staring straight at them, but it made no move to so much as acknowledge their presence.


    "You know what?" Claire whispered. "I think I figured out why the rest of the mountain is empty."


    "It''s bound," Alex muttered back. "We can get around it."


    "Can we?" Claire asked. "It''s right in the middle of the way and those chains aren''t all completely tight. It could definitely reach us if we try to sneak past."


    She was right. Alex shifted from foot to foot, ready to throw himself to the side and avoid an attack at a moment''s notice ¡ª not that he suspected he had even the slightest chance of avoiding any form of blow made by the huge monster. It was such a high level that he couldn''t even see what it was.


    Those chains are definitely some kind of magic. Are they enough to keep the demon from attacking us? I can''t tell if it just doesn''t give a shit that we''re here or if it''s biding its time until we get closer.


    Someone definitely bound that thing here on purpose. That doesn''t speak well for the chances of it being willing to let us stroll right past.


    "If you drink enough of my blood, do you grow wings?"


    Claire let out a muted snort. "I wish. No."


    "Damn," Alex muttered. He studied the jutting rocks that made up the sides of the crown. The wind around them howled, but there was a chance they could try to make their way around the demon by climbing onto the rocks.


    Claire followed his gaze and immediately shook her head. "Those winds are being cut by the rocks right now. If we climb that, we''ll get blown right off. You think we can use the forest strategy again?"


    Alex squinted at the demon. It still hadn''t moved once. If it hadn''t been identified by the system as a living being, he might have started to suspect that it was just an incredibly realistic statue.


    "Only one way to find out," Alex said. "Glint, walk over to the spatial cracks but stay as close to the rocks at the edges as you can. Be cautious and attempt to avoid making too much noise."


    Glint set off without an instant of hesitation. His summoned companion edged his way along the very corner of the stones, slipping one foot in front of the other like a dancer, pressing his side to the jagged rocks and making his way toward the beckoning energy across the platform.


    Now that I think about it, this isn''t the most effective test. The only thing this might actually prove is that the demon doesn''t kill literally everything that passes it. If it''s intelligent, it could let Glint by and then just wait for us to follow to kill us.


    That would be a whole lot of effort to kill something that it shouldn''t see as anything more than a bug. It''s probably more likely that it''ll either be completely passive or ¡ª


    A ripple passed through the chains and a crack split the air in its wake, and only once both had passed did Alex realize that Glint was dead. The Shardwalker''s remains disintegrated into a stream of energy that flowed back over to the box resting at Alex''s side.


    Alex dove behind a rock and Claire hit the ground beside him a second later. When nothing happened, he poked his head out to look at the demon once more.


    It hadn''t budged from its spot. It remained in place, staring at them with its glowing eyes, a mocking grin stretched across its lips. If it wasn''t for the faint sway in the chains holding the monster down, it would have been impossible to tell that it had even moved.


    "Bleeding hell," Claire breathed. "Okay. I don''t think we can stroll past it normally. Is Glint okay?"


    "No. He''s dead, but he''ll get over it," Alex said. He swallowed. "It actively chose to do that. No clue if it was a warning or it just likes killing things, but we might have to turn to alternative measures."


    "That sounds great. What are those?" Claire asked. "Because I''m flat out of ideas. The thing is right in the middle of the way."


    "Maybe the wind isn''t that bad?" Alex approached the edge of the spiked rocks. Claire watched with concern as he pulled himself up, then stuck his hand out between the spines and into the open air to feel how strong the wind was.


    A violent gale slammed into his arm almost instantly, nearly slamming it straight into the wall. Alex just barely managed to yank his hand back before it was impaled on one of the many jutting stones, but he still got a small cut for his troubles.


    He cursed and shook his hand off. "Okay. You were right about that. We''re not climbing around it. We''d get ripped to shreds."


    They fell silent and looked back to the demon. It matched their gaze ¡ª or rather, it just stared. Alex wasn''t sure if it was looking at them or past them. There was no reason for them to even register on its radar other than a mild form of amusement. It was probably pretty boring being chained up on the top of a desolate mountain.


    Huh. That''s a thought.


    Alex''s head tilted askew and Claire sent him a curious glance. "What is it?"


    "I was just thinking. There are probably two possible reasons this thing would have killed Glint. Either it''s somehow bound to defend the storm, or it''s just bored and has nothing else to do. It''s not like any of us would pose a challenge to it no matter how chained it is." S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That''s true," Claire allowed. "Are you thinking we can just¡­ give it something else to do?"


    "It couldn''t hurt."


    "Right. Treat the massive terrifying demon like it''s a stupid baby that won''t stop bothering its parents," Claire said with a dry laugh. "Couldn''t possibly go wrong. It seems like a sound enough idea. What in the bleeding hell do we give it, though? I don''t see a toy anywhere."


    That was definitely the crux of the matter. A few minutes ago, he would have suggested Glint. It was pretty clear that wouldn''t work. It had taken the demon less than a second to kill the Shardwalker.


    "I have an idea," Claire said.


    Alex looked to her. "What is it?"


    "What if we somehow lured a City-Eater over here? Something big enough that this guy is actually distracted."


    "Now that''s an idea," Alex said with a grin. "But how are we going to outrun it? They can teleport and move pretty quickly for something their size. If we actually managed to get their attention, I don''t think we''d even get a chance to lure it anywhere."


    "Damn it. Good point." Claire''s nose scrunched and she pursed her lips, blowing out a breath. Her eyes flicked down to his cut arm. "Are you going to eat that? You''re distracting me."


    It was Alex''s turn to sigh. At least one of them could eat. He held his arm out to her.


    "Thanks," Claire said once she''d finished. She definitely eyed the cut for a moment longer than she had to, but didn''t try to drink any more. "Unfortunately, I am not feeling enlightened."


    "Unless drinking more of my blood is going to make your brain bigger, I''m keeping the rest of it."


    "Fair enough."


    They joined the demon in its silence. There was always the option of giving up and heading back down the mountain, but that was the equivalent of giving up and dying. The spatial rift behind the monster was their best chance of getting out of the Mirrorlands.


    Alex nudged a rock with his foot. Then he paused.


    "Did you get a good idea?" Claire asked.


    Alex picked the rock up and tossed it in his palm. "I''m not sure it qualifies as good, but I got an idea."


    Claire looked from the rock to the demon. Her eyes widened. "You can''t be¡ª"


    Alex threw his rock.

 Chapter 15 - 15: Berith

    The stone sailed through the air and thunked into the demon''s head, dropped to the ground, and laid at its feet. It didn''t so much as flinch.


    Alex picked up another rock.


    "Is this a plan or are you just bored?"


    "Yes," Alex replied, tossing the second stone. It bounced off the demon''s chest and landed beside the first stone. "It can''t move and it killed Glint. I think I''m justified in doing this. It helps me think."


    He picked up another stone. Claire hesitated for a second, then picked up her own rock. She shrugged to him and they both flung their projectiles. It was a good way to jog the brain juices. It increased blood flow ¡ª or something like that.


    The Demon remained in place as they pelted it with stones. They were well out of reach of its chains and it couldn''t move even if it wanted to. He was surprised to find that assaulting the monster with a hail of stones was actually somewhat therapeutic.


    He wasn''t sure how long he and Claire threw stones, but they soon cleared the front of the mountain pass out from every single loose stone and relocated them to piles around the demon.


    "We''re running out," Claire observed.


    "It''s fine. It''s a big mountain. There are more stones. I think I might figure something out pretty soon."


    "Really?"


    "No, but I don''t have a better idea right now. I''m kind of banking on the mounting dread building up until the point where I have no choice but to figure a way out of this. Until then, I''m throwing rocks."


    Alex turned to walk down the slope a bit and pick up another rock ¡ª and from behind him, he heard a heavy groan and a gravelly voice.


    "If I were not chained here, I would pitch the pair of you off this mountain and memorize your screams."


    He spun back toward the demon, then shot a wide-eyed look at Claire.


    "You heard that, right?" Alex asked.


    "Yeah," Claire said, swallowing. "It moved."


    "More than moved. It said something!" S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What are you talking about?" Claire''s brow furrowed. "It didn''t say anything, but I definitely heard its grunting."


    "No, it spoke," Alex insisted. He locked eyes with the demon. "I am not nearly insane enough to start hallucinating that badly. You said something, didn''t you?"


    The demon''s head slowly tilted to the side, an unnatural movement that somehow froze the rest of its body perfectly in place until its neck was at a perfect ninety-degree angle.


    "You¡­ heard me?"


    "There!" Alex exclaimed. He thrust a finger in the demon''s direction and sent a wild look at Claire. "You heard it, right?"


    She shook her head. "I ¡ª no. It''s just grunting and growling, Alex. Is it using some form of telepathy?"


    "Impossible," the demon said. It leaned forward and the chains went taut, preventing it from moving any farther. "You understand me?"


    "Yes, I understand you," Alex said. "What the hell gives? You could speak this whole time? Why haven''t you said anything? We wasted so much time flinging shit at your head!"


    "A human that knows Wayspeak. Curious." the demon asked, his head tilting to the side in apparent curiosity. The chains creaked and it leaned back, returning to its relaxed position, resting its palms on its knees, and studying Alex with its burning eyes.


    Alex''s brow furrowed. He sent another glance at Claire, who shook her head helplessly. He looked back to the demon. "I have no clue what you''re talking about. Aren''t you speaking English?"


    "No," the demon replied. "You speak in common, but I reply in Wayspeak."


    "What is Wayspeak?" Alex asked hesitantly. If the demon could talk, then it could reason. There was a chance they could convince it to let them use the portal behind it.


    "The language of the Mirrorlands. One known only by its inhabitants. So how would you have come to learn it?" Chains creaked as the demon shifted its position to observe Alex better. "You could not have made it here through the normal routes. I smell the weakness on your breath like carrion. You don''t belong here, boy. But what gave you comprehension? A rare class, perhaps? A Title?"


    Holy shit. He figured it out fast.


    "Does it matter?" Alex asked, choosing his words carefully. He had absolutely no idea if anything he''d come to learn about demons back on Earth was true, but any information was better than nothing.


    I think demons were supposed to be sly. Arrogant too. Really self-important, and possibly big fans of contracts. I don''t think they usually straight up lie, though. I might be able to trust the demon''s word if it actually gives it to me ¡ª or was it devils that liked contracts and didn''t outright lie? Is there even a difference? Gah. Either way, I should be careful with what I agree to and what information I give up.


    A low chuckle slipped from the demons lips. "No. It does not. A human child that knows Wayspeak arriving to be a bothersome pest ¡ª you are an Anomaly."


    "You say that in a way that makes me think it means more than I understand."


    "Most things do," the demon said. It leaned forward once more. "How refreshing. I haven''t had a conversation in years. If only you had chosen a better opener. Tell me, Anomaly, why is it that you have come to bother me? Do you long for early death so badly? Step closer and I can grant it."


    "Actually, I''d much prefer if you just got out of the way," Alex said. He nodded to the spatial rift humming behind the demon. "I''m trying to get over there, and given what you did to my summoned companion, I''m not keen on getting anywhere near you."


    "You are in no position to make demands of me."


    Alex walked back over to the edge of the path, picked up a rock, and returned to stand where he had been before. He sent it a pointed look.


    "A threat?" The demon''s voice was incredulous. "You threaten me with a rock? Did you not see how effective the last hundred you threw were?"


    "I can''t hurt you," Alex agreed. "But I can stand here and fling shit at your head for hours on end."


    "Is that so? You are dry. Not long for this world, I suspect." The demon''s glassy lips curled up in a smirk. "A few hours would be nothing more than a blip in my memory."


    "Eh. Fair enough." Alex shrugged and tossed his rock to the side. He turned to Claire and nodded back in the direction that they''d come. "Oh well. Let''s get going. He''s not going to let us pass."


    It looked like Claire wanted to ask a thousand questions, but they died on her lips as she inclined her head and fell in step behind Alex.


    "It won''t work," the demon said, its voice rushing down the mountain peak like a cold gale. "Even if you managed to survive the other inhabitants of the Mirrorlands, you would die long before you reached another portal. There are none within the shadow of the mountain."


    Alex paused to look over his shoulder at the demon. "Then I''ll find that out for myself, won''t I? If you aren''t going to let me use your portal, I''ll find another one. There''s always a different way. Why should I waste my time here? Sit and rot."


    A bark of laughter escaped the demon''s mouth. The chains groaned and shuddered as they fought to keep the enormous monster held down to the ground. "Such passion. When did I say you couldn''t use my portal? It is mine, mind you."


    "You squashed my companion. And if you''ve got a portal, why don''t you use it?"


    "Your companion was a buzzing little insect without consciousness. I have squashed a countless number of its ilk." The demon nodded down toward the crooked city beyond the forest at the base of the mountain. "The bugs provide no entertainment."


    A chill raced down the back of Alex''s neck and wrapped around his arms. The enormous City-Eater Centipedes, so powerful that he couldn''t even make out their strength, were just as worthless as Glint in the demon''s eyes.


    What kind of monster is this? How do I get that powerful?


    "Does that imply that I do?" Alex asked.


    "I will not impair your path to the portal," the demon said, his words rolling out like the purr of a cat and setting all of Alex''s hair on end. Malice positively dripped from every word he spoke. "Should you be brave enough to approach it, that is. If you wish to leave, then leave."


    Alex''s lips peeled back in something between a snarl and a smile. If that was the game the demon wanted to play, then he''d play. Something told him that the line about there being no more portals was true. He hadn''t seen any more back in the city.


    The one before them might be the only chance they had, and he''d be damned if he got scared out of taking it.


    "Wait here," Alex told Claire.


    "Hold on." Claire sent a concerned glance back at the demon. "I don''t really get what''s going on. I can only hear half a conversation. If you''re going to do something stupid, then I''m coming too. I don''t want to get stuck here alone again."


    "No, I need you to stay back. If the demon kills me, fling rocks at his head," Alex replied, setting his jaw and spinning back to the demon. He strode toward it.


    "Oh? You''re approaching me?" the demon''s laughter echoed through the mountain peak.


    There''s no way that was a ¡ª ah, fuck it.


    "I can''t use your portal unless I come closer," Alex replied, locking eyes with the demon. His heart bucked in terror, but the excitement and adrenaline pumping through his body strangled its fear. "Or are you so much of a coward that you have to lie to someone weaker than you?"


    "Come find out, boy."


    Alex stepped into the demon''s range.


    ***


    Berith watched the boy approach with an emotion that could have only been described as piddling amusement. That was an ill omen. He''d been trapped on this cursed mountaintop for so long that he''d actually gotten to the point where a whelp of an Anomaly could hold his interest for a flicker of an instant.


    Anything was better than the delirium of silence. There had been a short period of a few millennia when Berith had gotten used to it. Then he''d gotten bored. More than anything else, he wanted to find something to kill.


    Something worth killing.


    An Anomaly that had been born no more than a few days ago was far from that. The mere effort it would take Berith to kill him wasn''t worth sacrificing the entertainment ¡ª no matter how piddling or pathetic it was ¡ª that he was about to get. A grinding rattle filled the air as Berith shifted. The boy stiffened, but he didn''t miss a step as he continued his advance. Berith''s neck twisted one hundred and eighty degrees so he could continue to trace the boy as he walked right up to the rift.


    I''ll give the human one thing. He''s bolder than most. There aren''t many brave or stupid enough to stride right past me, even with my word protecting them. Oh well. Unfortunate for him. It''s been a while since I''ve seen something pop.


    "Go on," Berith said, unable to keep the grin from his tone. "Have I not kept my word? The portal is all yours."


    The boy didn''t have to be told twice. He reached up to touch the swirling magic ¡ª and a bolt of energy threw his hand back, burning his palm. He stumbled and almost tripped over his own feet, yelping in pain and shaking his hand off furiously.


    Berith roared with laughter and the boy spun toward him, cradling his burnt hand. Accusation burned in his eyes as he thrust his unhurt hand toward Berith. "You said I could use the portal!"


    "I am not stopping you," Berith replied through his mirth. "That would be your own lack of power. The portal is perfectly functional. You have nothing to blame but your weakness if you can''t use it."


    He tried not to think too much about how far he''d fallen to find something this pathetic entertaining. There was just nothing better to do in this barren wasteland. Even a droplet of moisture was an ocean to a man trapped in the desert. It was actually somewhat impressive the boy hadn''t been turned to a charred mark on the ground just from touching the rift.


    The boy looked from Berith to the portal. Then he set his jaw. A flicker of surprise passed through the demon.


    Is he an idiot? He couldn''t possibly be thinking of ¡ª


    With a cry, the boy drove his hand into the portal. A flicker of energy crackled within it. Berith blinked. A loud snap split the air and a wave of purple magic ripped out of the portal and slammed into the boy like a hammer. It picked him off his feet and launched him back, sending him tumbling across the ground in a flail of limbs until he slammed into a large stone.


    Smoke curled up from the boy''s clothes as he let out a pained cough, driving a fist into the ground and staggering back to his feet. He wiped his face with the back of a hand and strode back toward the portal.


    Did I just see the portal react to him? No, of course not. I have grown addled sitting here for so long. The boy does not have Mirrorlands blood in his veins. He''s nothing but an Anomaly. The portal will not open for him.


    The boy let out a furious cry as he drove his fist into the portal once more. Energy screamed out and drove into him, but he dug his feet into the ground and pushed even harder. A deep thrum rolled across the mountaintop. The portal started to bend. Crackles of energy raced out within the portal like a spiderweb. Berith''s eyes widened.


    Is he resistant to the rift energy?


    A second loud snap tore through the air. Energy whipped into him and picked him off his feet, sending him hurtling through the air for the second time. The Dhampir he''d come with dashed forward into Berith''s shadow, bracing her feet and catching him before he could slam into the rocks for a second time.


    They both skidded back several feet and the smell of burnt flesh and hair drifted into the air before the winds ripped it away. Smoke drifted off charred skin, but Berith was surprised to realize that the boy''s hand was fairly intact aside from some cosmetic damage.


    "Alex!" the Dhampir exclaimed, steadying him. "Are you okay? What are you¡ª"


    "I''m fine. Thanks for the catch," the boy said through a gritted jaw, pushing back to his feet. "One more time. I felt it. I almost had it that time."


    The boy strode forward once more, coming to a stop before the portal while the Dhampir watched him with a mixture of awe and concern. It was as if he''d completely forgotten the rest of them were there.


    Berith found himself leaning forward, the interest in him starting to build to something beyond just a hint of curiosity. This was not normal.


    A roar of defiance split the air. Alex drove his fist forward. It slammed into the portal for the fourth time. Power hummed and churned, dancing around him like a miniature hurricane as he pressed his hand deeper into the portal.


    The churning energy bent. Then it began to give way. It should have been impossible, but he could deny it no longer. The human was going to open the portal on his own.


    Berith''s eyes widened.


    He''s no mere Anomaly. The boy is an Incarnation.

 Chapter 16 - 16: Not running

    Alex''s right hand burned like he''d shoved it into a pot of boiling water. His nerves screamed and his flesh crackled like fried chicken that had been left in a pan for too long. His left hand clenched so tightly that his fingernails bit into his palm. He gritted his teeth, not even daring to draw in a breath and lose focus, and pushed against the portal even harder.


    "I would suggest stopping," the demon''s voice split through Alex''s concentration. "If you continue, you will die."


    Alex''s teeth gritted. Electric power thumped against his arm, now buried nearly all the way up until his shoulder. He couldn''t even feel his fingers anymore.


    "I''m not giving up," Alex snarled. "I''m going to open the damn portal."


    His concentration faltered. Answering the demon had only taken a brief flicker of thought, but he didn''t have it to spare. A powerful force slammed into Alex''s chest and folded his knees like they were made of paper. His hand flew from the portal as it snapped back to a flat shape and all the air was knocked from his lungs as he was slammed into the ground.


    Alex let out a pained groan. His arm burned in agony at his side. He vaguely made Claire''s concerned features out above him as he dug his good hand into the vibrant blue grass and shoved himself upright, his breaths coming in ragged gasps as he tried not to think about the source of the fatty, fried smell lingering in the air.


    "Why?" Alex rasped.


    "You should be grateful that I warned you at all," the demon said. "Perhaps I simply should have watched."


    "Not that. Why can''t I open the damn portal? What unfair bastard puts a portal on the top of a fucking mountain and then doesn''t let anyone use it?"


    "Me," the demon said through a bark of laughter. "I told you. The portal is mine. And even if you could open it, it would lead to nowhere. Tell me. What world do you hail from?"


    "Earth," Alex rasped through his gritted teeth as he resisted the urge to clench his charred arm. He was pretty sure that would only make it worse.


    "How original. And are all those who come from your planet as arrogant as you?" Chains rattled as the demon tilted its head to the side. "Or are you unique in believing that all roads through the universe lead to your home planet?"


    Alex''s stomach sank. "I was kind of hoping to wing it. Why wouldn''t it go back to Earth? Shouldn''t a hole in reality go two ways?"


    "You slipped through the cracks between worlds," the demon said. "It was no luck that you landed in the Mirrorlands. It is the vastness of space that connects everything. It is where all that falls lands. The wastebin of existence, a catch-all for anything and everything. Those passageways are a one-way trip."


    The demon''s words rang against Alex''s ears, joining in with the wind howling beyond the crown of the mountain. His good hand tightened at his side. They''d come all the way up here just to find that there was no way forward.


    I won''t accept that. There has to be another way.


    "I refuse to believe that there isn''t a way to open the portal back up in the other direction," Alex said. For some reason, the pain in his charred arm was starting to recede. There was a good chance it might have been shock. "If there''s magic, then it has to be possible."


    "Oh, it''s possible," the demon agreed. The chains holding it rattled as the demon contorted itself to move so its whole body was facing them. "Just not for you."


    "Hold on," Alex said, flexing his stinging hand. He looked back to the portal. "I don''t know that you''re telling the truth. I could have just done something wrong."


    "You could have," the demon agreed. "Perhaps you should try again. Maybe use your other hand this time around ¡ª or better yet, toss the girl in first. See what happens." Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I swear the portal felt like it was opening. I don''t trust this monster. It could be lying¡­ but I''ve got a good way to find out.


    Alex let his head thunk back against the grass.


    "What are you doing?" Claire whispered. "What''s going on? And are you okay?"


    "Resting, I''m arguing with a demon, and no," Alex replied. "I need an hour."


    "You''re just going to lie there? In defeat? You gave up faster than I expected," the demon said, derision dripping from its words. "Perhaps I¡ª


    "I didn''t give up." Alex glanced at the monster out of the corners of his eyes. "I''m just resting."


    "Resting," the demon repeated. "Directly before me? Do you want me to crush you for your insolence?"


    "Why would you?" Alex countered. "You get nothing from it. I reckon anything I do now is more entertaining than just squishing me, and an hour is nothing to you, right?"


    The demon didn''t respond.


    Alex sank back into the grass with a groan. He had an hour to kill.


    ***


    Time dragged its heels through the mud, but Alex''s waiting finally came to an end. The pain in his hand had receded even further, but he was pretty sure it was because the nerves in it had been burnt to a crisp. He still couldn''t feel his fingers. That was a problem for later.


    That''s an hour. Glint, sorry buddy, but I need you again.


    The air beside Alex shattered as Glint''s claws raked through it, forming an entrance for him to emerge from his Spatial Mirror. The Shardwalker stepped out and looked to Alex for his orders.


    "Can you open that spatial rift?" Alex asked, pointing at the buzzing energy.


    Glint didn''t budge.


    "Open the spatial rift," Alex amended, changing his request to a command. Still, Glint did nothing.


    Could just be too complex.


    "Try cutting the spatial rift."


    Glint strode up to the swirling energy and brought his claws down. They struck the purple magic and sheared through it ¡ª or rather, the magic sheared through Glint. By the time the Shardwalker''s hand stopped moving, its claws had completely vanished, reduced to small stubs. Alex winced.


    "Okay. Uh¡­ shove yourself into the rift."


    Glint threw himself into the energy without a flicker of hesitation. There was a sharp hiss followed by the very brief smell of burnt meat. Alex summoned Glint''s card to his hand to check on the monster. It was dead.


    Was the demon telling the truth?


    "Have something you need to talk out?" Claire asked with a worried frown. "That can''t be a healthy coping mechanism."


    Alex burst into laughter. "Noted. And I was just testing something. Glint can''t feel pain, so I wouldn''t feel bad about it."


    "Are you done?" the demon asked.


    "Depends on what you''re offering," Alex replied.


    "Who said I was offering?"


    "You said it wasn''t possible for me to open the portal an hour ago. This is your portal though, right? So you can open it."


    "I could."


    "Will you?"


    "Perhaps." The demon''s head tilted to the side. "Tell me your Soul Manifestation."


    Alex hesitated. He wasn''t so sure he wanted to go about sharing the details of how his class worked with clearly malicious, chained entities. They were usually chained for a reason. That said, he''d already given away his ability to summon Glint. "It¡­ lets me summon monsters. I''m an Evoker."


    "A fool could tell that you are an Evoker," the demon said dryly. "Being an Evoker is nothing unique. Being an Anomaly is slightly unique ¡ª but your Soul Manifestation, like every other, is completely unique. Unique and remarkably uninteresting, I suspect, but I will be the judge of that. You will tell me what it is if you desire my assistance."


    Alex summoned his status and read back over everything he knew, trying to see if revealing details about his abilities could somehow come back to bite him in the ass. Nothing he found implied it.


    His ability to use Glint''s powers when the monster died was his real unique ability, and the demon wasn''t asking for that.


    "My Soul Manifestation gives me cards called Spatial Mirrors that I can use to store Mirrorlands monsters. Whenever they die, they return to the mirrors and stay there until they reform an hour later. Why does that matter?"


    The demon didn''t respond immediately. It tilted its head to the side in thought, and the chains holding its arms swayed slightly as it twitched.


    "What?" Alex asked, unnerved by the demon''s lack of response more than everything else it had done.


    "That could work," the demon mused, voice little more than a whisper. It swallowed. "Yes. You could work."


    "You''re going to have to give at least a little bit of explanation before I start agreeing to anything. I''m not joking when I say you''d have to kill me before I willingly give you control of my body or some shit like that."


    "I am not going to steal your body from you¡­ but we could help each other. Quid pro quo," the demon said. It leaned forward and the chains tightened, binding and stopping it from getting any closer. "I suspect my desires are not too difficult to discern."


    "You want to get out of here."


    "Every prisoner longs to be free. I am no exception."


    "Most prisoners also have a reason for being imprisoned," Alex said slowly. "And I''m going to be real, I don''t think there''s jack shit I''m going to be able to do to break those chains. I only have one Spatial Mirror as well and it''s got Glint, so you can''t get into one of those."


    The demon let out a derisive snort. "I have no desire to trade one prison for another. I will not be trapped within one of your cards. It is a moot point. They have no hope of containing my power, even if we had both been willing."


    "Then¡ª"


    "You are still Novice 2. You have yet to achieve your third Auxiliary skill," the demon said, cutting Alex off mid-sentence. "For that reason alone, there is something that can be done."


    "Are you going to say what it is, or are you just going to keep blue-balling me?" Alex asked.


    The demon''s lips split apart in a smile. "I asked about your Soul Manifestation because I needed to confirm that your soul would have similarities to mine. I can give you the power to unlock one of my own Auxiliary skills. It will let you travel through the Rifts at will. To sweeten the deal, I''ll even help you use it the first time around."


    Alex fought to keep the eagerness from his voice. "And what do you want in return?"


    "Far less than what I offer," the demon replied. The chains holding it rattled, which ended up being far closer to a thunderous roar due to their size. "Carry a small piece of me with you until we can find a way to break the chains binding me."


    "Let''s say I agree. What will happen when the chains get broken?"


    "I suspect I shall try to kill you." Excitement flashed in the demon''s eyes and it extended a hand toward him, only stopping when the chains jerked taut. "But by then, you should have at least grown strong enough to attempt running away."


    Alex''s eyes narrowed. "I''m not running anywhere."


    A laugh echoed from the demon''s glassy lips. "I can already feel the thrill of battle. You seem to enjoy challenges. How about it? A challenge for the ages. Just take this prisoner''s hand."


    Claire sent Alex a worried look but said nothing as he looked at the huge hand, several times larger than his head, waiting before him. She probably didn''t have the best idea of what they were speaking about, but it probably wasn''t too hard to guess.


    Alex''s jaw clenched. The demon was probably trapped there for a reason ¡ª but if he was honest, he cared more about surviving than what it had done.


    There was only one way forward. He stepped forward and pressed his burnt palm to the demon''s. Huge fingers closed around Alex''s arm, and a name burned itself into his mind like it had been branded by an iron.


    Berith.


    "Alex," Berith breathed, his name curling from the demon''s lips like twisting smoke. "This is going to be fun."

 Chapter 17 - 17: Keep me waiting

    Streamers of pain pierced Alex''s palm. They twisted, tore, carved down through his arm and into his chest to grip his heart like a fist of ice. His breath froze in his chest and he let out a choking gasp ¡ª and the world changed.


    Dark water swirled up from the ground and a black wave crashed overhead, muting out the light and banishing the mountain around Alex. The Mirorrlands fell away, replaced by the expanse of his Mind Palace.


    Berith released his hand as a marble pillar bearing a basin upon it rose from the depths of the water to sit between them. A miniscule amount of energy swirled above the pillar in a faint, hazy mist.


    Alex glanced at the demon out of the corners of his eyes. He hadn''t been freed from his chains. Even in Alex''s soul, they still bound him to something beneath the calm water''s depths. Berith gave his arm a slight tug, then smiled wryly.


    "It seems my bindings followed me. Unfortunate."


    "Were you planning for this to break you free?" Alex asked as the pain faded from his body.


    "Planning?" A chuckle rang out and Berith shook his head. "No. I hoped. Hope is a cheap currency."


    Berith lifted a chained hand over the basin, drawing his heavy restraints taut in the process. He clenched it into a fist. The ball of mist collapsed in an instant, raining down in faint droplets to pool at the bottom of the marble. Berith curled a claw inward and pressed it into the pad of his thumb. It pierced through his skin and a single droplet of blood rolled out, dropping into the thin layer of bright blue water below. A ripple passed through the glistening liquid as the blood dissolved within it.


    "My portion of the bargain is complete." Berith lowered his hand and settled in to sit behind the basin.


    "That''s fine with me. All I need is a way in and out of here," Alex replied, stepping up to the basin. He looked into the murky water, hesitating for a moment, then placed his hand into the water.


    The liquid drained away. Icy energy coursed through his body, clawed at his heart, bit at his mind like a dozen irate rodents. Golden letters tore into the air and carved out a message.


    Your Stage has advanced to Novice 3.


    Please select your third Auxiliary Skill from the following options.


    [Riftwalk] ¡ª Gain some control over the Rifts that connect the Mirrorlands and the rest of the Infinitum.


    [Demi-pire] ¡ª Drain energy from other creatures through drinking their blood, taking a small portion of their powers for a duration.


    [Nexomancy] ¡ª Gain limited control over the spoken word, allowing you to create verbal pacts and punish those that break them.


    Holy shit. Gain control over rifts? As in, the things that sent me into hell? An auxiliary skill like that sounds like it would get some ridiculous abilities, not to mention getting me a way out of this creepy place¡­ as well as getting back.


    Even if I leave now, I''m going to want to come back for Mirrorlands monsters to bind at some point in the future. This is incredible.


    The abilities he''d been offered were all clearly inspired by actions he''d taken in recent times. That gave more credence to Meiderly''s claim that every class was completely unique. Even though it was immediately clear to Alex that his deal with Berith had netted him Riftwalk, he still paused a moment to look over the other skills.


    One gave him what appeared to be a very similar skill to Claire''s, while the second actually looked pretty interesting. He strongly suspected that any contract he''d be able to make would be directly linked to his own power, so they wouldn''t just automatically force things to obey agreements if they were stronger than he was.


    The skills were interesting, but neither even came close to being as useful or powerful as Riftwalk.


    As soon as he came to his decision, before he could even speak it out loud, the words vanished and his status shimmered to life of its own volition.


    Alex Vaya [Human]


    Class: Evoker [Mirrorlands]


    Stage: Novice 3


    Title Fragments:


    [Mirrorlander]


    Active Titles:


    [Anomaly]


    [1/5]


    Soul Manifestation:


    [Spatial Mirrors] (Novice 1)


    Auxiliary Skills:


    [Requiem to the King] (Novice 1)


    [Monster Medley] (Novice 1)


    [Riftwalk] (Novice 1)


    By the time Alex waved the words away, he realized that his Mind Palace had faded away and he stood in the Mirrorlands once again. Berith was still chained before him. Amusement burned in the demon''s eyes as he released Alex''s hand.


    Alex stared at his palm in disbelief. Thin red lines pulsed beneath his skin before fading away. His arm had been completely healed.


    "Alex?" Claire asked, the concern in her voice even stronger than before. "You okay?"


    "Yeah." Alex flexed his hand, then grinned. Either Berith''s blood or leveling up had healed him. Either way, he had his hand back. "I guess I''ve almost caught up to you. We have a way out of here now."


    Berith leaned back and rested against his chains. "Let''s get this on with. I''m eager to see another world after all the time I''ve spent down here. Go take a look at the Rift."


    Alex approached the crackling fissures, taking care not to touch them on accident. Claire joined him, but her suspicious gaze remained on Berith. The energy didn''t look any different, but something about it had changed. It felt, for lack of a better word, more grounded.


    The power almost felt like something tangible that he could grasp. As Alex focused his attention on the new ability he''d gained from his deal with Berith, he felt power start to pump beneath his skin.


    "Go on," Berith said. "Touch it. Carefully."


    Alex looked at his hands, then back up to the rift. He reached out and brushed the back of his hand across the energy. It was warm, but it didn''t burn him.


    "Good. What skill did you get?"


    He doesn''t know?


    "Riftwalk. I thought I got your skill."


    "You got a variant of it. I don''t know exactly what it does, but I can guess. The fundamentals will start the same." Berith shrugged and his heavy chains ground against each other. "Here''s the good news. As long as you keep that skill active, you can work with and pass through a Rift."


    "And the bad news?"


    "First, not all Rifts are made the same, and you''re going to have next to no control at this level. For the time being, you''ll only be able to access the world you came from and the Mirrorlands. Second, when you pull open a pathway between worlds, you aren''t the only one that can pass through it."


    Alex''s eyes narrowed. "You''re telling me we''re going to have to fight something every time we pass through?"


    "Not every time," Berith replied. "It depends where you are and how much energy is in the area you''re trying to leave or enter. You aren''t the first Riftwalker and you won''t be the last. There are measures to keep you from breaking in."


    "Or breaking out," Alex finished. "Would you say that this mountain would count as one of those high energy areas?"


    "Use your own senses. Touch the Rift again. Feel."


    Alex focused on Riftwalk again and let his fingers brush across the hissing purple energy. When it didn''t burn him, he tightened his grip. Power hummed at his palms ¡ª and the world started to darken around him, as if someone were dimming the lights.


    A deep, frosty chill wrapped around his chest. Goosebumps prickled at the back of his neck and raced down his arms, wrapping around his body like tentacles. A deep sense of unease set in at a rapid rate. He pulled his hands back from the portal and the world snapped back to its proper self.


    "So?" Berith asked, his ever-smiling face as amused as always.


    "I get the feeling there''s quite a bit of energy here. Does that mean we''re guaranteed to summon something really interesting?"


    A laugh rolled from Berith''s chest. "Ah. Refreshing. For a moment, I thought you might have been scared. Anything in this area will be too much for you to handle. My presence has changed this location too much. No matter. Open the Rift. I will clear the way for you as the final portion of our deal. Any future rifts you deal with, so long as you do not open them in the presence of one such as myself, will be a challenge more suitable for you."


    Alex almost asked Berith how he was meant to open the portal. Before he could, he realized that he already knew how. Something deep inside him had changed with the power that the demon had traded him. It was more of an instinct than knowledge, but he knew it to be true.


    "Fill me in?" Claire asked, noting the lull in their conversation.


    "I''m going to open the portal. Something might come out of it. If it does, the demon will handle it."


    "Just like that?"


    "Just like that."


    "Just like that," Berith agreed, even though Claire couldn''t understand a word he said. Something told Alex that the demon spoke more to entertain itself than any other reason.


    "Let''s do it, then," Alex said. The faster he got out of the Mirrorlands and got a chance to drink some water and eat, the better. He still didn''t know what would be waiting for them on the other side of the Rift.


    He activated Riftwalk and grabbed onto the Rift. Energy thrummed at his palms once more and the world started to dim, but he didn''t wait. He dug his fingers into the energy, pulling it apart like he was forcing elevator doors open.


    The rift resisted him. Alex gritted his teeth and pushed his body, slowly forcing the line open into a yawning vortex. Seconds dragged on. His muscles trembled but he continued to push. Inch by inch, the energy gave way. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Nearly two minutes later, the rift finally surrendered. It snapped open into a wide purple disk of swirling purplish-black magic with a sharp snap and Alex''s hands dropped to his sides as he drew in a relieved breath.


    The reprieve didn''t last long. A shadow passed over Alex and the pressure in his ears popped. A deep chittering groan filled the air. He stiffened and craned his neck back as his heart skipped a beat in his chest. Beside him, Claire breathed a curse.


    Riftwarped City-Eater Centipede (???)


    An enormous City-Eater Centipede emerged from a matching portal above them, curling through the air like a hurricane extending down toward the earth. It had completely cast the mountain into shadow and still hadn''t been completely revealed.


    Black energy washed off the massive monster and over the mountain. The portal took on a dark glossy sheen as the monster''s power passed over it. Alex reached for it, but his hand pressed against what felt like a pane of glass instead of passing through.


    "As I said, you aren''t the only Riftwalker," Berith reminded Alex casually. "Anything drawn by you opening a portal isn''t going to let you traipse through it. Especially not when the area is so saturated with my power."


    Alex stared up at the City-Eater. It was the biggest monster he''d ever seen bar none, and even as it raced down toward the mountaintop, he couldn''t quite comprehend just how large it was. It made the other City-Eaters look like normal insects.


    Chains creaked and groaned as Berith pressed his palms together, then turned his left hand over to point its fingers at the ground. The chains binding him shuddered and pulled taut. He looked up at the monster plummeting toward them, mandibles the size of skyscrapers open to devour the mountain whole, and smiled.


    "Soul Manifestation," Berith intoned. He pulled his hands apart and a sphere of twisting gray and blue energy swirled to life between his palms. Wind blew Alex''s hair back and whipped at his eyes as pressure rolled off Berith in a wave. "Jaunt."


    The ball of energy erupted, expanding faster so quickly that he could only make out the afterimage of the dim energy as it rolled past Alex''s face to spread out to cover the entire peak and tinge everything a faint shade of blue. Ripples passed through the air around him like oil spreading through water. Worlds shimmered within the glistening patches ¡ª an enormous forest of burning trees the size of towering buildings, a huge ocean of blood, a warped library stuffed chock full of more books than he could ever hope to count. They appeared and vanished faster than Alex could track, a vortex of realities flowing by like a rushing river.


    Alex''s ears popped as the pressure changed. Something streaked through the air, so fast that he only registered its afterimage.


    Three glowing lines burned across the City-Eater''s face. The monster peeled apart, pieces of it plummeting away as if it had been diced like a spring onion in a fine restaurant. Each chunk of the monster must have been the size of a city on its own, but massive rippling splotches of oily magic swirled up beneath each one, swallowing it whole.


    Berith''s gaze turned back to Alex.


    "I look forward to our fight, Alex" the demon said, his smile growing wider until it pressed against the edges of his face. "Try not to keep me waiting for long."


    The black sheen that had been covering the portal faded and fell away. Alex''s hand slipped into it and a violent tug nearly yanked his arm out of its socket as the Rift sucked him in.


    He felt Claire grab his other hand and then they were gone. Berith''s laughter echoed in Alex''s ears as the Mirrorlands vanished behind them. Swirls of iridescent light danced around him and his body felt like it was simultaneously getting stretched out and crushed.


    And then it was done. Alex''s mind briefly registered that he was falling a split second before he smacked face-first into cold, wet ground with enough force to knock all the breath from his lungs.


    A thunk and a groan beside him marked Claire''s arrival, but he was far more concerned with the prickly blades pressing against him.


    Grass. Beneath it, dirt. Blessed dirt.


    Alex forced his wrung-out hands to move and he shoved himself upright. A field stretched out around him. The sun rose overhead, singular and golden yellow as it was meant to be. A gentle breeze curled across his back and the smell of fresh grass welcomed him like the embrace of an old friend. There was no mistaking it. Alex couldn''t help himself. He started to laugh.


    He was back on Earth.

 Chapter 18 - 17.5: Absolution

    On an entirely different plane of existence to the Mirrorlands, upon Planet 274-50, colloquially known as Earth, a man stood above the corpse of what had once been an Initiate 5 dragon.


    A melon-sized hole hung in the man''s chest where his heart should have been.


    He stood in a massive cave, far beneath the surface of the earth. The smell of salt and stale water mixed with blood in the air. Plips filled the room as liquid dripped from the stalactites on the ceiling and fell like a gentle rain around the man.


    Blood joined the quiet song as it rolled down the blade of the massive scythe at the man''s side, beading and falling from its tip in a steady rhythm. Golden letters shimmered above his head, the only light in the darkness.


    Absolution - Midnight Herald (Initiate 1)


    A footfall broke through the darkness, through the gentle lullaby of dripping water.


    Absolution turned. The hole in his chest seemed to bother him no more than the towering corpse looming above him, easily ten times his height.


    "You should not be here," Absolution said.


    A tall man stepped from the darkness. His face was covered by a white cloth mask that pressed so close to his skin that the shape of his features were almost visible through it. Two vertical yellow lines were drawn across each of his eyes.


    "Neither should you," the newcomer replied. "And yet, here we are."


    "Who sent you?" Absolution flicked the blood from his scythe. It was a flowing, smooth motion, like a step in a well-practiced dance. His eyes lifted up to the air above the newcomer''s head. "Whoever it was, they should have invested in better items, Stargazer. I can see your name."


    "I hope that wasn''t meant to intimidate me," Stargazer said. The cloth mask on his face twitched as a smile pulled his lips up behind it. "And you sent me. That''s what happens when you break the Rules, Absolution. You don''t belong on this world. Not yet. The second Initialization Event has yet to happen, much less the third. You''ve arrived here early."


    "You know of the Rules." Absolution tilted his head to the side, surprise showing on his plain features. A clear note rang through the cave as Absolution drove the butt of his scythe into the ground at his feet. "Then you should know System grants power to those who are strong enough to take it. And if you have arrived in this place, then you cannot claim that you act on your own power. You are no better than I." sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "We''re both Anomalies. I never claimed to be better than you," Stargazer replied in an even tone. "But infiltrating a new world with an advantage as massive as yours tips the scales of balance. The System is fair. It is always fair. You couldn''t have expected that robbing the cradle would be easy, could you?"


    Absolution shifted his stance. Stargazer stepped to the side, and a blurred rift of black energy split through the air where he''d been standing an instant before without a second of warning. It was accompanied by a loud buzz, like the scream of a thousand bees concentrated into a single note.


    "Who sent you?" Absolution asked again. "If you are aware of the Initialization Events, then you must be another Outworlder. Seeking me out was unwise. I will not abide by any treaties established off this planet."


    "I''m not," Stargazer said, the smile beneath his mask growing wider. "And nobody sent me. I was just coming to get a look at you. Another Incarnation showing up in the world this early on¡­ things are getting a bit crowded. I wanted to see the competition."


    Absolution''s features sharpened. He flicked a finger, and the space between him and Stargazer crumpled. Where there had once been feet, there was now nothing. It was as if someone had taken the room and crushed it, compressing everything between Absolution and Stargazer.


    Within a flicker of an instant, Absolution stood mere inches away from the other man. Stargazer didn''t so much as flinch. The two of them stood in silence for a second.


    "I sacrificed a great amount for this opportunity," Absolution said, his voice a deadly whisper. "I have lost more than you can ever imagine. I will take the power this fresh world has to offer. I do not care what world or family you come from. Depart from my path, or I will be forced to end you."


    "You can''t really expect me to actually abide by that request, can you?" Stargazer asked, tilting his head to the side. "All those who seek power walk the same path. There are those who walk side-by-side with you ¡ª and you don''t have the power to remove all of them. Cheating by getting a head start will only get you so far."


    "Using information is not cheating. You possess as much knowledge as I do," Absolution said. He swiped a hand, and it passed right through Stargazer''s head as if nothing were there. "You come here as an apparition rather than in flesh. Those who fear challenge will get nowhere. If you were a true warrior, you would have been present to challenge me for the rewards of this dungeon."


    "Oh, I''m not a warrior," Stargazer said. "As a matter of a fact, I''m a coward. I hate challenge. I hate putting effort into just about everything, actually. This is a huge bother ¡ª but it had to be done. I wanted to see just how far you''ve managed to progress with all the information you''ve gotten. Honestly, I''m not impressed. You''re playing things safe."


    Emotion passed over Absolution''s face for the first time. It only lasted a mere fraction of a second, but a flicker of irritation passed through his eyes.


    "I do not have to take great risks when victory is already guaranteed. Just how much do you know?"


    "Enough to know that no threat in Subsector 735, even the hidden dungeons you''ve been clearing, is going to be anywhere near as effective as what you could have found in the Mirrorlands."


    "The Mirrorlands? How would I even get there?" Absolution''s lips curled in a hint of amusement. "And if I could, why would I? The scent of my true power would call the attention of every Riftwarped monster in the area within instants. I will take the rewards that the Mirrorlands has to offer in this location in due time. There is a difference between Challenge and suicide."


    "Have you considered being stronger?"


    Absolution ignored Stargazer. "You know enough to realize this is far from the first world I have entered, Stargazer. This is far from the first world I have survived. Far from the first Subsector I will conquer. There is no need to throw myself to the wolves. But I could use someone like you. Victory is already in my grasp. Reveal your identity, and perhaps I could find use of someone of your talents."


    Stargazer laughed and shook his head. "That''s a little na?ve, don''t you think? Victory is never assured. Not until it''s already yours. Planet 274-50 is not the same as the others you have cheated your way through, neither is Subsector 735."


    "And why is that?" Absolution asked, tilting his head to the side.


    "Because Earth is batshit insane," Stargazer replied. His body rippled like a heat haze, then started to turn translucent. "And while you cower from the Mirrorlands, there are already those who march through it."


    "No Outworlder would risk that much over a newly initiated planet, much less in a Subsector like 735. Only a fool would attempt such a thing."


    Stargazer''s smile stretched so wide that it threatened to burst free from behind his mask.


    "Oh, I am more than aware."


    Then he was gone, swirls of mist that dissipated into the cave. Absolution''s gaze bore into the spot where the other man had been a moment before. Then he turned back to the dead dragon.


    This dungeon was not yet complete. There was too much at stake for him to get distracted now. Perhaps Stargazer had just done him a favor.


    This Subsector of the planet was his. His family had paid far too dearly for his entrance for him to allow someone to snatch power out from under his nose. If Stargazer wasn''t lying and if there was someone that was actually insane enough to use the Mirrorlands to grow in strength¡­


    Competition with the other Outworlders was already immense. Absolution had calculated for that, but a native able to train in the Mirrorlands without restrictions could not be permitted to exist.


    The potential such an insane risk posed was immense, but potential was only that. Potential. It was nothing in the face of absolute power ¡ª and yet, it could not be allowed to flower.


    He would find them.


    And, when he did, they would be granted absolution.

 Chapter 19 - 18: Lost in Translation

    Alex''s elation came to an abrupt halt as Claire shoved herself to her feet, gasping, her breath ragged. Her skin was even paler than it had been and her eyes had taken on a wild, hungry look that looked more in place on a rabid animal than a human.


    She was looking at him like a starving dog looked at a piece of meat.


    "Claire?" Alex asked. He took a step back and lowered his stance. "Glint, come out. Now."


    Tinkling glass rang out as the Shardwalker emerged from a void in the air beside him. Claire took a stumbling step toward him, then jerkily ground to a stop. Her arms twitched and she flexed her fingers, her jaw working.


    "Blood," she managed, forcing the word through stiff lips. "Please. The portal."


    Alex hesitated. This didn''t seem like the same person he''d been traveling with ¡ª but they''d gotten through the Mirrorlands together. He wasn''t about to abandon her for no reason.


    "Glint, if she tries to kill me, kill her immediately," Alex said. Claire had managed to restrain herself from attacking for long enough to ask for permission, which was probably a good sign. He stepped forward and held his hand out warily. "Go ahead. Just leave me enough to¡ª"


    Claire blurred forward, slamming into him with enough force to drive the air from his lungs. She bit down on the side of his neck, clutching his shoulders in a vice grip as she greedily drank.


    Alex stiffened with a hiss. Getting drank from was no more comfortable the second time than it had been the first. Glint took a step forward, the glistening mirror claws that made up his fingers raising as the Shardwalker stood in wait.


    Claire didn''t seem to show any signs of stopping soon. A wave of dizziness started to build at the back of his mind and he adjusted his stance, grinding his teeth as his temples thumped. "That''s enough, Claire. I won''t give a second warning."


    To his relief, she lifted her head, letting out short, heavy gasps. She supported herself against his shoulders for a few seconds before pushing away and taking a step back. When her head raised once more, her expression had returned to normal.


    "Thank you," Claire said through gasps for air. She bent over and braced her hands against her knees, groaning. "I''m sorry. I had no idea."


    "No idea about what?" Alex asked, gesturing to Glint. The monster moved over to him and stood by his side. Alex found a small patch on his back without any shards and leaned against it as he weathered the last of the dizzy spell. "What happened?"


    "That purple energy. It felt like it drained the life out of me," Claire said. She let out a coughing groan and forced herself to straighten again. She wiped her mouth with the back of a hand, spotted a fleck of blood on it, and licked it clean. Dull pink tinged her cheeks as she realized what she''d done. She cleared her throat and blew out a relieved breath. "I thought I was going to starve to death. It felt like I hadn''t eaten in weeks."


    "You''re okay now, though?" Alex confirmed. "That isn''t going to happen again?"


    "I don''t think so." A flicker of uncertainty and worry shaded her face. "I hope not. Are you okay? I didn''t mean to drain so much from you."


    He lifted his hand off Glint''s back and shifted his weight from foot to foot. The worst of the dizziness had already passed. "Yeah. I''m fine, but I''m going to need to drink and eat something soon. Half-frozen pizza isn''t really enough to sustain two people."


    "Right. We''ll get you some food right away," Claire said with a firm nod. She turned, another sentence starting to form but dying before it could leave her mouth. Her lips parted in awe. "Whoa. Where are we?"


    "Earth," Alex replied, voice dry. And, as if it had been waiting for him to finally say it out loud, the System swirled forth.


    [Trial: The Mirrorlands]


    Objective Completed. Rewards Earned.


    Alex stared at the glowing words until they faded away.


    Where are my rewards? Actually ¡ª I think know the answer to that. They''re waiting for when I meditate.


    He coughed into a fist. Their brief conversation about sustenance had been enough to remind him about just how badly he needed to get something to drink. "Have you never seen grass before?"


    "No, I''ve seen it." Claire knelt and plucked a blade of grass from the ground. She rolled it between her fingers. "But not this much. It looks like it goes on forever. Can you eat this?"


    Alex snorted. "No."


    "I thought humans eat plants."


    "Some plants," Alex said. "Not this one."


    "Seems like a bleeding waste," Claire said. She dropped the grass and straightened back up. A small frown crossed her features. "I¡­ I can''t get back to my own world, can I?"


    Alex winced. He flicked his hand, dismissing Glint. He didn''t need the monster strolling around beside them and giving away what could be an element of surprise. "Not yet. The demon implied I''d eventually be able to travel to locations other than here and the Mirrorlands, but¡­"


    He turned and looked over his shoulder. There was no sign of the rift they''d passed through. Claire followed his gaze, then steeled her features and shook her head.


    "Maybe one day. Anywhere is better than the Mirrorlands. We can deal with the other shit later. Let''s get you some food and water. Er¡­ you''ll have to show me what you can consume, though."


    "Yeah. Food sounds great. But¡­ I''m still stuck on something. You haven''t seen this much grass before?" Alex''s curiosity was too much to push down.


    Claire shook her head. "No. Why?"


    "What was your world actually like?" Alex asked. "You''ve got matches. You recognize pizza. Was it¡ª"


    "I''ve got no idea what pizza is," Claire interjected. "I just assumed it was food."


    "Ah. It is. But was your world like this one?"


    Claire looked around. "This is what all of your world is like? Grass?"


    Alex cleared his throat in embarrassment. "No. Sorry. That was a dumb question. We have ¡ª had ¡ª cities. Giant places where hundreds of thousands of people live. Sometimes millions. They''re made from stone and metal. Some stretched on for miles."


    Claire''s eyes grew progressively wider as Alex spoke. Something told him that the earlier similarities in their worlds were starting to evaporate.


    "Miles?" Claire asked. "That big?"


    "And there ¡ª you recognized miles. That''s the measurement we use in the United States, but pretty much nobody else uses it. Why do you know that?"


    "We use it too," Claire said with a shake of her head. "It''s based off a smaller unit of measurement, feet. It was made when an old king measured out the length of one of his hands."


    Alex stared at Claire. "I ¡ª what? His hands? But it''s called feet."


    Claire nodded. "Hands. Yes. It makes sense."


    A frown crossed Alex''s lips. Claire mirrored his expression.


    "The System is translating," Alex muttered. "That''s what happening, isn''t it? It''s finding the closest words to each other and swapping them so I understand and vice versa."


    "That would explain a lot," Claire said. Her head tilted to the side. "Does that mean the size of your cities was a mistranslation? How big is a mile?"


    "Huge," Alex replied. "I think base numbers are safe. Some of them had millions of people. Was that not the case in your world?"


    "No," Claire muttered. "Not at all. That''s so many people. How could you even get around with that many people?"


    "Cars, mostly. Metal vehicles powered¡­ by explosions, I guess. I don''t actually know how they work that well."


    Claire stared at him. "Explosion-powered vehicles? Incredible. We used horses. Carriages."


    Medieval level technology? No, she''s got matches. When did matches come into being? Shit. I can''t remember.


    "Did you have electricity? Energy that you could power lights with?"


    "We had lamps," Claire replied with a shake of her head. "And used Lingerwax. It comes from Lingertrees and burns for hours. Exactly one hour per gram, actually. Smelled great, too."


    Lamps and vampires¡­ somewhere in the Renaissance era, then? I should have paid more attention in history.


    "Did you wear big poofy dresses?"


    "I mean¡­ occasionally? Usually for fancier events. Oh! And for Courts. Those were fun. I miss them."


    That does seem vaguely around the Victorian or Renaissance timeframe. But they''ve got vampires¡­ and who knows what else.


    Before Alex could press with more questions, a strange sensation passed over him. A wave of prickling goosebumps rolled across his skin and gripped the back of his neck. For a moment, he thought that Claire had drank too much blood and he was about to pass out, but the feeling wasn''t one of weakness.


    It was unease.


    Claire caught his expression and followed his gaze to a nearby hill. "What is it? Did you see something?"


    "No. I just got a really odd sensation," Alex replied. He glanced over his shoulder to see if someone was watching them, but the grassy hills seemed empty. "As if someone was watching us."


    "Where?"


    Alex turned in a circle, taking in their surroundings. "I have no idea, but standing here won''t fix shit. Let''s get to higher ground and see if we can spot a river or something."


    He started off toward the tallest hill in the area. The strange sensation remained, though it receded to the back of his mind. That didn''t make him pay any less attention to it. He continued to search the grass for any sign of¡­ well, anything.


    I remember reading that when people get creeped out, it''s often because they''ve subconsciously picked up on something. Another shadow monster, maybe? Claire hasn''t noticed it.


    The answers didn''t make themselves known. They drew up to the top of the hill a few minutes later. Alex crested it, then nearly forgot about the strange feeling completely. Before them was a city.


    More accurately, there was parts of a city. A mixture of stone and brick buildings were scattered throughout an area a little bit larger than two football fields put together, their walls overgrown with thick vines.


    Some of the houses were tall towers ¡ª literal chunks of skyscrapers, Alex realized ¡ª while others were more normal family houses and stores. They were scattered haphazardly, much of their recognizability taken by the vines covering their walls.


    A few people milled about in the city, mostly gathered at its center. A line of tension that Alex hadn''t even been aware of relaxed. There were other people, and with any luck, they''d know more about what was going on.


    More importantly ¡ª


    "People!" Claire exclaimed. "They''ll have food! And water!"


    Assuming they''re willing to part with it. Most people aren''t well known for being generous when everything goes to hell.


    The sensation prickling at the back of Alex''s mind grew stronger. He squinted down at the town, trying to figure out where it was coming from. Something was wrong. He was certain of that. He just didn''t know what it was.


    "You aren''t feeling anything off, are you?" Alex asked.


    "Off? What do you mean? Like the feeling you mentioned?" Claire''s brow furrowed. "No. Nothing. Just a little bit hungry."


    "Seriously?" Alex paled. "How much blood do you need? I''m not made of the stuff, you know."


    "I mean¡­ you are," Claire said. She gave him a sheepish grin. "But I won''t take any more from you. I''m fine now. I''ll find something else to drain soon enough. There are things with blood now that we''re outside of the Mirrorlands. That can come after you get something to drink."


    Alex nodded, but his mind wasn''t fully present.


    What is causing this feeling? Is it possible my body got so used to the Mirrorlands that this is just some form of reaction to being in a normal place again? But if that was the case, Claire would also ¡ª


    "Ho there!"


    Alex and Claire spun. A blonde-haired man was striding up the hill from behind them, an easygoing grin on his face and his hand raised to the air in greeting.


    Jackson - Human (Novice 4)


    "Are you guys new? I didn''t see you with the other survivors," Jackson said. His eyes flicked to Claire and his eyebrows rose. "And how did you hide your stats?"


    Alex didn''t let his expression shift but shifted his weight to the tips of his toes in case he had to move suddenly. Sure, they were close to an area with other people, but Jackson''s timing wasn''t doing him any favors.


    "We''re passing through," Claire said noncommittally. "And that''s just something that came with my class."


    "Nice." Jackson drew to a stop a few feet away from them. "I dig the makeup, by the way. Did you really put that on just before the world went to shit? I mean, I respect it, but cool."


    Claire''s brow furrowed and she sent Alex a glance. Something told him she didn''t know what makeup was.


    "She figured if we were going to die, there was no point not doing it while looking badass," Alex said. He matched Jackson''s casual tone and gave the other man a grin. "How have things been out here? And would you happen to have anything to drink? I''m fucking thirsty."


    "For real? There''s a river just down that way," Jackson said. He dug through the old backpack slung over his shoulder and took out a plastic water bottle. Jackson took a swig from it, then tossed it to Alex. "Here."


    "Thanks." Alex lifted the bottle to his lips and greedily drank the rest of the water within it. He highly doubted that Jackson had gone around poisoning his own water supply just in case he ran into random people. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "So where''d you lot come from?" Jackson asked as Alex guzzled down the water. "I''ve been wandering around but I haven''t seen any other villages in the immediate area. You must have been walking ever since the Initialization."


    "Over there," Claire said, nodding in the direction they''d come. It technically wasn''t a lie.


    "For real? Guess we''ll have to make our way in that direction if we want to contact anyone else." Jackson scratched at his chin. "Was it a big town?"


    "Big enough," Alex said. He lowered the bottle and gave Jackson an appreciative nod. "How have things been over here?"


    "Monsters, mostly. The night was real bad. Lost a lot of people." Jackson''s lips thinned and his features darkened. "I''ve never smelled that much blood before. It was¡­ I don''t even know how to describe it. Hell, I guess."


    "I''m sorry to hear that," Claire said. "It was a rough night for us as well. We got lucky to make it this far."


    "I''m glad you did. We could use all the help we can get." Jackson extended his hand to Alex, gesturing for the bottle. He returned it, and for a brief instant, their hands touched. A spike of ice shot down Alex''s arm. Judging by the look on Jackson''s face, he felt it too.


    The smile on the man''s face vanished. He dropped the bottle and his hand clamped down on Alex''s wrist. A silver blade materialized in his other palm in a split second and he lunged, driving it straight for Alex''s heart.

 Chapter 20 - 19: A fun fight

    Alex threw himself forward, bringing himself out of the sword''s path and driving his shoulder into Jackson''s stomach with enough force to knock the air from his lungs. The man''s grip slacked and he yanked his hand free, throwing himself back as the sword carved through the air where he''d been an instant before.


    "Glint!" Alex took several steps back to put distance between himself and Jackson.


    The air shattered.


    Claire darted for Jackson''s back, but he spun and brought his sword down on nothing. A wave of gray light ripped out in a crescent and Claire was forced to dive to safety to avoid getting hit by it.


    Glint stepped out onto the grass beside Alex, but Jackson didn''t wait for the Shardwalker. He lunged for Alex, ripples of faint silver obscuring his body.


    "Block him!" Alex yelled.


    Glint dove, but Jackson held a hand toward him and liquid metal flowed out from his pouch to form a disk in the air. A loud, shrill scrape rang out as the Shardwalker''s claws dragged across rippling shield.


    The swordsman shoved Glint to the side and leapt at Alex again. Alex rolled to the side and the sword bit into the ground where his head had been.


    "The hell is your problem?" Alex yelled as Jackson bore down on him, not giving him a chance to stand back up.


    Jackson swung his blade again and Alex thrust his legs out, driving his feet into Jackson''s chest and throwing him back.


    "Kill him! Avoid his attacks," Alex ordered as he leapt back to his feet. Jackson sent two more blurred blades of silver whipping out for Claire and Glint.


    This time, they weren''t caught off guard. Claire rolled beneath his attack and shot back to her feet, only missing half a second. Glint dodged out of the way as well and leapt, aiming to latch onto his face. Jackson cursed and dove ¡ª not out of the way, but toward Alex.


    The hell is this guy''s problem?


    Alex jumped back, avoiding Jackson''s sword as it whistled through the air where his feet had been. He grinned. "Missed me, asshole."


    "Stop running!" Jackson snarled, lunging up, and sending a wave of energy at Alex.


    He flung himself to the side, toward Claire and Glint, but Jackson''s hand shot out and grabbed his foot. Alex rolled to the side and the silver sword drove into the ground, scraping past his side.


    Glint leapt at Jackson, taking advantage of what should have been an opening in his defenses. The swordsman''s blade vanished from the ground and reformed in his hand, pointed straight at the Shardwalker.


    In the air, Glint could do nothing to avoid the weapon. It drove through his chest and Jackson flicked him free, sending the monster''s corpse rolling across the ground, already transforming into a stream of energy. In the same motion, Jackson brought his sword up to defend himself from Claire.


    Her hands slammed into the blade with a loud clang.


    "Stand down, idiot girl. You''re traveling with an Anomaly¡ª"


    The rest of Jackson''s sentence was lost in a muffled, wheezing gasp. He took a step back, eyes wide, staring down to find Alex''s palm pressed to his chest. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alex smiled up at Jackson.


    Hot blood bubbled up from the wound and dripped down his fingers. He twisted his hand, then yanked it back, taking the jagged mirror shard sprouting from it with him. Lifeblood spurted from the weeping hole in the would-be killer''s chest.


    Jackson''s mouth worked as he pressed his hand to the weeping wound in his chest. A whistling cough slipped free from his lips and flecks of blood splattered across his shirt. He crumpled.


    Claire stepped forward and grabbed Jackson by the arms before he could hit the ground. He didn''t even get a chance to resist before she bit down on the side of his neck, fangs puncturing his skin with a wet snik. A dull red light burned behind her eyes as she seemed to inhale.


    Any last words that Jackson may have had were lost in a raspy wheeze. The wound on his chest only got a few more seconds to weep before Claire had drained every single drop of blood from his body.


    A rush of energy flooded into Alex and he drew in a deep breath, suppressing a shudder. His heart still hammered with adrenaline at the unexpected attack ¡ª but the uneasy feeling was gone. Before he could wonder what had caused it, the System''s glowing words manifested themselves in the air before him.


    Anomaly Slain.


    That was it. Two words, but with just those two words, Alex found himself with even more questions.


    Queasiness worked into Alex''s stomach as he watched Jackson''s skin wither and dry. Claire dropped the man''s drained body to the ground, where it landed with a thump.


    "Alex! Are you okay?"


    The question was an interesting one. He hadn''t been injured, but he and Claire had just killed a man. Not a monster. A man.


    For several long seconds, he stared at the corpse. Bile welled in his throat. Alex didn''t let it come up. His eyes thinned. This was life now. Jackson had come for him first. He hadn''t set out to kill someone, but he wasn''t about to lay his life down for a murderer.


    He''d long since come to terms with the fact that surviving in an apocalypse would probably involve having to fight to defend himself. He''d seen people die in the days leading up to the System''s arrival, though thankfully none of them had been his friends.


    The warning the world had gotten of the System''s approach had made sure everyone knew what was coming. He''d come to terms with the understanding that killing and survival would become one and the same, but actually doing it was different.


    Alex blew out a slow breath. Perhaps there was something seriously broken in his head, or perhaps he''d just grown resigned long before, but when he looked back at Jackson''s body, he felt nothing.


    "Yeah," Alex said with a curt nod. "I''m fine."


    His gaze raised back to Claire. He did a double take. Her eyes glowed a faint crimson. Her fangs had lengthened to twice their original length. Not to be outdone, the rest of her teeth had lengthened and grown points as well.


    Claire''s nails had sharpened into pointed claws, causing the clang that had rang out when she''d blocked Jackson''s sword to make considerably more sense.


    "What?" Claire asked. She didn''t seem particularly bothered by Jackson''s death.


    "What the hell happened to you?"


    "Transformed. I had enough blood to work with, but transforming stalled me for a little while. It''s kind of difficult." Claire''s body returned to its normal form and she shook her hands off. "I don''t want to stay like that for too long. It uses up a lot of energy and blood. Are you sure you''re okay? You''re injured."


    She jerked her chin to Alex''s side and he glanced down. A thin line of blood ran along his side and his shirt had been cut. He touched the wound gingerly. "Nah. It''s fine. Not too deep. He missed."


    "Good," Claire said. "Wasting blood is bad. You going to put it back in?"


    "Put it back ¡ª what? That''s not how it works."


    "Hey, I was just asking. I don''t know how humans work. You''re telling me you can''t even eat your own blood? It would just put it back into your body, wouldn''t it?"


    "I mean¡­ I guess. That''s not really how it works, but strictly technically speaking you aren''t wrong."


    Claire sent him a blank stare. "All I''m getting from this is that you aren''t eating it."


    Alex sighed and lifted his shirt. "Go ahead. Do you never get full?"


    She made short work of the blood before leaning back and giving him a grateful nod. "No. It also gives me some backup energy to work with if we get attacked again. But hey, at least now we know to trust when you feel weird. You''ve got a sixth sense or something."


    Alex nodded and dropped his shirt again as a breeze prickled against his chest. "I suppose we do. It''s gone now. Did you get anything from killing him?"


    "Just some energy. You? A soul for Glint?"


    Alex glanced over at Jackson''s body. He hadn''t expected to find much, but he was surprised to see a flickering flame smoldering above the drained corpse. He pulled his Spatial Mirror from its spot at his side and trudged over, grabbing the flame and putting it in before checking his stores.


    Spatial Mirror


    Stored Energy:


    Low-Mid Novice Grade (Ent Harvester) - 1


    Low-Mid Novice Grade (Human) - 1


    Bonded Creature: Shardwalker (Regenerating)


    "Yeah. I got something pretty good. Another Low-Mid Novice Grade energy. Glint will eat well when he comes back," Alex said. Claire hadn''t gotten a message from the System about killing Jackson, then. That meant it was probably unique to him, or more accurately, his Anomaly Title.


    There are more people that got flagged as Anomalies, then. I wish I knew if Jackson also fell into the Mirrorlands and somehow escaped or if there''s a different way to get the title.


    He rifled through Jackson''s pockets in search of anything useful. It was his first time looting a dead man, and he couldn''t say it was particularly enjoyable ¡ª though it certainly didn''t help that Jackson barely had anything worthwhile.


    There were a few crumpled dollars and a handful of coins that Alex stuffed into his pockets as well as Jackson''s old water bottle. He crushed the bottle and stuffed it into his other pocket before rising again.


    "Have you ever heard of something called an Anomaly?" Alex asked. He wasn''t certain he wanted to share every detail of his abilities or titles, but he needed information and Claire had more than proven that they were on the same side by this point ¡ª and Jackson had already blown his cover.


    "No," Claire said. "Jackson called you one right at the end there, didn''t he?"


    "The System named me an Anomaly after I fell into the Mirrorlands," Alex said. He looked down at Jackson''s body. With all the belongings he had on him, Alex found it slightly hard to believe that he''d been traveling in the same place that he had.


    "How did he bleeding know?" Claire asked, not even slightly concerned with the revelation. It probably didn''t mean much more to her than it meant to him, given she only had around six days more experience with the System than he did.


    "He was an Anomaly as well, and I think we''ve got some form of way to detect each other when we get close."


    "The weird feeling was more than a random sixth sense, then?"


    Alex nodded. "The System registered me killing an Anomaly."


    Claire''s eyes lit up. "Oh. Like getting a title or something? If there''s any effect to your soul, then it''ll show up the next time you meditate."


    Along with my rewards for clearing the trial.


    "I suppose we''ll find out," Alex said. The last of the adrenaline from the fight seeped away, leaving him empty. "I kind of want to go see what kinds of monsters are around here."


    "Seriously? Take a break. Shouldn''t we at least check out the town and get some food? You need to eat, don''t you?"


    Alex scrunched his nose. "That does sound good, but we should be careful. I don''t know much about this world anymore. I''ve got no idea where we are or if people have some way to identify us. You definitely don''t look completely human, but you can pass if you pretend you''re wearing makeup."


    "Makeup?"


    "It''s like paint you put on your face," Alex said, gesturing vaguely to her lips. "Humans don''t have black lips. Also, most of us aren''t nearly that pale."


    "Thanks."


    "That wasn''t ¡ª well, I suppose it''s fine to take it as a compliment. Explaining how you look later might be a pain since I don''t imagine there''s just makeup lying around everywhere, but we''ll be fine for today. Let''s do like you said and go check the town out. I''m going to need food sooner rather than later."


    Claire nodded in agreement. "Yeah. What kind of food do humans eat anyway? I swear I''ve seen you guys eat everything, but you aren''t eating the grass. Where do you draw the line?"


    "My preferred diet is pizza and three-dollar chicken wings, but I get the feeling that those might not be so accessible anymore," Alex muttered. "We can eat pretty much anything with nutritional value."


    "So pizza and chicken wings are things with high amounts of nutritional value for humans?"


    "Er¡­ not really. They taste good, though." Alex cleared his throat. "Actually, that''s not really true either. They''re just cheap when you buy them frozen from the grocery store."


    A loud hum ripped through the air, biting into Alex''s ears like a striking snake. He stumbled and spun in search of an attacker. Claire did the same, pressing her back to his as they tried to figure out where the sound was coming from.


    "The hell is that?" Alex hissed.


    "I don''t know," Claire replied. "I hear it as well, though."


    Before Alex could ask what she was talking about, the air before him split with golden light.


    Local Announcement for Subsector 735


    As Part [2/3] of the System''s continued initialization, a number of settlements in this subsector have been selected to face increased amounts of monster aggression. This effect will last for 24 hours and will initialize in 2 days.


    Local Leaderboards will activate at the start of this event and populate according to individual performance.


    A beam of dim white energy erupted from the center of the town in front of them and carved up into the clouds. In the distance, Alex spotted another three lights appear. Tingles raced down his back.


    "I guess that answers the question of what places got selected," Claire said dryly.


    "Yup."


    "Guess that leaves us with two options. The message implied some settlements didn''t get selected, and this is definitely going to be dangerous. We could go find one of them¡­ or we could try to stick it out here." Claire glanced over at Alex, but her tone made it clear she knew the question was pointless. "With challenge comes reward, eh?"


    Alex grinned. He didn''t even have to answer. The two of them started down the hill for the town. It looked like they were going to need some backup, and he quite liked the sound of a Leaderboard.


    After all, it''s not going to be easy to get to the top, is it? And, if that''s the case¡­ there''s a reward waiting for me.

 Chapter 21 - 20: Number game

    The town was in a mild state of panic when Alex and Claire arrived. People had formed a large crowd in its center and were talking over each other in scared, aggressive tones that only grew louder with every passing second.


    Alex didn''t even bother trying to push his way through the mess. Nobody in the crowd knew anything more than he did about the initiation ¡ª and, even if they did, he wasn''t going to hear it over everyone yelling. Right now there was only one thing he wanted.


    Food.


    He scanned the buildings as he passed in hopes of finding a restaurant that had survived the apocalypse. Even if the world was ending, Alex highly doubted everyone would have immediately taken to their new life and started swinging swords around. A number of people, especially older ones, would probably try to stick to their routines and avoid having to fight anything.


    And as far as old professions go, people are never going to stop wanting to be lazy and eat food made by someone better at cooking than they are. There still has to be some form of restaurant or the like around, right?


    His prediction was correct. It only took a few minutes of walking through the town before he spotted the storefront of what looked to once have been an old Italian pizza place. It was a single, run-down story with murky glass windows. Beyond them were four wooden tables covered with old plaid tablecloths.


    There was only a single man in the restaurant. He had a bushy black beard and a potbelly that fought to escape the confines of his stained white shirt and pressed against the edge of the table, bunching up the tablecloth around it. The man sat at one of the tables, head rested in the palm of his hand, as he pushed an unseasoned pancake around on a cracked plate. Something about eating pancakes in a pizza store felt sacrilegious, but Alex pushed the door open anyway.


    The man glanced up from his meal. He wiped his nose with the back of a hand and a snort, then pushed back and rose to his feet with a grunt.


    Dorriv - Human (Novice 1)


    "You want something?" Dorriv asked. He spoke in a thick accent ¡ª Alex couldn''t quite place it, but it was definitely somewhere from eastern Europe. He hadn''t paid enough attention in geography or had anywhere near enough money to travel enough to say more.


    "Food, if you''re selling," Alex replied. His stomach rumbled to punctuate his words. Even Dorriv''s half-eaten food on the table looked like a feast fit for a king. He''d forgotten how starving he was. "I''m starving, and I''d kill for something edible."


    Dorriv grunted. He ambled over to an old gas stove at the back of the restaurant. He fished a box of matches out of his back pocket and lit one before twisting the knob to the burner. The stove ignited with a whoomp.


    He wordlessly clanged a stained pan onto the stove and grabbed a bowl of beige liquid sitting on the counter beside it, pouring it into the pan. Dorriv didn''t so much look back at them once.


    A few minutes later, he slapped a plate of pancakes down in front of Alex. They were covered with small burnt bits from previous attempts and were definitely a step past overdone, but he didn''t care.


    Alex shoved the food into his mouth with his hands, barely pausing to breathe. The rest of the world didn''t matter. All that he saw was pancake. He didn''t even remember to think about offering anything to Claire until he was on his last bite. Alex paused with his hand halfway to his mouth and glanced up for the first time since having started.


    "Did you want some?"


    "No, I think I''m fine," Claire said. "I''ve got my own food."


    Alex shrugged and popped the last scrap of food into his mouth and let out a satisfied sigh. "Thank you. I can''t tell you how much I needed that."


    Dorriv grunted again. He seemed to like doing that. "You''re a fighter. Need you both to fight." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You mean with the monsters? I take it you aren''t planning to participate in defending the town."


    The portly man shook his head and gestured to the air above Alex''s head. "Not a chance. You got a higher number than I do. Means you''ve already been fighting. I don''t fight. I make food. I don''t want to get turned into it."


    "So you''re just hoping the others will defend the town?" Claire asked. It was clear what she thought of that particular plan.


    Dorriv shrugged in response. "Have no choice. Don''t really care. This isn''t my town. My shop, but not my town."


    "What do you mean?" Alex asked, but he got the feeling he already knew. The odd combination of buildings outside, especially with so many of them looking like they''d just been grabbed from a larger building¡­


    "I lived in the outskirts of Detroit," Dorriv said. He gestured vaguely around himself. "This isn''t Detroit."


    "Holy shit. The cities all got minced together?" Alex asked, his eyes going wide.


    "Not all," Dorriv said with a shake of his head. "Traveler came through here this morning. Came from Los Angeles. Sounds like most of it survived intact. But small places? Some got minced up."


    What else did the apocalypse cause? It''s only been a day or two since the system initiated, but I already feel like a fish out of water.


    "We were out camping when the world ended," Alex said with a nod to Claire. "Figured we''d just die in the nature, but we decided we wanted to live instead. Did we miss anything else big like that local announcement a few minutes ago? Is there something else that changed in the cities beside¡­ well, the obvious, I guess?"


    Dorriv ambled back over to his table and flopped down in his chair. It creaked dangerously under his weight as he took a bite of his pancakes. "Here? We just got tossed together like a bunch of hamsters. The traveler from Los Angeles said the big cities were a bit different, but I wasn''t interested in his story. I was busy drinking myself under the table at the time. He headed over to something he called a dungeon to the north of town."


    Okay, that''s not too bad. I''m not behind, then. It seems like some other people have already gotten close to my rank if Dorriv hasn''t mentioned anything about me being Novice 3. That means it might be difficult to get at the top of the leaderboard if I leave things as they are. I can''t waste any time.


    And a dungeon¡­ that sounds like a great place to get some challenge and get stronger before this event starts.


    "Did the traveler come back?" Alex asked.


    Dorriv shook his head sadly. "Not here. Figure he got killed."


    "Probably. Oh, hold on. I have a few dollars here somewhere to pay for my meal with," Alex said. He reached for the money he''d taken from Jackson.


    Dorriv let out a bark of laughter and waved his hand. "Forget it. Just kill some of those¡­ things. My restaurant is my house now. I don''t have many ingredients left, but it''s all I''ve got. Keep it standing and I''ll consider the debt paid."


    "I''ll do what I can," Alex said ¡ª and he meant it. If he was going to get to the top of the Local Leaderboards, he had to protect as much of the ramshackle town as possible. "Come on, Claire. Let''s get going."


    She blinked, then nodded and followed after him as he headed out of the restaurant.


    "Shouldn''t we find somewhere to rest?" Claire asked. "Perhaps an inn?"


    Alex came to a stop a in the shadow of what appeared to be a chunk of a skyscraper. He glanced over his shoulder at Claire. "Rest, yes. But I''m not sure we should do it here. I don''t have a way to hide my rank like you do. I don''t know what other people are going to try to do, but someone could try to take out the strong competition before the event starts."


    Claire''s eyes widened. "That would be horrible. Nobody can handle a horde on their own. What idiot would do that?"


    "You really don''t know much about humans, do you?" Alex''s lips curled up in amusement. "Are Dhampirs just normally saints or something? There''s always someone waiting to take advantage of things in a crisis. I don''t think most people are like that, but it only takes one."


    "I ¡ª well, you''re probably right," Claire said with a sigh and a wince. "I was a little sheltered when the apocalypse hit. By the time things really got moving, all the initial fallout had ended. I must have just missed it."


    "We can come back to the town later and try to get some proper rest, but there''s still daylight left," Alex said as he started walking again, heading out of the town. He wanted to be on the move before the crowd broke. "Didn''t you say you were doing a dungeon before you fell into the Mirrorlands?"


    "Yeah," Claire said.


    "How difficult was it? Doable for two people?"


    "Depends on the dungeon, I think. I had a larger group, but we weren''t having too much trouble in the one we did. I heard some other people had it a lot harder."


    I should have expected that. It''s almost as if the System is modeled after a game ¡ª though, given that first message we got, it''s pretty clear it''s manufactured. By who or why, I don''t know, but it doesn''t matter.


    I knew I should have spent more time playing RPGs instead of studying for those damn useless classes.


    "Great. Let''s go check this one out, then. It''s a huge opportunity," Alex said, rubbing his hands together. "We can check it out and then head back to get some rest in a proper room after. How about that?"


    "If you''re sure, then fine. Did you want to meditate first? We just killed someone pretty strong. It might have netted us enough power to get to the next level in our rank. Also, is your wound healed yet?"


    "No? Why would it be¡ª" Alex cut himself off as he touched the spot on his side where Jackson had cut him. It didn''t hurt. He pulled his shirt back, blinking in surprise. The wound was gone. There wasn''t even a slight scar anymore.


    "Huh. Yeah, it is. How''d you know? Could you smell the lack of blood or something?"


    "No. The stronger you are, the harder you are to hurt and the faster you heal. Even at early Novice levels, the healing is reasonably accelerated. It gets even faster after you eat and give yourself more calories to burn while recovering."


    "Huh. Convenient."


    Claire nodded in agreement. "Yep. So you''re probably in shape to keep moving, but are you sure you don''t want to meditate first? You didn''t say."


    Alex considered her question for a moment. He very well might have gotten enough, but reaching the next level would also make him stronger. Getting stronger meant the challenge was lower.


    Not to say I don''t want to get stronger, but I need to balance it. Especially early on, I''ve got a lot of opportunity to get a lot of strength quickly by limiting my growth and increasing the challenge. As long as I don''t hold myself back so much that I just get killed, it''s better to see what I can do as I am now. Besides, I don''t know what the reward for clearing that trial will be. It might mess stuff up. I want to get as far as I can as I am now before I accept any gifts or whatever it is I got.


    "I''ll do it tonight," Alex decided. "I want to see how dangerous the dungeon is first. If it''s relatively weak, leveling up will just make it worth less."


    Claire inclined her head. "I probably should have expected that answer. You aren''t wrong, though. Doing this with just two people is going to be either a really smart move or a really dumb one."


    "Oh?" Alex raised an eyebrow. "How do we know which one it is?"


    "If we survive or not."


    "Good metric. What do you think our odds are?"


    "Considering where we came from?" Claire gave Alex a dangerous smile. "I''m not as insane as you are, but I remember how things were pretty early on. Compared to the Mirrorlands, this will be manageable. Hard for just two people, but manageable."


    They walked for a minute in silence before another thought struck Alex.


    "Say, did you ever complete a dungeon?" He asked, tilting his head to the side. "Because from my¡­ somewhat unrelated knowledge, I''m under the impression you get rewards for beating them."


    "Yeah, I did. And you do," Claire said with a nod. "Depends on the dungeon and who did it. And the System. You know how it is by now."


    "Yeah, I think I do," Alex said. Excitement built in his stomach as a plan started to piece itself together. It was still too early to act on anything ¡ª he needed more information about what they were up against first.


    Challenging himself was only useful if it was calculated challenge. He wasn''t about to fling himself to his death. But¡­ if his guess was correct, this dungeon would probably be relatively easy for a large group.


    That meant it would be difficult for two people. Difficult, but probably possible.


    And if two people can do it¡­ I wonder if one can?

 Chapter 22 - 21: Steel Crusher

    Alex and Claire found the dungeon after about thirty minutes of walking.


    It hadn''t been a particularly difficult endeavor. The dungeon stuck out like a sore thumb¡ª literally. A large brown cave entrance jutted out of the ground, about twice Alex''s height and wide enough for six or seven people to enter it side by side. A faint scent of flora and honey wafted from its entrance, though Alex couldn''t place what was causing it.


    The cave only went about fifteen feet deep before coming to a stop before a swirling green disk of energy. His fingertips tingled in its presence. It felt vaguely familiar to the energy in the portal they''d taken to escape the Mirrorlands. As they approached the dungeon, Alex paused.


    Beside the cave, jutting from the lush grass, was a polished white plaque just a little bit shorter than him. It glistened in the afternoon sun and was completely devoid of marring or damage.


    "It''s the dungeon history," Claire said, guessing his question before it could even form on his lips. "There''s one in front of every dungeon. They keep track of people who have completed the dungeon as well as the extent of how much was completed. I''ve never managed to get on one, so I have no idea if you get something extra for it."


    "Wow. You got both of my questions in one," Alex said.


    "Not that I don''t like compliments, but they weren''t really hard to guess. You kind of have a one-track mind."


    "Yeah, that''s a fair assessment," Alex admitted. He chewed his lower lip in thought. "I didn''t think there would be a portal to get into the dungeon. Can we leave after entering?"


    "Yeah. You could leave all the ones I entered, at least. You just have to be in contact with whoever you''re entering the dungeon with or you might get started at different locations. And don''t ask me how big dungeons are ¡ª I think it depends on the individual dungeon. I don''t know for sure. I really didn''t get that much time poking around in them before¡­ well, you know."


    "Well, only one way to find out, then. Shall we?"


    "Shouldn''t you summon Glint first?"


    "If we have to be in contact? I''ll pass. He''d cut me in half on accident. I''ll summon him when we get inside."


    Claire nodded. They approached the swirling portal and stood before it for a second. Energy prickled against Alex''s face and his eyebrows itched. It felt like standing in front of a river of electricity. Oddly enough, the portal was completely silent. He''d have expecting a faint hissing or¡­ well, anything, but there was nothing but silence.


    He shook his head and extended a hand to Claire. She took it, and the two of them stepped forward. Their skin touched the green energy and there was a loud pop. A sharp jolt shot through Alex''s body and he drew in a surprised hiss.


    By the time it had finished, his foot had fallen on solid ground ¡ª but he was no longer in the cave.


    He and Claire were surrounded by greenery. A smattering of trees were scattered around them along with a number of thick rose bushes and other heavy foliage. There wasn''t quite enough to be called a forest, but it wasn''t far from one either.


    A clear blue sky rose overhead. It would have looked just like the outside world if it weren''t for the fact that there wasn''t a single cloud in the sky, nor was there a sun. It was just blue.


    The illusion was further broken by two doorways, one to their right and one in front of them. They were pitch black and looked more like gaping holes in reality than passages. A system message scrawled across the air at the top of Alex''s vision.


    Razor Forest (Novice)


    The words faded away as quickly as they had arrived, but the message was enough to snap him out of his momentary distraction. He couldn''t afford to stand around gaping like a tourist. He pressed a hand to the deck at his waist. It had just barely been an hour since Glint had last died and he could no longer feel the monster''s powers.


    "Glint, come out."


    A crunch split the air to his side. The Shardwalker stepped out from a cracked portal that quickly knitted itself shut behind him. Glint turned to Alex, patiently awaiting his next order.


    "Defend me from anything that attacks," Alex said.


    Glint''s mirrored claws glistened in the light. He had no idea where the light was actually coming from. It just seemed to be omnipresent ¡ª but now wasn''t the time to worry about that.


    There were a lot of places for something to hide. Even though it was bright, all the thick tree trunks or the dense bushes could provide a lot of cover. Claire lowered into a fighting stance beside him, drawing her sword, and the two of them scanned the room.


    "I don''t see anything," Claire muttered. "Why can''t monsters just stand around and wait for us to pop up?"


    "I''m sure they do somewhere, but you can''t blame them for hiding with all this good cover," Alex said. "And at least we know the dungeon is Novice tier. At least we aren''t going to run into some untouchable monster like the ones we were seeing in the Mirrorlands."


    "Yeah. Small victories. Why do you sound slightly disappointed about that?"


    "I plead the fifth."


    "The what?"


    A flicker of motion behind a tree a short distance in front of them caught Alex''s eye. Claire spotted it too because they both fell silent and turned as one. For a second, the only sound was the gentle rustle of leaves.


    Actually, isn''t it a bit odd for the leaves to be rustling? There''s nowhere for wind to come from or leave. We''re in a room. Is it coming from the exits? Or is the dungeon just making it?


    He shoved the idle thoughts out of his head. Novice tier was still more than enough to kill him or Claire, especially if the monsters were on the middle or upper end of the tier. He was not about to get killed because he was daydreaming.


    "Glint, can you spot anything?" Alex whispered. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Shardwalker didn''t respond. That really wasn''t much of a surprise. Alex''s lips thinned and he scanned the forest, subconsciously holding in a breath. There were definitely monsters with them. If there was one, it was wise to assume there were more. He just had to find out where ¡ª


    Glint leapt. Alex stumbled back as the small monster slammed into a green form, intercepting it before it could reach him, and tumbled to the ground in a cacophony of hisses and snarls.


    The fight was so short that Alex didn''t even get a chance to see the monster''s level. Glint rose, the bloodied body of a small squirrel-esque monster lying ripped to shreds at his feet. It had greenish fur and beady black eyes. Its mouth wasn''t quite large enough to contain all of the large teeth within it. A tiny green flame rose up from the monster''s body and flickered above it.


    "Not very strong, but hard as shit to see," Claire observed. "I think Glint just saved your ass from a nasty bite."


    Alex didn''t get a chance to reply. The leaves rustled and he spotted a pair of eyes staring at him from within a nearby bush.


    Razor Squirrel - (Novice 1)


    Alex spotted four more of them in rapid succession. There weren''t just a few of the small rodents in the room. It was positively chock full of them.


    "That''s a lot of squirrels," Alex muttered. He glanced around in search of some sort of a weapon. Even a loose branch would have been useful, but there wasn''t anything near them. The squirrels weren''t strong, but with numbers like this, they were still a threat.


    "I hope you don''t like cute things too much," Claire said.


    "You think these are cute?" Alex asked, momentarily taken aback. "They''re hideous."


    "They''re cute in an ugly¡ª"


    The squirrels didn''t seem to take kindly to the insult. Small green forms leapt out from all around them, charging to avenge their fallen brethren.


    Alex jumped back, narrowly avoiding a squirrel that whistled past his face. He cursed as one grabbed onto his pant leg and started clawing its way up. Glint carved another one from the air as it jumped at him.


    He grabbed the rodent on his pants and it bit into his palm. Cursing in pain, Alex pelted it into the ground. The monster hit it with a crunch, dying instantly. Claire had put down several of the rabid little creatures herself, but there were still more of them coming.


    One leapt at Alex from the trees. He reared back and swung his fist, punching it straight in the face. There was a mildly satisfying crunch and the monster flew back into a bush. A steady stream of energy ¡ª minimal, but still noticeable ¡ª flowed into him as he and Claire fought their way through the forest as it came alive.


    But, as many squirrels as there were, the monsters weren''t truly a threat. Despite the nasty bite that one had given him and a few more scratches he collected fighting the little bastards off, they were a lot less dangerous than they looked.


    It didn''t help that they had the resilience of the average household hamster. That didn''t stop the hatred in their beady little eyes when they leapt at him, but his fists certainly did.


    The assault ended as suddenly as it had begun. After just a few minutes of fighting, Alex and Claire were left panting and slightly scratched up in a once-again still forest. Razor squirrel corpses littered the ground around them.


    Glint didn''t look like he''d even gotten scratched once. Alex wasn''t sure if that was because he''d avoided the monsters or if they just hadn''t even bothered attacking him.


    "That was¡­ really annoying," Claire concluded. She dropped the body of a squirrel she''d drained of blood and wiped her mouth with the back of a hand, her lips curling in distaste. "You''re not hurt, are you? These things are gross. I don''t want to drink from them."


    "Nah. I''m fine. Just some scratches. A number of them, but nothing serious. Nothing bleeding too badly." Claire scrunched her nose. His eyes narrowed. "Are you disappointed I didn''t get injured? You''re spoiled."


    "Hey, you''d heal. I was hoping for a snack, but those scratches are already patching up. I don''t want to eat a scab. That''s just gross."


    "How is it any different from normal blood?"


    "It''s crunchy."


    Alex decided not to argue the semantics of eating blood with the literal expert. He just shrugged. "Suit yourself. Glint, collect all those little souls the squirrels left behind. No point wasting them."


    The Shardwalker didn''t hesitate to comply. He went around, grabbing the miniscule green motes of energy and popping them into his mouth like jelly beans.


    "Shall we go deeper, then?" Claire asked. "The first room wasn''t too bad. We could probably get more."


    "I don''t see why not," Alex said. "How are you holding up? Not too tired? You were in the Mirrorlands a lot longer than me."


    "I''m fine," Claire said. "The blood you gave me helped a lot. Maybe we do one more room, see how it goes?"


    "You don''t have to ask me twice."


    He stepped through the foliage along with Claire and Glint in the direction of the nearest black, doorway shaped hole in reality. The three of them kept their guard up as they walked in case more monsters were lying in wait.


    They arrived at the door uncontested.


    "Do we have to go through together?" Alex asked.


    Claire shook her head. "No. These portals should all be directly connected. They always send you to the same spot."


    "Great. Let''s go, then. Hopefully the next room is a bit more interesting."


    They all stepped through the portal. The world changed in a flash and the smell of flora hit Alex like a punch to the jaw. It had been strong before, but now it was so thick in the air that it was impossible to ignore.


    Tiny motes of yellow pollen hung in the air, held aloft by a faint wind that swirled through the room. He craned his neck back, his eyes widening, as he took in the room before him.


    Brilliant pink hues and sunset oranges intermixed in the car-sized petals of a flower that loomed over two stories above him. Its stem was as thick as a tree trunk and covered with large thorns the length of his arm.


    It wasn''t the only one. Massive flowers towered in the air, a painter''s swathe of color. Some were as tall as the first, while others were only a little taller than him. They all moved gently to and fro as the wind rustled through them. Their shadows shifted in an inscrutable dance across the ground, causing the room to flicker between light and darkness.


    Alex bit back a sneeze as the sweet pollen in the air tickled his nostrils. The awe filling him faltered as he caught a glimpse of something sharp jutting out of a nearby flower. It had been trampled, its stem snapped by something equally as huge. And, jutting from its stamen, were rows upon rows of pointed teeth.


    "The flowers are the monsters," Alex whispered. The System hadn''t identified them yet, but that didn''t change anything. Normal flowers didn''t take bites out of things. He went to take a step forward and Claire''s hand clamped down on his arm. He glanced back at her. "What is it?"


    "Blood," Claire said in a taut whisper, her eyes narrowed and tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth in concentration. "I smell it. A lot of it."


    "Where?" Alex lowered his voice as well and glanced into the forest of flowers, their shadows now far more ominous than before.


    She shook her head and squinted into the wall of towering flora swaying before them. "I don''t know. The pollen is too thick. I can''t tell for sure¡­ but it''s there. I know the smell of blood."


    Alex wasn''t about to question a Dhampir over their ability to locate food. "Let''s take it slow, then. See what we''re up against."


    Claire nodded and the two of them crept away from the portal, making their way toward the ominous flowers. As they drew closer to the huge stems, Alex caught something poking out from behind one of the large stems out of the corner of his eye.


    His breath caught in his throat. It was a human leg, and they weren''t moving. Claire spotted it a moment after he did. They exchanged a wordless glance and she lowered her stance, keeping her sword held before her as they moved to the side to get a better view of the body.


    Maybe they''re still ¡ª


    Alex''s thoughts died before they could finish forming. The leg was attached to the body of a young man, but there was no doubt that he was dead. His neck had been wrung like a washcloth. Sightless eyes stared up into the dancing petals far overhead.


    He wasn''t alone.


    Tossed across the ground amidst streaks of blood and viscera were two other brutalized corpses. Every single one of them had been¡­ wrung. There was just no other word for it. Alex''s eyes lifted from the bodies as desperate, wheezing chokes reached his ears through the rustling of the flower petals.


    A man that could only have been described as unnaturally huge loomed above the bodies. His skin was a pale white, nearly bordering on translucent. Enormous muscle bulged through the blood-splattered tank top he''d squeezed into and dripped from the thick, sausage-like fingers of his left hand. His right was wrapped around the throat of a struggling woman, though his hand was big enough to nearly cover her face entirely.


    Before Alex could even think about doing anything, a sharp crack split the air. The woman dropped to the ground, her neck broken like a toothpick, denied any final words. She laid in a crumpled, lifeless heap.


    The man''s features were completely flat and devoid of all emotion. If Alex couldn''t see anything beneath his neck, he would have assumed the man had just gone to toss out the trash.


    Then he turned, and his beady black eyes locked onto Alex.


    Diego - Steel Crusher (Novice 6)

 Chapter 23 - 22: The Wait

    The wind stilled for an instant and the rustle of the petals abated with it, leaving the only sound in the forest of flowers the delicate drip of blood as it rolled down the huge man''s fingertips and pattered to a small pool at his feet.


    "You weren''t here before," Diego said. He spoke as if he tasted every word as it left his lips, choosing them carefully and intentionally. The scent of blood wafted so strongly from the bodies around him that even Alex''s nose could pick it up. It mixed with the sweetness of the pollen and honeyed smells in the air, nearly making him retch on the spot. Diego didn''t even seem to notice it. "You aren''t from the town."


    Alex didn''t let himself take a step back. Showing fear to a predator was as good as lifting his jaw to expose his throat and closing his eyes to wait for the inevitable end ¡ª and there was no doubt about it. Diego was a predator.


    Even if the bodies hadn''t been strewn across the ground at his feet and blood painted across the pale canvas of his body, it would still have been as obvious as the color splashed across the petals of the flowers above them. Alex could see the hunger in Diego''s beady black eyes, the desire in his taut muscles.


    "What makes you say that?" Alex asked. Claire moved behind him and hunched her shoulders, but it wasn''t out of concern. It took her time to use the blood she''d gathered to change her form. She was trying to keep out of sight as she shifted for as long as possible.


    "I memorized the faces of everyone that adapted to the new world," Diego replied. He looked down at his right hand and rubbed his fingers together, looking mildly surprised at the blood covering his hands. His gaze lifted back to Alex. "You weren''t one of them."


    Ah, yes. The actions of a very sane man without any psychological issues whatsoever. How the hell did this guy get to Novice 6 already? He''s literally twice my level!


    "I''ve been traveling," Alex said. He longed to give Glint an order to attack, but he wasn''t even sure what order to give yet. Sending Glint at the man now would just result in the small monster getting crushed to a paste. This wasn''t a fight that could be won through brute force. He needed time. "How''d you hit Novice 6 so quickly? That''s impressive."


    A gentle smile passed over Diego''s features and he wiped his hands off on his shirt, leaving long, bloody streaks across the already soaked and torn material. "Found out that killing people is just as good as killing monsters. ''Specially the strong ones. So I did both."


    I suppose there''s no point denying it when I literally saw it happen.


    "I can tell," Alex said. Claire was still shifting behind him. If Diego noticed, he didn''t care. Perhaps he didn''t think there was anything a Novice 3 and 4 could do to him. He''d probably killed a number of other people their rank already. "This isn''t your first group, then?"


    Diego didn''t stop smiling. He just nodded. "You''re different from the others."


    "Is that so?"


    "You haven''t started running or screaming yet," Diego said. He drew in a deep breath through his nose and let out with a satisfied sigh. His eyelids fluttered and his fingers twitched. "Are you like me?"


    Exactly what I want to hear when staring down a literal psychopath.


    "I don''t know if anyone''s like you," Alex said honestly. He''d managed to keep his tone even thus far, but he wasn''t sure how much longer he could keep up the act. Every fiber in his body was screaming to pick a choice. To run or to fight ¡ª but to do something. Standing here and talking felt like dragging his nails across a chalkboard.


    "Phil always said that too." Diego''s head tilted to the side and hands clenched. The grass beneath his feet, soaked through with blood, squelched as he shifted his weight. "I think he was right. I wish he didn''t break so easily. I didn''t mean to break him. He was just so¡­ fragile."


    There''s no doubt that there''s something seriously wrong with this guy. I''m not sure he''s all there in the head¡­ but you''d probably have to be if you can do this to a group of random people.


    "I''m sorry to hear that," Alex said.


    "Oh, it''s okay. I got stronger after he died, so it''s fine," Diego said. He pressed a red hand to his chest. "He''s with me, now. In here. Just like the others."


    "I¡­ I''m sure he is. You must be tired after doing so much work. Maybe you should sit down and take a nap?" Alex suggested. "The grass looks really comfortable, and the breeze is great on my skin."


    "That''s fine. I''m not tired. I''ve never gotten to be outside for this long before," Diego said. Something in his gaze shifted and his eyes refocused like those of a cat staring down its prey. "You remind me of Phil."


    Something in Diego''s voice changed. It wasn''t the tone ¡ª he sounded physically the same. It was far more primal than that. Alex didn''t know what it was, but tingles raced down his spine as something deep within him screamed a warning.


    "Glint, protect me!" Alex yelled.


    At the same instant, Diego burst into motion. Blood splattered as he drove a foot into the ground and launched into a charge. His enormous form wasn''t anywhere near as fast as Alex was, but he still moved with terrifying speed.


    Glint ran to meet the charging train of a man, his mirrored claws shimmering in the light. It was like watching a mouse challenge a gorilla.


    "Prioritize survival!" Alex called as he grabbed Claire and threw both of them to the side in a sprawl of limbs to get out of Diego''s path.


    It proved to be the right move. He had no clue if Glint managed to reach Diego, but the ground beneath Alex bucked under the force of Diego''s heel driving into it. He rolled over just in time to see the huge man skid to a stop just feet away, his enormous mitts already reaching out for them.


    Claire''s sword carved down for Diego''s arms, clasped in clawed hands. A ripple of silver passed across his skin as her sword struck him and it rebounded with a resounding clang. She staggered back and Alex leapt to his feet.


    Glint descended upon Diego an instant later. The monster leapt from behind him and clawed into his back, ripping and tearing at the huge man''s shoulder. His attempts failed to do anything other than scratch the gray that washed over the huge man''s body in response to the attacks. Diego roared and spun, forcing Alex to duck down to keep his head from being separated from the rest of his body and sent spinning through the air.


    He didn''t even try punching Diego. It would be like trying to fistfight a brick wall, even without whatever magic he had that let him harden his body. Alex just jumped back, keeping out of the large man''s reach while trying to retain his attention.


    "Have you never tried fighting someone that could actually hit back?" Alex taunted as Glint leapt away from Diego''s grasp, narrowly avoiding getting crushed.


    Claire slashed at him again, but once more his skin turned a metallic gray and her weapon rang off. She bounded back with impressive speed, easily avoiding Diego''s next attack, then dashed at him again in a conjoined attack with Glint.


    Alex saw the man shift his weight a moment too late. He went to call out a warning, but the other two were already upon Diego, who hadn''t even tried to dodge out of the way. Both of his hands flitted forward like striking snakes.


    He caught Glint between them. Several loud, metallic screeches rang out, followed by a crack. A flicker of pain flashed over Diego''s face and he cried out. He yanked his hands apart and dropped Glint''s crushed body to the ground, even as it transformed into a stream of energy and raced into Alex''s body.


    Blood ran from several deep puncture wounds in Diego''s palms. By squeezing Glint, he''d accidentally impaled himself on the monster''s sharp body, and his defense had failed to protect him.


    He''s only resistant to long, thin cuts, not sharp stabs with a lot of force behind them. Good job, Glint.


    "Stab him!" Alex yelled.


    Claire drove her sword for Diego''s side without a second of hesitation. He twisted to avoid it, but the weapon''s point still managed to bite an inch into his flesh before a huge hand slammed down onto the sword and sent it spinning from her grip.


    Diego reached out for Claire and she weaved back. He barely even seemed to notice. The huge man grabbed at the wound in his side and let out a whimper. "You stabbed me!"


    Alex dashed forward and drove his palm into Diego''s back, calling on Glint''s powers as they coursed through his body. Cold metal met his hand and a mirror shard thrust into Diego. It only managed to penetrate his defenses by half an inch, but that was enough to draw a cry of pain from him.


    Diving to the side, Alex hit the ground with a grunt. Wind rushed over his head in the wake of a deadly blow. A shadow passed over his head and he threw himself out of the way.


    Diego''s foot slammed down with far more force than any man should have been able to muster, no matter his size. The ground shuddered and a rock drove into Alex''s jaw, causing his teeth to crack against each other painfully.


    Alex rolled to the side and kicked at Diego''s leg. A spike of glass jutted out of his heel and punched through the bottom of his shoe before biting into Diego''s hamstring. The large man screamed and lurched back.


    The air around the mountain of a man rippled in a haze. Alex''s hair stood on end and he backpedaled. Claire did the same. Diego barely even seemed to notice. He lifted a foot and drove it down into the ground with a furious cry.


    A deep rumble shook the ground. The earth ruptured. Spikes of jagged stone erupted in a circle around Diego in a wave, rising up to impale anything around him. Alex tripped over a protruding root as he tried to dodge out of the way and went down with a pained grunt.


    The spikes ground to a halt just a foot away from him and he scrambled back to his feet, scanning for Claire. She''d also managed to avoid the attack and had climbed over the jutting spikes.


    Diego hadn''t noticed her yet. He''d bent over, seemingly having forgotten them, and clutching his wounded leg. Claire didn''t wait for him to remember their fight. She extended a hand toward him and her eyes narrowed in concentration.


    The blood covering Diego''s body rippled. It peeled away from him like a sheet, melting together into a thin spike. That finally caught his attention and he lifted his gaze just in time for Claire to send it driving straight into his chest, aiming for his heart.


    He lurched to the side at the last second and the spike slammed home into his solar plexus, drilling a thin hole into it. The blood splattered back across him as Claire''s control over it vanished and a primal roar ripped from Diego''s lips.


    Alex shifted his footing, swallowing. There was almost nothing left about Diego that resembled a human. The man''s eyes were wide and bloodshot. His breathing came in snarling, ragged gasps. He stood hunched, his hands flexed into claws at his sides as he jerked his head left and right, looking between Alex and Claire.


    It''s like he''s feral. What was that saying about not trying to fight something backed into a corner with nothing to lose? He''s wounded badly, but that''s not enough to end the fight.


    Alex formed a long, thin mirror spike from one finger and snapped it off. He held it in one hand and reared back, preparing to throw it. He wasn''t exactly a great shot ¡ª but Diego didn''t know that.


    Claire extended a hand and the blood around the big man swirled again, rising to form spikes all around him. She held them suspended in the air, waiting to make sure she actually landed a finishing blow instead of wasting her energy again.


    And then the three of them waited. The room was so silent that Alex could hear the drip of blood against the grass and the thump of his heart in his ears.


    This wasn''t a battle between civilized people anymore. Perhaps it had never been. Their primal instincts had been laid bare and were the only thing that remained.


    Nobody spoke, but the same truth had imprinted itself into every single one of their minds. Whoever made the first wrong move would lose ¡ª and whoever moved first was the most likely to make a mistake.


    And so they waited. They waited to see whose self-control would crack first. To see who would waste their move and expose an opening. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They waited to see who would die.

 Chapter 24 - 23: Conviction

    Alex was wrong.


    He''d been convinced that there had only been two outcomes to the fight.


    The first ¡ª he or Claire made the mistake.


    The second ¡ª Diego did.


    But, as it turned out, there was a third move. One that he hadn''t even considered. Diego took one look at them, the blood painted across his body now hanging above him like the sword of Damocles. His wild eyes danced around the room like the wind that had vanished at some point during their fight. He leaned onto one leg, the muscles in it bunching. Wet ground squished beneath his weight.


    Then he exploded into motion.


    Not toward Alex or Claire, but toward the exit of the dungeon. Claire yanked her hand down and Alex flung his makeshift weapon. Alex''s throw went wide while Claire''s blood only managed to scrape him, the majority of its damage blocked entirely by the metallic gray that swam up beneath his skin.


    Diego threw himself through the portal, vanishing without so much as another word. A breeze rolled through the forest and the flower petals above them. Alex and Claire stared at each other.


    "He¡­ ran?" Claire asked, stunned. Her hands lowered slightly and she took a step away from a flower that was just a little bit too close to her. Diego had taken their full attention, but neither of them had forgotten that at least one of the flowers in the room had teeth.


    "I didn''t think that was something you could do," Alex said, taking his breath back from the adrenaline gripping his system. He felt as jittery as a child overfed Adderall. After a steadying breath, he swallowed and stared at the exit. "Is it possible he''s lying in wait? Laying a trap?"


    "Could be," Claire said slowly. "How good is the human nervous system? Can you remain in a state of suspended tension for a long period of time?"


    "No. Not most people," Alex said. He just wasn''t all that certain that Diego qualified as most people. He looked down at the brutalized bodies scattered across the ground around them. The smell of death was rancid. It was blood and bodily fluid and sweat layered with sweet pollen and honey.


    Claire was still in her shifted form. Her fingers were elongated and pointed, her features sharper and more angular. But, even as Alex watched, she shook herself off like a wet dog. Her body returned to its normal form and she shuddered.


    "Staying changed that long used a lot of my reserves. I''d have tried to drain him, but¡­"


    "Yeah. You didn''t want to get close for long enough to try." Alex hadn''t forgotten what Diego had done to Glint. Claire had definitely made the right call there. "Are you going to run out soon? We could press deeper into the dungeon and try to find you something to drink from."


    "I''m fine. Don''t need more right now, or you might end up too drained to fight. And going deeper is a terrible idea," Claire said with a firm shake of her head. "Challenge is one thing, but I don''t know where Diego is or what he''s planning. If he shows up while we''re in the middle of a fight, it''s over for us."


    Alex grimaced. Claire was correct. The large Novice 6 was just too powerful. But, at the same time, he wasn''t actually displeased with how the fight had gone at all. Between the two of them, they''d forced a considerably more powerful opponent to retreat.


    I''m not so sure we actually would have been able to kill him. It''s beyond fortunate that Diego wasn''t entirely all there in the head. It all boils down to the same ironclad fact that I''ve known ever since arriving in the Mirrorlands.


    I need to get stronger.


    "What''s that look on your face?" Claire asked suspiciously. "Don''t tell me¡ª"


    "No, no. I''m not that stupid." Alex raised his hands in surrender. Pollen prickled at his nose. He grimaced and wiped it with the back of a sleeve. "Going deeper is a bad move. We should get back to the town. We need to recover."


    And I need to come back here once I''m healed up and Glint is ready again. I still haven''t given up on clearing this thing as I am. We''ve got a good grasp of how strong the monsters here are, and they''re well within reason. I can handle it. At least, I think I can. If I''m wrong, I''ll be dead. Then I won''t have to worry about it.


    "Which brings us right back to the first problem," Claire said. She chewed her lower lip in thought and shifted from foot to foot, eyeing the door at the edge of the room like it was about to grow teeth and lunge at her. "What do you think the chances are he''s just sitting there and waiting?"


    "Well, if we wait for about an hour, we can find out. I can send Glint through."


    "That¡­ might work, actually. I don''t love the idea of sitting around in a dungeon room and doing nothing for an hour. It looks like the previous group that came through here cleared it out before they got killed, but you can never know. It''s still safer than just strolling through and hoping that huge bleedin'' bastard isn''t just waiting for us to come out."


    And so it was decided. Alex and Claire sat down a healthy distance away from the flowers, keeping an eye on the door and forest alike, and waited.


    ***


    An hour later, Alex sent Glint back through the door with a simple set of instructions to return immediately if the previous room was empty. The Shardwalker stepped into the darkness, then emerged again just a few seconds later.


    It looked like Diego had left ¡ª or at the very least, he wasn''t in the first room of the dungeon. Alex and Claire took the portal, then sent Glint before them once more to the outside of the dungeon.


    There was no way to guarantee that Shardwalker would actually return to the same entry room, but he didn''t need to. Alex just gave him orders to try and kill Diego if Glint spotted him outside.


    Glint would hopefully get a little more damage off before he died if the giant were sitting around in wait for them. And, if he died, then they''d know that Diego or another threat was lying in wait.


    Several seconds ticked by after the Shardwalker headed through the portal but nothing happened. It didn''t look like he''d had any trouble. After exchanging a glance, Alex and Claire headed out of the dungeon.


    All that awaited them outside was a slight chill and a small breeze. The sun had started to make its way toward the base of the horizon and had cast the world in a yellow-orange hue. Glint stood outside the dungeon, waiting patiently beside the blank white headstone. Large footsteps led away from the entrance and off into the distance in the opposite direction of town. Several small trails of blood followed after the steps.


    "Looks like he really did just run," Claire said. She crouched beside the footstep and touched a patch of blood with a finger. "Immediately, at that. It''s dry."


    "So I take it that means you aren''t going to¡­"


    Claire''s eyes narrowed. She stood back up and brushed her hands off on her pants. "No. I''m not eating dry blood unless I''ve got no other choice. If you''re so concerned with me getting to eat, you''re welcome to rectify the situation yourself."


    "Let''s put that one on the backburner unless we''ve got no other choice." Alex''s nose scrunched in distaste and he shook his head. "Come on. Let''s head back to town and get some rest. We''ve only got two days until the system event starts."


    "You don''t have to tell me that. I''m more than happy to get some rest. I''ve definitely got enough energy to advance to the next level," Claire said with a relieved sigh. "Let''s go."


    ***


    Alex banished Glint as they crossed the last hill and drew up to the town. The sun was just minutes from setting beneath a low cover of clouds that had moved in during their walk back and it reflected off the windows from the stolen pieces of skyscrapers, illuminating the town in a sea of dancing lights.


    It''s beautiful, in an eerie way. Like watching a disco for ghosts.


    The chill had grown stronger during their trip back, and it was now a step into uncomfortable territory. Alex shivered and rubbed an arm as they headed past the outer buildings and toward the center of town.


    Unsurprisingly, the crowd from before had largely dispersed. A few people were still wandering around the center of town and speaking in hushed, scared voices, fearful to break the silence that the night had brought with it.


    The only real point of any noise was a surprisingly undamaged several-story building that looked like it had once been an apartment or an office. It didn''t have any identifying signage on it, but the door was open and light poured out from inside it along with muted conversation.


    Alex and Claire headed toward it without a word. There really didn''t seem to be much other place to go. They had to meet the residents of the town eventually. And at the very least, Alex wanted to see who his competition for the upcoming challenge would be.


    They stepped into a moderately crowded lobby of what had definitely once been an apartment. White tile, stained by dirt and scratch marks, lined the floor. Faded wallpaper curled off the drywall. Men and women had gathered around several large leather couches that probably cost as much as Alex''s college tuition near the center of the room. In stark contrast, the light came from several large lanterns that had been hung along the walls. They looked completely out of place.


    Did the System put those here? Or did someone just have a lantern collection they were waiting to whip out?


    Almost instantly, Alex realized that these weren''t the same people that had been panicking just a few hours earlier. Of all the names floating before his eyes, almost everyone was at least Novice 3.


    The majority of the people were on the younger side, and they all sported weapons and armor of various sorts. If they hadn''t all been real, Alex would have thought he''d stumbled into a particularly dedicated LARPing convention.


    They only made it a few steps into the room before a rather tall, muscled man with tanned skin and a large axe strapped to his back spotted them and rose from his spot on the couch. He looked a little older than college aged and had definitely seen the inside of a gym more than his own home. He brushed his light blonde hair out of his relatively handsome face and raised a hand in greeting.


    Ben - Cleaver (Novice 3)


    "New faces?" Ben asked with a charismatic grin. "You''ve got damn good timing. Were you in the area when the system message went off?"


    "Yeah," Alex said. "I''m Alex. This is Claire. How are things looking? We were trying out the dungeon."


    Ben coughed into a fist. Several other people glanced in their direction. Everyone was concentrated in a pretty small area, so it wasn''t hard to eavesdrop.


    "Oh, really? How''d it go? I''ve been mostly sticking to roaming monsters," Ben said. "They''re way easier to deal with."


    I haven''t seen a single one of those yet. They must be way less common than monsters in dungeons. I wonder if that''s because the system hasn''t fully initiated yet.


    "It¡­ wasn''t good," Alex said with a grimace. "We found four dead people when we got there. A massive guy called Diego killed them all."


    The room went quiet. That had gotten everyone''s attention. Stares bored into Alex and Claire from every direction.


    "You''re shitting me." Ben''s smile fell away. "On your mother?"


    "Why would I lie about something like this? He damn near killed us as well. He''s Novice 6."


    Concerned murmurs ran through the room.


    "How?" one man asked.


    "Forget how. Why?" A Novice 4 woman said, driving a fist into her palm. "The world''s gone to hell and some crazed monster is fucking murdering people?" S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "If we''re being honest, it''s not really surprising," a Novice 4 man with a longsword said, identified by the System as Isaiah. His jaw clenched and he went to spit on the ground before catching himself and settling for shaking his head. "It''s disgusting. I knew some people went to the dungeon earlier today. I was wondering what was taking them so long. We can''t afford to lose anyone right now. We needed their strength. This is going to cause trouble for us."


    "Forget just trouble," Ben exclaimed. "They''re more than just numbers, Isaiah. Four people are dead!"


    "And a whole lot more are going to be dead by the time this event is done," Isaiah said with a sigh. "If you don''t understand that, you''re going to be one of them."


    Ben''s jaw clenched. Alex half expected him to start yelling, but Ben just exhaled heavily through his nose. "I hate that you''re right, but you''re right. I think we''ve all gotten enough proof of that. Can you describe this Diego character? I don''t know anyone by that name that passed through the town."


    They''re¡­ actually smarter than I thought they would be. I totally thought the people here would be completely disorganized and at each other''s throats or something, but they''re actually handling things logically. Maybe I was just a little arrogant with how stupid I expected people to be.


    That or most of the stupid ones that were in this backwater area are already dead and the others are just biding their time.


    "You can''t miss him," Claire said. "He''s giant, probably half a foot taller than you are. Maybe a bit more. More muscle than a gorilla and he''s clearly insane. He''s also got an ability that makes it really difficult to cut him. Stabbing works better. Kind of."


    "Lovely," Ben said, his voice taut. "Thanks for the information, Alex, Claire. Where''d you hail from?"


    "We were camping when the apocalypse hit," Alex said, sticking to his previous story. "Turns out, that wasn''t the smartest move."


    The corner of Ben''s mouth twitched. It was clear he wasn''t in much of a laughing mood. "No, I don''t suppose it was. You didn''t run into a bloke called Kaze, did you?"


    "No," Alex replied with a shake of his head. "Why?"


    "Ah. Figured you might have seen him. He''s a bit reclusive, but he''s damn good at killing monsters. Ran into him outside town a while ago, figured he might have been camping as well. It doesn''t matter. Well, if you''re planning to stick around for the event, we can use all the help we can get. Any more fighters are more than welcome."


    "That''s our plan," Claire said.


    "Do you happen to have an extra room or two? We''ve been fighting pretty much all day and really need to get some rest," Alex added.


    "Sure thing. I can''t blame you." Ben turned to a bearded man resting on one of the counters in the corner of the lobby. He raised his hand to get the man''s attention. "Timothy, could you grab me a key?"


    The other man nodded and rifled through a drawer before tossing a metal key over.


    "Room 221," Timothy said in a gravelly smoker''s voice.


    Ben snagged it out of the air and handed it to Alex. "Here. We don''t really have that much room and we''re trying to conserve as much space as possible. We''re lucky this apartment complex was fifty years behind the times and still used normal keys. The stairs are in the back."


    "Thanks," Alex said. "Trade what information we''ve got tomorrow?"


    "Sounds like a plan. The more we can put together, the more chance more of us survive this shitshow," Ben said as he blew out a sigh. "Does anyone want to volunteer for that guard we were discussing? It sounds like we''re going to need it."


    Alex and Claire walked off as the people in the room started to speak once more, trying to figure out how to prepare for the approaching event and deal with the new threats cropping up everywhere.


    The stairs, a small passageway that wasn''t even wide enough to fit two people side by side and smelled of mildew and dust, were where Ben had indicated. But, as they started up them, Alex''s mind wasn''t on their room.


    In a few hours, after he''d gotten a little energy back and the other people had retired to rest in preparation for the next day, his plans would finally be allowed to start.


    Today, he''d nearly died. If Diego hadn''t fled from their fight, either Alex or Claire almost certainly would have. The thought twisted his stomach. He didn''t want to die ¡ª but the early days of anything new were always the most important. This was the gold rush for power. This was the path he''d chosen. Taking the risks now to enable him to survive in the future. To thrive in the future.


    Challenge led to strength. The monsters on Earth weren''t as strong as the ones in the Mirrorlands. That meant the challenge was different. It was still there ¡ª but it wouldn''t come from facing an opponent with overwhelming strength. After all, Claire had said people had been able to clear the dungeon in groups before in her world, and she was Novice 3.


    That meant the monsters in this world were weak enough that he could fight them as he was now. The advantage Glint gave him made that fact even more true. Stopping to get even stronger before the next dungeon would mean he also made the challenge easier¡­ before he even saw if he could handle it as he was now. It could deprive him of potential strength in the future just to make a fight now easier, and there was no point surviving a fight today just to end up getting killed the next day.


    If he wanted to truly succeed in the apocalypse, he had to take risks. Those risks could come at the cost of death, but that was a cost he had no choice but to accept if he wanted to be anything more than another body in the crowd.


    Tonight, he would solo a dungeon ¡ª or die trying.

 Chapter 25 - 24: Enter the dungeon

    Room 221 was only slightly larger than a walk-in closet. A wood-framed bed sat beneath a stained window and upon a floor of ratty gray carpet. It had thin white sheets that had been yellowed by either age, stains, or a combination of the two.


    A single pillow had been propped up on its end. It had no pillow cover and wasn''t in much better shape than the rest of the bed. There was a small desk of matching wood to the left of the bed, wedged into the corner of the room.


    The entire room was laden with the heavy scent of dust. It covered the walls and completely obscured the surface of the desk in a thin gray blanket.


    And that was it.


    "Seriously?" Claire muttered as Alex closed the door behind them with a squeak. "I think I found another difference between our worlds. What''s the point of a desk if we don''t get a chair? Am I supposed to sit on the air?"


    "I''d say this isn''t the standard, but I don''t know what things are like anymore," Alex replied, but his attention was only half there. He fiddled with the doorknob. Despite having closed, the door hadn''t made a single noise when it had closed. Annoyance passed over his features and he jiggled the handle aggressively. It finally clicked shut, a mispositioned bolt sliding into place. He blew out a sigh and released the knob. He wiped his hand off on his pant leg and turned to look at the room again. "Man. That is rough."


    "Another question. I don''t suppose I got lucky and you don''t know what a bug is?" Claire asked hopefully.


    "Bug?" Alex tilted his head to the side and gave her a confused look.


    Claire''s eyes lit up like stars and she gave him a delighted smile. "Bleed me. That''s fantastic. Finally, some damned good news. It''s about bleeding time."


    Ah, shit. I didn''t think she''d be so happy about it. Now I feel bad.


    Alex cleared his throat. "I¡­ was kind of joking. Sorry. There were the giant centipede things in the Mirrorlands, remember?"


    The dhampir''s expression crumpled and her shoulders slumped. "Ah. Right. I got excited. I hate bugs. Especially the ones that drink blood."


    "Seriously?" Alex squinted at Claire. He couldn''t tell if she was messing with him or not. "But¡­ don''t you¡ª"


    Claire''s eyes narrowed. Alex wisely chose not to finish that particular sentence.


    "That''s exactly why I don''t like them." Claire crossed her arms with a huff. "Imagine someone yanking the food out of your stomach after you ate it."


    "Okay, I think I see where you''re coming from." Alex lifted the corner of the mattress to check for bedbugs. A tiny cloud of dust rolled off it and he coughed, waving it away and dropping the mattress again. "Should be fine. Probably."


    Claire carefully sat down on the edge of the bed, taking care not to kick up too much dust in the process. She pressed its surface with her palm. "It''s better than the ground. I can''t complain."


    They were both silent for a moment. Then Claire glanced over to Alex.


    "Can I ask more about your world? You got to pry me about mine, but it''s yours that we''re living in."


    "Sure," Alex replied. "I''m not the most educated on it, but I''ll try."


    "Who rules it? Ruled, I guess."


    "Depends on what part of it. Most places are controlled by a group of people. There are a few with dictators, but we don''t really have any kings or queens, if that''s what you''re asking."


    Claire blinked in surprise. "Really? Weird. How do you choose the strongest, then?"


    "I ¡ª hold on. You chose your ruler by who was the strongest?"


    "Of course."


    "That seems a bit¡­ bull-headed."


    "How so?" Claire tilted her head to the side. "It takes a lot of brains to win at Court. It is a very complex fight. You need to prove that you have competence, ability, and intelligence, not to mention self-control. Also, a fair bit of luck."


    "Court¡­ I think we might be using different definitions again," Alex said. "When I think court, I''m thinking judging someone for their crimes. Are you talking about¡­"


    "The King''s Court," Claire said. "Or Queen, depending on who''s in power. We needed a way to ensure our leader was competent enough to lead us. There were a lot of threats in my world. Even before the apocalypse. We''d hold Court every year to determine if the current King was strong enough to remain or not."


    "All of you?" Alex''s eyes widened.


    "Everyone over sixteen. It was a lot of fun," Claire said with an energetic nod. "Unless you were close to the top. Then you got stabbed a fair bit. Everyone else just used it as entertainment."


    God. She''s from a planet of speech & debate vampires.


    "My turn to ask a question," Claire said. "Forget governments. What about people? How do you settle disputes? I don''t want to tread on social cues. How are debts tracked?"


    "I think that might have all gone tits up," Alex said. "It used to be you could get the police involved when things went sour¡­ but now, just be, well, you. Were you good at Court?"


    "Won my league a few times."


    League? Is this Fantasy Football?


    "What exactly does Court entail?" Alex asked.


    "Everything that ruling requires. It''s a simulation of life and death. I don''t know if I can properly describe it with just words."


    "Then you''ll have to show me sometime," Alex said. "That sounds fascinating."


    "We''d need a few more people, but I''d love to. I think I''ll miss Court the most from Ayrin. Well, that and the people¡­ but I''d rather not think about that right now." Claire averted her gaze.


    They both fell silent.


    A minute ground by.


    "How about you meditate first?" Alex suggested, scratching at the back of his neck. "We''ve been waiting to do it for a while."


    "You''ll keep watch?"


    Alex nodded.


    And once you''re done, I can head off. It didn''t feel like anyone in the area was going to try to attack us in our sleep, but you never know. Better safe than sorry.


    "Thanks," Claire said. "I''ll try not to take too long. You''re leaving once I''m done, I take it?"


    Alex froze. He wiped the guilty expression off his face a moment later, but it was a little too late. "Am I really that obvious?"


    How good is she at reading people? I didn''t think I was this bad at misdirection.


    "Ever since we saw the dungeon," Claire said dryly. "It does help that I think I''ve got a pretty good grasp of how you think. Are you sure you don''t want help?"


    "Just think about the reward I''ll get for clearing it alone. I know there''s risk to it, but those monsters were nothing compared to the ones in the Mirrorlands. Maybe you should come with me and try to clear it on your own once I''m done. Actually, is that even possible? What happens after someone clears a dungeon?"


    "I don''t know enough to answer your question, but we never found an empty dungeon. I assume the System does something to keep them full. But there''s absolutely no way I''m going to solo that dungeon." Claire let out a snort and shook her head. "Not yet, at least. I''m not strong enough. You''re right on challenge being important¡­ but I don''t think this is doable for me. Not at my current stage. That isn''t the case for you."


    "I appreciate the confidence. I''m glad you believe so strongly in my skills."


    "It''s not your skills as much as the fact that you''ve got backup. Glint lets you check rooms and gang up on monsters, and even if he dies, you can still fight afterward. Having two bodies is an enormous advantage. I''ll stick to challenges I think I can get through ¡ª so if you want to clear the dungeon again tomorrow morning, count me in."


    "Noted," Alex said.


    "Assuming you''re still alive," Claire added, a small grin on her lips but a flicker of concern in her expression. She grabbed her sword and turned it around, holding it hilt-first toward Alex. "Here."


    He blinked in surprise. "You want me to take your sword?"


    "I''ve got other ways to defend myself. From what I know, summoner classes really don''t get much of those."


    I wonder¡­ I already have a way to do that by killing my own monsters. My class seems unique enough that there''s a chance I get some more combat abilities soon. I''ll find out once I clear the dungeon.


    "Well, if you''re sure, I won''t say no," Alex said. "Thank you."


    "Just try to bring it back if you can. I like that sword."


    Alex grinned. "We''ll see what I can do. Go ahead and meditate. I''ll keep watch until you''re done."


    Claire nodded. She scooted back onto the bed and crossed her legs, her eyes closing in concentration as she slipped into meditation.


    ***


    A little under three hours later, Alex set off. He left nearly immediately after Claire finished her work. There wasn''t a second to waste. Even if he had a chance of clearing the dungeon alone, he had no delusions about how long it would take.


    Chances were that Glint would die at least once and that meant a delay of an hour. If there were more deaths, the time it would take to clear the dungeon would grow even larger ¡ª and the trip alone took an hour itself.


    There wasn''t time to meditate and also clear the dungeon, but Alex was fine with that. The monsters on Earth were weaker than those in the Mirrorlands, and when the apocalypse was this early on, squeezing extra challenge out of the opponents he had to work with could be the difference that set him apart.


    As soon as there are some really powerful monsters to fight, I can''t intentionally hold myself back anymore. That would just slow me down. But when things are this early on, every small advantage is worth grabbing.


    There were still a few people in the apartment lobby when he left, but none of them paid him any attention.


    Moonlight bore down from a cloudless, starry sky. Alex paused at the base of the apartment as he craned his neck back and stared up in a moment of mute awe.


    He''d never seen a night like this. There weren''t just a few stars. There weren''t hundreds. There were thousands. A blanket of black, awash with shimmering eyes. Some of the stars were so large that they were getting close to challenging the moon in size.


    It was beautiful. A breeze rolled by, caressing him with its icy fingers, and Alex shivered. The temperature had lowered again. Goosebumps prickled across his arms and neck before curling down his back.


    He drew in a deep breath, taking a moment to enjoy the air. It was, for lack of a better word, crisp. Breathing almost felt like biting into a juicy apple. A small smile crossed his face.


    This is it. This is what life was meant to be. It''s just missing one thing.


    Alex strode off. It wasn''t long before he left the town behind. He broke into a jog to keep warm and cut down travel time as much as possible. The rustle of the wind and crunch of grass beneath his feet were his only companions through the night.


    When he finally arrived at the dungeon, he took a moment to glance around and make sure that he was alone. He doubted that Diego would have returned. It felt like the monstrous man liked killing people more than monsters, and Alex doubted there was anyone else in the dungeon at this hour. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alex drew up to the swirling green portal at the dungeon''s entrance. His skin prickled with energy as he stood before it, staring into its murky, electric depths. Then his smile grew.


    This is what the night was missing. A little excitement.


    He stepped into the portal.


    ***


    Alex''s foot hit grass at the same time that the smell of the forest hit his nose. Sweet and pungent, just as it had been in the room where he and Claire had fought Diego.


    Razor Forest (Novice)


    He''d arrived in another flower room. It wasn''t the same one ¡ª the flowers here were considerably shorter and smaller than they had been in the previous room. Vines rose up from the ground and twisted gently as if caught in the sway of an invisible ocean.


    More noticeably, those vines were covered with thorns. Alex''s eyes narrowed. He summoned Glint. The Shardwalker appeared in a rain of tinkling glass, stepping out beside him and waiting expectantly for his commands.


    "Cut that vine, then run back to me," Alex ordered, pointing to a vine beside a yellow-petaled flower. "Be aware for anything that comes up from the ground and tries to trip you. Also, the flowers themselves. They''re probably monsters."


    It was a long command, but Glint seemed to understand. He ran over to the vine, his claws flicking out. They ripped through the green foliage ¡ª and blood came spilling out. A hiss of pain filled the room.


    Glint hopped back as roots erupted all around the flower nearest to the vine he''d just cut. They rose up from the ground like the legs of a spider and dirt sloughed away as the flower lifted into the air.


    Alex''s eyes widened in surprise. The flower wasn''t the monster at all. It was just part of it. A creaking moan of pain filled the air as his true foe made itself known. The monster''s body was made out of craggy earth and formed into the shape of a massive spider. Its eyes were eight glistening black gemstones. Vines hung from its mouth ¡ª not just plants, but some sort of odd tongues. Alex was just about as tall as it was so long as he didn''t count the flower.


    Florachnid (Novice 2)


    The flower in question bobbed on its head like a fishing lure. It lurched toward Glint and swept at him with a sharp root-leg. Glint leapt into the air, clearing the attack, and raked his razor-sharp claws down the monster''s face.


    The Florachnid screamed in pain. Thorn covered vines shot out to grab Glint, only to be carved apart as his spikes shredded the plant matter like nothing. A laugh slipped from Alex''s mouth unbidden as he dashed forward and brought the sword down for a root leg.


    He''d never swung a sword before, but Claire had kept her weapon sharp. It carved straight through the limb with a snik. The root thudded to the ground and the Florachnid cried out in pain. Glint didn''t give the monster a chance to collect itself.


    The Shardwalker ripped and tore at the Florachnid''s wooden face as it desperately attempted to shake him off. It barely even remembered Alex''s presence ¡ª right up until the crunch of wood split the air as Alex drove his sword straight into the side of its neck.


    He yanked down on the blade, pulling it free with a grunt, and staggered several steps back. With one final shudder, the Florachnid crashed to the ground. Cool energy poured into Alex''s body and mixed with the adrenaline thrumming in his veins. A greenish-brown fire flickered to life above the monster''s body. If Alex''s estimate was correct, it was a low-mid grade flame based on its size.


    That confirms it. The System doesn''t reveal things that are hidden until I spot them. Good to know.


    Nothing else in the room moved. Perhaps the monsters saw what had happened to the large spider. Perhaps they were lying in wait, or perhaps it had been the only monster in the room. It didn''t matter.


    He drew in a deep breath, letting the sweet scent of the dungeon fill his lungs, and smiled as he exhaled. "Come on, Glint. Let''s root out anything hiding from us."


    The Shardwalker looked at Alex. He looked back at it.


    "Right. No more puns," Alex muttered, more than aware Glint had only failed to respond because he hadn''t actually given a proper order. He scooped the Florachnid''s energy flame off the ground and deposited it in his Spatial Mirror. Then he pointed a finger ahead. "I''ll make it simpler. Help me kill everything in our path."

 Chapter 26 - 25: Cash in

    The rest of the first room went without trouble. Alex killed another Florachnid hiding amongst the normal flowers before moving on to the second room with Glint. That one had even more of the tiny rabid squirrels ¡ª and he couldn''t have been more delighted to find them.


    They were an opportunity to test out the theories he''d formed back in the Mirrorlands as to how the System distributed energy as a reward for defeating challenge. Alex took note of how much energy entered his body when Glint killed the monsters.


    He then handled the last few entirely on his own, with one hand behind his back and hopping on a single leg. It really wasn''t that much of a disadvantage given the disparity in their abilities, but it did stop him from literally stomping them.


    His efforts earned him more than a few painful nips, but when he eventually won, the power he got was only marginally more than what he normally would have gotten. While it wasn''t a complete confirmation of his theory, the results definitely lent itself to it.


    Every monster had a certain amount of energy it could give. It didn''t matter how challenging a fight was. A Novice 1 monster was still a Novice 1 monster. Killing it with a lot of challenge meant he''d get a lot more of its energy, while squishing it with zero effort meant he got a lot less, but it was always a slice of the same pie.


    It was a great way to encourage people to continue striving to grow stronger while keeping them from just farming the same enemy forever, especially since the more he fought the squirrels, the easier fighting them became. He didn''t even need extra levels. Combat experience also made fights easier. The entire system was completely set up to force people to continue seeking stronger foes if they sought power.


    Alex''s quandary solved for the time being, he fed Glint all the miniscule Soul Flames that the monsters left behind. The Shardwalker didn''t have a noticeable change from the meal. That really wasn''t much of a surprise, as the squirrels had been so weak they were barely worth mentioning.


    All the other energy he had stored in his Spatial Mirror would be a different story. He nearly gave into the temptation of giving everything to Glint just to see how far he could push the Shardwalker, but he pressed the desire down.


    I haven''t had a huge challenge in this dungeon yet. I''ll level Glint up once I solo the dungeon or run into something I just can''t beat.


    And so Alex pressed on. The third room had a mixture of squirrels and Florachnids that went down after a short fight.


    His and Glint''s advance through the dungeon didn''t go without cost. A Florachnid managed to leave a rather nasty cut on Alex''s back and he bled lightly from the horde of squirrels.


    None of the wounds were enough to stop him, but they built up. He had no clue how long the dungeon was or how many monsters he still had to kill. It wasn''t hard to tell why people generally did dungeons in groups.


    If I even just had Claire with me, that Florachnid probably wouldn''t have been able to get me while I was off guard. And if I hadn''t had Glint¡­ she''s right. I don''t think I''d be able to do this solo. I''m lucky Claire gave me her sword, because I don''t think Glint could have done this alone either.


    The temptation to use his stored energy was stronger than ever ¡ª but not stronger than his willpower.


    Or my stupidity. I suppose I won''t know which one it is until this is done.


    Alex gave himself a minute to catch his breath and let the wounds stop bleeding too profusely before he continued into the fourth room.


    As soon as he and Glint passed through the black portal, his foot landed on yet even more grass. His guard rose instantly. This room was different than the previous ones he''d gone through.


    There was no smell at all beyond a faint hint of old grass. Not a single tree or bush littered the flat plain of grass between him and a large black gateway at the far side of the room. It was nearly twice as big as all the other portals he''d passed through.


    Between Alex and the large gate was a single, large flower about twice its height. Thorns covered the vine running up to a rose at its top. Thick roots pressed against the grassy soil around the base of the flower and several vines swayed in the area around it.


    His eyes narrowed in recognition.


    That''s definitely a Florachnid. If the size of its flower is proportional to its body¡­ this one is a lot bigger than the last one I fought.


    Alex adjusted his grip on Claire''s sword. The worn leather sat comfortably in his palm as he lowered his stance to prepare to burst into motion. There was only one way he would allow himself to progress.


    Forward.


    "Same strategy as the first Florachnid," Alex ordered. His heart was already beating faster with anticipation. He shifted his weight to the balls of his feet, then blew out a breath to steady himself. "Go."


    Glint dashed forward. His mirrored claws tore through a vine ¡ª and a screech tore through the room.


    Alex stumbled as his ears popped and a wave of dizziness slammed into him like a hammer. He staggered in place, warm liquid trickling down the sides of his head and a persistent ringing buzz roaring in his ears.


    Glint seemed to fare a little better. The small monster dodged back as the ground cracked and split apart. A Florachnid ripped itself free from the dirt. Alex''s prediction had been correct. The earthen spider was huge, standing well over two times his height. The vines in its mouth thrashed as they reached out to grab Glint. The Shardwalker hopped out of the way just in time.


    If the monster made any noise, Alex couldn''t tell. The ringing in his ears was too loud. He didn''t need his ears to see what they were up against, though.


    Florachnid (Novice 5)


    He took a step forward and instantly regretted it. The world spun around him and he stumbled, his balance completely shot through. An old memory buried somewhere in the recesses of his mind surfaced.


    I''m pretty sure we use our ears for balance or something like that. If your eardrums go, so does your ability to walk in a straight line.


    Shit.


    He gritted his teeth and widened his stance. He held the sword before him defensively, but Glint didn''t give the huge monster a chance to capitalize on his weakness. Glint looked like a toddler as he leapt forward, latching onto the Florachnid''s face.


    Alex nearly laughed despite the situation. If Glint really were a toddler, then he was a toddler with a copious amount of knives taped to his body. As small as he was, his razor-sharp claws ravaged the monster''s face. Every slash peeled another thick layer of wood free.


    For an instant, Alex almost thought Glint would win the fight on his own.


    Then the monster threw its head back. Alex didn''t hear it scream, but the grass around it blew back. A wave of wind washed over his face and Glint tumbled off the monster''s body.


    He managed to dig his claws into the Florachnid''s side as he fell, ripping a long furrow all the way down its side. Then the spider drove one of its legs down.


    "Roll to the side!" Alex yelled, unable to hear his own words. "Then take off its leg!"


    Glint obeyed. He narrowly dodged the strike and leapt up, sweeping his claws through the root. The Florachnid swayed as one of its legs was severed just above its midpoint. Glint cut through another leg, then hopped back as the bloody vines coming from the spider''s mouth shot out to grab him.


    The Shardwalker brought his claws down on the vines, severing several of them, then leapt for the Florachnid''s legs once more. He cut through one more, leaving the other monster just a single leg on its right side.


    A trickle of hearing returned to Alex. It sounded like he was trying to listen through a wall of cotton. It was better than nothing.


    Unfortunately, he only got it just in time for the unsteady Florachnid to lurch forward faster than Glint could react. It was over in a flash. One of its sharp legs drove straight through Glint''s chest.


    The Shardwalker raked his claws down the side of the leg, tearing it to ribbons, but the damage was too great. Glint''s body went slack. His body disintegrated into a stream of energy that twisted through the air like smoke before flowing into Alex.


    Blood trickled down the sides of his neck and soaked into his shirt. His hands tightened around the hilt of the blade as his heart started to beat faster. The Florachnid turned in a stumbling gait, leaning heavily on its good side, and looked at Alex with eight glistening eyes of black crystal.


    "Come on, then," Alex said, baring his teeth and raising the sword. He''d gotten a little bit of his balance back. Not as much as he would have liked, but enough to stand without swaying too badly.


    The System''s accelerated healing was the only thing keeping him in the fight, but it would have to be enough.


    I definitely can''t move a lot. I need to wait for the right moment ¡ª and if the Florachnid screams again, I''m done. I have to pretend like I still can''t move.


    Root legs dug into the dirt as the Florachnid slowly approached Alex. Blood poured from the severed vines in its mouth and its breathing was a muted, rattling hiss. It moved with steady determination, watching Alex with inscrutable eyes.


    He had no delusion of its speed. It could definitely strike quickly if it wanted to. That''s how it had taken out Glint. Alex bared his teeth. Somehow, he''d found himself in a game of chicken for the second time that day.


    "Who breaks first?" Alex whispered. His own voice sounded odd to his ears. The Florachnid dragged itself closer, leaving a thick trail of blood in the grass behind it from all the severed legs on its left side. It was injured far worse than he was. Time wasn''t in its favor. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I''m nothing but injured prey.


    Come on.


    COME ON!


    The Florachnid was only feet away from him. With the outside world almost completely muted, the only thing Alex could truly hear was the furious thump of his heart and the blood rushing through his veins.


    Adrenaline gripped Alex like a vice. His mind screamed to attack or run and fear beat a drum in the back of his head. The Florachnid pulled itself closer once more.


    Then it lurched forward.


    Alex didn''t have the slightest amount of faith in his ability to accurately avoid an attack from any of its legs if he missed, and so he took the only path he saw before him. Bleeding tongues extended from the Florachnid to grab Alex ¡ª and he dove forward to meet it. Perhaps it was more accurate to say he just fell forward with some extra momentum.


    He braced Claire''s sword against his shoulder and sent all the energy he could gather straight into his palms in one fell blow. Battered, thorny vines wrapped around Alex''s chest and started to squeeze. At the same time, his sword drove into the monster''s skull.


    Mirrors erupted from his palm and raced through the hilt of the sword, ripping out from its blade and carving through the Florachnid''s head like a handheld blender.


    The vines that had just grabbed him faltered. The Florachnid dropped like a rock, taking Alex with it. He kept his grip on the sword all the way until they both hit the ground. Muted cracks echoed out as mirror shards broke off from the sword''s blade, lodging in the giant spider''s head.


    A wave of power slammed into Alex. He lay on top of the Florachnid''s corpse, heart hammering away, unable to muster the energy to move. Minutes slipped by. Alex finally rolled over, leaning against the dead monster''s head as he caught the last of his breath. His hearing slowly crawled back ¡ª and the first sound he heard with his newly healed ears was his own hysterical laughter.


    It was nearly another minute before he managed to gather himself. A few of his wounds were still open. His blood mixed with that of the earthen spider and muddied the grass beneath them. Claire probably would have cried at the waste. He pulled the sword free of the Florachnid''s head with a grunt and the last few shards of mirror rained away from its surface.


    The weapon was, fortunately, undamaged. It would have been awkward to explain to Claire what happened if he''d turned her sword into a college art project.


    I can send my magic into objects rather than just sprouting it from my body? Good to know. I could have saved the bottom of my shoe if I figured that out earlier.


    Alex looked down to the dead monster at his feet. A thick green flame danced above its head. No heat came from it, but his stomach warmed, nonetheless. Another reward the fight had reaped, this one for Glint.


    Mid-Grade Novice (Florachnid)


    He drew it into his mirror as he caught the rest of his breath and looked around. The room, previously without smell, was now a haze of sweat, blood, and viscera. His eyes raised to the large door across from him.


    "That''s the boss, or whatever equivalent the System has," Alex muttered to himself. "Nobody makes a fancy door for no reason. I definitely can''t handle it without Glint."


    He dragged himself over to the side of the room and leaned against the wall to rest in a slightly less blood-covered area. His clothes were ruined. Nobody was getting this much blood out of anything.


    There was, unfortunately, a bigger issue.


    "Shit," Alex muttered as he looked at his palms. "That thing was definitely at the absolute limit of what I can handle. If the boss is even slightly stronger than that¡­"


    Eh. You know what? I''m happy. I got nearly all the way through the dungeon on my own. I couldn''t quite clear the whole thing, but this is farther than just about anyone else could have made it. No reason to be an idiot, and I''ve got some time to kill before I can press on.


    There was no way around it. If he wanted to clear the dungeon on his own, he''d have to be stronger. Fortunately, he had just the way to do that. Glint still wasn''t around to keep watch for him, but Alex wasn''t in shape to fight anyone now anyway.


    He closed his eyes and started to meditate. It was time to cash in all the potential he''d been storing up.

 Chapter 27 - 26: Unbound Mirrorlander

    Alex''s Mind Palace formed around him. A lake stretched out, white marble basin sitting alone in its center. An orb of blue mist, so thick that it wasn''t even translucent anymore, swirled above it soundlessly.


    Huh. I half expected Berith to be sitting around somewhere here. Not that I''m complaining. I don''t need to interact with him any more than I have to. Still¡­


    The dark expanse almost felt lonely. Ripples passed through the dark water as Alex walked across it. His footsteps echoed through his empty mind until he drew up to the edge of the basin. He sat down before it and steadied his breathing before closing his eyes for the second time, sinking even deeper into his mind.


    Alex reached out to the power swirling above him. He drew in a startled gasp as he found a sea of power waiting for him. It poured down his throat, choking him, and flooded into his chest. He couldn''t breathe. The power was literally suffocating.


    He nearly lost his concentration then and there, but he managed to hold on by a thread. Nobody had told him what would happen if he completely fell out of meditation while connected to his power, but he didn''t want to find out.


    Alex repressed the budding panic and focused on the power. He sent his will forth into it. This was his mind. His power. It didn''t matter if he thought he was breathing or not. His outside body was fine.


    This is all in my head ¡ª and in my head, we play by my rules. I earned this power, and I won''t let it just slip away.


    A droplet formed from the churning mist. It fell, landing in the basin with a faint plink. Breathing grew no easier. Alex''s concentration didn''t falter. His focus remained ironclad. It had to.


    Drop by drop, he wrung energy from the mist. Almost like rain from a cloud they fell and pattered into the basin. The sound of the falling blue energy changed as the energy landed in a growing pool instead of striking the marble walls.


    Alex wasn''t sure how long he spent in deep meditation. But, eventually, his eyes drifted back open. The last droplets of mist splashed down and his eyes opened to find it banished completely. And, to his delight, his basin was nearly half full of gentle, ocean-blue liquid.


    He stood and rested his hands on the edge of the basin. The water within was serene and peaceful, and yet he could feel the untapped power lying in wait. The potential was just waiting for him to use it.


    How many levels will this much power get me? Could I get all the way up to Novice 6?


    Alex swallowed to keep his excitement under control. His hands tightened around the rim of the basin. He nearly stuck his hand straight into the water then and there, but he hesitated at the last second.


    Back when he''d spoken to the fragment of Meiderly, he''d drank the water before spending it. That bond had spent a large portion of it repairing his basin rather than directly making him stronger¡­ but if he hadn''t done that, he was pretty sure the water he had now would be leaking through the cracks that had been in the basin.


    There wasn''t any damage to the basin left over to fix. There was nothing to repair ¡ª and yet, Alex''s Mind Palace felt profoundly empty. It didn''t make sense for it to be so large and contain nothing but a single white basin.


    Was repairing the basin just a one-time thing?


    He wasn''t so sure. Alex looked down at the water rippling by his feet, his brow creased in thought. His mind churned as he let his eyes drift. Almost unconsciously, his lips curled into a frown and he blinked, glancing back to where he''d just been looking.


    Something felt off about the white basin''s reflection. He looked at the spot where the dark lake met the basin and drew in a small breath of surprise.


    The reflection didn''t match. Instead of a perfect replica of a white basin, there was something else in the water. It almost looked like the back of a throne rising up behind the basin, the exact details of it lost within the dark, murky waters.


    Alex''s eyes raised back to the top of the basin. Then they narrowed. He had two choices before him. Just take the power in the basin and advance as much as he could, then figure out how to get the other rewards the System owed him after that ¡ª or follow what Meiderly had shown him.


    I''ve never been one to turn down a bet.


    He lowered his head into the basin and drank. Ice spiked into his tongue and clawed at the inside of his mouth as it poured down his throat, running its fingers along his throat and reaching for his heart.


    Then it slammed to a halt. For a brief instant, Alex could feel the energy. Not as a foreign body of power, but as an extension of himself. His head pulsed with the strongest brain freeze he''d ever felt.


    It didn''t rip free of its mouth like it had the previous time. Instead, it settled in his stomach and permeated through his body. Freezing droplets gathered at Alex''s palms and ran down the sides of the basin as he gripped it tightly.


    The droplets turned into a river that poured down into the murky waters below. And, from within them, a white point emerged. The point turned to a line and the line to a plane ¡ª the backing that he''d seen reflected in the water.


    The white backing rose soundlessly until it rested behind the basin. A pitch-black gem the size of a fingernail sat at the very top of the mantle attached to the basin. Directly below it was a white gem with three smaller, blue ones spaced out equal distances from each other just beneath it. Channels ran from each of the blue gems, going down the mantle, and down into the basin. The brilliant blue liquid in it had reduced by a little over half.


    As the freezing cold sensation started to release Alex from his grip, he looked back into the water. For an instant, he saw a flicker of a white chain far beneath. His spine prickled and the hair on his arms stood on end.


    The white chain vanished and the feeling passed, leaving him alone with his newly improved basin once again. Alex swallowed.


    Berith is down there, somewhere. Beneath this lake. What exactly does connecting with the energy like this even do?


    He squinted into the lake in an attempt to make anything else out. The reflection of the basin still didn''t seem quite right. He could just barely make out more detail on the basin''s new backing that wasn''t reflected in the real world.


    More power likely would have revealed it, but Alex wasn''t about to spend even more testing while he was in the middle of a dungeon and needed the extra strength to clear it.


    As Alex studied his newly formed basin, a flicker of light danced through the black gem at its top. It swirled within its inky depths like an eye before vanishing once more. A second later, it returned.


    His brow furrowed. Reaching out, Alex brushed his fingers across the gem. A thrum ran through his mind and a ripple passed through the water at his feet like someone had dropped a stone into the center of his soul-lake.


    Alex nearly leapt a foot into the air as black words carved themselves across the surface of the basin''s backing without warning.


    [Trial: The Mirrorlands]


    Objective Completed. Rewards Earned.


    Accept Rewards [1/2]?


    "Hell yeah I do," Alex said. He didn''t see anywhere to touch or otherwise acknowledge the message. It didn''t seem like he needed one. As soon as he finished speaking, the words vanished from the pale white surface.


    It says ?¡­ is the second reward for killing another Anomaly? I guess I''ll have to see once I get this first one.


    Golden lines burst forth in the air before Alex. They expanded, thin tendrils tracing out to form words blazing with energy. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Title Fragment Acquired.


    Unbound: Granted to those who slip free of the broken lands that connect all of the Infinitum without being broken in the process.


    Before Alex could even blink, the sentence vanished. Black letters appeared on the back of the basin once more.


    Would you like to combine any of your Title Fragments?


    Alex didn''t have to think for long. His curiosity refused to let him make any choice other than the affirmative. If he''d gotten a Title Fragment for completing a trial, then they had to be useful somehow ¡ª and it wasn''t doing him all that much now as far as he could tell.


    As soon as he nodded, the black letters changed. Three new lines appeared on the basin.


    Anomaly


    Unbound


    Mirrorlander


    That was it. No further instruction. No hints. Just three titles. Alex''s brow furrowed as he studied them. Perhaps that was another thing he''d missed from the System''s tutorial while he''d been traipsing around in the Mirrorlands.


    Anomaly is the title that the Mirrorlands forcibly gave me. Given the way I got it, I don''t think the System likes it much. I wish I knew more about why¡­ but it did kind of seem to break things. I''m not sure if combining it with something else would improve or ruin it.


    I should probably try combining two other things first, just to see what happens. And if I''m going to do that, it only leaves me with one option.


    He didn''t even have to say what. As soon as his mind was set, Anomaly faded from the list and left only the other two titles behind. The back of Alex''s palms tingled. Two motes of light slipped out from the remaining titles on the basin and floated in the air above the basin.


    And then they just¡­ floated there. Nothing changed. Alex scrunched his nose. He poked one of the motes. It bobbed in the air, pressing back against his finger like a pair of positive magnets.


    Do I have to do the merge myself? I suppose that would make sense.


    Alex reached out to each of the motes. They pressed back into his palms as he carefully pushed them toward each other. Almost instantly, the pressure started to rise. The closer he pushed the motes, the more resistant they became.


    His jaw clenched and he pushed himself harder. The motes pushed back with even more effort, but inch by inch, they ground closer to each other. Alex''s muscles trembled with effort ¡ª but something told him it wasn''t just physical strength he was drawing on.


    The water in the lake at his feet rippled. Small waves passed out from his feet and rolled across its surface. The motes drew closer still, until they were just a hair away from touching. For a brief instant, Alex found himself unable to move them any farther.


    He snarled and drew on a final burst of strength. The two spots of light touched, if just barely. A brilliant burst of light went off and stars tore through his vision. Alex stumbled back with a slew of curses, blinking furiously.


    Both motes of light were gone and all that remained was a single title on the back of the basin.


    Unbound Mirrorlander: Slip past the limits of your Mirrorlander Class, improving its core skill while this Title is equipped.


    Alex''s lips parted in disbelief as he read the title. Then he read it again, and a third time for good measure.


    "Holy shit," Alex breathed to himself. "I was expecting some stupid shit like five percent stronger or something. What is improving a core skill? Are we talking a whole advancement for it? Or something else entirely?"


    There was only one way to find out. Alex summoned his status page with a thought.


    Alex Vaya [Human]


    Class: Evoker [Mirrorlands]


    Stage: Novice 3


    Title Fragments:


    Active Titles:


    Anomaly


    [1/5]


    Inactive Titles:


    [Unbound Mirrorlander]


    Soul Manifestation:


    [Spatial Mirrors] (Novice 1)


    Auxiliary Skills:


    [Requiem to the King] (Novice 1)


    [Monster Medley] (Novice 1)


    [Riftwalk] (Novice 1)


    With a single thought, Alex sent Unbound Mirrorlander from his inactive titles to his active ones. A spike of energy raced through his body and he stiffened, but the feeling had passed by the time he properly registered it.


    Alex waited for another message, but there was nothing. It was as if nothing had changed. His brow furrowed. He still hadn''t actually leveled up yet, so there was a chance that was the delay, but ¡ª


    Wait.


    The deck at his side felt slightly heavier. Alex''s hand shot down and flipped it open. He reached inside and paused. A smile pulled across his lips. He pulled out two Spatial Mirrors. One held Glint, but the other was empty.


    Holy shit. A new mirror card. Upgrades to my Core Ability are only supposed to happen every Stage according to Meiderly... but I''m still a Novice. I just got an extra card for free. That''s a huge advantage. If I use this properly, I could more than double my strength.


    Alex''s smile grew wider.


    He could get another monster.

 Chapter 28 - 27: New abilities

    Alex could barely contain his excitement, but he pushed it down for just a little longer. He needed to keep a clear head. The System wasn''t going to give him another monster for free, which meant he''d have to find out how to get a new one.


    He was also still within his Mind Palace. There weren''t any monsters to claim here ¡ª but he still did have one more reward to claim before he could finally level up and return to the outside world.


    Alex brushed his fingers across the black gem once more. The muted spark buried deep within it ignited as the black words scrawled across the mantle of the basin changed once more.


    Anomalies Slain: 1


    Rewards Earned.


    Accept Rewards [1/1]?


    "Hit me with it," Alex said. He hesitated for a moment. "Metaphorically, that is."


    I''m not sure how literal the System is, but I really don''t want to find out the hard way.


    Fortunately for him, his mind seemed free of any genie-like tendencies and his request was granted exactly in the way that he had wanted it. The instant he finished speaking, golden lines appeared in the air like they''d been sliced into it by a glowing knife.


    Title Acquired.


    Unmaker: Granted to those who rid the system of an Anomaly. While this title is equipped, slaying anomalies saves a portion of their power within your soul. At the next milestone, consume this power to upgrade a single Auxiliary Skill. [1/2 Anomalies slain].


    "That would explain why that prick tried to kill me," Alex muttered as he read over the title, equipping it without hesitation. He wasn''t sure if he was going to go start hunting every other anomaly he ran into, but it looked like now that he''d gotten the title, he''d only get the benefits of it if he had it equipped.


    Never know who I''m going to end up fighting, so no point not using it and missing out on a reward. I wonder if the skill upgrade is based on the abilities of the anomalies I kill, or if it''s just a straight upgrade like the ones leveling up is meant to give me.


    I suppose there''s only one way to find out.


    He was out of rewards to accept for the time being, and he didn''t have infinite time to work with. The sooner he got back into the real world, the better. There was just one thing left to do.


    Alex dipped his hand into the glowing water. Ice drove into his veins as a river of electric energy punched through his palm and flowed through his body into his heart. He drew in a stiff breath and his back straightened, but he held his concentration. There was a lot of power left in the basin, and he absorbed every single drop of it.


    Your Stage has advanced to Novice 4.


    Your Stage has advanced to Novice 5.


    You have amassed 2 units of soul energy.


    Please select an Auxiliary Skill to upgrade.


    The three smaller blue gems on the on the mantle of his basin glistened as they lit with bright energy from within, and black letters appeared on the marble once more.


    [Requiem to the King] (Novice 1)


    [Monster Medley] (Novice 1)


    [Riftwalk] (Novice 1)


    The pain burning through Alex''s system receded and he studied the skills before him. Unfortunately, it didn''t look like he''d get to see the details of what his potential upgrades were before choosing the skill he was going to use his the energy on.


    "I wonder which is better ¡ª to dump all my points into improving a single skill, or to spread them out and be as balanced as possible," Alex mused, chewing his lower lip in thought. It didn''t actually change much for his first choice. He just had to upgrade his most important skill.


    Requiem to the King let him fight on his own, but only when his monsters were dead. Claire had mentioned that summoners usually didn''t have a way to defend themselves. And, as far as Alex was concerned, any exception to a rule was usually an advantage.


    Requiem to the King depends on the strength of my monsters, though. I can''t do anything that Glint can''t. Monster Medley lets me directly upgrade him, which in turn directly upgrades me. That''s definitely one of the skills I have to upgrade, then.


    And that left Riftwalk. The skill that Berith had given him. At least right now, the only thing that Riftwalk let him do was use the portals that connected the Mirrorlands to Earth. There was just one problem.


    It didn''t say anything about making portals, and he didn''t see any portals to work with around him. He wasn''t even sure what upgrading it would do. Sure, there was a chance he could get the ability to make portals to the Mirrorlands, but it was equally as likely that he''d just come out of every portal freshly shaven.


    Then I think that settles it. The only ability that''s guaranteed to help me when I upgrade it is Monster Medley. I can figure my next step out after that.


    Alex didn''t even have to speak out loud. The moment he made his mind up, the words on the marble shifted. Black lines flowed down from the center blue gem that aligned with Monster Medley, forming into what resembled the top of a family tree. Three small boxes appeared beneath the gem.


    (1 Unit) Rift Flood: Flood a summoned monster with rift energy, empowering their core attributes and warping their form.


    (1 Unit) Empower: Temporarily improve a summoned monster''s speed and power.


    (1 Unit) Two for one: Temporarily split one of your summoned monsters into two, halving every aspect of their being. This will split the summoned monster''s life force, linking the clones in life and death.


    Alex''s eyes widened in surprise. These were far from minor changes. Each one was an entire new ability in itself ¡ª and not just that. He had 2 Units of energy to work with, one from each level, which means he could get two abilities now, not just one.


    Rift Flood looks insanely promising. Mirrorlands monsters are fucking terrifying compared to the stuff I''ve seen on Earth so far. This rift energy shit could be what''s making them so warped and messed up. Rift Flood is like a version of Empower that amplifies those rift elements even more.


    That makes Rift Flood objectively better than Empower, but I should take a look at the last option before I make my decision.


    The final ability just cut every aspect of his monsters in half. While having more bodies in a fight would be a huge boon, he''d also seen just how useless the horde of squirrels in the Razorleaf Dungeon had been.


    Also, halving anything meant numbers going down.


    Alex was not a fan of numbers going down.


    Fortunately for him, there was one option that was the complete and utter opposite of that. It also happened to fit the promise he''d made himself some time ago. The world was already fucked. Everything had gone to shit ¡ª and if that was the case, then he was going to enjoy the apocalypse. If he died, he died. That was life.


    But if he didn''t die¡­ well, it would be more fun than coding. That was for certain.


    But happens after I select one? Can I select others? Or am I cut off the other paths? Damn it. I wish Meiderly was still here. I''d even settle for Berith.


    They weren''t there, though. Alex was alone ¡ª and he didn''t have hours to sit around pondering. That was entirely his fault, he wasn''t one to plot for this long anyway. A small smile crossed Alex''s lips.


    Eh. Fuck it. Rift Flood is badass.


    "I chose Rift Flood," Alex said. There was no way he could complain about something that would make Glint even more powerful while simultaneously making him scarier.


    Bright blue energy poured out from the gem and followed the black line leading down to the ability he''d chosen. It flooded into the box, lighting it from within, and Alex felt the very same energy bubbling within him. The other two boxes both darkened as cracks ran throughout them. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Monster Medley] (Novice 2) has gained an additional effect.


    Rift Flood: Flood a summoned monster with rift energy, empowering their core attributes and warping their form.


    Black lines traced down from the box he''d chosen, forming into three more boxes ¡ª but there was no writing within them. Alex still had one more skill to upgrade. Given that he couldn''t see anything in the boxes, he suspected that he had to select Monster Medley a second time to see his new options.


    Looks like I don''t get to go back and grab the old abilities. Maybe they''ll show up again in the future, but I''m not too torn up about it if they don''t. I''ll definitely have to be careful to make sure I don''t select something bad and waste a slot in the future.


    He hesitated for a second before he selected where he would use his next upgrade. He wasn''t sure he wanted to choose Monster Medley a second time, and not because he didn''t like the skill.


    Without a way into the Mirrorlands, he had absolutely no way to get another monster. Now that he was stronger, the most pressing matter for the future was securing a way to get more creatures from the Mirrorlands.


    That only left one option.


    I need to hope that I can get a way to open a portal to the Mirrorlands by leveling up Riftwalk.


    Alex touched the rightmost gem. Cool energy raced through his body in a now familiar sensation as the tree upon the mantle wiped itself clean before shifting its origin. Three new boxes appeared, now coming from the gem that corresponded to Riftwalk.


    (1 Unit) Warpskin: Draw the latent Rift energy that permeates the Infinitum into your body, granting yourself minor camouflage from both sight and scent.


    (1 Unit) ¡ª Riftsense: Extend your senses to locate the Rift nearest to you.


    (1 Unit) ¡ª Rip: Gather a small amount of Rift energy and send it forward in a slash.


    Alex let out a relieved sigh. Sensing the nearest Rift wasn''t quite as nice as forming a portal from scratch, but it would suit his purposes just fine for the time being.


    However, the other two abilities were both useful. Alex wasn''t eager to give up the potential to control rift magic externally or internally.


    The System hasn''t felt unfair at any point. It rewards challenge, so there''s no way it would completely gate me out of ever getting more useful rift-related abilities if I go with the detection one, right? There has to be a way. If something as powerful as Berith can get chained down, then I''m confident anything can be accomplished when you get strong enough.


    His decision for the time being wasn''t hard. He needed a way back to the Mirrorlands more than anything else. It was the only place he could get more monsters to summon and the biggest advantage he had.


    Alex made his choice.


    [Riftwalk] (Novice 2) has gained an additional effect.


    Riftsense: Extend your senses to locate the Rift nearest to you.


    A shiver ran down Alex''s spine as the power set itself into his body. Once again, the skill tree expanded before him but failed to show anything new. Alex wasn''t perturbed. He''d have more than enough time to learn about how the rest of his abilities worked after he killed the boss of the Razor Forest.


    There was only one thing left to do before he could return to the real world. Alex pressed his hand to the deck at his side.


    "Glint. Come out."


    The tinkling of glass echoed through his Mind Palace as his summoned monster stepped out from a shimmering portal of jagged glass and onto the black lake, sending a small ripple rolling across its surface.


    Glint looked up, expectantly waiting instruction. Alex slipped Glint''s card free of its spot at his side, turning it over in his hands as his grin expanded. An hour had passed, and his companion was ready to rejoin him.


    He was so excited that he could barely contain it.


    "This almost feels like my birthday, but I get to eat all of the cake." Alex hesitated for a second, then frowned and pursed his lips. "Actually, that sounds kind of bad when you say it out loud. Having a whole cake to yourself on your birthday isn''t really something to brag about. It''s just depressing. Oh well. It''s not as bad if I''m sharing with you, right?"


    He flipped the card around.


    Low-Mid Grade Novice (Ent Harvester) - 1


    Low-Mid Grade Novice (Florachnid ) - 4


    Low-Mid Grade Novice (Human) - 1


    Mid-Grade Novice (Florachnid) - 1


    "That''s a whole lot of cake," Alex said. "I hope you''re hungry. I can''t have you lagging behind me in level too much."


    Alex could have sworn that Glint''s eyes shimmered in response. Even though the monster had no proper thought of its own, it looked just as excited as Alex felt to grow stronger. With a flourish, Alex summoned every flame from his card and scattered them before Glint.


    With this much energy, I''m expecting to see something a little more interesting than just growing a bit. Let''s see just how strong you can become, Glint.

 Chapter 29 - 28: Glintmaxxing

    One by one, Alex fed every flame in his Spatial Mirror to Glint. The monster mowed through every one of the flames in less than a few seconds, swallowing the last of them before his body could even begin to adapt or change to the new energy. His tongue flicked out and ran over his thin lips. For a moment, all was silent.


    Then a crunch split the stillness of Alex''s Mind Palace. A second one followed after it and the shards jutting out of Glint''s back shuddered like loose teeth. Glint''s lips pulled back in a hiss as cracks joined the myriad of noises coming out from his body.


    The flesh on his back roiled and churned, mirrors turned to bobbing boats on a stormy sea. His body bulged and twitched as something pressed into it from within. Alex took a step back as Glint dropped to all fours, his bladed fingers cutting into the water beneath.


    He lurched and his body bulged, muscle lining his thin frame as he grew by nearly a foot ¡ª which somehow ended up leaving him even more gaunt than before. Alex could count each bone in the monster''s ribcage pressing into his pallid grey skin.


    The mirrored shards jutting from the monster''s back lengthened and ground against each other with a symphony of grating screeches. A dull silver sheen washed over every single one of them and their edges glistened in the dim light, razor-sharp.


    Glint''s arms lengthened, leaving them long and spindly. Thin silver spikes of glass ran down them and jutted out at an angle like the barbs on an arrow. His claws had extended as well and were now nearly as large as Alex''s entire hand.


    The disgusting sounds finally came to a halt. Glint pushed himself upright, falling silent as he rose. Alex stared at him with a mixture of awe and unease. The Shardwalker''s hands hung low to the ground to the point where his claws would dig into the water if he didn''t bend his arms.


    Glint stood almost five feet tall, though the hunch in his back meant he probably could have given him an extra few inches if he straightened it. His face hadn''t been spared from the transformation either.


    Empty eye sockets burned with dull yellow light and the jagged fangs in his mouth had silvered. His features had taken a disturbing step toward humanoid, though the stretched gray skin and lack of a nose made it quite clear he was anything but.


    Glint - Shardwalker (Novice 7)


    Holy shit. Glint is terrifying now. I mean, he was terrifying before, but this is just on another level. I love it.


    Alex coughed into his fist and took a step to the side. Glint''s eyes traced him, empty and starving. Something about the monster''s gaze made his skin crawl. That was great when Glint was pointed at an enemy. It wasn''t so great when it was pointed at him.


    It looks like Glint just consumed the power from the Soul Flames power directly. I wonder if upgrading Monster Medley would let me make more intentional upgrades to him. I''d imagine it would. Either way, it looks like Glint actually advanced faster than I did.


    That has to be because I spent a bunch of my energy building up my Mind Palace. Five levels in one go. Not bad at all. We need to find stronger monsters. I can''t fart around with this dungeon forever ¡ª but I think it''s a bit arrogant to yap until I''ve actually cleared the damn thing.


    The Shardwalker''s thin lips pulled apart in what could have been either a smile, a grimace, or simply boredom. It could have been any or neither ¡ª Alex was pretty sure the monster wasn''t capable of emotion at all.


    "You there, Glint?" Alex tried. If Glint had magically gained any proper sapience through the experience, the Shardwalker didn''t show it. Dull yellow eyes just watched Alex expectantly in wait for an order. Alex waved his hand. "Well, I tried. Back to your card, bud."


    A stream of dark energy swirled out of Glint and he disintegrated, flowing into the card in Alex''s hand. He slipped it back into the deck at his side and took a moment to gather himself, making sure he hadn''t missed anything. Getting into meditation took a while, and he didn''t want to have to come back right after leaving.


    He''d gotten both of his rewards.


    He''d leveled both himself and Glint up.


    Yep. Pretty sure that''s everything. Only one thing left to do tonight.


    Alex let his eyes open, slipping free of his meditation as his consciousness returned to the room of the dungeon he sat in. The scent of blood, dirt, and pollen mixed with sweat in the air in a stew that not even the most optimistic man could have described as tolerable.


    His back was stiff and his body ached something furious, but his wounds had all sealed over. He felt oddly rested, in spite of the lingering pain. Claire had been right about meditation functionally replacing sleep.


    Alex groaned and rose to his feet, brushing his clothes off as best as he could.


    The room was still empty. That was a good thing. He''d have been dead if it wasn''t. His eyes drifted over to the dark portal that still, as doorways tended to do, sat in the same spot. The boss of the dungeon laid in wait beyond it.


    At least, he was pretty sure it did. He didn''t actually have a way to know that for sure, but it would have been stupid to have a fancy doorway that just led to a normal room.


    He clambered to his feet. Then he paused. Something was off. He looked down at his hand and flexed his fingers. As the aches faded away, something else replaced them. He wasn''t quite sure how to describe it other than energetic.


    Feeling more than a little stupid, he threw a punch. His hand blurred through the air with enough force to tug on his arm socket and he cursed, stumbling forward and nearly tripping over his own feet. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There was no doubt about it. He was stronger. Faster.


    So absorbing magical energy does more than just unlock new abilities. It gives me some pretty significant changes to my physical body. That''ll definitely come in handy.


    Alex scooped Claire''s sword off the ground and called Glint with a thought. A portal cracked open amidst the sounds of shattering glass and the Shardwalker stepped out, his claws leaving thin furrows in the ground as he emerged.


    Wow, he really looks different. I''m not sure why it''s so much more obvious in the real world. I wonder if Requiem to the King is stronger now that Glint is so much more powerful than he used to be.


    "Let''s go," Alex said, pointing to the portal. "Lead the way. As usual, focus survival over landing a blow. I need you alive."


    Glint followed his orders without hesitation and stepped into the black archway, vanishing within it. Alex strode after his companion, raising Claire''s sword and readying himself for the next fight with an eager grin.


    The world shifted. His foot hit wet earth with a squelch and the grassy plains vanished, replaced by a large, swampy expanse. Bubbles rose to the top of boggy puddles, popping and releasing sulfurous bursts of gas. Glint stood before him, neck craned back to stare up.


    A single, enormous flower rose in the center of the room. It rose nearly an entire story into the air, a several foot bed of gnarled roots stretching out around its base. Its stem was a yellowish green, split at the middle by two smaller stems that drooped low to the ground. The stems were rough and woody, almost like the bark of a tree. At the end of each stem was a half-dead flower, wilting pinkish petals ringing the rows of jagged teeth at the plant''s center.


    Floraking (Novice 6)


    The flowers on the huge monster''s head rustled. The teeth within them rippled in a hypnotizing pattern as three simultaneous roars split the room. The ground rumbled as roots ripped themselves free, rising up like the heads of striking snakes.


    "Go!" Alex yelled.


    Glint blurred into motion. Roots whistled past his lanky body as he bounded past them and leapt into the air with surprising strength, clearing several pointed spikes and landing on the ground near the base of the flower.


    More roots erupted and swirled up to grab him, but the Shardwalker''s deadly sharp claws carved through them like paper. Alex was forced to pull his attention away from Glint as a root twisted up from the ground and snapped around his ankle, trying to pin him in place.


    He swung his sword, splitting the growth with a crack. Alex stumbled back just in time to avoid being impaled by two more spiked roots that jutted out. They brushed across his chest, ripping across his shirt and leaving thin cuts on the skin beneath.


    Alex swung his sword once more, carving through both in a single strike. At the same time, a cacophony of screams split the air once more. Glint had carved his way all the way through the room and up to the flower''s base, where he was locked in a fight with the bed of roots ¡ª a fight he looked to be winning.


    One of the flower heads shot down, its maw splitting open and aiming to devour the Shardwalker whole. Roots swirled up to grab at Glint, binding his limbs and working between the blades of glass jutting from his body as they tightened.


    More roots emerged with every second and quickly bound around the Shardwalker. Alex grit his teeth. The energy churning within his own body rose in response to the thoughts that flicked through his head and he thrust his hand toward Glint.


    He used Rift Flood.


    A river of ice tore down his arm and pushed out of his fingertips. Swirls of silver mist streaked through the air and pierced into the growing cocoon of roots enveloping glint. There was an instant of silence.


    Several loud ripping noises split the air.


    Glistening blades sprouted from the woody growth without so much as a sound.


    Then Glint twisted his body.


    The roots were shredded to pieces in an instant. They fell all around the Shardwalker as he unfurled to his full height, easily a foot taller than he had been before.


    Every single blade on his body had gained several extra inches. His mouth was forced open by the rows of expanded glass fangs filling it, and crackles of reddish-purple mist swirled in what had once been yellow eyes.


    The same energy pulsed within the mirrors on the rest of his body. Coils of smokey mist roiled off Glint as the transformation finished.. The Shardwalker let out a wordless screech of victory and ripped the last shreds of bindings away from himself before flinging himself toward the Floraking once more.


    A huge flower head slammed into the ground with enough force to make it quake. Alex and Glint both stumbled, but the Shardwalker raked his claws deep into the flower as it rose once more.


    Confetti''d petals rained down around him. The other two heads lurched into motion. One extended for Alex, while the other joined the first in trying to kill Glint.


    Alex slashed the roots that rose up to grab him and flung himself back. He hit the ground in a roll, wet dirt squelching and sticking to his body. The flower''s head slammed into the ground behind him and he slipped as he went to rise, nearly getting himself impaled on a rising root but managing to twist out of the way at the last second. The root ripped across his side, sending pain searing into his body along with mud and sweat ¡ª neither of which he suspected were ideal things to be inside a human body.


    Glint can definitely kill this thing, but I need to end the fight as fast as possible. It''s got too much range and I don''t have anywhere to take cover. Cutting the roots is only a stopgap. One of them is going to really get me if we don''t win soon.


    Alex felt a continued draw on his energy, almost as if someone was drawing blood from his soul. It was running out at an alarming rate. He couldn''t keep Glint empowered for much longer.


    He ran to the side, bounding over grasping roots as he fought to keep out of the flower''s reach. The massive heads weren''t all that fast, so he could outrun them. It was the roots he was worried about.


    He skidded to a stop as he came up on a large puddle and hopped out of the way of a root hidden beneath a big rock near its edge, cutting it in half with his sword as it rose up to grab at him.


    Two thuds shook the room as the Floraking tried and failed to crush Glint. Its heads started to lift back into the air ¡ª and in it, Alex spotted an opportunity. There was an even longer delay right after the flowers hit the ground. One he could take advantage of.


    He poured his attention into running, still keeping ahead of the Floraking''s third head, and threw a glance back at Glint. The bed of roots at the flower''s base was completely ravaged, but not without cost.


    His body had taken several nasty cuts and he was limping slightly. Even though Glint was a rank up on the Floraking, they were fighting on the massive monster''s home ground, not Glint''s. It had had who knew how long to grow and flood the room with roots ¡ª but Glint had something it didn''t.


    The heads crashed down again. Alex grinned, the adrenaline running through his body suppressing the pain in his side and muting out the rancid smell of the room.


    "Grab onto it!" Alex yelled.


    Glint lunged to obey and latched onto one of the huge flower heads as they rose back into the air.


    At the same instant, vines whipped out from the ground at the base of the flower. Alex''s eyes widened in surprise, but they were far faster than the roots. One of them shot around his legs and yanked him into the air with enough force to send his sword spinning from his grip.


    The ground vanished as Alex was lifted up and flung into the sky. His arms flailed as he flew up dozens of feet into the air. For a brief instant, he could nearly touch the ceiling. Then he started to plummet back down.


    One of the Floraking''s heads moved directly beneath him. There was nowhere for him to dodge. No way for him to dodge.


    The flower''s maw split open, large enough to swallow him whole and leave room for more. Wind screamed in his ears and stung at his squinted eyes as he plummeted down to meet it. There were only seconds to react.


    "Glint!" Alex screamed, his voice nearly completely lost to the howling wind. He had an idea, but he wasn''t sure if there was enough time to pull it off. There was only one way to find out. "Kill yourself!"

 Chapter 30 - 29: The Floraking

    Wind screamed past Alex''s face he plummeted down toward the waiting maw. The world didn''t slow down, nor did his mind suddenly speed up and start processing things at a mile a second. There was just the rotted air coming from the flower and the maw full of teeth waiting to rip through him.


    Glint drove his claws into his own throat, ripping it open. A streamer of silver mist exploded from his body and flew back to Alex ¡ª but nowhere near as fast as he would have liked.


    Oh, shi¡ª


    Alex crashed into the Floraking''s mouth. The flower shuddered and bounced with the impact, its petals furling shut around him and plunging the world into darkness.


    Silence reigned for a brief moment. The room was still once more. Only the Floraking remained, crippled, weeping sap, victorious.


    Then a thick shard of mirrored glass tore through the petals of its head. A second one followed after it, joined by three more. Petals ripped like tearing paper as they were minced apart from within, completely destroying the head in just seconds.


    Pained screams ripped from the monsters other two heads as the stem supporting the brutalized head crumpled. It crashed to the ground, leaving a trail of ripped petals fluttering through the air behind it like a flock of doves. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alex rolled out from within the monster''s body, tiny puncture wounds covering his body. Glass spines jutted from his palms and shoulders, dripping with blood and milky white plant sap. The Floraking''s remaining heads howled in fury. A wall of rancid air slammed into Alex with enough force to blow his hair back and make his lips screw up with distaste.


    Vines shot out from where the monster''s stem met the ground and the remaining two heads launched toward Alex in a conjoined attack. He burst into motion ¡ª not running away from the monster, but toward it.


    Roots shot up from the ground. He leapt over them and brought his hands down, cutting through the vines midair before they could bind him. He hit the ground running, his feet squelching against the wet mud as he raced past deep puddles, headed for the monster''s stem.


    Two shadows passed over him. Without Glint to keep their attention, both of the remaining Floraking''s heads dropped at once, giving up on eating him and just aiming to crush his body to paste.


    Alex flung himself forward, flicking his hands and sending the mirror shards spinning away as he hit the ground in a roll. The ground shuddered behind him, but he didn''t wait for the heads to rise again. He shoved himself upright, ripping free from the sticky mud with a squelch, and flung himself at the nearest head.


    He latched on and wrapped his limbs around the head of the flower in a bear hug. It started to lift in the air. Alex had other plans. Mirrors ripped out of his palms and chest, shredding his clothes and the flower alike as he slid down, dropping back to the ground amid a rain of petals.


    The last flower head slammed into Alex''s back like a wrecking ball. All the air exploded from his lungs in a pained grunt as he was launched across the room and sent rolling across the ground.


    As annoying as the mud was, it was probably the only reason he survived the blow. It slowed his momentum and he slid into a puddle with a splash, stopping just a short distance from the wall.


    Somehow, despite the force of the blow, Alex could still stand. The strength his body had gained from advancing in level was enough to let him take a blow from a giant flower ¡ª though, when he thought of it that way ¡ª it sounded a fair bit less impressive.


    He wiped his face clean, squinting through the muddy water stinging his eyes, and drew ragged breaths as he squared off against the last of the Floraking''s heads. The huge flower reared back, the two stems that had been connected to its other heads wilted and dragging on the ground beside it.


    The flower tightened in on itself and bulged, filling from within. Alex burst into motion, sprinting across the ground faster than he''d ever moved in his life. It wasn''t quite at the level of an Olympic sprinter, but he wouldn''t have said he was too far off.


    Power pumped through his muscles as they burned, desperate for relief. The flower''s pursed petals parted and a wave of thick purple smog rolled out across the ground. Alex drew in a deep breath and held it, squinting as much as he could as he ran straight into the burning mist.


    Pain seared into every one of his open wounds. A root snagged his foot, but a mirror shard erupted from his ankle and tore through it before it could wrap around him. He stumbled under a vine, nearly losing his footing but catching himself at a last moment.


    Alex burst from the mist, streamers of it still curling around his body. The world had taken on a thick haze, and he could barely even still see through his squinted eyes. It felt like he''d poured a gallon of soap into each of them ¡ª but he could still make out the blurry flower directly in front of him.


    He lunged. The flower yanked back, finally recognizing the threat that his body posed and acting to keep him from shredding its head. Alex''s lips pulled into a thin, tight smile. His foot hit the ground and he leaned forward, pouring every last scrap of energy he had into moving.


    Even as the flower head rose far above him, he closed the distance between himself and the massive stem. No vines or roots remained to stop him and the monster realized his plan all too late. He thrust both of his palms into the base of the stem.


    Mirrors drove from them and into the yellowed plant matter. It crunched and split like a stick of rotted celery. The plant stiffened involuntarily and let out a scream. Alex forced the shards to expand, growing wider and slicing the Floraking from within.


    Glint''s power faltered and gave way. He''d already used up a lot of his magical reserves strengthening the Shardwalker, and he''d drawn on every scrap he had. There was nothing left.


    The shards of glass snapped off his palms. The Floraking shuddered in pain and finally managed to regain control of itself. Huge gashes wept white matter, but it wasn''t dead yet. Its head crashed down toward Alex in a last-ditch attempt to end his life.


    He grabbed the two blades of glass, marred by blood and sap. His teeth gritted and he snarled, the glass biting deep into his palms as he shoved it even deeper. The adrenaline tearing through his whole body wasn''t enough to stop the pain, but it numbed it for just long enough.


    The shards slammed together with a loud snik. Alex slammed his shoulder into the stem and the final few fibers that had been holding the Floraking''s third head upright ripped. The huge flower pitched back and crashed to the ground. Boggy water splashed up around it and petals fluttered down around Alex.


    He dropped to his knees. Wet mud squelched beneath him as he sat back, drawing in deep, wheezing breaths. Mud and sweat mixed, stung his eyes. Blood poured from his palms and the wounds riddling his body bubbled as if acid had been poured on them.


    The adrenaline slipped from his body like a discarded blanket. He might have passed out on the spot if a river of icy cold energy hadn''t slammed into him. Relief enveloped Alex and he let out a groan as the pain receded in the face of the power.


    It was a lot. More than he''d ever gotten for a single fight. The sensation only lasted for a few brief, incredible moments, but it was enough to shock his stunned mind back into awareness. Enough to bring his attention to the glowing golden words appearing in the air before him.


    Razor Forest (Novice) has been cleared.


    Title Fragment Acquired.


    Lone: Granted to those who clear a dungeon at their rank entirely on their own.


    Please select a name for the Local and Global Leaderboards [Inactive].


    Alex stared at the floating words for several seconds as he processed them. He''d gotten another Title Fragment. Clearing the dungeon alone had been the right call, but he had to deal with the System''s request before anything else.


    If this is what people are going to know me as, I don''t want to go too edgy and just look like an idiot. What do I ¡ª


    Ah. That might work.


    His throat was dry and ragged from how heavily he''d been breathing, but he still managed a single word.


    "Ash," Alex rasped.


    The words vanished silently. Alex blew out a slow breath as his thundering heart slowly started to calm. Out of the corners of his eyes, he spotted a muddy greenish brown flame flickering in wait. The most powerful soul flame that he''d seen so far.


    Mid-High Grade Novice (Floraking)


    His lips twitched. Then their corners curled up.


    And then, his body torn to pieces and sitting in a swamp in a spreading pool of muddy water, before the corpse of a building-sized carnivorous flower, Alex started to laugh.


    ***


    Alex''s rapped his knuckles against the door of door 221, then leaned against the walls of the shoddy apartment with one hand to support himself. Just a few moments later, it jerked open to reveal Claire.


    "Alex! Bleedin'' hell. You''re Novice 5? How did¡­" Claire trailed off as she took him in, her eyes growing wide. "What the fuck happened to you? Are you okay?"


    He glanced down. His clothes were absolutely destroyed. They were stained with mud, blood, and just about everything else in between. Even though the majority of his wounds had mostly closed, some of the worse ones were still exposed.


    Even Claire''s sword, which he held in a loose grip at his side, was completely caked with mud. It had taken him nearly ten minutes to track down where the stupid weapon had fallen after he''d gathered enough energy to start moving around again.


    "Do I look okay?" Alex asked as he held her sword out.


    Claire grabbed it between two fingers and tossed it into the room. It clattered across the ground behind her as she steadied him with a hand.


    "No."


    "Ah. Well, you''re wrong. I''m fine," Alex said with a grin. "I did waste a bit of blood, though. Hungry?"


    "For that? No bleeding way."


    "Hey, I offered."


    "And the offer is appreciated. And, in case you''re unaware, you smell like death," Claire said, shaking her head. "You need a bath, or you might end up killing monsters by stench alone."


    "Tomorrow. I don''t think I''ve got the energy to lift my hands at this point," Alex said with a wry laugh. "I''m pretty sure I''d drown myself if I got into water deeper than a puddle right now."


    She grimaced. "Well, it''s your room too. Just leave the bed alone, please. We''ll never get the stench out."


    "The floor is fine," Alex replied. Claire helped him in, closing the door behind them with a heel. She helped him over to the far wall where he leaned back against it and slid down, letting out a satisfied sigh. "Thanks."


    "Yeah, sure." Claire hesitated for a second. "Did¡­ you do it? Your new level makes the answer pretty clear, but I still have to ask."


    He grinned up at her. "Damn right I did. You were right, though. Doing that completely alone would have been impossible. I only managed it because of Glint."


    "And because you''re insane," Claire muttered. She snagged one of the sheets from the bed and brought it over to Alex, tossing it onto him. "Was it worth it?"


    "More than. Just keep it to yourself. We don''t need to draw pointless attention yet. I''ll be doing more than enough of that soon."


    Claire nodded her understanding. "I will ¡ª and damn. Now I''m going to have to catch up to you. I didn''t think you''d be able to advance this quickly. How many monsters did you have to kill?"


    "It wasn''t the number. It was the size. Don''t worry, though. You''ll have more than enough chances to catch up tomorrow."


    "You just said it would have been impossible to solo the dungeon without Glint."


    "Oh, I wasn''t talking about the dungeon." Alex''s lips curled up in a smile. "Tomorrow morning, we''re going back to the Mirrorlands."

 Chapter 31 - 30: On the offense

    The ratty, scratchy carpet of room 221 pricked into the side of Alex''s cheek and arms throughout the entire night. It bore the scent of old tobacco smoke and dust that didn''t pair even slightly well with the blood, sweat, and mud coating him.


    He''d never slept better. Even before the golden rays of the sun could shoulder their way past the dirt and scum marring the old window, his eyes fluttered open and he rose, his wounds completely healed and his stench untouched.


    Today was a new day. There were at least 24 hours before the next part of the System initialized and a horde of monsters attacked the settlement they were in. That didn''t sound like much, but it would be more than enough for a trip to the Mirrorlands to fight some more powerful monsters and gain a new summon.


    But before Alex could step one foot outside of the building and set out once again to prepare for the oncoming monsters, there was a critical issue that he had to deal with first.


    Alex needed a bath.


    That carried the drawback of having to speak with people. While Alex didn''t particularly mind talking to anyone normally, he''d just jumped two levels in a single night. He didn''t want to get stuck explaining what he had done ¡ª or how he''d cleared a dungeon on his own ¡ª at the moment. There was just nothing good that would come of it yet.


    Fortunately for him, Claire was already awake and more than willing to lend him her status-obscuring bracelet so long as he promised to wash it off before bringing it back. As soon as she removed it, Alex saw that the System identified her as a Novice 4.


    With his new anonymity, it was a simple task for Alex to set off to find a bathroom. It only now struck him as odd that the room lacked one. He wasn''t sure if that was because the building was just the most scuffed apartment to have ever been built, or if it was due to the system screwing with things during initialization.


    His search didn''t take long. Luckily for him and everyone in the vicinity, the others had already prepared two large meeting rooms as makeshift bathing areas and dragged a number of tubs into them.


    A few other people were milling about and the water was freezing cold, but Alex didn''t care. He just plunged in clothes and all, scrubbing himself furiously and with borderline reckless abandon.


    If there''s a magic item that conceals my abilities and name from people, then is there one that lets me instantly take a bath without having to get in one of these? That would be sweet.


    Alex finished his bath and clambered out, completely soaked from head to toe. He ignored the looks the others sent him as he splish-splashed right back out of the bathhouse and up the stairs to return to room 221.


    "Thanks," Alex said as he held the bracelet out. "That saved me a lot of hassle. How''d you get it, anyway?"


    "Monsters in the dungeons have items sometimes, but you can buy them from some merchants as well," Claire replied. She held a hand up to stop Alex. "And I think you should hang onto that, at least until we get out of town."


    Alex blinked in surprise, then nodded a moment later. Claire had a good point. Showing off his level now wasn''t any smarter than doing it while he was bathing. He slipped the bracelet back over his wrist.


    "What do you mean by merchants? Like, people with merchant classes?"


    "I won''t claim to know exactly how it worked, but they had some way to get items from the System¡­ or from people that represented it. I just remember people were starting to sell a whole lot of stuff, and not all of them were hunting monsters or delving dungeons."


    Alex nodded his understanding. "Interesting. I guess we''ll see it start happening here soon enough. I hope I didn''t miss anything in the Razor Forest. I didn''t see anything spawn."


    "Spawn?" Claire''s brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"


    "What, do the items not drop after the monsters die?"


    "Are you asking if the item just magically pops into existence after you kill a monster?" Claire asked incredulously before shaking her head. "No. The monsters use the items. They can be parts of traps as well. I saw a pitfall with a chest on it in a dungeon once."


    Alex grimaced. "Okay. Now I feel like a bit of an idiot for even asking that. I don''t know why I assumed the world would follow game logic. Of course the monsters would use the items. Wouldn''t be as much of a challenge if they didn''t. Makes me wonder if they follow the same rules we do."


    "With challenge and the like?" Claire tilted her head to the side. "You know, I never really thought about it that much. I don''t see why they wouldn''t, but there has to be a reason they''re in dungeons. I guess there has to be some difference."


    Alex nodded slowly, but he wasn''t so sure he agreed. So far, the system had been pretty consistent in everything it had done ¡ª and like Claire had just reminded him, this wasn''t a game. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Items didn''t just spawn in. People didn''t magically just get stronger. They had to earn it. They had to seek out challenge and draw in magic by taking it from those they defeated ¡ª or possibly just through challenge and difficulties as a whole.


    Dhampirs are technically monsters from my perspective. Even if Claire looks and acts like a human, she''s a different species. The System works for her just fine, even though she''s swapped what world she''s in. Why wouldn''t it work for monsters?


    He wasn''t going to get answers here, and time was too valuable to sit around theorizing.


    "We can worry about all of that later," Alex decided. "We''ve got one day left until the next part of the System initialization. You remember what I said last night, right?"


    "I''ll be honest, I was really hoping it was just a nightmare. We barely got out of the Mirrorlands. Do you think you can open a portal back to my world or something?"


    "No," Alex admitted.


    "Then why would we even want to go back?"


    "Two reasons. First, because the monsters there are stronger. A lot stronger," Alex replied. "And I''ve already cleared out the dungeon here. I''m pretty sure doing it again would just give me diminishing returns."


    "There could be different monsters."


    "Could be," Alex agreed. "But that doesn''t change the fact that it''s still a Novice dungeon. A lot of the monsters in it were barely worth our time when we were weaker. Do you not remember the squirrels? They''re just a waste of time when we could be pushing ourselves even harder."


    Claire picked her sword up from where she''d leaned it against the side of her bed. It seemed that she''d cleaned it off while he was gone, as it was polished silver once more. She studied her reflection in the blade.


    "There will definitely be rewards for people that manage to get placed high up on the leaderboards after this thing ends," Claire muttered. She lowered her sword. "But going back into the Mirrorlands¡­ I don''t know."


    "I won''t force you. We can take on bigger threats when it''s the two of us, but I won''t lie and say it isn''t a risk. It''s definitely more dangerous than staying here and going into the dungeon with a group of people."


    Claire blew out a breath and sheathed the blade at her side. She turned to look Alex in the eye. "Yeah. It is, but power is an avalanche. The stronger you are, the stronger you get. I saw how quickly people in my world grew once they got rolling. It''s always easier to stay at the top and convert your power to more power than it is to claw your way up. If we aren''t advancing, then we''re falling behind."


    "That sounds like a really roundabout way to say you''re coming."


    "I was trying to make it seem more bleedin'' philosophical than the actual answer, which is just that I don''t want to be left behind," Claire grumbled, throwing her hands up. "This isn''t my planet. It''s not even my apocalypse, but I''m stuck here now. Don''t get me wrong, I''m not complaining. I''m just not letting myself get dropped in the dust if I can help it. And it does strike me that the System is going to give me a whole lot more energy than most people could have gotten in the Mirrorlands because of my class. Not being able to use a lot of my abilities increases the challenge."


    Alex smiled and gestured to the door. "Shall we go, then? The day is slipping away, and I need to find us a portal into the Mirrorlands. In and out. We''ll be back by the night so we''ve got time to meditate and prepare for the horde tomorrow."


    "You''ve got to find the portal? I was kind of hoping you got a way to just open them. Are you even sure there''s one in the area other than the one we first came through? I don''t fancy finding that demon a second time."


    That was a good question. Alex gathered his focus and cast it inward. A roiling lake of power within him rose in response. Even though he couldn''t see it, the feeling was identical to the chilly power that filled his basin in his Mind Palace.


    The energy clearly refills on its own, since I used every last scrap of power I had yesterday. Though that makes me wonder¡­ when Glint dies, is my limit the amount of energy I have? Or is it the amount of energy that he has?


    He could test that out today while they were in the Mirrorlands. For the time being, Alex needed the energy for something else. He needed to locate the nearest portal to the Mirrorlands. He focused on the desire and the chilly power rushed forth in response.


    Alex''s eyelids prickled. He blinked in surprise as he looked down and spotted a thin trail of faint blue energy running from his chest and through one of the walls. It was going in the opposite direction of the portal they''d entered through.


    He could feel a steady pull on his magical reserves. By rough estimate, he was pretty sure he could keep the ability active for around ten minutes before it completely used up all the power he had.


    "Found one."


    "A new one?"


    "Yeah. Opposite direction. I''m not sure how close it is, but the ability description said it extended my senses, not made them infinite. It''s probably relatively close."


    Claire set her hand on the hilt of her sword and gave him a sharp nod. "Lead the way, then."


    "With pleasure," Alex said, holding the door open for Claire as an eager grin pulled across his lips. "This isn''t the same as before. The last time, we were trapped and starving. Now we''re on the offense. Let''s find out just how much we can take from the Mirrorlands, shall we?"

 Chapter 32 - 31: Return to the Mirrorlands

    Alex and Claire strode out of the apartment, making quick time out of the main hall before anyone could try to stop and talk to them. Claire''s bracelet did the trick and they didn''t get more than a cursory glance as they passed by other people.


    They made one pause at Dorriv''s restaurant to fill up the crumpled water bottle that Alex had taken from Jackson. Dorriv filled the bottle, but the look on his face told Alex that things weren''t looking good. It was clear that resources in the town were low and it didn''t seem like anyone had figured out a way to handle that situation yet ¡ª and Dorriv knew that the only thing standing between him and the monsters were the people insane enough to go hunting them.


    With the water taken care of, they headed out once more.


    It wasn''t long before they were outside and striding through the grassy hills. A faint breeze at their backs accompanied them on their journey, carrying with it the smells of the town ¡ª smoke, sweat, and trepidation ¡ª until several minutes after they''d left.


    The grass outside the town was slick with moisture from what he presumed to have been rain that had passed through at some point in the night, and the last traces of the town were soon replaced by the smell of dew and gentle crisp chill of the fading night.


    Alex trailed the dim line of blue smokey light across the hills, turning the ability on for just a few seconds at a time to save his energy. The line was straight, so it wasn''t like they were going to get too far away from it while they were walking from memory.


    They continued for just under fifteen minutes before the energy finally changed. As Alex drew on his power once more while they crested the top of a hill, he caught his first glimpse at where the line led.


    Several large boulders sat in a moss-covered formation, making a small mound in the small valley before them. Dim blue-ish silver light glistened upon them from the moon as it fought to avoid dipping below the horizon and making way for the sun.


    The line ran all the way down to the boulders and formed a dull haze around it. Alex released the ability to get a natural look at the stones. Faint purple cracks glistened amidst them, flitting in and out like a small nest of hornets. They were so dull that he could barely even make them out from where he stood.


    "I think that''s our portal," Claire said. "A bit less impressive than the last one we went through." S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Given where the last one led, that might be a good thing," Alex said as they made their way down the grass, taking care to avoid slipping on the sodden ground. "I want a challenge. Not to get killed without even getting a chance to fight."


    "I trust you''ve got a way to open this?"


    "I should. I''ve got limited control of the portals. At least, hypothetically. I''m not sure if abilities just magically grant you the power to do something perfectly, or if they just pave the way to doing it."


    "The latter," Claire said. "Not that I had that much time to test, but the System doesn''t exactly just¡­ give you stuff. You earn everything. Skills are just new muscles. Magic ones, I guess. Just because you know how to run doesn''t mean you''re great at it."


    "That lines up with everything else we know about it, so I can''t say that I''m surprised." Alex and Claire came to a stop before the rocks and stood silently for a few seconds as they watched the tiny motes of purple light dance within them.


    This is definitely the same stuff that Teddy shoved me through when I first fell into the Mirrorlands. A lot weaker and not actually a proper portal, but I''d recognize this energy anywhere.


    Alex drew on the reserves of magical energy within himself. He thought back to when he''d passed through the portal the last time. The stretching forces that had ripped at his body and the immense pressure that had borne down on him from every direction.


    He drew in a deep breath and reached out for the lines of the portal, his brow creasing in concentration as he felt magic course through his body and gather at his fingertips. A faint blue glow lit within them as if he''d pressed a flashlight to his palms to illuminate their insides.


    His fingers brushed across the magical energy and a jolt of electricity arced through him. He stiffened and drew in a surprised breath. When he''d been twelve, he''d accidentally shorted a chain of live Christmas lights and given himself a sharp zap ¡ª this felt remarkably similar. It wasn''t exactly painful, but it was far from comfortable.


    "You okay?" Claire asked.


    "Yeah. Get ready," Alex replied as he shook his hands off and reached out once again. He grabbed onto the purple cracks. The jolt came once more, but this time, he was ready for it. Alex clenched his jaw to keep his teeth from chattering as electricity poured through his body.


    His hands tightened on the purple light. An invisible force pressed against them, but it slowly gave way as he strengthened his grip and poured more magic into it. He slowly started to pull his hands apart.


    A dim purple line formed in the air before him, lengthening rapidly as he continued to pull. The flow of energy rushing through him intensified the wider the portal grew, but he was too far along to stop now.


    With a final snarl, Alex shoved his arms apart as hard as he could. A loud rip split the air and the purple line yawned open to form into a circular disk. Iridescent purple light swirled in a vortex trapped within it, and a faint force pulled at Alex, trying to draw him into the portal.


    He took a step back and shook his hands off to make sure he didn''t somehow stumble in before he was prepared. Claire studied the churning disk beside him, her eyes narrowed.


    "Is it safe?"


    "Probably?"


    "That''s not very reassuring," Claire observed. She put her hand on the hilt of her sword and ran her thumb over its pommel as she chewed her lower lip. "Eh. Nothing is changing while we stand around. You ready for this?"


    "Ready as I''ll ever be. No point losing any time," Alex replied. He held his left out to Claire and she took it, keeping her other on the hilt of her sword. The disk had already shrunk slightly since they''d started speaking. It didn''t look like it would last more than a minute at most.


    "Be ready to give me some blood, yeah?" Claire asked. "I didn''t need it the last time I fell into the Mirrorlands, but you never know. I don''t want to lose myself."


    "Don''t worry. I will," Alex promised. He hesitated for a moment as they looked at the receding portal. "And be ready. There''s a good chance something''s waiting for us on the other side."


    "When you say good chance, how good are we talking?" Claire asked. Alex just arched an eyebrow in response. Claire heaved a sigh and shook her head. "Never mind. Let''s go kill some shit."


    "Couldn''t have said it better myself," Alex said. Then, as one, they plunged into the portal.


    Pressure bore down on Alex from every direction. His chest constricted as electricity tore down his arms and through his chest. It crackled between him and Claire and formed miniature explosions, fireworks going off just inches away from his face. The world stretched and squished, warped and pulsed.


    Shapes and colors blended together in an indecipherable soup. Alex could hear the hammer of his own heartbeat mixed with Claire''s, and he was just barely aware of her hand still locked in a death grip around his.


    Then the world fell back into place. Colors rushed into their proper locations and shapes snapped back to clarity. Alex drew in a gasping breath as his eyes refocused. His chest had been so tight that he''d completely forgotten to breathe.


    Alex was laying on the grass. For an instant, he thought that the portal had somehow failed. Then he realized the grass was bright blue. He pushed himself upright with a jolt, scanning to see if there were any threats nearby.


    All he found were sloping hills of blue grass. The only other living being he saw was Claire, who was laid on the hill beside him, her hair splayed out around her head. It didn''t look like they had any company, but Alex wasn''t going to bet on that lasting.


    "Claire?" Alex asked as he rolled to the side just in case she''d lost control of herself again.


    "I''m fine." Claire''s voice was muffled by the dirt. She sat up with a grimace, spitting onto the ground before wiping her mouth. "Bleh. I took a bite out of the grass somehow. I definitely felt myself lose a lot of energy from using the portal, but it wasn''t that bad this time around. I guess it helps that I''ve got more to work with this time around."


    "Does that mean you don''t need to drink?"


    Claire stood up and cleared her throat pointedly. "I wouldn''t say no if you''re offering."


    Alex wordlessly held his arm out. He didn''t need Claire weakened when they were in the Mirrorlands. Especially not when they didn''t know what they were up against. Claire gave him an appreciative nod as she grabbed onto his wrist like a juicy steak and bit into it.


    He repressed a wince and took the opportunity to continue scanning their surroundings. A city of crooked, broken buildings poked into the purple-red sky in the near distance, roughly a five or ten minute walk away.


    It wasn''t the same one that they''d been in the last time Alex had fallen into the Mirrorlands ¡ª that much was certain. There was no mountain nearby, nor were there any City-Eater Centipedes.


    Is that because Berith had to modify the portal that sent us to Earth before? I suppose we''ll find out when I open the portal back.


    Alex glanced over his shoulder at that thought. Purple cracks glistened in the air behind them. The way back to Earth was still there. He breathed out a small sigh of relief. He''d been mostly certain it would be, but there had only been one way to know for sure.


    "Thanks for the meal," Claire said as she released his wrist and let it lower.


    "Don''t say that. It sounds like I''m a walking buffet."


    "You are." Claire sent him a smug grin.


    Alex rolled his eyes. Then he froze. Energy prickled at the back of his spine and a low buzz filled his ears. He took a step back and the smile on Claire''s face vanished as she drew her sword, instantly picking up on his body language.


    Before Alex could even say anything, what sounded like a zipper split through the air. A pink portal tore open and what seemed to be a ten foot wide bundle of chitinous legs tumbled out, landing on the hill beside them with a crash.


    Loud clicks filled the air as the odd form rapidly righted itself, unfurling like a piece of origami and more than doubling in height as it rose to reveal its full, imposing figure. The monster would have resembled a crab if a crab had been blasted by radiation by about four hundred years and allowed to grow without any mortal restrictions. Two long eyes swayed on stalks, locked onto Alex and Claire like they were a pair of fish that had swam into its lair.


    It had five legs on each side and four pincers ¡ª two of which were nearly ten feet long and stuck out of the top of its shell. Every one of its limbs was uncomfortably long and thin, elongated to the point where they were practically sticks. Small spines lined the monster''s entire shell, bottom and top.


    Dozens of tiny mandibles in the creature''s mouth worked as it let out a chittering hiss. Alex and Claire both took a step back as they stared up at the enormous creature with a mixture of awe and horror as its purple name burned in the air above it.


    Riftwarped Crawler (Initiate 1)

 Chapter 33 - 32: Riftwarped Crawler

    The Riftwarped Crawler lashed out with a thin, gangly arm. It blurred through the air for Alex with a loud whistle. Claire grabbed him by the back of his shirt and yanked him out of the way like a ragdoll. The monster''s limb slammed into the grass with a loud thump, ripping a huge clump of grass and dirt free.


    Alex let out a strangled choke as his collar bit at his neck and threatened to strangle him. He stumbled back and extended his thoughts in a mental command even as Claire released him and stepped forward to put herself between him and the crab.


    Loud, splintering cracks tore through the air as Glint stepped out from a fragmented portal, his massive claws dragging across the ground as he moved to stand beside Claire. The Riftwarped Crawler chittered as its hands clicked in the air around it. Its many legs beat a loud, pattering drumbeat into the ground as the monster shifted to the side, sizing them up. It was the highest level monster that Alex had seen ¡ª at least, of the monsters that had had a level that he could actually comprehend.


    They couldn''t afford any mistakes here.


    "Stand back. You''ve had all the fights before. I''ve got this," Claire said as she raised a hand to stall Alex. She leaned forward, her foot digging into the dirt and skidding back an inch. Her lips pulled back and she launched herself forward, bursting into motion.


    Two of the Riftwarped Crawler''s pincers extended for Claire. She vaulted into the air, diving between them, and brought her sword down toward the lower arm''s thin carapace. It struck it with a loud crack ¡ª and rebounded harmlessly.


    Claire managed to twist herself just in time to plant her feet on two un-spined spots on its shell and push herself away an instant before one of its other hands carved through the air where she''d been standing.


    She hit the ground with a grunt and rolled back, rising to her feet just a few feet away from Alex. Claire rubbed her shoulder, then tossed her sword to the side with a grimace.


    "I take it back. I don''t think either of us are winning this one alone."


    Hey, I respect the attempt.


    "Avoid getting hit. Find a way to kill the crab but prioritize not getting killed for as long as possible. Treat Claire and my life with more value than yours." Alex ordered. He wished there was more he could do right now, but that was half the reason he was in the Mirrorlands right now in the first place.


    Glint flashed forward. The Riftwarped Crawler''s crossed two of its limbs before itself and the Shardwalker''s claws raked across them with a loud screech, leaving thin yellowed lines across the dull orange carapace.


    The Crawler''s eyes refocused to Glint and it chittered. Another one of its claws shot out for the Shardwalker and Glint was forced to jump back to avoid the blow. Even with his speed, he barely managed to get out of the way of the strike in time. Alex grimaced. As powerful as Glint''s offense was, it only took a single good blow to take him down.


    Claire tensed. She flexed her fingers and a ripple passed under her skin as black claws carved out from their tips. She dashed around the crab, forcing it to use one eye to track her motion.


    She and Glint attacked as one ¡ª and the Riftwarped Crawler vanished in a flash of purple energy. Alex gaped as both Claire and Glint''s claws carved through nothing. They both stumbled, taken off balance by the complete lack of resistance to their attacks.


    Without so much as a crackle, the monster reappeared in a faint shimmer of pink energy a foot behind where it had been, its multitude of claws already flashing out in attacks directed at both Claire and Glint.


    Alex threw himself forward, tackling Claire to the ground before the huge pincers could slam shut on her from behind. He rolled to the side as soon as they landed and Claire thrust herself upward, her claws raking across the bottom of the monster''s carapace and leaving deep grooves through it. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The bottom is softer than the top!" Claire yelled.


    Two claws snapped out for her. She dove forward, managing to avoid the first, but the second slammed shut on her ankle with a loud crack.


    "Go for its stomach!" Alex ordered Glint, his heart slamming in his chest as the Crawler swung Claire into the air like a pinata.


    Glint blurred into motion, driving his claws deep into the bottom of the crab''s armored stomach. They ripped through the chitin and dug into the flesh beneath before the Shardwalker ripped them free in a spray of red meat and black ichor.


    A chittering screech escaped the Riftwarped Crawler''s undulating mouth and it whipped its hand ¡ª the very same one still holding Claire ¡ª at Glint. Claire''s string of curses sailed behind her as she whipped through the air like a makeshift blackjack.


    With an impressive demonstration of core strength, she pulled herself up and grabbed onto the thin, jointed arm of the monster. Her hand tightened around it and she bared her teeth in a snarl. Her claws grew larger and black veins pulsed beneath her skin.


    A loud crack rang out like a gunshot. The Riftwarped Crawler screamed again as its arm suddenly slumped, ripped clean off. Claire hit the ground, the crab''s claw still locked shut around her ankle. As she reached down to try and pry herself free, the massive crab lurched forward to finish the job on her.


    "Glint! Attack it in the same spot!" Alex yelled as he grabbed Claire''s sword off the ground and lunged forward. His summoned companion wasn''t strong enough to stop a blow from the monster directly ¡ª but his own body had just gotten reinforced from leveling up.


    Alex brought the blade up, bracing his palm against the flat of the sword and put himself between the plummeting limb and Claire. A wave of sheer force slammed into his body, sending a tremor all the way down through his legs. His right arm crumpled and crunched. His knees buckled. Pain screamed through his mind as the world flashed black around him. If it hadn''t been for the ridiculous amount of adrenaline racing through his veins, he would have passed out on the spot.


    Claire finally freed herself from the fallen pincer with a pained snarl. She hobbled to her feet and raised a hand, driving her open palm into another pincer as it swung at them. Black veins bulged in her arm an instant before her strike connected with that of the crab.


    The force of the collision stopped the Riftwarped Crawler''s strike from hitting Alex, but it sent Claire staggering backward. Her weight fell on her injured ankle and she stumbled, falling back to the ground.


    In the brief seconds that Claire had bought, Glint dove below the crab and ripped into the bottom of the Crawler''s armor like a rabid child set free in a candy shop. His huge claws carved the monster apart from the inside, spilling black fluid and ichor that turned the dirt beneath to mud.


    The crab let out a screech ¡ª and drove itself straight down. There was no time for Glint to dodge out of the way. Instead of even trying to dodge, the Shardwalker rolled over so his back faced the enormous plummeting monster. Alex''s eyes widened in shock an instant before a loud crunch split the air. The crab rose once with a series of wet squelches as it pulled itself free from the jutting blades on Glint''s back.


    Energy flooded into Alex and filled him with Glint''s powers. His companion had died, but not for naught. Huge, weeping wounds covered the bottom of the crab. The same black liquid dribbled from its mouth.


    "Can you stop another attack?" Alex asked, blocking out the agony from his limp arm.


    "Maybe," Claire rasped. Her voice was parched and ragged. "I just used up almost every drop of blood I drank from you for those two attacks. The next thing I do will be the last unless I get some more blood to work with."


    Alex gritted his teeth, but the tension and adrenaline wracking his body couldn''t keep the flicker of a grin from his face. He had wanted a challenge, after all.


    "Distract this thing. I''ll finish it."


    Claire didn''t have time to suggest an alternative course of action. The crab vanished in a flicker of pink energy. Claire darted forward to catch the monster''s attention and flung herself to the side to avoid two swings of the Riftwarped Crawler''s claws.


    The Dhampir glanced back at Alex as he sprinted toward her and the huge monster, then turned her attention back to the huge crab. It whipped its third gangly arm down at her. Claire''s right hand lifted, black veins pulsing against her pale skin once more, and she braced right arm with her left.


    The claw slammed into Claire''s palm. She snarled in defiance, just barely managing to avoid crumpling beneath the monster''s immense strength. Her right hand shifted back to its normal form and her arm dropped as she collapsed to her knees.


    Both of the monster''s stalklike eyes locked onto Claire and it reached for her throat with its claws ¡ª but in the time it had wasted fighting her, Alex had already closed the distance between them. The screaming pain in his bones was nothing in comparison to the furious adrenaline pounding in his head like a second heart.


    Noticing him at the last second, the crab swept one of its arms at his head. Alex dropped to his knees, skidding across the slick grass. He leapt back to his feet just as he arrived before the crab and drove the sword into its mouth with all the force he could muster.


    Then he drew on every single scrap of magical energy that he possessed and released it all at once. Jagged mirror growths ripped out from the hilt of the sword and erupted within the crab, blending it from within.


    Alex released the hilt of the sword and took a step back. The monster''s mandibles worked as they tried to close down on the growing glass, but that only hastened its demise. It let out one final chittering hiss. Its legs bowed. It collapsed to the ground, limbs falling limp all around it with a series of thuds as the life fled the monster''s body.


    A river of energy flooded into Alex. Even though he''d worked together with Claire to kill the monster, it bore even more power than he''d gotten when he''d defeated the Floraking on his own. The difference between Novice and Initiate monsters was ridiculous.


    He drew in a stiff breath, then let out a shaky breath as he staggered back over to where Claire had dropped to her knees. His arm hung limp at his side, pulsing with so much pain that he could barely even tell how much it hurt anymore.


    "See?" Alex managed, the corner of his mouth twitching in something between a grimace and a grin. "Wasn''t that fun?"


    To his surprise, Claire let out a ragged laugh between her gasping breaths. "Bleeding hell. I see how you can get addicted to this. That felt incredible. I''ve never felt a rush like that before."


    Alex flopped back onto the grass, gritting his teeth as the adrenaline started to leave his system. His sweat-soaked shirt was cold against his back and grass prickled along into his spine. He could feel small pops and shifts from within his arm as his body worked to fix itself, but that did little to make anything hurt less.


    "The energy from killing it?" Alex asked.


    "That too." Claire rasped, then took a second to catch her breath before speaking again. "But I meant the thrill of winning. I''ve never fought something that strong in my life. Beating it¡­ bleed me. I feel so powerful."


    "I think I might have corrupted you," Alex said with a pained chuckle. The fingers of his right hand twitched slightly. Some of the damage to his arm had already fixed itself, but it would be a bit before he could get full control of his arm again.


    "I don''t think I''m quite that bad yet. I''ll give it a week." Claire slumped down beside him and let out a groan. Then she cleared her throat. "So¡­ your blood. You usin'' it?"


    Alex turned to look at her. "Didn''t that thing have blood? I mean, it was black, but it was still blood. Couldn''t you have drained it?"


    "Nothing in the Mirrorlands has blood," Claire said with a shake of her head. "It looks like blood, but that isn''t blood. Their energy is all twisted up. Warped. Drinking from that would be like sticking my head in a sewer line."


    "So you need mine again? Didn''t I just give you some?"


    "Look, I just used everything I drank earlier to block three attacks. Got to test my new skill out and transform one bit of myself instantly instead of wasting all the time changing my entire form. Turns out, it uses almost as much blood to shift one arm as it does to shift my whole body. Probably due to how fast the change happens. Either way, my tanks are empty. I''m about to start frothing at the mouth."


    Alex pushed himself upright with a grimace. His right arm still felt like a tractor had run over it, then backed up to make sure the deed was done. The last thing he needed was Claire losing her mind on him.


    "Here," he said, sticking his left arm out to her. "And to answer your question ¡ª yes. I''m using my blood, so make sure to leave me some of it."


    Claire bit into his wrist without another word, drinking greedily. Alex blew out a sigh and looked out at the corpse of the crab before him. A fist-sized orange flame crackled above its body, the largest flame he''d seen yet. Tinges of purple twisted through the fire, crackling like lightning within it.


    Low Grade Initiate (Riftwarped Crawler)


    An Initiate level soul flame. It was the largest he''d seen so far. It was also the strongest, but there was something strange about the flame. A dull, throbbing energy rolled off it and pushed against Alex''s hand as he reached for it.


    The force was nowhere near enough to stop him from picking the flame up. A prickle bit at the back of his neck like a chilly breath and a shiver ran down Alex''s body. For a brief moment, something brushed across his mind. A freezing cold tendril curled through his thoughts and froze the breath in his chest.


    Then it was gone, the connection severed like a blade had carved it apart. The flame was completely blocked off to him. Alex studied it for a few moments, trying to see if the sensation would return, but it never did.


    That connection hasn''t happened before. Was it because I can summon a new monster? Or did it have something to do with the Riftwarped part? Guess it could have been the high rank as well. I''ll find out soon enough.


    He raised his gaze to the crooked city silhouetted against the perpetually purple-pink sunset horizon of the Mirrorlands. A grin pulled at the corners of Alex''s lips. The Crawler was just the first of many. He wouldn''t have taken a random monster for his next companion anyway. Not until he got a better idea of his options. There was no rush.


    Alex was more than willing to experiment. The Mirrorlands was full of things that wanted to kill him, and he wouldn''t have had it any other way.


    That was what kept things fun.

 Chapter 34 - 33: Drink it

    A few minutes of walking later, Alex and Claire crested a hill of gossamer grass and got their first look at the whole of the crooked city. It would have been more accurate to think of it as a rather oversized town. A healthy smattering of houses dotted the ground in ill-planned city blocks that reeked of hasty construction and poor planning.


    The city wasn''t exactly small, but nobody would have considered it big. If Alex had to guess, he would have said it had once possessed a dollar store that never had a single car at its front but always remained in business, an old big box store, and a ratty baseball field where parents got far too invested in the game because there was absolutely nothing better to do.


    There were a mixture of one and two story houses in the city, as well as several dozen that had forgotten that their foundations were meant to remain in the ground and currently floated two dozen feet in the air, suspended in space and time.


    A concrete road led a few feet out of the city before abruptly coming to a stop at the grass. It was covered with large cracks that ran all the way back into the city and along many of the buildings, splitting some of them clean in half.


    Tall, askew towers pierced into the sky, easily fifteen stories high. They carved through the swirls of purple and pink smoke that flowed through the air like the world''s largest failed gender reveal party.


    Directly before the town was a towering sign. More accurately, there were about sixty of them. They''d just all somehow melted into each other and stacked like an odd totem pole of green and white metal. All the words that they''d once borne had twisted and melted together until their original meaning was warped beyond recognition.


    A small ¡ª relatively speaking, as it was still about the size of two school busses welded together lengthwise ¡ª City-Eater Centipede slipped from a crackling portal above the city. Its many legs rowed, propelling it through the air and into another portal.


    The city had somehow managed to take the faint smell of oil and livestock manure with it into the Mirrorlands. It was probably the last real identifying part of the city''s former identity. Alex and Claire exchanged a glance.


    "Lovely place," Claire said. "Do we have a plan here?"


    "I can get a new monster to summon," Alex replied. "I just don''t exactly know how yet. The plan is to get one." sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Right," Claire said. "And how are you going to do that?"


    "I''ve got a running theory, but the last monster was unique. I need to fight something else to verify anything," Alex replied as he gave her a one-shouldered shrug. "None of our plans change either way. I want to kill everything I can and then go from there. I''m 90 percent sure I get my new summon by doing¡­ something to the energy of the things I''ve defeated."


    "When you put it that way it sounds like you should be on a list," Claire said with a snicker. That only lasted for about a second before her foot hit a patch of slick grass and she slipped with a curse.


    Alex''s hand shot out and he grabbed Claire by the front of her shirt before she could hit the ground ¡ª and, to his disbelief, he held her there, suspended. Alex had never been weak, but he also hadn''t been anywhere near strong enough to hold an entire other human in the air with a single hand.


    He pulled her back to her feet and they stared at each other in mute shock for a second.


    "What was that?" Claire asked in awe. "Did your class give you some sort of strength augment?"


    "No, I don''t have anything like that. I just grabbed you."


    Claire looked down at herself. Then she grabbed his arm and gave it a squeeze. Alex stared at her and she cleared her throat, releasing him.


    "Sorry."


    "What are you doing?"


    "I was checking how much muscle you have. No offense meant, but you don''t look anywhere near bleeding strong enough to carry me around with one hand," Claire said. "How did you do that?"


    I felt like I was a lot faster when I was in the dungeon as well. Is this not happening to everyone?


    "I was under the impression the system was making us stronger when we leveled up," Alex said hesitantly. "Is that not the case?"


    "I don''t think so. Arms out," Claire said, gesturing to Alex. He blinked, then followed her request. The Dhampir grabbed him beneath the armpits and gritted her teeth as she leaned back, trying to lift him into the air. She got his feet off the ground by about an inch before letting out a grunt and dropping him back down. "Bleeding ¡ª why are you so damn heavy?"


    "I don''t feel heavy," Alex said. "Maybe you''re just w¡ª"


    Claire glared at him and he coughed into a fist before he could finish the sentence.


    "Did your class really not give you anything?" Claire asked. "I''m not kidding about you being heavy. You look way lighter than you actually are. You haven''t been eating rocks or something, have you?"


    "No rocks as far as I''m aware," Alex said dryly.


    "Then what are you doing? If it isn''t your class, how come you''re so much heavier and stronger than you should be?"


    "I don''t know!" Alex shook his head helplessly. "I haven''t been doing anything that you¡­"


    Claire''s eyes narrowed as he trailed off. "That I what?"


    "You know that class tutorial you got, yeah?" Alex asked slowly as a memory nipped at the back of his mind.


    "Yeah," Claire replied. "Why? Did it tell you about some fancy way to get stronger?"


    Alex hadn''t gotten a proper tutorial. The closest thing to it had been a rather odd chat with Meiderly, who had given him about a quarter of the information that everyone else had gotten ¡ª but perhaps the eyeless man had also given him some information that nobody else had.


    He taught me about drinking the magical energy before using it to level up to make my Mind Palace grow. Could it also be making my physical body more powerful?


    "When you meditate, what do you do with your power?" Alex asked.


    Claire blinked in surprise at the sudden shift in topic. "What do you mean? I just draw it into myself and then use it to make my abilities grow stronger."


    I was right. I can''t think of what else could be causing this. Other people didn''t get told about drinking the water ¡ª or, at the very least, Claire didn''t.


    Alex hesitated for a second. Every piece of information was an advantage when the end of the world had happened so recently. Advantages only lasted when other people didn''t have them.


    He''d only known Claire for a short time. Before the apocalypse, that would have been nowhere near long enough to consider someone a friend. She''d have been an acquaintance at best.


    But things were different. They''d escaped the Mirrorlands together. They''d saved each other''s lives multiple times. Even though they hadn''t known each other for long yet, as far as friends could be concerned, it was pretty much impossible to ask for more.


    No point keeping anything from her at this point. We''re in this together. If she ends up deciding to betray me, then that''ll be on her. If anything, it''ll give me a new challenge to deal with. I win either way.


    "Have you ever tried drinking the water in the basin of your Mind Palace?" Alex asked.


    "Drinking it?" Claire stared at him. "No. Why would I do that? Did you do that?"


    He nodded.


    "Why?"


    "My tutorial was a bit¡­ odd. I didn''t really get one because of how I fell into the Mirrorlands before getting assigned a class. It caused a few issues, but the person that did tell me what little I know basically guided me to drinking the water first. The basin in the middle of mine was originally all cracked up, but drinking the energy fixed it."


    "Huh. I directed some of the energy into fixing up my basin because I noticed it leaking, but the System didn''t say anything about drinking any water. I didn''t even realize you could put more energy into it. I thought it was all fixed up. Are you telling me¡­"


    "There''s definitely more to it than that. I don''t know the extent of it, but there''s a lot more."


    Claire rubbed her eyes. "Are you serious?"


    "Dead serious."


    Blowing out a breath of disbelief, Claire ran her hands through her hair. Her gaze snapped back to Alex as another thought struck her. "And you think drinking the energy makes your body stronger too?"


    "That''s my best guess."


    "Bleed me. That''s ridiculous. Almost feels unfair.," Claire muttered. Her gaze sharpened and she squinted at Alex. "You''ve known about this the whole damn time?"


    "I had no idea it made me physically stronger. I thought it just improved my Mind Palace, which would be important at some point in the future."


    Claire crossed her arms in front of her chest and her eyes narrowed. "Even if you didn''t know it made you stronger, why didn''t you tell me? If it''s important in the future, then it''s better to start early."


    "To be honest? Because I wasn''t sure if I could trust you yet. I don''t have the highest opinion of people on a normal day, let alone when the world ends. It took me a bit to warm to you. Also, I had no idea how much the System had already shared."


    A few seconds passed in silence as Claire studied him. He met her gaze without flinching. He didn''t regret playing his cards close to chest. It hadn''t had a huge negative effect on her and he didn''t need people too suspicious of him. Undue attention was only useful when you were strong enough to deal with it.


    Claire blew out a breath. "You''re a little shit, you know that?"


    "More than aware of it."


    "Not that I''m complaining, but¡­ I honestly expected you to be a little more annoyed about this," Alex said slowly.


    "What, holding back information?" Claire snorted. "This isn''t anything new to me, Alex. This is just how Court was back in Ayrin. Nobody gives up information. Even to your closest friends. I''d have been pissed if permanent harm done, but I can still catch up. It''s not like my Mind Palace is closed off to me."


    Alex nodded slowly, but he was even more curious about Claire''s home planet than he had been before.


    Are all Dhampirs really trying to constantly backstab each other? How''d Claire end up so¡­ well, nice?


    "I see," Alex said. "Well, in the spirit of things, make sure you finish upgrading your Mind Palace before you go up a Stage to Initiate. I think advancing stages locks in your progress."


    "Good to hear," Claire said. "And don''t mistake me. I haven''t forgiven you. That''ll cost some extra blood."


    "Does me telling you now do nothing? As far as I can tell, not many other people know about this yet."


    "Of course it does." Claire crossed her arms in front of her chest and arched an eyebrow at him. "It shows that you like me now. I still need to do something to get back at you for holding back on me, though. That''s just how things work. Might as well get a snack while I''m at it. Your blood is delicious."


    "That''s¡­ fair, I suppose. Also slightly unsettling. It does seem like you''re kind of just using this as a chance to drink more blood."


    "Damn right I am," Claire said with a smug nod. "Do you know how bleeding hard it is to get something that tastes good? You''re literally the only thing I''ve had a chance to eat since arriving in the Mirrorlands. I''m not going to pass up on a chance to get more when I don''t have to feel bad about it."


    "Maybe we should find you some chickens or something back on Earth."


    "I guess¡­ but it''s the energy I drink that matters. And, compared to the monsters I drained back in my world, you taste a lot better," Claire said, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. "I think we know why now. You''re filling your body with magical energy."


    "Are you telling me that I''m literally turning myself into a snack for Dhampirs?"


    "Bleed that. I''m not sharing," Claire said, her eyes darkening. "Just me. You don''t have nearly enough blood to go around, and it''s not actually all that easy to stop drinking once we start. There generally isn''t a reason to. Don''t let any other Dhampirs get their fangs on you if you want to have any blood left when they''re done."


    Well, that''s not concerning at all.


    "Noted," Alex said. He looked out to the city, which laid before them as if in wait. "We''re killing daylight¡­ or whatever kind of light there is in the Mirrorlands, but the only thing I want to be killing is monsters. Shall we?"


    "After what you just told me? Absolutely." Claire started past Alex and down the hill in the direction of the city. "I need to get even more energy if I''m going to catch up to you. I think it''s time to take a page out of your book."

 Chapter 35 - 34: Chasing shadows

    Alex stepped onto the street with Claire a short distance behind him. A pebble ground beneath his feet and he hurried to the shade of a building, keeping out of the ruddy red light covering the entire city.


    A massive shadow passed overhead no more than a second later. Alex couldn''t see it, but the hair on his skin stood on end as a City-Eater Centipede passed through the sky far above. He rubbed his arm and exchanged a glance with Claire once the monster had vanished once more.


    "You think you could catch yourself one of those?" Claire whispered.


    "Sure. All I''d have to do is kill one first."


    "Hey, it was a fair question. No need for sarcasm. We don''t know for sure you have to kill monsters to bond them, do we?"


    "I''m pretty sure I do, but it''s not fact yet," Alex admitted with a small shrug. "But I wasn''t being sarcastic."


    "Should have guessed," Claire grumbled. She adjusted her grip on the sword at her side as they continued down the street. They turned down an alley between two crumbling buildings. Rubble piled at the far end of the small side street and stretched out into what had once been a city block, now reduced to nothing but rubble. The walls of the buildings surrounding the area were pitted and carved to pieces.


    A few recognizable pieces of masonry jutted up from the sea of crushed stone. The top half of a doorframe, askew and only just poking out from beneath a large pile of brick. A lone wall that leaned against the edge of a house, just a small push from collapsing to dust.


    The hair on the back of Alex''s neck prickled. He and Claire both slowed. The craggy clearing seemed empty, but neither of them were about to take a bet on it. They didn''t exchange a word. For several seconds, they just stood and silently observed.


    Seconds turned to minutes. Alex couldn''t shake the feeling that something was off, but he couldn''t see anything out of place either. He was just about to turn away from the rubble to find another path forward when a flicker of motion caught his eye.


    A four-foot tall bird with a wingspan easily twice its height hopped into view, long black talons the size of bananas scrapping across the rubble beneath it. The bird had a pointed pencil-thin beak, almost to the point of absurdity, and two wide, bulbous eyes that would have fit better upon the face of a frog. They moved independently of each other to scan the surroundings as it continued to hop across the clearing, either uncaring or unaware of any potential danger around it.


    Corpse Poker (Novice 2)


    A crunch split the air. The Corpse Poker''s large eyes darted to the side and it launched itself into the sky with a terrified squack. Alex and Claire both jerked their heads up just in time to catch a shadow pass above them and alight into the ground where the bird had been, just barely missing it.


    Alex pressed his back to the wall, his breath freezing in his chest. A huge, catlike creature had landed in the center of the clearing. It was easily seven feet tall and four times as long if he counted the barbed tail swaying above it. Jagged bone growths jutted up from the backs of the cat''s elbows and its mouth, so full of fangs that it couldn''t close properly, dripped saliva as a hiss rose from within it.


    Boneflesh Prowler (Initiate 8)


    The Prowler leapt for the Corpse Poker, batting it with a huge paw. Feathers exploded out as the bird bounced across the ground in a mix of screeches and feathers. Somehow, it managed to get its gangly feet out from under it, though one of its wings was clearly broken.


    Alex had no doubt in his mind that the Boneflesh Prowler could have killed its prey with a single blow. It had intentionally held back from using its full strength or the thick claws sprouting from its paws. The Prowler was playing with its food.


    Claire grabbed Alex''s arm. She didn''t say a word, but her meaning was clear. This wasn''t an enemy that they could handle. He fully agreed with her. They both inched back into the alley, but they only managed to make it a few steps before the ground beneath their feet trembled.


    The clearing exploded. A powerful shockwave sent Alex stumbling back. He threw his hands up to protect his face as chunks of rubble flew everywhere, slamming into the buildings surrounding the clearing and screaming through the alley around him and Claire. Several of them pelted into his arm and chest.


    Alex squinted past his fingers, and his eyes went wide. An enormous tentacle the size of a three-story building had erupted from the center of the clearing and wrapped around the Boneflesh Prowler.


    Barbacle (Adept 5)


    The Prowler yowled in pain as it desperately attempted to free itself, but the tentacle just tightened further around it. Cracks rang out in the air as bones snapped like paper. All the cat''s attempts to fight back amounted to absolutely nothing as the tentacle slowly dragged it toward the earth, sinking back beneath the rubble.


    For an instant, Alex locked eyes with the Corpse Poker, which still stood on the other side of the clearing. Its large eyes held about as much intelligence as a rock. The stupid thing didn''t even have the good sense to make a run for it ¡ª but it didn''t look like the Barbacle was paying it much attention in the first place.


    It was just too weak.


    Alex swallowed and took a careful step back into the alley. Claire matched his movements, and the two of them slipped back into the main road, keeping to the shadows to avoid drawing the attention of yet something else.


    "I think I''d prefer a different path," Claire whispered, releasing Alex''s hand. "We need to move. That noise might have gotten something''s attention."


    He nodded mutely, then jerked his chin over toward another alley across the street. It wasn''t like they could just traipse through the center of the city and avoid the alleys ¡ª the main streets were in plain view of the City-Eater Centipedes, not to mention all the other powerful monsters that were inevitably waiting for their prey.


    We''ve got to stick to the alleys, and so do all the other weaker monsters. Unfortunately, weak is releative. Something weak in the Mirrorlands is fucking terrifying to us.


    Claire glanced up at the sky, then gave him a thumbs up. They both darted across the road and into their newly chosen alley. Alex grimaced as distant rotten scent offended his senses with all the subtlety of a brass horn. Sulfurous eggs and ripe, three-week old garbage mixed with the stench of something akin to a shaker bottle full of protein shake that had been left out in the sun overnight.


    "Bleed me," Claire whispered as she gagged, pinching her nose shut. "What is that?"


    Alex glanced over Claire''s shoulder and grimaced. The answer had already made itself present. A large, lumpy gray form rose above the alley exit before them, bulbous and pustule ridden. Rivers of greenish-gray liquid poured from dozens of old wounds covering what could only have once been flesh. There was no real shape or form to the blobby mass before them. It bore more resemblance to a rotted bag stuffed full of compost than an actual living being.


    They both paused, but a dead monster was a lot less likely to attack them than a live one. It was certainly safer than the alleyway behind them. A minute passed as they waited to see if anything would come to investigate the loud noise. But, if anything did, it didn''t venture in their direction.


    A wet squelch broke the newly minted silence of the city as a Corpse Poker hooped up onto the dead monster just beyond the alleyway. It still had both wings functioning, so it wasn''t the same one from the previous alley. The monster''s black talons tore through the wet flesh sack with ease and its wide eyes moved independently of each other to scan the surroundings as it drove its beak deep into the dead monster and started to drink.


    Corpse Poker (Novice 2)


    "Another one? That is bleeding vile," Claire whispered, voice nasally from still having her nose pinched shut. They both ducked to avoid the Corpse Poker''s sight. For having enormous eyes, the monster didn''t seem particularly observant.


    Compensating, much?


    "The bird?" Alex asked. "Or the dead thing?"


    "Yes."


    "Well, I say we kill it. At least we know where the other one came from," Alex said. "And given that one of the things is already dead, there''s only one left to kill. You want it?"


    "Bleed that. All yours. Are you really going to get close to that¡­ squeezed rat? You''ll smell like death warmed over for the rest of the week. I''m going to need to melt my nose shut."


    Alex ignored her and edged closer to the edge of the alleyway. The birds eyeballs were still bouncing about like pinballs, but it had yet to pick up on his presence. He poked his head out and slowly peered down the main street to get a better look at their surroundings and the rest of the corpse.


    Bile welled in his stomach and burned at the back of his throat. It didn''t look like they were going to figure out what the dead monster was anytime soon. The entire upper half of its body had been picked completely clean and left behind only pockmarked white bone, bleached and dry.


    Maggots covered the ground around the bone. They weren''t strong enough to get identified by the System, but some of them were almost as large as his fingers and easily three times as thick. They made a squirming bed on the ground on the far end of the street.


    There were, however, no more Corpse Pokers. He couldn''t see any other monsters with enough strength to be concerned about. That didn''t mean things would stay that way. Alex drew back into the alley and crouched, moving slowly to avoid drawing any extra attention. His fingers found a rough piece of fallen rubble the size of his palm. He pulled it into his grip and rose, turning it over in his hand to try and find the best position to hold it.


    Claire realized what he was doing and took a step back to distance herself from Alex and leave him enough room to maneuver in the small alleyway. It was just wide enough for two people to stand shoulder by shoulder, but not if they wanted to avoid getting hit.


    Alex drew his hand back and waited to make sure the Corpse Poker wasn''t going to move. He didn''t want to waste the element of surprise. Fortunately for him, the bird was completely occupied with sticking its long beak where it really didn''t belong.


    He whipped the rock forward with all the strength he could muster ¡ª which, as it turned out, was actually a considerable amount. The stone streaked through the air and struck the bird right in the chest.


    It let out a startled, airy squawk as its ribcage collapsed and a puff of wet feathers erupted around it. The bird tumbled off the back of the dead monster and landed on the ground in a splat. An instant later, a tiny trickle of energy, so faint that he could barely feel it, slipped into Alex''s chest.


    "Wow," Claire said. "That was¡­ kind of sad, actually."


    Alex was halfway through nodding in agreement when the corpse exploded.


    Chunks of rancid grey flesh squelched as they struck the wall and rained down everywhere. Unfortunately for Alex and Claire, that also included the alleyway. They both raised their hands to block their faces and let out a surprisingly synchronized slew of curses.


    An elongated, blue-veined hand with black, curled fingernails burst from the top of the corpse. The arm behind it had five different segmented portions and was covered in alabaster skin pressed taut against sinewy muscle and hard lines of bone within it.


    A second hand followed after the first. Alex gagged as the stench filling the alley grew a thousand times worse. The air filled with a monotonous clicking as a gangly monster extracted itself from within the giant, bloated body lying in the middle of the street.


    Its head was that of a human, with teeth yellowed and sharpened to points and gaunt eyes sunken in apparent death. The wispy black hair matted to it did little to conceal the top of its skull.


    The monster didn''t seem to have any feet. It walked on six gangly arms as it skittered down the side of the huge corpse like an insect. Every movement the monster made was erratic and jittery. Its torso wasn''t all that much larger than Alex, but the length of its limbs made it stand easily twice his height. The clicking noise filling the streets came from the monster''s mouth opening and snapping shut.


    Corpse Burrower (Novice 7)


    "I think I preferred the bird," Claire said, her nose still pinched shut. "And for the record, can I say I bleeding hate this place?"


    The Corpse Burrower hissed, segments of its mouth peeling back like a blooming flower to reveal rows upon rows of teeth running down what should have been the inside of its head. Its many hand-legs pattered against the ground in a cacophony of scrapes as it raced toward them.


    "I don''t think it likes you," Alex said. He leapt all the way into the street, getting himself out of the alleyway as quickly as possible. Mirror shards expanded from his palm as he brought them down toward the joints of one of the monster''s limbs.


    His attack whistled by harmlessly as the Corpse Burrower yanked the limb out of the way and skittered back, its mouth undulating in an uncomfortably hypnotic pattern. Claire stepped out of the alley, her sword held at her side.


    The monster dashed at them again. Alex readied himself and Claire lifted her weapon, but the spiderlike creature lurched at the last moment, flinging itself into the wall. Its limbs warped around itself like a plate of spilled noodles, burrowing into the wall with silent cracks. The Corpse Burrower barely missed a step as it dug itself into the stone and dashed across it.


    Alex and Claire both dove in opposite directions as the gangly monster leapt. Its limbs flailed through the air, trying to reach both of them and failing to reach either, and it hit the ground with several loud clicks.


    Most monsters would have fallen flat on their face if they''d tried to attack two different directions and failed both, but the Burrower had so many limbs that it caught itself with no problem. It spun toward Alex and raced in his direction, darting from side to side in a serpentine pattern.


    He moved away from the walls to keep the monster from being able to climb them and attack him from above, then raised his hands again. The Burrower skidded to a halt a moment before it reached him, clicking in fury.


    It''s intelligent. It knows that I can cut it and doesn''t want to get hurt. That''s really concerning. I didn''t think monsters in the Mirrorlands would be this smart. Especially not at such a relatively low level.


    A loud crack split the air. A pained hiss slipped from the monster''s gaunt lips as Claire brought her sword down on one of its legs, black veins running down her right arm. Her blade sliced clean through the monster and an arm more than twice her height slipped from the creature''s body and crashed to the ground beside her.


    The Corpse Burrower might have had a lot of legs, but it only had a single set of eyes. It let out a furious hiss and spun in her direction, three of its limbs lashing out in an attempt to catch her.


    Claire dodged out of the way of the first two, but the monster was fast. The third attack snagged her shoulder, ripping through her shirt and sending a splatter of blood across the sludge-covered street. She stumbled and the Burrower pounced. Claire flung herself to the side at the last second as blows rained down on where she''d been standing with enough force to leave five small craters in the ground.


    Alex was moving before the Burrower finished its attack. He slammed his palm into the seam in the monster''s back hand-leg, sending a mirror shard carving straight through it and severing the limb.


    The monster stumbled and spun toward him. Claire flung her blade with impressive accuracy, sending it blurring through the air and straight into the back of another leg.


    It didn''t completely sever the limb, but it left a deep gouge in the monster''s body and lodged itself in its side. Another pained snarl erupted from the Burrower and it twisted back to Claire, judging her the easier of the two targets, and lunged at her before she could rise to her feet.


    She rolled to the side, avoiding one of the monster''s limbs, but another one slammed into her shoulder. Claire let out a hiss of pain as she was slammed into the ground. She grabbed the monster''s arm and black veins shot down her own as she squeezed.


    A loud crack rang out. The Burrower snarled and reared back, aiming to end her. Alex leapt, driving blades into another one of the monster''s limbs. He didn''t even wait for them to finish severing it. Alex leapt for the sword hanging from the monster, just barely managing to wrap his fingers around its hilt.


    He yanked it down, sending a spray of dark matter spilling from within the monster. Its limbs buckled and the monster pitched to the side, unable to continue supporting itself. It hit the ground in a flail of arms.


    Alex darted forward before it could rise, driving Claire''s sword into its chest and yanking it up through the monster''s head. It met a moment of resistance as it hit bone, but he sent a wave of mirrored shards racing down the blade. They sliced through the bone and the sword continued through the rest of the monster''s head, bursting free in a spray of fragmented ivory and black fluid.


    A rush of energy flowed into Alex as he jumped away from the dead monster and hurried over to Claire.


    "You okay?" Alex asked as she pushed herself into a seated position with one hand. Her other hung at her side, blood dripping from a deep wound in her shoulder. Alex was no doctor, but he was pretty sure something was broken by the way she carried herself.


    "Yeah. I''ll heal soon enough. Faster if I get some blood," Claire replied through gritted teeth. "Just help me up. The goop is soaking into my clothes. Forget the pain. I want to save my nose."


    Alex grimaced. They were definitely going to need a shower after this. A very long shower. He wrapped an arm around her good side and hoisted her to her feet, pressing the hilt of her sword into her hand so she could support herself with it. A shimmer of motion caught his attention.


    High Grade Novice (Corpse Burrower)


    A gray Soul Flame flickered to life above the dead Corpse Burrower''s body. Alex snagged it. A freezing cold tendril pressed into his mind and his back stiffened. He could feel the Corpse Burrower.


    He could see its many limbs, and how it had dug its way into the corpse of the body it had found like a mole through dirt. He could tell the monster had a horrible sense of both smell and sight, but it made up for it with remarkably good hearing ¡ª hearing that was muffled when it had shoveled itself into a corpse and was gouging itself on a feast of rotted flesh.


    Alex''s fingers tightened slightly around the flame. He felt the connection intensify. The flame sputtered in his hands, starting to lose some of its intensity. Alex hurriedly released it and the fire returned to normal. He shoved it into his Spatial Mirror and his mental connection to the monster severed.


    "What is it?" Claire asked through clenched teeth. "Don''t tell me you got stuck bonded to that hideous thing."


    "No, but I''m pretty sure I could bond to it if I wanted to," Alex said. "That answers my question. I think I can bond to any normal monster in the Mirrorlands. Just¡­ not the Riftwarped ones, for some reason. Though perhaps I could, if I tried harder. I''ll have to test once we''re in a spot where it''s safe."


    "Lovely," Claire said. "You didn''t bond to the Burrower, did you?"


    "No. I haven''t bonded anything yet. I want to see what other monsters I can kill before I make a decision on what I lock in. Wings could be useful, but the Burrower was a bit weak."


    "I can think of six other reasons why it wasn''t worth bonding to, but maybe we could get out of here first?" Claire suggested. "And if you''ve got a free hand, I would greatly appreciate you pinching my nose shut. One of mine is currently on vacation."


    "I think I''d just get even more shit on your face if I did that," Alex said. "Probably better just to¡ª"


    His sentence froze in his throat as he spotted something shift at the far end of the alley where they''d come from. A humanoid shadow watched them, almost entirely disguised aside from two dim red eyes observing them from the darkness.


    No name appeared above it.


    "What the hell is that?" Claire whispered, following his gaze.


    The back of Alex''s neck prickled as something passed above them. He grabbed the sword from Claire''s hand and brought it to bear just in time to stop a black blade from slamming straight into the top of his skull.


    A figure cloaked in wisps of darkness alighted on the ground before him without so much as a noise and spun, a curved blade in its grip arcing for his neck with blinding speed. Claire pushed herself back, releasing Alex so he could fight with both hands. He didn''t even have the chance to look at the name forming above their attacker''s head. All he could do was rush to block the strike before it could decapitate him.


    The second strike rang off Claire''s sword. Before the monster could recover, Alex lunged and thrust the blade right at its chest. It was so close that there should have been no time to dodge. His blade drove home, but it didn''t meet so much as a modicum of resistance.


    A flickering shadow twisted before him, red eyes boring into his. The same one from the alleyway. Alex spun to see the monster that had attacked them staring at him from where the shadow had been just moments before.


    It swapped places?


    The monster darted in the other direction, vanishing behind the buildings. Its shadow blew away, leaving them alone in the rancid-smelling alley once more.


    "What was that?" Claire whispered, staring in awe.


    "I don''t know. I didn''t catch its name," Alex replied, handing Claire back her sword as he stared in the direction the monster had gone. "But we need to get moving."


    "Yeah. Good idea. We better find somewhere to hide so nothing else finds us."


    "No." Alex shook his head. hurried over to where the Corpse Poker had died, spotting its relatively weak Low Grade Novice Soul Flame flickering above its body. He grabbed it and tossed it into his Spatial Mirror, quashing the mental connection before it could start. There was no point bonding to such a weak monster.


    "No?" Claire repeated. "Why?"


    "Because we need to go after that thing." Alex started into the alleyway and Claire followed after him with a confused frown on her face.


    "What? Why?" Claire whispered. "We don''t know what else it''s capable of, and it was smart enough to back off when it lost the element of surprise. I didn''t even hear it coming! It could have killed us before we even knew it was there if it was just a little faster."


    "Exactly." Alex grinned at her. "That''s exactly why we have to track it down. I''m going to take its powers for myself."


    S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 36 - 35: Onyx

    Alex darted after the nameless monster with Claire hot on his heels. Neither of them dared to all out sprint as they slipped back down the alley and into the shadows lining the edges of the main street. As much as Alex wanted to get his hands on the monster''s powers, he wasn''t trying to get spotted by a City-Eater Centipede while he was running around like an idiot.


    He caught a glimpse of a shadowed back darting down an alley in front of them, but the monster wasn''t moving nearly as fast as it had proven to be able to. It seemed that his target was equally as cautious. A certain unfortunate cat and a tentacle had shown him why. The monsters in the Mirrorlands were no more friends to him than they were to each other.


    Well, either that or this is an ambush. Only one way to find out.


    Alex stepped into the alleyway and Claire raised her sword behind him, squinting into the dim light. They got there just in time to see the monster disappear down a street leading off to their right, behind the top half of a barrel that floated in the middle of the alley like a decapitated head.


    They both ducked under the barrel and followed after the monster, just barely managing to keep it at the edge of their vision. It darted down another tight turn and they followed after it, turning a corner and stepping past a crate to find themselves staring at the main street once again.


    A dark form stood at the edge of the street ¡ª but it wasn''t the monster. It was its shadow. The monster burst from behind the crate, driving its weapon for Alex''s chest.


    A flash of silver arced past Alex as Claire thrust her sword past him. It scraped against the wall and a loud clang rang out as a black blade struck it and reverberated off. The monster vanished, swapping places with its shadow and reforming in the street. A hissing laugh slipped from beneath its hood. It was taunting them.


    Alex took a step forward, wishing more than ever that he had some form of proper ranged attack ¡ª and then the ambush sprung.


    A rippling purple portal the size of a kiddie pool split open in the air above the alley. Two mandibles emerged from the portal, followed by a long, segmented body covered with spines. Hundreds of legs swam through the air beneath it as a horse-sized millipede slipped from the portal. Its armored skin was covered with long, hairlike spines and a low chitter slipped from its mouth as it clicked its mandibles. The monster was nowhere near the size of the City-Eater Centipedes, but it could definitely go in the running as their little cousin.


    Snapper (Adept 2)


    "Shit!" Alex hissed, preparing to dive for safety, but the Snapper didn''t even glance in his direction. It shot out, darting through the air in a streak of gray, and its jaws clamped down on the hooded monster with a crunch.


    The Snapper''s body coiled around the monster like a snake''s, its many legs digging into the smaller monster in a series of loud cracks. The hooded creature screamend and writhed desperately in an attempt to escape. It was fruitless.


    "It doesn''t care about us! We''re not worth the time," Claire hissed, grabbing Alex''s arm and giving it a tug. "This is a good time to get bleedin'' moving!"


    "Hold on," Alex hissed. "That''s our kill!"


    "Yeah, well are you going to tell the big creepy thing that?"


    The hooded monster struggled furiously, but it couldn''t break free of the milipede. It couldn''t seem to use its teleportation ability for some reason ¡ª but the reason wasn''t going to matter soon enough. It was just moments from getting itself killed.


    Alex''s jaw clenched. There was absolutely no way he could fight the Snapper, even with Claire backing him up. Glint was still dead. And, frankly, even if Glint was alive, they''d still stand no chance against a monster two entire Stages above them.


    The only reason it hadn''t bothered with them was because they were¡­


    "Too weak," Alex muttered, his eyes lighting up as a jolt of realization raced through his system. "Claire, can you turn back and hide for a few minutes?"


    "What? Why?"


    "Because I''m going to do something really dumb, and I need to make sure the wrong person doesn''t become the target."


    Claire stared at him for half a second, then gave him a sharp nod. "Don''t get yourself killed. I really should have thought of this before we came down here, but you''re the only damn way back out. I swear to any bleeding god listening that I''ll haunt you if you get me trapped here."


    "Won''t have to haunt me if I''m already dead, but point taken," Alex replied, turning and darting out of the alleyway. The Snapper didn''t even glance in his direction, and the hooded monster was far too preoccupied with other things to pay him any mind.


    Alex flexed the fingers of his right palm as he ran. A blade of mirrored glass jutted from his palm, glistening as the purple-red light of the Mirrorlands reflected off it. Another loud crunch split the air and the hooded monster slumped, its weapon tumbling from its dark, segmented hands, and the Snapper let out a hiss of victory. It reared back ¡ª Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alex drove the mirrored blade straight into the back of the hooded creature''s head. It met a moment of resistance before sliding home and snapping off, lodged deeply within the creature''s brain.


    A rush of energy flooded into Alex. His limbs prickled and a trill of excitement raced down his spine as a scream of fury tore from the Snapper''s mandibled mouth. He''d stolen his kill back. Now he had to live to reap the rewards.


    Alex spun and sprinted down the street as fast as his legs could take him, not even bothering to try and avoid sight. He didn''t have the liberty. The air behind him filled with rapid, furious clicks and energy buzzed against the back of his neck.


    He hurled himself to the ground in a roll. A loud crash echoed out above him as the Snapper slammed into the side of a building, sending dust and rubble raining down to the ground around it.


    Alex lurched to his feet, barely missing a beat as he continued sprinting across the street, his eyes locked on an alleyway in front of him. The click of the Snapper''s many feet racing after him thundered like a band full of furious children armed with tambourines.


    Energy charged the air at his back and his hair stood on end. His stomach flipflopped and he dove, closing the last few feet between himself and the alleyway and flinging himself inside it.


    Huge mandibles carved through the wall above his head like nothing was there. Alex sprung back to his feet as stone rained down around and upon him, pelting him like cold rain. The Snapper''s body crashed into the stone and its feet scrabbled on the ground as it redirected an enormous amount of momentum in mere moments, only slightly slowing in its pursuit and following him into the alleyway. Alex''s target ¡ª a large clearing full of rubble and a small splatter of blood ¡ª was only moments away.


    Unfortunately, so was the Snapper.


    His breath came out in ragged gasps and his feet pounded against stone. There was no room for failure. A single bad step would be the end. He could feel the Snapper''s breath on his back and the crackle of energy racing across his skin. The click of the monster''s feet thundered around him and its mandibles scraped the walls just behind his desperate steps.


    Alex burst free of the alley and into the rubble covered clearing. He flung himself to the side, landing on a jutting stone and letting out a hiss of pain as it carved across his back. Energy popped and thrummed in the air above him. Alex skidded a foot before he managed to shove himself upright, spinning to look up.


    A crackling pink portal snapped open overhead and the Snapper burst free from within it, its mandibles split wide open to reveal the twitching innards of the monster''s mouth. It was so close that he could practically see the monster''s last meal. Wide, onyx black eyes of an insect burned with fury and the overgrown millipede chittered as it bore down on Alex.


    The ground exploded. Alex flailed as he was launched through the air amidst a spray of stone and dust. He curled into a ball, covering his head as best as he could just moments before he crashed into the ground.


    The world tumbled and spun around him. A heavy stone carved into his arm and slapped his arm into his face. All air was driven from his lungs as he crashed into the wall of a building. Chunks of rubble pelted him. He kept himself curled for a moment longer before daring to lift his hands away from his face. Developing bruises throbbed across his body as scrambled to his feet, ignoring the blood dripping from lacerations along his arms.


    A massive tentacle had burst from the ground and wrapped around the Snapper, which had coiled around the monster in turn. The ground trembled beneath Alex as the millipede tore into the tentacle with its many pointed feet, ripping deep into its bulging flesh.


    Alex''s mouth tasted of iron and dust. He swallowed amidst his ragged breaths, then staggered back for the exit. The earth bucked and heaved as the Barbacle started to pull its true body out from beneath the ground. More tentacles erupted from beneath the rubble-covered square, but Alex had no plans of sticking around to find out which of the massive monsters would win the fight.


    He slipped into the alley, nearly tripping over his own feet as another powerful tremor ripped through the earth with enough force to bounce him half a foot into the air. Alex caught himself on the wall and coughed a mixture of blood and dust into his palm. He wiped his mouth with the back of a sleeve and continued on, only pausing to glance up at the sky above and ensure there were no City-Eater Centipedes watching before making the trip across the street.


    It only took a few moments for him to make it back to where he''d killed the hooded monster. The creature''s body was missing, but a black fire crackled gently in the place where it had fallen.


    Low Grade Initiate (Echo Wraith)


    Echo Wraith, huh? At least I finally found out the damn thing''s name.


    Alex grabbed the flame and scooped it into his mirror without wasting a second. He stepped into the alley that he''d left Claire in ¡ª and nearly tripped over a corpse.


    A Corpse Burrower''s body, this one considerably smaller than the one he''d fought together with Claire a short while ago, laid ripped to shreds in the alley. Claire stood behind it, blood dripping from her arms and her sword clutched in her right hand. The body of the Echo Wraith lay at her feet.


    She must have dragged it here.


    "You survived!" Claire exclaimed between heavy breaths. She wiped her mouth and swallowed before nodding down to the bodies at her feet. "This thing heard the fight and came looking for a free meal. Killed it. Thought you might want this thing''s body. Where''s the big creeper?"


    "Fighting the Barbacle back in the clearing," Alex replied as he walked over to her, some of his breath slowly starting to return as his adrenaline relented. "I don''t think the fight is going to be pretty."


    "You clever bleedin'' shit," Claire said, a grin tugging at her lips. "You got ''em to fight each other?"


    "The Barbacle ignored the last weak monster in the area. I figured it would see the Snapper as a bigger threat and meal than me. No reason to assume monsters don''t get rewards the same way we do," Alex said. "Bigger challenge, better reward."


    They were both silent for a second as they fought to catch their breath. As Alex braced his palms against his knees, he paused. Something glistened on the Echo Wraith''s thin, dark chitin wrist.


    An onyx bracelet.

 Chapter 37 - 36: The Second Monster

    Alex grabbed the bracelet and yanked it off the monster. At nearly the exact same time, a loud roar ripped through the warped city. He jerked upright and exchanged a glance with Claire.


    "I think something''s pissed off," Claire whispered.


    Alex gave her a jerky nod and shoved the bracelet into his pocket. There would be time to investigate it shortly, when they weren''t in imminent danger of getting snacked on by a pissed off tentacle monster. "And I think we might be overstaying our welcome. You got any energy left?"


    "Not a scrap. Damn near got myself killed fighting this thing." Claire kicked the dead Corpse Burrower.


    "Then let''s get somewhere relatively safe to hide for a bit," Alex said, starting down the alley. "We can''t head straight back to the portal yet."


    "Why not?" Claire whispered as she followed after him.


    "Because opening it might summon another Riftwarped monster, and I don''t have anywhere near the strength to deal with it as I am right now," Alex replied. "I need to find somewhere to try and rest for a little while and figure out how to summon my new monster."


    "Of course it will," Claire muttered. "Why wouldn''t it? I should have guessed."


    Another roar carved through the smokey air of the Mirrorlands and they both snapped their mouths shut and pressed themselves to the side of they alley to avoid notice. For several minutes, they made their way through the streets in search of something that could provide them relative shelter.


    Alex wasn''t so sure such a thing as a truly safe space existed in the Mirrorlands. He was more than willing to settle for an area that would only give a half-assed attempt at killing them. Their search didn''t last long. After a few minutes of trawling through the streets, Claire nodded to a one-story building near the edge of an alley in the shadow of an apartment building suspended in the air by long, extruded street poles that wound down from it and into the street like frozen bolts of lightning.


    A few floating fragments of wood that had once been a door floated within the doorframe within whorls of soupy purple energy, and the room beyond it was partially lit by rays of dim light from holes in the ceiling.


    They walked up to the building and Alex pushed the fragments to the side to peer inside. The building only had a single room in it. A door on the side that might have once led elsewhere was walled off by a jutting slab of stone.


    "This looks good," Claire whispered.


    Alex nodded and slipped inside. Claire followed after him and the floating fragments of the door drifted back into their former places. Alex watched them for a moment. It seemed like the fragments knew where they ''belonged''.


    Interesting. I wonder how things determine their base state of being in the Mirrorlands. My best guess is that things get destroyed when they fall down here and then get frozen in that state.


    He took one more look around the room, scouring both the ceiling and the floor to make sure that there wasn''t anything lurking out of sight, then sat down in a shadowed patch in the corner of the room out of direct line of sight of the street.


    Claire sat down beside him as he pulled out the water bottle and unscrewed the cap, taking a long swing from it. He held it out to Claire once he''d drained just about half of it. She eyed the bottle, then accepted it and took a sip.


    Her nose scrunched and she handed it back. "It tastes weird. Like¡­ nothing. But funky nothing."


    "Ah. Those would be the chemicals in the plastic. They add flavor." Alex drained the rest of the bottle, then crumpled it up and shoved it into his pocket.


    "I think I prefer blood," Claire said.


    Alex pulled out the bracelet that he''d taken off the dead Echo Wraith. Its black faceted surface glistened in the dim light in the room. If it had been brighter, he was pretty sure he could have made his own reflection out in it.


    "What do you have there?" Claire asked, leaning over to get a better look at it. "You pulled it off the monster, yeah? Is it an item?"


    "No idea. Is there a way to figure out what it does?" Alex asked as he turned the bracelet over. It was completely devoid of any design or pattern.


    "You''ve got to try to touch it with your mind while you''re holding it. It took a while before anyone figured it out back home. I don''t really know how else to describe it. Just imagine poking it, but don''t actually poke it. You know what I mean?"


    "Poke it but don''t poke it," Alex repeated dryly. Despite his sarcasm, he did his best to follow Claire''s words. He imagined a tendril of thought extending from his mind and brushing across the bracelet''s surface. A faint tingle prickled against the back of his skull.


    Pinpricks of gold light appeared in the air before his eyes. Lines wormed out between the dots and connected them, forming into words.


    Band of Shadowed Shroud (Rare)


    Bonded Effect: At will, the Shadowed Shroud takes a form over its wearer''s body that conceals their features and information from inquisitive gazes and abilities alike. Sufficiently powerful effects can penetrate the protection bestowed by the Band of Shadowed Shroud.


    "Huh. So that''s what the Echo Wraith was wearing. I was kind of wondering where a monster got clothes," Alex said. "It''s a magic cloak that protects stats. Kind of like your bracelet."


    "I told you they were pretty common, but mine doesn''t give me a cloak. Try it on," Claire said. She sent a pointed glance at Alex''s wrist. "And give me my bracelet back. You don''t need it anymore."


    Alex pulled the plain band off and returned it to Claire. "What''s a Bonded Effect?"


    "Do the brain-pokey thing again when you put the bracelet on. I think you can only have a few items bonded at a time, but I heard you can break your connection with them just as easily. I knew someone with three items, and he said he was pretty sure he could get more."


    "Noted. Thanks." Alex slipped his new bracelet on and extended his mind to it. A faint chill prickled against his skin and the hair on his arm stood on end. The bracelet tightened itself until it fit him perfectly and the strange sensation faded.


    A strange sensation prodded at his mind like someone had attached a string to the base of his neck. It was so faint that he could barely feel it, but it was definitely there. The moment he turned his attention to it, a race of energy traveled out of the metal and into his wrist.


    Thin strands burst free of the bracelet. They twisted up his body and enveloped him in an instant. It stretched up past his neck and crawled across his face like a tiny swarm of ants. By the time Alex had finished letting out a surprised curse, the energy had already faded and he had already been covered in a thin layer of smooth black cloth.


    Alex looked down at himself. The clothing was just loose enough to avoid restricting his movements while still being close enough to his body that it wouldn''t catch on the handle of every single door he ever walked past. The material around his hands and legs was baggier to give him more range of movement, and it ended in what felt like cuffs just before his wrists and ankles. A hardened section of cloth covered the lower half of his face and a hood rose over his head, stopping just before it got in the way of his sight.


    "Whoa," Claire said. "You kind of look like you''re going to hold me up in an alley. Can you even speak properly in that?"


    Alex opened his mouth and the cloth pulled away from his face to give him room to talk, though it didn''t lower to reveal him. "Let''s find out."


    "Huh. Convenient," Claire said.


    The cloth reformed to cover Alex''s face once again. He sent a mental command down the line connecting him to the bracelet and the entire thing shrank back into his bracelet before taking form back over his body once again.


    "That is convenient," Alex said with a grin. "So you can''t see my stats when I''ve got this on?"


    "Not at all," Claire confirmed. "But you''re not exactly inconspicuous either. You''re going to have to walk around like that for as long as you want to keep the item''s effects active."


    "Eh. I''ll take it. It looks pretty cool," Alex said with a chuckle. "And I''m not going to object to something covering up a little more skin. My clothes are already basically just rags. I was going to need a replacement pretty soon. I just hope this doesn''t get destroyed the first time a monster stabs me."


    "Magical items aren''t that easy to break. The clothes are made out of energy, so it''ll probably just regenerate. I''d be more worried about getting stabbed than your clothes getting messed up."


    "Hey, that''s only true until you run out of clothes. I know I heal as long as I don''t get stabbed too hard. The same does not hold for my normal clothes, and I really don''t want to go fighting monsters naked. No need to give them something to aim at." sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Fighting naked does not sound like it would be fun," Claire said with a grimace. She glanced down at her own clothes, which really weren''t in much better shape than Alex''s. "I might need to look into getting some replacements. These aren''t long for the world."


    A distant rumble echoed through the Mirrorlands and silenced their conversation. A crackle of energy announced a portal opening somewhere in the sky above them. Pink energy danced through the cracks in the roof and a shadow enveloped the building as a City-Eater Centipede swam overhead. Alex''s ears popped as the enormous monster slipped into another portal and vanished.


    "I think I''m going to go ahead and get that monster summoned already," Alex said.


    Claire rose back to her feet and put a hand on the hilt of her sword as she crept over to the door and peered into the street.


    "You do that," she agreed in a whisper. "I''ll keep watch. I think we might be overstaying our welcome. I need to meditate to get some use out of the energy we''ve gotten already. There''s only so much risk I think we can afford to take in the Mirrorlands, and we''re already dancing on the line."


    Alex reached down to the silver box at his side. Two cards rested within it. One was Glint''s. The other was empty, but it wouldn''t be for long. Alex slipped the mirror out and held it up before him.


    Spatial Mirror


    Stored Energy:


    High-Mid Grade Novice (Floraking) - 1


    Low Grade Initiate (Riftwarped Crawler) - 1


    High Grade Novice (Corpse Burrower) - 1


    Low Grade Novice (Corpse Poker) - 1


    Low Grade Initiate(Echo Wraith) - 1


    Bonded Creature: None


    Alex ran his finger down the card. Energy prickled as he passed over each of the names. Flickers of the monster''s soul lurked at the edges of his mind, just as they had when he''d picked up the Soul Flames. He paused on the Riftwarped Crawler, but it was just as walled off to him as it had been before. The energy was there and it seemed to be a potential summon, but something was preventing him from connecting with it.


    That has to be the Riftwarped aspect, then. Maybe I''ll be able to take control of them when I get stronger. That would be pretty useful, but I really didn''t want the Crawler in the first place. It''ll be more useful as energy to feed my monsters. For now, I''ve already got something far more functional lined up.


    Alex''s eyes landed on the final stored Soul Flame. When he''d summoned Glint, all he''d had to do was pull the stored energy free of an empty Spatial Mirror.


    It worked once. Can''t imagine it won''t work again.


    He pressed his hand against the mirror, its surface a viscous layer of quicksilver. A faint pressure pushed back against him before it gave way and his hand slipped into the mirror. His arm sank into its depths. A freezing cold bit into his palm and licked around his fingers as he found the flame he was searching for. The soul flame bucked and tried to slip free, but he didn''t let it. His grip tightened.


    Come to me, Echo Wraith.


    Alex ripped the energy free of the Spatial Mirror and summoned his second monster.

 Chapter 38 - 37: The portal back

    Pain burned into Alex''s palm as he pulled the black mote free of the mirror. It wormed through his veins and worked its way toward his heart. He gritted his teeth and took a step back, clutching his arm. His skin prickled like he was standing directly under the molten desert sun and he squinted as strands of white energy twisted into existence and circled the Soul Flame.


    The flame lifted into the air and folded in on itself to form a glossy black marble. Ripples of force rolled off it and into Alex. Every wave came stronger than the last. The light intensified as a dull hum filled the room. His ears throbbed as the pressure repeatedly shifted as if it were chained to two hyperactive children on a seesaw.


    Alex squinted and lifted his hands to cover his eyes. Brush strokes of black energy painted themselves across the canvas of burning light that was flooding the room. The pressure changed one last time. Something popped in the back of his head. Pressure mounted, forced the breath back into his lungs. He stumbled and the wall found his back.


    Wind howled past Alex. Light followed, drawn into a swirling vortex forming at the center of the room, and from it, waves of pressure rolled out to keep Alex and Claire pressed into the walls. The air vibrated with energy and Alex squeezed his eyes shut just in time to avoid a brilliant flash.


    Claire let out a slew of curses and clasped her hands to her face. Alex opened his own eyes, squinting through the dots floating in his vision, and was rewarded with his first look at his newly summoned Echo Wraith. Wispy black veins composing an ethereal form floated and churned beneath chitinous plates like bubbling, smoky flesh. Distant crackles of muted ocean blue energy lit it from within. Its hands were like gauntlets slipped over a storm, fingers floated in isolation held in place only by swirling shadow. Two molten red eyes peered at Alex from monster''s nebulous head.


    Echo Wraith (Initiate 1)


    Pressure relented its assault on Alex, freeing his lungs from its grip. He and Claire drew in a breath as one and Alex pushed away from the wall, eyes fixed on the Echo Wraith, heart racing in his chest. Claire wiped her face with the back of a torn sleeve and peered at the newly formed monster from behind frazzled hair.


    "Whoa. That looks pretty bleedin'' different from the one we killed. Is that normal?" Her voice was muted and airy from missed breath.


    "I''m not sure," Alex replied, similarly winded. He strangled down a cough even though the effort was likely pointless. Summoning the Echo Wraith had been far from discreet. Anything that may have been in the area had certainly taken notice of them by now. "This was the first time I''ve summoned something I killed before."


    "Does your class change the monsters you summon somehow?"


    "Sure looks like it. I''ve barely got any idea as to how my powers work. I''m kind of figuring them out as we go." Alex sent a glance past the suspended fragments obscuring the doorway and into the street beyond. It seemed empty from where he stood, but he wasn''t willing to take bets on how long that would last. "I think we should relocate before doing anything else."


    Claire grimaced and nodded in agreement as Alex summoned his Echo Wraith back into its Spatial Mirror. They both approached the door and took another glance at the street. Warped shadows cast by buildings in various stages of deconstruction danced as crimson streamers flowed through the nebulous air above, but there was no sign of anything lying in wait. They were both all too aware of just how little that meant in the Mirrorlands, but when the options were limited to remaining where they stood to let a monster find them while they were trapped in a house or setting out and running into something on the streets, the answer was clear. At least there was a chance to make a run for it if they ran into something in the open city.


    Claire nudged the largest of the fragments in the doorway away with a finger and stepped out, other hand on the hilt of her sword, eyes squinted in search for anything that lurked in the darkness. Alex followed after her and they slipped back into the ill-lit streets of the warped city.


    ***


    Perhaps it was a miracle. Perhaps the incredibly "inconspicuous" summoning had ended up making enough noise that it had scared away any potential predators instead of attracting them ¡ª or perhaps something larger had just already eaten everything of worth.


    No matter what the reason may have been, Alex and Claire were able to slip out without stumbling straight into a monster that had been drawn in their direction. They only made it a single street away before a crackle of energy split the air and forced them to dart for cover. A City-Eater Centipede emerged above the space where they''d been standing just moments after they dove into an open doorway to take shelter.


    The massive monster crawled through the air above them. Its shadow washed across the street like encroaching night. A low buzz filled the air and Alex peered out from the edge of the doorway as a long fissure sliced through the smoky sky. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A long, needle like beak pierced through the line. It oscillated, piercing through the flesh of the City-Eater Centipede''s hard carapace, striking a dozen times in the time it took Alex to blink.


    The centipede didn''t even get a chance to react. It pitched from the sky, curling in on itself as it fell amidst huge droplets of its own blood.


    Energy thrummed from the fissure as gnarled, gray talons tore out from within it. They slammed into the back of the plummeting City-Eater Centipede and tightened around its body. A crunch rang out as the monster''s armored shell shattered beneath their grip.


    The talons yanked the centipede into the fissure, which snapped closed soundlessly. Arcs of energy spiderwebbed out where it had been before the churning crimson fog filling the air swallowed them whole and left nothing behind.


    Several drops of the kidnapped monster''s blood splattered against the ground and burst with enough force to paint the walls of the buildings around them. They were joined by chitinous armor plates crashing to the streets with a sound like glass rain.


    Alex and Claire exchanged a mute glance as they crouched lower and backed away from the door. Nobody had ever said the Mirrorlands were safe. It was just startingly easy to forget just how powerful some of the beings that called it their home truly were. The massive centipedes, creatures of power so immense that Alex couldn''t even comprehend their Stage and level, were the bottom of the food chain. A tired grin pulled a corner of his lips upward.


    Really puts things into perspective. If they''re the bottom, then what are the monsters that hide in the streets? What are Claire and I? Blades of grass that managed to gain sentience? And more importantly, what can the Mirrorlands help us become? What am I going to be capable of accomplishing the day I get strong enough to actually fight a City-Eater Centipede?


    A laugh nearly pushed its way out of Alex''s mouth before he caught it in his throat. He was going to have to make sure he didn''t get turned into worm food before he started letting himself daydream about power anywhere near the City-Eater Centipedes. It was certainly humbling to realize he was so far below the bottom of the food chain that an oversized bug placed leagues ahead of him.


    "Should we go?" Claire whispered.


    "Let me buy a few more seconds to rest," Alex whispered back. His hand lowered to his side and brushed across the surface of the metal box holding his Spatial Mirrors. "Glint still hasn''t come back yet, and I''d rather be as close to full strength as possible when I open that rift again."


    Claire inclined her head. She glanced around the room again, then scooted back against the wall and leaned against it, drawing one knee up to her chest and resting her chin upon it.


    Alex crossed his legs beneath him and sat down on the other side of the room. He pulled his new Spatial Mirror from his side, tilting it to catch the dim red light streaming in through the entrance before lifting his gaze to the ground before him.


    "Come out," Alex said. He didn''t have a name for the Echo Wraith yet, but the monster understood his command regardless. A shimmer of blue energy arced through the air before him. Spidery veins twisted out from the energy. The air bulged as the imprint of a buzzing hand pressed against it.


    Pressure popped in Alex''s ears and, with a sharp snap like a rubber band giving way, his Echo Wraith crackled into existence. The monster floated above the ground, its molten red gaze boring into Alex''s eyes in wait of a command.


    "You need a name," Alex informed the monster.


    The Wraith, predictably, did not answer him.


    "Crunchy?" Claire offered.


    Alex glanced over at her. "Crunchy?"


    Claire coughed into her fist. "It kind of looks crunchy, doesn''t it? With all the blue electricity and the chitinous plates. If you had jaws strong enough to eat it, it would be crunchy. I don''t have any desire to test that theory out myself, but feel free to give it a shot."


    "I think I''ll pass on that one. Do you really think electricity would be crunchy? I feel like it would be more¡­ like an allergy, or something," Alex said with a thoughtful frown. "Like you ate something prickly, maybe."


    "Prickle?"


    "That just gets shortened to Prick. I''m not calling my monster a Prick."


    "Good point." Claire scratched at her chin and tilted her head to the side. "Shadow Storm?"


    "Shadow ¡ª where did you even come up with that?" Alex choked back a laugh and shook his head firmly. "That''s way too edgy. I am not calling my Wraith Shadow Storm. I''d get stabbed halfway through saying his name."


    "What about Spark?"


    Alex paused for a moment. That was actually a pretty good name. It fit fairly decent with Glint''s name as well, which was a definite bonus. He gave Claire a small nod. "I like that, actually."


    "What do you mean, actually? I''m bleedin'' great at naming things."


    "Let''s not get too ahead of ourselves," Alex said with a dry smile. He looked to the Echo Wraith. "How do you feel about that? Spark?"


    The Wraith floated in place.


    Alex gave Claire a thumbs-up.


    "He loves it."


    "I think he wants to kill you."


    "I don''t think he thinks much of anything, actually," Alex replied. He turned back to Spark. "You can teleport, right? Demonstrate for me."


    Spark moved to the side ¡ª or at least, most of him did. A shadowy rendition of the monster rippled in the air where it had been a moment before. Its form rippled like it were reflected through a murky lake, making it difficult to make out any true detail in the swirling darkness. The only part of it that remained identical to the original monster were its two red eyes.


    Alex was still examining the shadow when it snapped, replaced by Spark''s true form in the blink of an eye. He jerked back and suppressed a curse. The Echo Wraith watched him silently. Alex would have suspected the monster were playing a trick on him if he hadn''t known better.


    "That scared the shit out of me," Alex said with a quiet laugh, shaking his head and looking over to where the Echo Wraith had been. The shadow had taken its place. He nodded to it. "Can you swap back?"


    Spark didn''t move.


    "Swap back," Alex said.


    There was no response. The Wraith just floated silently. Several seconds ticked by. Alex and Claire exchanged a glance.


    "Unless he''s suddenly decided to become rebellious, it looks like he can''t just keep using that ability," Claire said. "There''s probably a dela¡ª"


    Spark snapped, his body replaced by shadow as he swapped places once more.


    "Ten seconds," Alex said. "Good to know. You can go back, Spark. That''s it for now."


    The monster extended a gauntleted hand. Air bent before it and the monster slipped between layers of reality, vanishing with a dull crackle of blue electricity. The faint smell of ozone lingered in its passing.


    "I''d love to see what its capable of in an actual fight," Claire said.


    "I don''t think we''ll have to wait long," Alex replied, letting his head rest against the wall behind him. "It won''t be long until Glint comes back. We can set out as soon as he does."


    They both fell silent. Minutes slipped by. And, eventually, though it was far from a surprise, Glint returned to his mirror.


    Their rest was over.


    With both of Alex''s monsters returned to him, he and Claire slipped out of their hideout and made their way through the streets of the warped city, keeping close to the walls and moving slowly to avoid drawing the attention of anything on their way out.


    There were several close calls with monsters passing just by their hiding spots, but they managed to remain undetected all the way out of the city and out into the field beyond it. It was fortunate that the City-Eaters seemed to congregate exclusively in the areas around the actual city. If one of them ever appeared in the open air, Alex doubted they''d have any chance of avoiding its attention ¡ª if it even cared enough about people of their strength to attack them in the first place.


    Alex was saved from having to waste energy using Riftsense on the way back. He remembered the direction they''d come from, and it didn''t take long until they''d arrived at the crack in reality that they''d slipped through just a short while ago. It certainly didn''t feel like a short time. He was tempted to stay longer, but there was too much on the line right now. They had to get back to Earth and level up again before the next part of the System Initialization.


    "Ready?" Alex asked.


    Claire nodded.


    He grabbed onto the purple cracks floating before them. Jolts of electricity drove into his palms, but he was ready for them. Alex''s teeth chattered as electric energy poured into his body and crackled within his muscles. His jaw clenched and he pulled as hard as he could.


    A dull buzz split the air. A vertical line split through the air and lengthened as his hands split it farther, churning purple energy twisting within its depths. The portal grew farther as Alex continued to push. He dragged it open until his arms could pull no longer, then took a step forward and shoved his palms to his sides.


    With a sound like tearing paper, the portal snapped fully open. A faint tugging force yanked at Alex''s chest from within the portal. He took a stumbling step forward ¡ª and his hand met a flat, black sheen as hard as glass. Their way forward had been sealed.


    "Shit," Claire said.


    "Spark, Glint," Alex barked, lowering his stance as he scanned the surroundings. The air around him warped as his monsters arrived at his sides.


    Purple light washed down on Alex and Claire from above. They both craned their necks back as one as a craggy line raced through the air. It peeled open. Tongues of lightning leapt out from within the split in reality.


    "Get ready," Claire muttered, raising her sword before her.


    A hand of gray stone connected to an arm easily as large as a small human reached out from within the churning energy, grabbing onto the edge of the buzzing portal. Pressure drove into Alex like a physical weight as the passageway vibrated. It bulged and warped, edges losing cohesion as they stretched outward. A second hand dug into the portal and a low groan echoed out from within the storm beyond.


    Something enormous was pushing its way into the Mirrorlands.


    Riftwarped Granite Soldier (Initiate 4)

 Chapter 39 - 38: Swords

    Claire stabbed the Riftwarped Granite Soldier in the fist before it could finish freeing itself from the portal. It was only fair. Nobody had ever said they had to wait for the monster to be ready before they started the fight. Monsters weren''t exactly going to give them the same courtesy. And, while Alex generally would have preferred to go for challenge over a victory, a monster this strong was perhaps a bit more than they could chew under normal circumstances.


    Alex would have been more than pleased to follow in Claire''s footsteps if a roar of fury hadn''t ripped out of the portal with such intensity that a wave of pressure slammed into his face like a physical blow.


    His ears popped. He skidded across the grass, heels digging into the dirt, and nearly tripped over his own feet before he caught his balance, arms pinwheeling.


    Claire and his monsters were forced back alongside him. Glint''s claws dug furrows through the dirt as he fought to keep his balance, while Spark just floated back until arriving beside Alex like an astray kite.


    Huge stone fingers tightened around the edges of the portal. The arms connected to the hands behind them rippled as muscle flexed beneath their stone surface. The portal bubbled and crackled, a pot of boiling water with an electric eel dropped into it.


    "Glint! Go!" Alex yelled.


    The Shardwalker didn''t need to be told twice. Glint burst into motion, bounding forward and leaping into the air. His blades drove into the craggy stone, screeching against its surface, failing to find purchase. His efforts left thin gouges in their wake.


    "Spark, you too. Hit that thing," Alex ordered. He had no idea what the extent of the Echo Wraith''s abilities were ¡ª but this was a great time to find out. Anything they could do to hurt the Granite Soldier before it could push its way out of the portal was going to make the fight more manageable in the long run.


    As Spark left, Alex extended his power toward the monster and formed a connection, activating Rift Flood.


    Electricity roared out of Spark''s body. It raked across the ground as he flew, blackening the grass and curling out from his back to form into a hissing cape.


    The plates of chitinous armor covering the monster''s body shattered as his nebulous body grew. Strands of blue magic arced between the plates and affixed them in place. Magic gathered around Spark''s gauntlets, two miniature storms.


    The Echo Wraith darted through the air, arriving beside Glint and sending a rain of blows into the straining stone hands. Every one sent a rumbling crack echoing through the Mirrorlands.


    In terms of physical strength, Spark''s was far greater than Glint''s. The Shardwalker was scrawny and relied on the sharpness of its blades to do damage. Spark didn''t have that. In fact, he didn''t even have muscles, which made the strength of his blows even more impressive.


    Unfortunately, while the blows had cracked the stone, they were nowhere near strong enough to stop the monster from pulling its way into the Mirrorlands.


    The portal snapped fully open. A wave of hissing purple energy rolled out from it, releasing ripples like a stone dropped in a pond. Glint and Spark were thrown back for a second time.


    Alex raised his hands before his face as the energy slammed into him. His stomach knotted and twisted, jolts of pain driving into it. It felt as if he''d stepped into a portal himself for a moment.


    Then the sensation vanished as if it had never been there. Alex didn''t get long to celebrate. A shadow passed over him. He craned his neck back and the blood ran from his face. For a brief instant, a second dragged like a stretching rubber band.


    The Riftwarped Granite Soldier hung, held in place only by its hands gripping the edges of the portal. It was even larger than he''d originally imagined and stood more than thirty feet tall. The towering monster lived up to its name rather well. If it had been standing still and situated on the ground where it belonged, it would have been a perfect statue of a roman stone soldier. But the monster was not standing still. It was in the air above Alex, eyes full of pulsating purple energy.


    The rubber band snapped. Time slammed back into motion. The statue dropped, plummeted straight down. Alex and Claire turned as one, sprinting in opposite directions.


    "Spark!" Alex yelled as his feet pounded against the ground. The shadow stretched farther. The Soldier was too close. He was too slow. His feet couldn''t get him out from under it in time.


    A pair of cold hands slammed into Alex''s back and threw him forward. He tucked into a roll, hitting the ground with a painful grunt. A massive crash bucked the earth. It launched him a foot back into the air before dropping him back down with a disorienting, painful landing.


    Alex rolled over. Spark floated at his side, wavering as the world spun around him. His eyes focused on a huge, gray leg, then followed it up to the Granite Soldier looming above him. The monster held a sword twice Alex''s height in its hands, and its molten eyes were fixed solely on him.


    It lifted its sword, stone limbs grinding against each other. The blade cast a long shadow over the hill behind Alex. Then the sword fell.


    Alex shoved himself to his feet and broke into a run, head still spinning from the tumble he''d just taken. The monster wasn''t fast, but it didn''t have to be. It was so big that it could just swing its massive weapon around until it hit something it was aiming for.


    A quake ripped through the ground beneath him and tried to drive his feet up into his knees. Dirt and stone sprayed past Alex and he half-stumbled, half-spun to find the blade of the sword embedded just a few feet away from him. The sword lifted into the air once more.


    The screech of glass on stone carved through the Mirrorlands. Glint tore into the monster''s leg, but the gouges he left behind were nothing more than minor wounds to the towering statue.


    Alex''s mind spun as he searched for a way to defeat the enormous monster before them. The difference between the Novice and Initiate tiers was already significant¡ª he had no idea just how much stronger the Granite Soldier was than they were, but there was no doubt that they were out matched.


    "Go for its eyes! They''re the weak spot!" Claire yelled from the other side of the monster.


    "How do you know?" Alex yelled back. "Have you fought something like this before?"


    The Granite Soldier lifted its sword into the air. Alex''s eyes darted across its body in search for anything that he could take advantage of. He didn''t care what it was ¡ª he''d settle for anything. A well-positioned crack just above its heart. A blind spot. A crippling addiction to methamphetamines.


    "No! But they''re big and glowing, and they aren''t made of stone!"


    Fair point.


    The statue''s blade plummeted down once more. Alex was already running. He hurled himself forward as the sword''s shadow accelerated toward him. A crash echoed out and he hit the ground in a roll, staggering back to his feet. The fact that he hadn''t been turned into a wet spot on the ground was enough to show he''d avoided the attack. This wasn''t a fight where any of them could afford to get hit. One blow would spell the end.


    "Spark! Do something! Help Glint distract it!" Alex ordered.


    His Echo Wraith flitted for the statue. It drove blow after blow into the monster''s chest. Each strike cracked the stone, but the damage was superficial at best. His monster resembled an irate toddler throwing a temper tantrum at its father''s side.


    It wouldn''t have made a difference if Spark was ten times as strong. Even Glint wasn''t capable of doing anything to hurt the enormous living statue. There was no way to win this fight through sheer strength alone ¡ª but he wasn''t sure if there was anything else actually capable of injuring the Granite Soldier.


    Purple energy buzzed in the monster''s eyes and it took a lumbering step forward. The ground shuddered beneath it and its sword lifted into the air, sweeping down and forcing Alex to run once again.


    His muscles burned as he pushed himself to his limits. The sword slammed home; the ground shuddered. He stumbled, narrowly avoiding another strike. Alex spun back to the soldier before the shaking had stopped. His eyes widened.


    Claire was halfway up the monster''s side. She was scaling it like a giant, humanoid mountain. The soldier had yet to pay her any attention. It completely ignored both her and the other monsters ¡ª its attention was completely focused on Alex.


    It lifted the sword again, but it didn''t rise the full way up this time around. The monster swung the massive hunk of stone when it was only a few feet into the air, sending it crashing straight down in a surprise attack.


    Alex launched himself to the side. The sword slammed down inches away from his feet. He hit the ground with a grunt. Stones pelted his arms and back and he shoved himself back up to his feet.


    Claire had made it all the way up to the monster''s shoulders. She balanced against its neck, her fingers dug into cracks along its skin, and flipped her sword around in a reverse grip.


    With a cry, she drove the blade home. It slammed into the monster''s huge, purple eye. A low, creaking groan slipped from between its stone lips. She''d hurt it ¡ª but she''d gotten nowhere near killing it. Her sword was the size of a toothpick in comparison with the monster, but that understanding had come too late.


    The Soldier released its sword and reached up for Claire with both hands. The expression of victory on her face transformed into realization that she''d fucked up almost instantly. There was nowhere to dodge when she was on top of the monster.


    "Jump!" Alex screamed.


    There was no way she''d survive a fall from that height, but Claire launched herself into the air without hesitation at his call.


    "Spark! Catch her!"


    Spark peeled away from his ineffective attempts to punch the statue. He shot up toward the plummeting Dhampir. The Echo Wraith slammed into her seconds before she hit the ground. Its misty form blew apart, but it managed to slow her fall enough to let her hit the ground in a roll instead of splattering against it.


    "Bleed me, that fucking hurt," Claire groaned from beside Alex''s feet. "I really thought that would work."


    There''s absolutely no way we can kill something like this with our current strength. It''s just too tough. It might not be fast, but I''ll be damned if it isn''t strong. We just need something bigger. Something stronger.


    Alex''s eyes flicked from the huge sword lifting from the ground, then over to Spark. The lumbering statue took another step toward them, a furious, creaking groan echoing out from within it. Its eyes locked onto Claire, burning with fury.


    "You had the right idea," Alex said, grabbing Claire''s arm and pulling her up to her feet. "But I think you pissed it off."


    "You think?" Claire asked, staring up at the massive statue. "This might be a good time to run." sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Run, yes. Just not too far." An idea took form in Alex''s mind. "Can you keep this thing distracted for me?"


    The shadow of the monster''s sword lifted over them.


    "I can certainly try," Claire said, her voice taut. "But what are you going to do? Stabbing it with one of your mirrors isn''t going to do that much better than my sword."


    "Probably not, but I''ve got a better idea," Alex replied. The sword swept down and they both dashed to the side, throwing themselves forward at the last moment before the stone weapon crashed down behind them.


    "What is it?" Claire asked as they shot back up.


    "I''m not going to use my mirrors or your sword," Alex said with a grin. He looked to the huge weapon buried in the dirt before them. "I''m going to use this one."

 Chapter 40 - 39: Granite Soldier

    There was no time for Alex to explain his plan any further. The Riftwarped Granite Soldier had already started to lift its enormous weapon away from the ground and ready another attack.


    Climbing the statue normally was no longer an option. Claire had been able to pull it off because the monster''s attention had been focused on him ¡ª but now it was watching both of them.


    Alex had no doubt he''d get crushed like an insect if he tried to climb the monster normally. Fortunately, there was another way up to the soldier''s head.


    "Distract it!" Alex yelled.


    "Working on it!" Claire grabbed a rock and flung it at the monster. It bounced off a stone knee.


    For a brief instant, everyone paused. The monster stared at Claire.


    "Seriously?" Alex asked.


    "I said I''m working on it!" Claire yelled, grabbing another rock and pelting the monster in the knee again. "Go!"


    Alex burst into motion, running straight for the sword. "Spark! Get to Glint! And Glint, kill Spark!"


    Neither of his monsters questioned his orders for a second. The Echo Wraith flitted to Glint, who abandoned his work of gouging the soldier''s ankle to slash his mirrored claws straight through Spark''s body.


    They scraped against the chitinous plates, but Spark made no move to stop Glint and the attack carved through his nebulous body without stopping. Blue energy sputtered and hissed as something shattered in the center of Spark''s body.


    The storm within Spark collapsed. Chitinous plates of armor split apart. They fell to the ground, turning into a streamer of blue energy that swirled through the air and poured into Alex mid-step.


    Magic coursed through his muscles and worked its way into his chest, continuing down through his legs and out into his shadow. Alex nearly tripped over his own feet as he realized he could feel his shadow.


    His distraction nearly killed him. A rush of wind warned Alex to an oncoming wall of stone, and his eyes widened as he spotted the massive sword hurtling toward him. It was only a few feet above the ground and far too close to dodge to either side.


    Alex dropped to his knees and slid. His back hit the ground and his head followed after it, sending a flash of pain through him. The sword roared through the air overhead, passing just inches above him.


    "What happened to distracting it?" Alex yelled.


    "I''m still working on it!"


    Alex shoved himself back upright even as the soldier brought the sword to a halt. It hoisted the massive sword and swung it once more, this time in an overhead swing. He dashed to the side ¡ª but not all of him left.


    His shadow rose up from the ground where he''d been standing, a rippling, indiscriminate figure that watched his moves with sightless red eyes. Alex didn''t celebrate his success. The soldier''s sword smashed down, passing within feet of him.


    He stumbled but managed to keep his footing, then closed the distance between himself and the sword and leapt onto it. He grabbed onto the jutting stones, clinging to the side of the sword as it lifted into the air.


    Wind howled past his face. It drove into his body and tried to throw him free of the sword. His fingers trembled as they fought to maintain his grip on the stone. Beads of sweat slicked his hold.


    He felt himself start to slip.


    Alex pushed away from the sword as it reached its apex, spinning his arms as he arced through the air and headed straight for the Granite Soldier''s head. The monster''s burning purple eyes tracked him and its head turned to follow his path as he crashed into its shoulder feet-first.


    Rubble shot free. Alex''s heart plummeted and for a brief instant, he lost his footing. He tripped back, tumbling off the giant''s shoulder. The sky spun above him and Alex twisted his body as hard as he could, slamming his hand into a large crack between the stones.


    He held on for dear life. A painful jolt tore through his body as he slammed to a halt, nearly ripping his arm free of its socket. He heaved himself up with a grunt, grabbing onto the monster''s shoulder and pulling himself back upright.


    A keening groan filled the air. Stone trembled beneath Alex''s feet and he scrambled over to the monster''s head, clutching onto the craggy gray rock. Far below him, Glint was still tearing away at the monster''s ankle.


    His Shardwalker had actually made solid progress. Alex caught a glimpse of a thick gouge running through the back of the Granite Soldier''s ankle as it lifted a foot into the air. It seemed to have switched its focus to Claire, who was still flinging rocks at it.


    It only goes after what it''s actively looking at, huh? Good to know.


    Unfortunately, Alex couldn''t revel in his newly found knowledge for long. A foot that rose was one that fell, and this one was no different. Alex tried to brace himself for the footfall. It accomplished nothing.


    His legs bucked as what felt like a thousand pounds of pressure slammed up from the monster''s shoulder and into his knees. His stomach flew up into his throat. He managed to keep his grip on the Soldier''s head, but only just barely.


    Alex gritted his teeth and worked his way around the monster''s head until he clung to its side, dangling directly before one of the molten purple pools that was its eyes. The giant jerked to a stop.


    The sudden halt in movement finally managed to knock Alex''s legs out from under him. He clutched on with his hands, managing to keep his spot as he re-found his footing. Alex glanced over his shoulder as a huge hand reached up for him.


    "Glint! Kill yourself!" Alex screamed, in what was rapidly becoming what may have been a bad habit.


    Shadow washed over Alex as the hand blotted out the swirling red glow of the Mirrorlands sky. A huge palm plummeted toward him, bearing death in its wake. The sheer wind displaced by its movement was enough to make Alex''s hair fly back.


    Icy power drove into him when only seconds remained. Alex didn''t waste a second in yanking free nearly every drop he could muster. He pressed his hands together and pushed the magic out from within himself. The largest mirror blade he''d ever formed jutted out from between his palms. It rapidly expanded to five feet long and nearly half as wide before snapping under its own weight.


    He grabbed the huge shard before it could fall. He hissed in pain as the razor-sharp glass carved clean through his palm and into the bone of his hand, but he didn''t let the shard fall. He hoisted it up, bracing it against his chest and lining it up with the huge monster''s eye.


    "Alex!" Claire screamed from below. "Move!"


    The hand was nearly upon him. It was so close that he could have reached out and pressed his palm to that of the soldier''s an instant before it turned him to paste.


    He was out of time.


    Alex shoved every last drop of magic he could into the shard, then cut his connection to it. He extended his senses to the shadow he''d left on the ground behind him. Its presence rose up to meet him without hesitation.


    He swapped positions with it.


    Grass slammed into Alex''s feet and he staggered, turning just as the Granite Soldier''s palm slammed into its face. The monster''s hand hadn''t been moving fast enough for it to truly hurt itself. It should have been no worse than a human slapping an irritating mosquito ¡ª but there was no mosquito present. There was only a massive shard of razor-sharp glass lined up directly with the giant''s eye.


    A grating scream of agony tore through the Mirrorlands. It tore free of the statue''s mouth with such intensity that a wave of wind drove into Alex and blew his hair back. He held his hands up, gritting his teeth and squinting at the towering monster.


    Claire sprinted forward as the huge monster took a step back. Black veins carved down her arms and she drove her blade at its already-injured foot with all the force she could muster, driving it point first into the back of the monster''s heel.


    It might have been no more than a toothpick, but with the large crack already present, it bit deep.


    The Granite Soldier cried out once more. Horrible, screeching noise filled the air as it stepped away from Claire. It brought all its weight down on its bad leg. A loud snap echoed out, split the air like a calving glacier, and the monster''s ankle broke. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The statue pitched backward. It seemed to fall in slow motion, barely even aware that it was falling until it slammed into the ground, head striking the top of a large hill with an earthshaking crash. A wave of dust and dirt rose up from it, roaring past Alex''s face and dissipating into the air all around him.


    His knees trembled as the ground bounced and tried to throw them up into his chin. He fell to his backside, his heart thundering in his chest and the back of his throat burning from the sharp breaths his adrenaline had been forcing him to take. Alex coughed, musty dust forcing its way into his lungs and threatening to choke him.


    The dark sheen covering the portal back to Earth shattered.


    He didn''t even get a chance to gather himself before an ocean of icy energy drove into his heart. His back stiffened and he choked on his own saliva, doubling over into a hacking cough. It was several seconds before his senses returned to him and he managed to look straight ahead once more.


    A gray flame burned at the feet of the dead Riftwarped monster.


    Low-Mid Grade Initiate (Riftwarped Granite Soldier)


    Alex swallowed. He wiped the sweat from his brow and pushed himself upright again, rubbing at his backside. A relieved breath slipped free from his lips as he spotted Claire stepping out from where the statue had fallen, her hair covered with dirt and skin gaunt.


    Her eyes fixed on his palm. It still wept blood from where he''d cut himself catching his own mirror. Alex held his hand out wordlessly and Claire dashed to him, grabbing onto her meal and greedily drinking every last drop she could save.


    She released his hand thirty seconds later, the tension draining from her shoulders as she wiped her mouth with the back of an arm.


    "Thanks." Claire''s voice was raspy and dry. "I needed that."


    "I got the feeling you weren''t going to survive the portal if you didn''t have something to drink before we left."


    They both looked over to the crackling disk of energy. The black sheen had vanished, leaving it open to use as they wished. Claire glanced back to the dead monster lying beside them. For several moments, they were both silent.


    Then the Dhampir started to laugh.


    "You know what? That was goddamn incredible," Claire said through her laughter. She pushed her hair out of the way of her face and shook her head. "I''ve never felt a rush like that before."


    "It wasn''t half bad," Alex agreed with a relieved grin. The adrenaline of a fight was only dwarfed by the elation and relief that came after what had almost seemed like an impossible victory. "You ready to do it again?"


    Claire pulled herself back under control and prodded Alex in the shoulder. "Don''t get too ahead of yourself. I''m not crazy enough to actively seek this out. But if it happens¡­ well, we''re all going to die somehow anyways. Might as well make good with what we can."


    Alex grinned. He held up a fist. Claire studied it with a confused expression. "Are you trying to punch me?"


    "No. It''s a fist bump. It''s like a greeting. But¡­ cooler. I guess. It''s a lot less cool now that you''ve made me describe it."


    Claire punched him in the fist. Their knuckles collided with a heavy, painful thunk.


    They both cursed and shook their hands off, glaring at each other.


    "That greeting sucks," Claire muttered, cradling her hand.


    "You''re not supposed to punch it! You''re supposed to bump it! Lightly!" Alex exclaimed.


    They both locked eyes for a moment. Then they burst into laughter again.


    Alex headed over to where the soul flame floated, still chuckling to himself, and drew it into his Spatial Mirrors. He then rejoined Claire at the portal.


    "Ready?" Alex asked.


    "More than." Claire nodded. "Ready to go¡­ and ready to come back. I want to see what I can do when I get my abilities upgraded. I''m a ton weaker down here than I am in a location where I can actually drink blood, but I get so much more energy here because the challenge is higher. Fighting here is so stupid for me that it''s actually genius. Assuming I don''t die, that is."


    "If it''s stupid and it works, then it''s not stupid ¡ª until it doesn''t." Alex held his hand out. Claire took it and rolled her eyes.


    "Very sage. I''ll keep that in mind. Shall we?"


    Alex grinned and nodded. "I''m looking forward to it. First, we head back to town and level up. Then we''ve got a monster horde to crush and a leaderboard to top. I''m looking forward to this."


    They stepped into the portal as one, and the Mirrorlands folded itself up into a thousand tiny fragments as they slipped through space, hurtling back toward Earth.

 Chapter 41 - 40: The Approaching Horde

    Grass and blue skies spun around Alex like a green whirlpool. It took him a moment to realize that it wasn''t the world that was spinning ¡ª it was him. He hit the ground before a large pile of mossy boulders with a grunt and the world jerked to a halt. A purple vortex spinning in the air above him vanished. The sun burned overhead, halfway through the sky above. Alex squeezed his eyes shut to keep his retinas from getting burned out.


    The air was rudely knocked from his lungs an instant later when Claire landed directly on top of his stomach. He let out a pained grunt and bolted upright, spilling her onto the grass at his side.


    She let out a slew of pained curses, and Alex heard the word blood muttered at least half a dozen times in rapid succession. He couldn''t make out quite what she was saying, but it wasn''t difficult to take a guess.


    He held his hand out. Claire latched onto it. Two sharp pinpricks of hot pain burned as her fangs pierced into his wrist. She gulped blood down greedily for several seconds before visibly forcing herself to pull back.


    "Thanks," Claire said, licking her lips clean and letting out a relieved sigh. "Again."


    "It''s fine. I wasn''t using the blood anyway," Alex said. He glanced down at the black clothes from the Band of Shadowed Shroud covering his body. They vanished at a thought, leaving only his tattered rags behind. Alex wiped his hand off on the rags, then re-activated the bracelet. He glanced over at Claire. "What? Out of sight, out of mind."


    "No comment," Claire replied. She rose to her feet and held a hand out to Alex. "I don''t think I can say much other than I really want to get one of those for myself."


    "I''m sure we''ll get a chance soon enough." Alex accepted Claire''s hand and she pulled him up to his feet. They''d ¡ª quite fortunately ¡ª returned to the exact location of the portal that they''d taken into the Mirrorlands. The city they''d come from was only a fifteen minute walk away and they weren''t gaining anything from waiting around.


    Alex looked back at the sealed rift. Thin, purple lines of energy buzzed in the air behind them, just waiting to be split open once more.


    Soon.


    He nodded to Claire and the two of them started off toward town.


    ***


    Alex had been hoping to make it back to their room without running into anyone, but it turned out that the universe had other plans. He and Claire made it all the way back into the run-down apartment before running into Ben, who stood in a small group of survivors.


    He caught sight of them as they tried to slip over to the stairwell that led toward their rooms and raised a hand in greeting, breaking away from them and heading in their direction. Alex glanced above his head, noting that Ben''s level had improved since the last time they''d met. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ben - Cleaver (Novice 5)


    "Nice fit," Ben said with an easygoing grin, nodding to Alex. "Little edgy, but it fits."


    Alex''s eyes narrowed. "Was that a pun?"


    Ben laughed and shook his head, his features growing serious. "Glad you both made it back ¡ª though I think Claire might need to grab some new clothes herself. I think we might have some spares lying around."


    "That would be much appreciated." Claire picked at her tattered shirt and grimaced. "This isn''t long for the world."


    "I''ll see what I can dig up for you," Ben promised. He heaved a sigh and glanced over his shoulder at the group of survivors behind him before looking back to Alex and lowering his voice. "We''ve been losing people left and right. That bastard you were fighting with before ¡ª Diego ¡ª you remember him?"


    "I don''t think I could forget him." Alex''s lips thinned. "Don''t tell me that madman is in the town."


    "In the town?" Ben''s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "What do you think we are? Insane? No, he''s not in the town, but he''s been killing people. We haven''t been able to catch him. He attacks groups doing the dungeon near the town and survivors traveling alone. Last I heard, he was already Novice 9. I was worried he got you both."


    "Shit. That fast?" Alex asked. He hadn''t forgotten how his fight with Diego had gone. He wasn''t sure how a rematch would turn out ¡ª but he couldn''t help but want to find out ¡ª just as long as Diego wasn''t getting the jump on him when he was trying to do something else. "How many people has he killed?"


    "We think he''s at 8," Ben replied with a grimace. He bit the insides of his cheeks and blew out a short breath. "The world''s gone insane, man. I just want to fucking live. That''s it. I can''t believe we''ve got to fight against people as well as monsters."


    "Has anything really changed?" Alex asked with a dry smile. "The monsters are just more obvious now. At least we know who we have to fight and have a chance to win against them."


    "I¡­ suppose that''s one way to look at it," Ben said, tilting his head to the side and scratching at the thin layer of stubble that had started to take root in his chin. He shook his head. "You know, I''m a godawful leader. I''ve met a few people that like fighting monsters, but I''m not one of them. I just want to survive. But you ¡ª you like it, don''t you?"


    "Was it that obvious?"


    "It''s in your eyes," Ben replied, tapping the side of his head and giving Alex a small smile. "And I''ll be honest. I''m glad for it. The more people like you there are, the less I''ve got to do myself. The more I can just sit back here and try to keep everyone from each other''s throats while looking out for my girlfriend. Are you planning to stick around for the horde?"


    I don''t see any reason to lie.


    "You wouldn''t catch me dead missing it."


    "Figured," Ben said with a chuckle. "Good. I don''t suppose you''d be willing to tell me how strong you''ve gotten? I get not wanting to share it, but I''m doing my best to determine where everyone in Towntown stands so we can figure out how to distribute our forces during the horde."


    "I''d prefer not to ¡ª hold on. Towntown?" Alex stared at Ben. "You''re kidding."


    Ben sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "We held a poll."


    Claire snickered. "Good name if you ask me."


    "Honestly, could be worse," Alex agreed. "I''d still prefer to keep my stage to myself, though. Sorry."


    "No, it''s fine." Ben waved a hand and shook his head. "I''ve gotten the same answer from everyone with one of those level-hiding items, and I don''t blame any of you. Never know when the thing that kills you is some mad fucker at your back instead of one of the monsters in front of you. I wish things were more ideal, but that just isn''t the case. I''ve got half a mind to think that the damn leaderboard is going to kill more people than the monsters will."


    I suppose I can''t be surprised that other people have figured out that there are definitely going to be some good rewards for topping the leaderboard. People aren''t stupid. Not all of them, at least.


    "Well, I won''t make promises about much, but I fully plan on killing every single monster I can. I don''t have my sights set on fighting any humans that don''t come after me first," Alex said honestly.


    His honesty was equal parts because he had absolutely no desire to kill random people who were just trying to survive and that nobody he''d seen inside the camp so far had actually been strong enough to actually want to try and fight.


    I''m not trying to become some bloodthirsty monster, but it could be fun to have a sparring match with someone as strong or stronger than me. I wonder if the System would reward a challenge if you don''t actually win a fight. Should try to test that out at some point.


    "That''s a relief to hear. I trust you," Ben said, clapping Alex on the shoulder and giving him another charismatic grin. He let his hand slip off and ran it through his hair with a sigh. For a moment, exhaustion shone through his features as clear as day. Then it was gone, his face a smiling mask once more. "Well, I won''t eat up any more of your time. You and Claire look exhausted. Don''t forget the monster horde is slated to start¡­ soon, I guess. It''s still the last day, but I don''t really trust the System, nor do I know what it considers a whole day. It could pop out at any time. Just be ready, yeah?"


    "We will," Alex promised.


    "Great. Then get on with you. And Claire, I''ll have someone hunt around for some extra clothes and have them sent up to your room," Ben said, stepping back to let them pass by him.


    "Thanks. That''s kind of you," Claire said with an appreciative nod.


    "Bah. It''s nothing. Extra clothes aren''t doing anyone any good. I just hope you don''t mind a different style. Really, I should be thanking you. If you''ve gotten stronger than the last time you were around, we''re really going to need you two on the battlefield. Especially if Diego shows up."


    Alex and Claire bid farewell to Ben and headed up the stairs to Room 221. Alex flopped down on the bed as soon as they returned, letting out a relieved groan as he finally gave his strained muscles a chance to rest.


    Claire sat down beside him. She let the breath out of her lungs with an explosive huff. Her head thunked against the wall as she leaned back and she cursed under her breath. "Bleed me."


    "You okay?"


    "I''m fine," Claire grumbled. "Just exhausted. And vibrating with anticipation. You want to meditate first? I''ve got to wait for the clothes delivery, and one of us needs to keep watch anyway."


    "Not saying no to that," Alex said. He remained still for another few seconds before mustering the energy to push himself back upright and into a seated position. He scooted up against the wall and let out a slow breath, gathering himself before reaching deep within his mind and sinking into his Mind Palace.


    It was time to cash in the rewards he''d earned in the Mirrorlands.

 Chapter 42 - 41: The Next Ability

    Alex''s eyes opened. He stood on a flat black lake, the basin of his Mind Palace waiting for him in its center. Brilliant blue mist swirled above the basin like a miniature world. He approached it, resting his hands on the edge of the basin as he looked down into the hazy reflection in the water below.


    Designs rippled on the surface of the basin''s mantle in the water that weren''t present on the actual marble. He couldn''t make out what they were, but it was about time to find out. Alex wasn''t about to start skimping on his Mind Palace''s progress after it had helped him get so much stronger.


    He let his eyes drift shut. His senses extended to the large ball of glistening mist and he set about condensing it. Time slipped by as brilliant blue droplets dropped from the sky, splashing into the basin before him.


    Alex wasn''t sure how long it took, but his eyes eventually drifted back open when no more mist remained. His basin was nearly completely full of brilliant blue water waiting for him to use it ¡ª and he obliged.


    He lowered his head to the water. Ice burned against his lips and he drank. Worms of freezing cold wound down his throat and twisted through his chest. Alex nearly choked and spat the energy up, but he didn''t let a single drop slip free. He drank until just about half of the water remained.


    A headache slammed in his head as he felt himself connect to the power he''d just absorbed into his body. Rivers of silver poured from his palms and trickled down the sides of the basin, sinking into the black lake below.


    Designs traced themselves into the plain mantle. Its simple form expanded and changed. The shape of the marble went from a plain edge to a flowing wave as it transformed into what could have doubled as the back of a throne. The gemstones at its center grew as well, nearly doubling in size.


    The basin wasn''t one to be left behind. Its walls rose and the bowl itself expanded until it rose higher than Alex''s head. Plain white stairs emerged from beneath the lake and ran up to its lip.


    His Mind Palace finally stilled. Alex looked into the water, swallowing heavily. A chill prickled at the back of his spine. Where there had only been darkness before, there was now a reflection of a towering white pillar at the far edge of the lake. It had yet to emerge and he couldn''t make out any details, but it reminded him of a column that may have been present in an ancient roman colosseum.


    I''m starting to think that the term ''Mind Palace'' may actually be a whole lot more literal than I originally thought it was.


    Alex was tempted to push even more power into his soul to see what it would do, but he couldn''t pass up on getting another ability. Every upgrade he''d gotten so far was just too useful. With the second phase of Initialization coming up sometime soon, he needed every potential advantage he could get.


    Getting to the top of this initial leaderboard is at the absolute top of my priority list.


    Alex climbed the stairs leading up to his basin. He braced his hands against the large white bowl and peered down into its depths. Brilliant blue energy swirled at its bottom, now only filling a little more than thirty or forty percent of it. The amount of energy hadn''t changed. It had just gotten bigger.


    He reached down toward the water. Before his hand could get close, a sparkling blue river twisted up like a snake rising from its depths and twisted up to meet him. It coiled around his hand before sinking into his palm.


    Alex''s back stiffened. Power poured into him and words carved across the marble.


    Your Stage has advanced to Novice 6.


    Your Stage has advanced to Novice 7.


    You have amassed 2 units of soul energy.


    Please select an Auxiliary Skill to upgrade.


    Whoa. Two levels? That''s what I''m talking about.


    As they had before, the three smaller blue gems on the on the mantle of his basin glistened with energy. The words on the mantle faded away like marks on a whiteboard before new ones replaced them.


    [Requiem to the King] (Novice 1)


    [Monster Medley] (Novice 2)


    [Riftwalk] (Novice 2)


    Alex paused for a moment to consider his options. Every single one of his skills felt equally as exciting of an option to upgrade, so he was going to have to narrow down which one would actually be the smartest to go with first. What he needed most for this upcoming fight was going to be immediate firepower.


    When he''d last upgraded Riftwalk, there had been potential options for combat abilities as well as utility ones. The same was true for Monster Medley. He hadn''t had a chance to upgrade Requiem to the King yet, but it would probably be similar.


    "Let''s see," Alex said to himself, drumming his fingers against the cold surface of the basin. "I got two levels after using half a basin of energy to advance my Mind Palace. It''s definitely using more energy the higher in level I get ¡ª but either way, it leaves me with two Units to distribute among my abilities. I think I should probably start with one that I''ve already advanced¡­ it''s better to get one really strong skill than a few weaker ones."


    Beyond that, he had a glaring weakness at the moment. Until one of his monsters died, Alex was borderline useless. He needed a way to do something before then.


    Requiem to the King is a really tempting option¡­ but at least from what I''ve seen so far, it won''t give me a way to do anything before Glint or Spark die.


    I''m coming up on a monster horde that lasts a whole damn day. That means a ton of enemies that I''ll have to fight. If Glint or Spark go down early, I lose a lot of momentum. I don''t want to have to solo fight every single random monster. Requiem to the King''s is incredible for massive single-target fights, but for an extended fight like the one coming up, I need an ability that will let me keep myself and my monsters alive for as long as possible.


    That left Riftwalk and Monster Medley. Both were great options. He''d just gotten a whole new monster that he had to limit test, but no matter how things turned out, it was a huge boost to his power. Any upgrades to Monster Medley would be magnified as a result of that.


    But, as things stood now, Alex was wanting in any ranged or control abilities. He could teleport to a location he''d been previously with Spark and attack something nearby with Glint''s shards, but he didn''t have any way to deal with something that outranged him or could get past his monsters while they were still alive.


    Getting some more utility or some form of magic I can use when both Glint and Spark are alive would be incredible¡­ and almost mandatory. Right now, I''m really limited until my monsters die, and I''d really rather them both live for as long as possible. I don''t want to rely on Glint or Spark kicking the bucket before I can fight back.


    That narrowed his options down to Riftwalk quite neatly. It had the highest chance of meeting his needs and giving him something useful. Monster Medley was an incredible skill, but its whole purpose was empowering his monsters.


    There was also the chance that Monster Medley would offer him an ability that let his monsters scale better. If that happened, it would be stupid not to take it ¡ª but it would give him nothing for the upcoming fight.


    Better to save it for later. It''s not like I lose access to the ability by upgrading it second. I''ll take Riftwalk now, and then maybe grab Requiem to the King just to see what it offers me afterward. Don''t want to leave it behind considering how useful it''s been so far.


    As soon as Alex made his decision, black lines poured down from the blue gem at the right side of the mantle. They carved out at sharp angles and three boxes formed at their ends, skill information forming within each of them.


    (2 Units) Riftslip: Reduce the intensity of the ripples your arrivals and departures in the Mirrorlands cause.


    (2 Units) Plane Slip: Destabilize your body with Rift energy, removing all aspects of your form other than a mirage of your image from the plane in which you currently reside. Other forms of energy cannot be channeled during this effect. You may only return to your previous plane in an unoccupied area.


    (2 Units) Funhouse: Draw latent energy from the Mirrorlands into a small area, causing anything passing through it to warp and change direction. The extent of the warping effect increases with the amount of energy drawn.


    The moment Alex saw the options, he immediately knew he''d made the right choice. A grin pulled across his lips.


    Hah! This is exactly what I was as hoping for. These are awesome! Especially Plane Slip and Funhouse. They both sound ridiculously strong.


    Alex couldn''t help but notice one other thing. The cost of his upgrades had changed. Every single option was 2 Units instead of 1. He supposed that made a degree of sense. The ability was stronger than it had been the last time he''d upgraded it.


    I wonder if it''s a linear 1 Unit increase at every level or if there''s something else that governs it. I suppose I''ll find that out pretty soon. I''m more concerned which which of these upgrades I''m going with.


    He took a few seconds to read over everything before him. The top ability had its uses, but he crossed it off immediately. Riftwarped Monsters were incredibly dangerous, and there would definitely be a day when he didn''t want to get attacked by them every single time he entered and left the Mirorrlands ¡ª but that time wasn''t now.


    Danger was challenge. Challenge was power. He wasn''t about to cut off a way to get access to even more powerful opponents. The ability also lacked a way to properly scale. Some of the other offers Alex had seen before had been quite clear that they could continue to be useful in the future. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He was pretty sure that, as he grew stronger, he''d get better control over the Rift Energy. Being better at controlling the amount of noise he made when going anywhere would be a natural consequence of that.


    With that decision made, he was left with two options. Plane Slip and Funhouse ¡ª and he couldn''t have been more happy about it. Both of them leaned a little more toward utility than offense. If Alex understood it right, Plane Slip was a straight up ''get out of jail free'' card.


    It let him functionally drop out of the mortal plane for a brief moment. He could see a variety of different ways it would be useful. Dodging a punch. Repositioning. Getting out of the way of someone''s magic or an arrow.


    The only drawback was that he would still be visible while he was using the ability. He could dodge, but it wouldn''t let him escape ¡ª and Alex was willing to bet he couldn''t do anything to affect the mortal world while the ability was active. It was a powerful option, potentially the strongest of the lot, but it came with equally restrictive limits.


    And then there was Funhouse. Alex was mildly concerned that the System was referencing funhouse mirrors with the skill name. It either meant that carnival mirrors existed in other realities, or the System had read up on Earth and customized the skill name specifically for people that would understand it. He wasn''t sure which of the options was weirder.


    But regardless of weird, the ability was more than just promising. It sounded hilarious. Changing the path of everything that passed through it was certainly going to come out of left field for just about everyone. Nothing in the ability said it was limited to attacks, so unless Alex had misunderstood, it could redirect people as well.


    It was basically a random number generator. If someone shot an arrow at him and he used Funhouse on the area it was passing through, there was a chance the arrow would spit out in another direction and get shucked harmlessly into the ground.


    There was also a chance it would get redirected straight into his heart.


    But if Alex was right and the skill really was a random number generator, then his interest in it went up even more.


    There was a funny thing about random number generators.


    They weren''t actually random.


    If he could actually control Funhouse, even if it was difficult, the skill''s potential was enormous. It was pure disorientation, came with a high potential skill ceiling, and was easily the most versatile of all the options.


    Alex''s nose scrunched. His fingers drummed faster against the basin. He could picture himself taking either Funhouse or Plane Slip. They were both incredibly useful in their own ways. One gave him a guaranteed chance to completely avoid death. The other gave him a way to control the battlefield ¡ª or, at the very least, remove other people''s control of it.


    Well, shit. Two great choices, and both of them would be useful. So which one do I take?

 Chapter 43 - 42: Testing skills

    It was a difficult decision. Alex wasn''t sure how long he sat and examined his options, but eventually, it had to end. Both Funhouse and Plane Slip were good choices. One of them just had something that the other didn''t.


    Plane Slip was powerful ¡ª but the extent of its power was exactly what it appeared to be. It was a guaranteed way to avoid an attack or reposition. That was it. Nothing more and nothing less.


    Alex had no issue with that, but Funhouse was different. The ability could be used both offensively and defensively. And, if there was any way to figure out exactly how it worked and if he could get any degree of control of how the things passing through the space it affected, the ability had an immense skill ceiling.


    I did go into this wanting to make sure I took an ability that had a good chance of giving me an advantage in the upcoming fight. Even if I can''t immediately control the direction something gets sent after passing through Funhouse, it''s still a fantastic disorientation skill. If someone steps into it and gets shot out in a different direction, they''re going to be confused no matter where that direction is.


    And if I can get a better control of the skill, it''ll scale far harder than Plane Slip as well.


    Eh. I''ve always been one to roll the dice. I might have a problem, but oh well. Can''t do anything about it now. Might as well embrace it.


    His decision was made.


    [Riftwalk] (Novice 4) has gained an additional effect.


    Funhouse: Draw latent energy from the Mirrorlands into a small area, causing anything passing through it to warp and change direction. The extent of the warping effect increases with the amount of energy drawn.


    The surface of the white marble mantle changed once again. Three more black boxes formed beneath the skill he''d chosen and the words faded away.


    Alex''s head tilted to the side. Riftwalk had gone straight to Novice 4, skipping clean over Novice 3. That answered a few more questions that he''d had. His ability''s ranks were based on the number of points that he''d spent on them, and the cost to get a new ability was the same as its current rank.


    So I''ll need 4 Units if I want to upgrade Riftwalk again, or 4 levels. Interesting. So if I really want to hyperfocus into a single skill, I''ll go through huge swathes of time where I can''t get upgrades ¡ª but if you distribute your skills evenly and never push one higher, you''re going to have to wait even longer to get the really strong abilities farther down the path. That might end up just getting you killed when you run into something an evenly distributed path can''t handle.


    There was going to have to be a lot of thought put into all the abilities he chose. Wasting points could get him killed, but so could holding on to too many of them. Alex bit back the urge to chuckle. It looked like even selecting his powers was going to be a challenge. At least the System was incredibly consistent with what it liked.


    He took one last look around his Mind Palace. The plain white stairs beneath his feet led down to a lake of black water that stretched out in every direction around him. He could just make out the beginning details of a pillar waiting for enough power to manifest itself in the distance. Alex had no idea what it would do, but he was excited to find out.


    Somewhere far beneath that, Berith waited. The fragment of the demon''s soul was bound somewhere under the lake, held in check by thick white chains ¡ª for now.


    Alex headed down the stairs and stepped down onto the water. A faint ripple passed out from where his foot landed, rolling past his basin and disappearing into the distance in every direction.


    Only one thing left to do. I still have to figure out how to distribute the soul flames that I''ve gathered so far. There are two monsters to feed now.


    Alex pulled both of his Spatial Mirrors out and studied their reflective surfaces. He''d gotten a new ability, but it had come at a cost. Any upgrades he gave to his monsters now had the potential to be worse than they could have been if he''d chosen Monster Medley as the upgrade skill and it had given him a way to improve their advancement.


    Granted, that was a whole lot of ''ifs''. It was practically making problems up where none existed ¡ª but Alex couldn''t quite bring himself to waste any energy.


    And, after a few moments of debate, he realized that he didn''t have to. Unlike his own abilities, upgrading Glint and Spark was nearly instantaneous. He didn''t have to cash in all the soul flames he''d gathered if nobody in the town actually managed to challenge him for the top of the leaderboard.


    If someone does, I can power up Glint or Spark then. It''ll be a card I''m forced to play, but I''d rather hold it close to chest until then. No point wasting energy when there''s a chance I can save it.


    Alex grinned and nodded to himself, more than aware he looked like a madman and relieved that there was nobody there to see it other than his hazy reflection.


    There was nothing left to do in his Mind Palace.


    He let himself slip out of the deep meditation and returned to Room 221, where Claire was waiting for him.


    ***


    There was a Russian grandmother crossed with a showboating boxer in the room when Alex awoke. Claire had gotten her new clothes, but it looked like they might have been selected by a child that had run free through a costume store with their mother''s credit card.


    She wore a thick, fluffy coat complete with a furry hood and cuffs. It might have fit right in place on a woman striding from a divorce court after a victorious result had she not been wearing a pair of intentionally ripped jeans and what seemed to be a dirty white tank top.


    "Yeah, yeah," Claire muttered. She pulled at her new clothes and let out a heavy sigh. "I can''t complain. They''re clothes, and this tiny shirt isn''t really going to cover much of anything without the coat."


    "The coat is nice," Alex agreed once he got a hold of himself again. "If a bit¡­ long. It''s on the edge of a cloak."


    Claire glanced down at her hands. They were almost completely consumed by her sleeves. Her eye twitched and she rolled them up to reveal her hands once more. She turned away from Alex, which made her robes flutter dramatically behind her and drew another round of snickers form him.


    "At least this''ll be great when it gets cold," Claire said with a shake of her head. She double-checked the door to make sure it was locked before turning back to Alex and crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Is it my turn to meditate, or did you just come out of there to get jealous of my fashion sense?"


    "Hey, it could be worse. At least you aren''t wearing a wrestling mask," Alex said as he rose from bed. He nodded to the spot where he''d been sitting. "Go ahead. I''m all done. Ready for the horde ¡ª or about as ready as I''m going to let myself get right now."


    "Going to let yourself get?"


    "I don''t want to do a few final upgrades. I figured out that leveling skills up needs exponentially more the higher level they are, and I didn''t have enough Units to upgrade everything. Also ¡ª the weaker I am, the better reward I''m going to get for anything I do."


    Claire squinted at Alex. "Why do I feel like it''s more of the latter reason than the former?"


    It actually wasn''t, but Alex was pretty sure he''d made a bit too much of a reputation for himself at this point to deny it any further. He just grinned and shrugged.


    Claire rolled her eyes as she sat down on the bed, crossing her legs beneath her and bracing her arms against her knees. She settled, glanced down at the robes bunched up beneath her, then let out a sigh and slipped out of the furry robe.


    "What happened to your fashion?" Alex asked.


    "No questions from the bleedin'' bystanders." Claire nabbed the pillow and stuck it behind her back. "Wake me up if anything happens?"


    "Will do," Alex said. "Good luck. And don''t forget¡ª"


    "The stuff we talked about?" Claire''s face grew serious and she nodded. "Oh, trust me. I won''t."


    She closed her eyes and slipped into meditation, leaving Alex in silence.


    Minutes ticked by. The moon pushed its rays through the murky window and traced designs across the floor, using the dirt on the glass like hands in a shadow puppet show. Shapes and figures scrawled past on the ground. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alex''s gaze eventually started to drift. He briefly deactivated his bracelet for just long enough to pull a crumpled dollar from his pocket. It was one of the ones he''d taken from Jackson, crumpled and smeared with dry blood.


    He rolled the paper into a ball between his fingers and tossed it from hand to hand. It had been a long time since there had been a proper moment of quiet since the apocalypse had started where he hadn''t been about an inch away from collapsing in exhaustion.


    I''m not so sure I like the silence. I''d go to sleep if I could, but I''d rather wait until Claire finishes up her own meditation ¡ª and I''m not really all that tired.


    His senses extended to the magical energy within him. Power prickled against his insides and coiled within his veins. At the very least, he could spend some time familiarizing himself with Funhouse.


    Alex lifted a hand and drew on his energy. Just as it flowed when he used Glint''s powers, magic rushed to respond to Alex''s call. The air before him rippled like a haze rising from desert sand.


    Then, with the distant tinkling sound of falling glass, it cracked. Lines of distortion lurched out until their growing spiderweb was roughly the size of a large beachball. Fragments jutted out of the air like someone had dropped a heavy rock on a mirror and locked it in time before any of the pieces could fall back to the ground.


    Alex peered through the warped air. He could still see the bed behind it, but it was like looking through a poorly made kaleidoscope. Half of Claire''s body was up above her head, and portions of the bed had filled in her midsection.


    He moved to the side to get another look at how she actually looked before peering through the distortion once more. Alex extended a hand, then paused just inches away from it. He pulled his hand back, then flicked the crumpled dollar into the magic.


    The paper ball struck one of the fragments in the distortion and abruptly changed directions, flying to the side and colliding with another fragment. It changed direction once more, struck yet another fragment, and was redirected twice more before it was spat out to fall at Alex''s feet.


    "Huh," Alex said, kneeling to pick his dollar up again. A faint prickle at the back of his mind reminded him that he was losing energy as long as the warped space remained present in the air, but he ignored it.


    He tossed the dollar into the distortion again. It flicked out to the right. Alex continued to repeat the process. He did his best to replicate his throws as closely as he could. It didn''t matter. The paper came out in a different direction each time.


    But, while it seemed almost random, Alex was nearly certain it was anything but. The fragments acted the same way every time something passed through them. What changed was the angle at which his dollar struck them. Even the slightest shift in speed or direction completely changed where something would enter and emerge.


    Alex lost count of the number of times he flicked his test dollar into Funhouse. He didn''t have anything better to do. His boredom spurred the intensity of his studies more than any teacher ever could have.


    Time dragged by. His results continued to be seemingly random, even though his conviction that they weren''t only continued to grow. The only way to prove his theory was to actually replicate a throw multiple times and have the dollar land in the spot each time.


    It was fortunate he had nothing better to do.


    As most things worthwhile, improvement was an insidious beast. Several throws landed his dollar in the same area, but they weren''t consecutive and it was difficult to tell if the results had been intentional or not.


    It took nearly an hour before he got the dollar to land in the exact same place twice in a row, and but it was only another thirty minutes before he managed to replicate the process twice. A grin pulled across Alex''s lips.


    Funhouse looks like it basically acts like a bunch of really tiny portals. Every single fragment is like a different passage through space. If I can figure out exactly which ones connect where, I can basically determine exactly where objects passing through it end up¡­ but what happens when something bigger than a single fragment passes through it? Is it determined by the first fragment they touch? Or does each one change the trajectory on its own?


    There was only one way to find out. Alex deactivated his bracelet for the second time and pulled his torn and bloodied shirt off, balling it up and tossing the whole thing into the area he''d cast Funhouse over.


    The shirt stretched from fragment to fragment. It jerked and twisted like a jellyfish in a blender. Every time any part of it touched a fragment, it was pulled in an entirely new direction. The scrap of cloth eventually fluttered out the bottom of the warped space and splatted to the ground.


    Alex stared down at it. It hadn''t acted anywhere close to how the dollar had.


    I see it was the latter option, then. Every touch with a fragment changes the trajectory. If I''m lucky, each fragment is tied to a specific direction.


    He had a lot of research ahead of him. Distilling exactly how the ability worked to the point where he could completely master it would take a very long time. There were so many different variables and potential outcomes.


    A small grin pulled at the corners of Alex''s lips.


    I''m pretty sure someone a whole lot smarter than me would say this is basically just some branch of physics, but this is more fun than school ever was.


    Let''s see just how far I can push this ability.

 Chapter 44 - 43: Snap back

    Alex stepped forward. His chest buzzed as it impacted the cracks in reality and his stomach shriveled like a raisin. He stumbled. His foot hit the ground. He stepped free of the warped space as if nothing had been in his path, left with only a mild, fading discomfort.


    Did I hit it at just the right angle to end up passing straight through? Unlikely, but hypothetically just as possible as getting sent out in every other direction. So I guess it''s technically no less likely than any other option ¡ª unless the fragments have different weights to the direction they send you in?


    Oh, fuck it.


    Alex stepped back into his magic. His stomach twisted, his foot fell and he stepped through Funhouse for the second time, arriving exactly where he''d been aiming to.


    I see. So it either doesn''t work on humans, or it doesn''t work on things bigger than it.


    Alex focused on his connection to the magical cracks splitting the air before them. He''d already burned through a fair amount of the magic he had to work with. It seemed that Funhouse drew power purely just to keep it active, and it didn''t care what happened within it. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He pushed more magic into the warped zone. Cold fingers wrapped around his brainstem and his teeth clenched. Blood thumped in Alex''s ears and the chill spread through his body.


    The cracks in the air expanded in every direction. Even though the magic was soundless, power hummed in Alex''s skull. His energy drained away rapidly as he expanded the space that the fracture in reality occupied.


    What had once been enough magic to last him another few minutes without any troubles was now on course to deplete within seconds. There was no time for him to wait around. As soon as the space Funhouse occupied was larger than he was, Alex strode into it.


    The world jerked.


    Color blurred. His foot hit the ground behind him. His hands went one direction, his head went another. Each of his fingers set off on their own journey. His entire body seemed to split at the seams.


    Then it snapped back together.


    A wave of dizziness slammed into Alex like a freight train and the ground rushed up to meet him.


    He grabbed onto the bedframe at the last second, just barely managing to catch himself before he slammed face first into the floor. As quickly as it had come, the disorientation peeled away from his mind.


    Something popped in the back of Alex''s mind. His connection to the magic snapped like a taut rubber band that had been cut. The cracks in reality reversed themselves, stitching the air back to normal.


    Damn. That was kind of awesome. Like a really twisty roller coaster.


    Alex slowly pushed himself back to his feet. Funhouse had spat him out at an angle. It had used pretty much all of the power he''d had left to get the magic big enough to actually fit a human into it, but at least he''d confirmed that it worked.


    I definitely feel like I have more magic than I did before I leveled up. I suppose I''ll need even more if I want to use Funhouse to reliably mess with people''s positioning.


    His head tilted to the side. That brought up yet another question. Alex wasn''t sure which aspect of leveling up was the one that gave him more magical power. It could have either been advancing his Mind Palace or just allocating his magic into advancing his skills.


    I''ll test it whenever I next get enough energy to level up again. I imagine that I should be getting more than enough during the upcoming Initialization event. For now, I''ll rest a few minutes and gather my energy back.


    Alex glanced over at Claire. Her eyes were still closed in meditation. He couldn''t quite remember how long it had been since she''d started. Leaning forward slightly, he squinted through the dirty window and at the night sky beyond it.


    The moon hung in the air above, well on its way back to the horizon. Distant pricks of faint yellow and white splayed across the dark sky like droplets of spilled paint. They were strikingly large. It struck him that the sky had never been this clear back before the Apocalypse ¡ª nor had the stars ever been so close. They were almost three or four times larger than what he remembered.


    Did all the smog and pollution really vanish that quickly? I wouldn''t have thought it would happen that quickly, but what do I know?


    Alex carefully climbed onto the bed, taking care not to disturb Claire from her meditation, and made his way over to the window. He grabbed the old, rusted latch holding it shut and gave it a sharp tug.


    The metal let out a small screech as the handle ground open, then popped free of its lock. Alex swung the window open and poked his head out of the building to get a better look at the night sky.


    He blinked in surprise. There had been so much dirt on the window that it had almost been acting like a makeshift shade. The night was even brighter than he''d thought. Silver shone down from the stars and illuminated Towntown with such intensity that the night could have been mistaken for an overcast day.


    It was oddly beautiful, as if the entire city was under a sea of silver water. Minutes slipped by as he stared out into the night.


    A shadow passed across the streets.


    Alex jerked his eyes back to the sky. A coil of darkness engulphed one of the stars and its light snuffed out. All that remained where it had been was an empty patch in the sky amidst the blinking lights.


    It wasn''t the only one.


    All around, stars vanished. They were plucked from their rest and swallowed by darkness one after the other. Within mere seconds, nearly a third of them had vanished.


    That was when the screaming started.


    A keening wail filled the air and pierced into Alex''s ears, threatening to rupture them. He nearly leapt out of his own skin in his haste to jab his fingers into his ears and block the noise out.


    The effort almost felt moot. The noise intensified in spite of him. Agony drove into his skull. It wormed past his fingers and gripped at his brain, trying to shake it free from his spine.


    Claire''s eyes snapped open. She rolled out of bed and dropped to the floor, plugging her own ears and crouching. Her mouth moved as she yelled something, but Alex couldn''t hear anything over the incessant screech.


    A rattle gripped the walls and worked into the floor beneath their feet. It intensified into a tremble. The bedframe started to shake beside them and the window banged shut, shattering and raining glass down on top of the bed.


    Alex rolled under the bed, taking shelter beneath it, and Claire mirrored him. The ground bucked and heaved beneath them. It threw Alex''s back into the wooden frame above him and he covered his head with his hands to protect it.


    He''d never gotten a chance to use the earthquake training he''d gotten in school, but something told him this wasn''t exactly the situation that his teachers had been envisioning.


    The tremors grew stronger. Alex felt the rough carpet pressed against his skin shudder as something cracked beneath it. The floor started to dip beneath them. It felt like very building was being ripped apart.


    Still, the screaming grew louder.


    Alex would have rolled free of the bed if he''d been able to find any purchase on the ground. That was a little difficult to do when his body was doing its best ping-poing ball impression between the carpet and the bed above him.


    A brilliant flash flooded the room with bright white light. An instant later, the screaming gave way to a muted, distant crash. The entire building trembled, and then there was silence.


    Distant ringing swallowed his ears. The world danced around him. Something wet trickled down the side of Alex''s cheek. He reached up to the side of his face and his fingers came away red.


    Alex dragged himself out from under the bed, moving on all fours. He clawed onto the side of the bed and dragged himself up. The blood running down the sides of his face dripped from his chin.


    Claire dragged herself up beside him. Her lips moved once more. This time, Alex could just barely pick out a whisper of sound. His magically-enhanced body was already healing the damage his ears had taken. He didn''t wait around for his hearing to return. He fell onto the bed, the world still swaying around him, and dragged himself over to the window. Fallen glass shards littering the bed jabbed into his skin.


    He grabbed onto a part of the frame, avoiding the remainder of the glass jutting out from the remains of the window, and peered out of the building. His eyes went wide.


    A huge white boulder the size of a house had crashed down in the center of Towntown. Twists of palid smoke twisted up from the meteor. Its pockmarked surface glowed like a miniature sun and forced Alex to tear his eyes away from it.


    His ears popped.


    "What the bleeding hell is that?" Claire''s voice reached his ears, little more than a whisper but growing louder with every word.


    "I¡­ think it''s a star."


    "What?" Claire screamed into his ear, practically bursting his eardrum a second time. Alex flinched. It looked like his hearing had returned faster than hers because of the amount of energy he''d poured into his Mind Palace.


    "It''s a star!" Alex yelled back.


    "God, you don''t have to yell," Claire said, rubbing at her ears and taking a step back. "I don''t have any idea what the fuck is going on, but we better get out of this building before¡ª"


    A loud crunch split the air. They both spun back to the window and stared down at the street. Cracks ran throughout the pavement, growing at a rapid pace. A large chunk of the ground bulged upward. Rivers of debris rolled down it as a skeletal hand the size of a large dog burst free of the ground and slammed down, its boney fingers digging into stone and finding purchase. Rivers of silver energy shimmered around the bone like translucent skin.


    The ground was broken a second time as another hand burst free on the other side of the mound. Two more hands followed it, and more bulges started to form all along the street. Alex and Claire backed away from the window and exchanged a glance.


    Neither of them got a chance to say another word. A chime rang in Alex''s ears.


    Local Announcement for Subsector 735


    Part [2/3] of the System''s initialization has begun. Cull the Meek has been assigned to all intelligent lifeforms within the Trial areas. The Local Leaderboard has been initiated.


    [Trial Assigned: Cull the Meek]


    Objective: Survive.

 Chapter 45 - 44: The Right Idea

    Alex and Claire raced from their room, practically flying down the steps in their haste to get out of the apartment. With the amount of shaking the old building had just gone through, it was probably more likely to kill them than any monster was.


    It seemed that everyone else had similar ideas. Survivors raced out of the lobby all around them, sprinting into the street. He and Claire joined the river of people escaping the building.


    People scrambled for their weapons and screams rang through the air all around them. Whether they were from terror or combat, Alex couldn''t tell.


    "Form a line! Stop running off like idiots and stand your ground!" Ben''s voice echoed through the night. He stood in the center of the street, his axe raised high into the air like a flag. "If we panic, we''re going to just get cut down one by one!"


    "They''re past the damn barricades!" A long-haired man screamed as he struggled to pull his shirt on and hopped from foot to foot, staring at the ground as if something was about to jump up from beneath him ¡ª which, in his favor, seemed to be entirely possible.


    "I think we''ve figured that bit out!" Ben yelled back. He slammed his axe into the ground with enough force to crack the street beneath him. "Now get your shit together, Isaiah! And put your damn pants on the right way. You''re going to trip over yourself again."


    Alex and Claire pushed through the crowd, which proved to be surprisingly easy to do. There weren''t anywhere near as many survivors as Alex had expected to find. The street was populated, but given the number of people in the town, it seemed as if less than half of them were present.


    The sounds of combat rang though the air all around them as Towntown was plunged into a fight. Despite Ben''s best efforts, people weren''t working well together. Alex hadn''t even managed to spot a single monster since he''d stepped out, but people were running screaming instead of gathering to fight at choke points.


    Irritation washed over Ben''s features as another survivor turned and sprinted down the street, running away from the others.


    "Damn it," Ben snarled. "Stop running, you idiots! Our best chance is when we fight together! Stand¡ª"


    The ground beneath Ben exploded. A boney hand jutted up from the earth and wrapped around his leg. Ben screamed as a loud crunch echoed out through the street, carving through the noise like a knife.


    Glowing silver light spilled out from beneath him. Another hand slammed down into the ground. Dirt and stone sloughed away as a blue-skinned monster pulled itself free of the dirt, the bones glistening within its translucent form.


    The bone on its back was largely fused together in a giant plate. Large bone spikes ran down its spine and jutted from the ends of its joints. Rows of sharp, yellowed teeth ran in several straight rows, nestled within its draconic skull. The monster had a stark lack of any organs. It was just bone suspended in slimy blue flesh. The debris beneath the monster was ground to dust as it completely emerged crouched on its hind legs like a monkey.


    Dire Boneraptor (Novice 5)


    The Boneraptor hoisted Ben into the air by his broken leg. The warrior let out a pained scream and swung his axe at the creature''s arm. His large weapon dug through the translucent flesh, sending pale blue fluid splattering to the ground and across his face.


    A scream tore free of the Boneraptor''s mouth. It reared back and whipped Ben forward like it was discarding an unwanted doll. His limbs flailed as he sailed through the air, his scream coming to an abrupt stop as he slammed into the wall of a building.


    Stone shattered and rained down together with him, and he laid still. Panic tore through the ranks of the survivors around them instantly. Even though some of the people on the street were easily strong enough to fight the large monster if they''d worked together, nobody wanted to be the first one forward.


    Ben twitched. He wasn''t dead ¡ª and the Boneraptor was more than aware. It lumbered toward him, each step shaking the ground beneath it slightly.


    "Work together on one?" Claire asked, cracking her neck and raising her sword before her. "After that, I''m going for the top of the leaderboard. I''m winning this thing."


    "You''re certainly going to try," Alex said, summoning Glint and Spark with a thought. The air cracked around him as his monsters stepped out into the street. Several survivors backed away from him, their eyes wide in fear. Alex ignored them.


    Claire smirked. Then she burst into motion. Her arm changed as she ran, black veins carving beneath her skin and working up to her hand.


    "Kill the Boneraptor." Alex thrust his hand forward, sending Glint and Spark rushing forward in her wake.


    The Boneraptor reached for Ben. His arm twitched and he groaned, trying to grab for his axe, but his injuries were too significant. An instant before the towering monster could grab Ben, it spotted Claire approaching out of the corner of an eye.


    It abandoned its previous prey and spun toward her. With a roar, the Boneraptor swung a large hand for Claire in an attempt to squash her in a single strike. She twisted her body and met the monster''s strike with a blow of her own.


    Their blows connected.


    Bone shattered.


    Blue flesh splattered across the ground. The Boneraptor screamed in pain and yanked its arm back. Fragments of bone floated in its translucent hand. Claire''s strike had nearly torn its hand clean free of its wrist.


    Glint reached the Boneraptor an instant later, while the skeletal monster was still on the backfoot. The Shardwalker leapt into the air. His claws flashed, carving huge furrows down the huge creature''s chest.


    Blue ichor spilled out, pouring past Glint and onto the street. The Boneraptor let out a scream of pain and fury ¡ª and Spark arrived before it, the Echo Wraith''s fist driving up in a vicious uppercut.


    The monster''s mouth forcibly snapped shut. Teeth shattered against each other and cracks carved through its jaw. Spark floated up, leaving a shadow of himself on the ground, and the Boneraptor lunged for him, aiming to bite the floating monster with what remained of its teeth.


    Spark swapped places with his shadow.


    The Boneraptor bit down on nothing but darkness. Glint leapt up onto its back, his claws shearing through the thick bone plate with loud screeching strikes. While it was preoccupied, Claire slashed at the monster with her sword, carving clean through its leg.


    A pained roar tore through the street. Claire darted back as the huge creature pitched to the side and crashed to the ground where she''d been standing, its claws just barely missing as they carved through the air beside her.


    Before she could deal the finishing blow to the Boneraptor, Glint and Spark were upon it. Glint''s claws sliced straight into the monster''s face and Spark drove a blow into its skull with such force that its skull cracked.


    Blue fluid dribbled from the creature''s mouth and it fell still. Energy trickled into Alex. The Boneraptor was dead. Awed stares burned into Alex and Claire from all the survivors on the street. Alex barely even took note of them.


    That''s one kill for me. Sorry, Claire. Unless that counts for both of us? I''m not sure, but I''m not taking the chance with the future monsters. I''m going to win this thing.


    Claire hurried over to Ben''s side and knelt beside him. "Hey. You okay?"


    Ben let out a groan. He waved her away and grabbed his axe, driving it into the ground and slowly hoisting himself into the air. He swayed for a moment but managed to keep himself standing.


    "I''m alive. Thanks for the save," Ben said through gritted teeth. "Don''t worry about me. Everyone else is out fighting for their lives. They need help."


    Curiously enough, the Boneraptor hadn''t dropped a flame. Alex didn''t know why, but this wasn''t the time to worry about it. Perhaps the System was somehow saving all the event rewards for later.


    He cast his gaze around the street. Not a single one of the survivors around them had made a move to help Ben. It wasn''t like they were just random members of the town ¡ª he recognized some of them from the groups that had been chatting jovially with Ben just a few hours before. His eyes narrowed.


    "Ben was right," Alex said. "You''re all cowards."


    Isaiah ¡ª the man with long, black hair ¡ª grabbed the shortsword that hung at his side. He was Novice 4, which wasn''t a particularly impressive rank as far as Alex was concerned. "That''s easy for you to say! You''ve got monsters to fight for you! The rest of us have to risk our necks!"


    Ben coughed blood into his fist, then gritted his teeth. "This isn''t the time¡ª"


    "I can break you with or without my monsters. I don''t need them to beat someone like you," Alex said, cutting Ben off and striding up to Isaiah. "I''m not going to take shit from someone too scared to back their leader up. Ben was making the right calls. It''s easier if you fight together. Really, it''s the perfect situation for a coward."


    Isaiah''s gaze flicked to the side. The entire crowd was watching them and he knew it. His jaw tightened, stance shifted. One of his hands moved to the hilt of his sword and tightened around it.


    "So now you''re willing to pull your weapon out?" Alex arched an eyebrow. "Against an unarmed human instead of a monster? You really are a¡ª"


    Isaiah''s sword slid free of its sheath with a metallic ring. Fire raced down its surface and rose off it in hungry tongues as he lunged and drove the weapon forward, wasting absolutely no time in going for a killing blow.


    Alex twisted out of the way. The sword flashed by him, missing by inches and leaving Isaiah wide open. The swordsman realized his mistake and tried to correct it, pulling his sword back into a defensive position.


    He wasn''t nearly fast enough.


    Twisting his body, Alex drove all the force he could muster into a punch. He didn''t use any magic.


    He didn''t need to.


    His fist connected with Isaiah''s face. The man''s nose crunched and his head snapped to the side. Before Isaiah could recover, Alex struck him a second time with his other fist. Isaiah''s already-broken nose crunched again and blood splattered across Alex''s knuckles.


    The swordsman stumbled back, tripped over his own feet, and crashed to the ground. He clutched at his face and let out a garbled scream of pain.


    "Enough!" Isaiah begged, his voice nasally. He scooted away from Alex and held his free hand up before him. "Stop! I''m done! I don''t want to die!"


    Alex stared down at him, blood dripping from a fist, and made no move forward. His features twisted in disgust and he shook his head.


    "I don''t even have to kill you. You''ll end up doing it to yourself."


    "You''re insane," Isaiah stammered. His crablike escape came to a halt as he bumped against the legs of one of the other survivors in the crowd, who glanced up at Alex and took a nervous step back.


    "And you''re a coward. It''s not just you, either." Alex thrust his finger at the rest of the survivors on the street. Dozens of people that had been fully capable of stepping in ¡ª and not one that had. "You''re all pathetic. Every single person here."


    Stares bored into him, but not a single person challenged his words. Several of them broke gaze, looking down at the floor in shame.


    "Alex, this isn''t the time," Ben said. "You and Claire could be really useful. There are people that need¡ª"


    "I''m not one of your men, Ben," Alex said, voice flat. "I''m not working together with these idiots, but I am going to kill monsters. As for you ¡ª I''d probably look into finding better company to watch your back."


    With that, he strode off toward where the sound of the fighting was the loudest. Claire and his summoned monsters hurried after him. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Wasn''t that a bit much?" Claire asked once they''d put some distance between themselves and the stunned street of survivors.


    "Nah." Alex shook his head and wiped his hand off on his clothes. "That asshole had it coming. And they need someone to be pissed off at if they want to survive. Getting mad always gets me going, and if they''re focused on being mad at me instead of thinking about how their leader just got smoked, they might actually listen to him. Ben did have the right idea."


    Claire glanced at Alex out of the corners of her eyes. "You''re making yourself the bad guy so they get their shit together? You''re nicer than you come off as."


    "I just need someone to keep the monsters waiting for me until I get around to killing them," Alex replied, picking up his pace. "And, as I said, that asshole had it coming."


    "Sure," Claire said, a small grin playing across her features. "Whatever you say. You ready to lose this thing? Or are you going to steal the rest of my kills with Glint?"


    Alex coughed into a fist. "I won''t touch them if you don''t need the help. I''m going to do everything I can to win this thing, but good luck. Don''t get yourself killed."


    "I won''t," Claire said. She saluted him with her sword. "Good luck to you as well. Let''s kill some big bleedin'' bastards."


    Alex returned her grin. "Let''s."

 Chapter 46 - 45: Kaze

    Kaze had always loved the wind. He loved the way it rustled through his hair like the hand of a proud father. The whisper of its song against his ears, bearing words that he''d always sworn he could have heard if they were just a little louder.


    The wind was solace. He''d spent so much of his childhood sitting at the edge of the small seaside cliff beside the house. Kicking his feet, watching pebbles dislodge themselves from the ground and plummet down to splash into the ocean far below. Listening to the wind.


    Blocking out the yelling.


    He''d sat, joined by the infuriating caw of seagulls fighting over food that didn''t belong to them. Watching the clouds drift through the sky, his body wrapped in the embrace of the wind. There were some days where its howl was so loud, its pull so strong, that he''d almost been able to drown out the sounds of his parents in the house behind him.


    The wind was his friend. His only friend. They''d had their troubles. There were times when it had left him when he''d needed it most. When they''d fought, and its gusts had nearly tossed him into the ocean below. But in the end, the wind was his friend. It protected him.


    There had been a time when he''d thought the wind to be the loudest sound in the world, but Kaze had learned that to not be the case. The wind was loud ¡ª but it had never been louder than the old gun that his father kept in the stained wooden cabinet at his bedside. The one he''d always waved around.


    It was loud, but it was not louder than his mother''s scream. It was not louder than the second gunshot.


    It was not louder than the silence that followed.


    Kaze wasn''t sitting when his father emerged from the house. When his father found him, Kaze stood by the cliffside, wind whipping through his hair, snapping it against his eyes in its fury.


    The man had said something as he stormed up to join him on the cliffside. Waved the gun in his hand, spittle flying from his lips. He''d swayed, eyes glazed and distant, lifted the gun. Pressed it against Kaze''s head. Said something, but the wind stole it from the air before it could reach Kaze''s ears.


    And, on that day, for the first time, Kaze heard the whisper of the wind properly.


    It was a command. A simple enough one to follow. Just a tiny little push.


    And, on that day, for the first time, Kaze discovered that while the wind hadn''t been loud enough to silence a gunshot, it was more than loud enough to swallow his father''s scream.


    He''d watched the drunken man plummet over the edge of the cliff. Watched him hit the rocks that the ocean crashed against.


    Watched him break.


    Watched him drown.


    Kaze did not hear the wind again for twelve long years. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He did not hear the wind until golden letters had formed themselves in the air before him. Until the System graced the Earth ¡ª until the System graced him.


    And, on that day, for the first time, Kaze truly heard the wind. It was more than a word. More than a passing whisper that faded the harder he tried to seek it. It was a conversation. A guide.


    A command.


    His friend had returned, and it called on him to grow. To become more than he ever had before. In the wake of the System, there was a new way forward. A way in which he could hear it clearer with every step he took.


    It gave him a class. A blade. It took him to his first monster, and it led him to victory.


    It protected him from the new world that the System heralded. Showed him a future in which he could be more than a child sitting by the cliffside, waiting for the wind to save him. A future in which he could stand by its side.


    Kaze killed every monster that arrived before him. He carved through them like a hurricane, taking their precious power and offering it up to his friend. There were always more. Creatures in all shapes and sizes fell before the wind.


    Four-legged ones. Monsters that looked like flowers. Monsters that looked like animals. Monsters that walked on two legs and spoke with mouths that lied.


    They had all fought to stand between Kaze and the wind.


    They had all died.


    But, today, the wind was louder than it ever had been. Perhaps even loud enough to hide the bark of a gun.


    The monsters were in disarray. They fought each other, quarreled within their own ranks. The two-legged ones were surrounded by the undead ones, both so concerned with each other that neither paid any attention to the wind.


    Few did. Its whisper was easy to miss. Even when it roared, there were few that stopped to listen. But Kaze listened.


    And today, the wind told him to kill.

 Chapter 47 - 46: The Leaderboard

    Over the course of the next ten minutes, eight more Boneraptors died under Glint and Spark''s onslaught as they carved Alex a path through the city and toward the plains surrounding it.


    All the monsters were around Novice 4 or 5. They posed a decent threat to many of the survivors in town, but Alex had been fighting in the Mirrorlands. He was a Novice 7 with an equal amount of energy invested into his Mind Palace, which made the threat of the Boneraptors almost nonexistent.


    Even if he hadn''t been as strong, the monsters in the Mirrorlands had been so much more dangerous than the lumbering hunks of bone that Alex was pretty sure he''d still have no trouble against them through sheer experience alone.


    Ironically, that didn''t make the challenge any easier. Monsters that were easy to kill meant that anyone who was actually competent would have a better chance of putting up a good fight ¡ª and Claire definitely wasn''t the only person Alex was competing with.


    Alex drew up to the edge of the town and temporarily came to a halt as he got his first look at their surroundings. Despite himself, sweat prickled at the back of his neck. Monsters were everywhere.


    There must have been hundreds of Boneraptors surrounding Towntown. Many of them were locked in fights with survivors, but a number were just marching toward the town. Ben and his group had erected barricades of wood, stone, and just about anything they could manage.


    Their efforts probably would have been a lot more effective if the Boneraptors hadn''t also come up from the ground in the center of town. The clash of metal and roar of magic filled the air as the battle raged on, only growing in intensity.


    And then there was the stench.


    He''d briefly smelt something similar in the dungeon where he''d found Diego standing over the bodies of an adventuring team, but the flowers had heavily muted the thick smell of blood and viscera.


    That mercy was gone. The battlefield smelled like death. Dead survivors, dead monsters. Corpses were piling at an alarming rate in every direction. Alex''s stomach turned and bile welled in his throat. It was equal parts horrifying, disgusting, and just plain sad.


    "Come on," Alex barked, nodding to his summoned monsters and starting toward the horde of monsters. "We need to win this. Keep fighting defensively. It''s better to live than to die and land a killing blow in the process."


    The moment they go down, the amount of monsters I can take out goes on a timer. I''ll start running out of magic a lot quicker if I''m using Glint''s abilities to kill things. For the next 24 hours, I have to optimize every single second as best I can.


    A Boneraptor spotted Alex''s approach and peeled away from its group to meet him. It was followed by a second Boneraptor and a spider-like monster that Alex hadn''t seen yet. The creature stood at around half the Boneraptor''s height. Its eight limbs a chitinous ivory and twelve glistening ruby-colored eyes lodged in the center of its head.


    Clattering Bonespinner (Novice 7)


    "Deal with the Boneraptors first," Alex ordered. "Spark, take the one on the left. Glint, the right. I''ll keep the attention of the Bonespinner until you''re both finished."


    His monsters darted to follow his orders. Alex stepped up to the Bonespinner, making sure the monster''s attention was on him so it couldn''t gang up on one of his summons. His plan worked ¡ª possibly too well.


    The huge spider chittered and advanced toward him, its legs making a rapid drumbeat against the dirt as it moved with disconcerting speed. It ground to a halt and Alex jumped back as it snapped at him with thick, thigh-sized ivory fangs.


    With a hiss, the Bonespinner shot toward him again. The distance between them evaporated in less than a second. Alex dove to the ground as the monster''s jaws slammed shut above him once more.


    He rolled to his feet, a grin crawling across his features. The monster was a fair bit faster than he was, but every time it went to attack, it paused for a moment. Speed wasn''t that much of a help if its actual attacks could never land.


    Fun fight, though. It''s like playing a really messed up version of tag with someone who really sucks at clutching up the last bit.


    "Come on," Alex said, shifting from foot to foot. "What are you waiting for?"


    The Bonespinner lurched. Alex hopped back as a pointed leg slammed into the dirt where he''d been standing a moment before. His eyes widened and he danced back, avoiding several other rapid strikes as the spider did its absolute best to skewer him.


    Cold energy pressed against Alex''s body and flowed into his system. It nearly made him trip over his own feet. He corrected at the last second and threw himself into a roll as pointed feet pounded through the dirt in his wake.


    He scrambled to his feet just in time for a second flow of energy to roll through his mind. Bone clattered against bone as the Bonespinner lived up to its name and clicked its fangs together. The sound was loud enough to make Alex''s ears throb in pain.


    "Would you stop it with the loud noises?" Alex demanded.


    The Bonespinner''s legs bunched. For a moment, Alex thought it had suddenly gotten second thoughts about the fight.


    Then it jumped.


    Alex had seen spiders jump before. Everyone knew about jumping spiders. They were tiny, fuzzy, fingertip-sitting creatures that people photoshopped tiny hats onto. They were supposed to be cute.


    There was absolutely nothing cute about a horse-sized spider plummeting through the air above him.


    He sprinted to the side and threw himself at the last moment, hitting the grass in a roll. The ground shuddered behind him as the spider crashed down, and he heard the drumming patter of its feet as it raced after him without a moment of delay.


    A pained screech split the air. Alex spun to find Glint atop the monster, his claws raking across its ruby colored eyes. Spark arrived a moment later, an armored fist slamming straight into the spider''s chin.


    The Bonespinner spun and jerked from side to side in an attempt to dislodge Glint. All that did was turn Glint into a little blender attached to the top of its head. Every motion caused his jagged claws to rake deeper into the monster''s head, destroying any intelligence that may have been encased within it.


    Spark delivered another blow to the front of the monster''s face. One of its legs flitted out for the Echo Wraith, only to find nothing but smoky darkness as the monster swapped positions with its shadow.


    The Bonespinner didn''t get a chance to do anything else. Glint tore through the rest of its head, sending grayish-black brain matter splattering across the ground. Legs gave way and the Bonespinner crashed down, hitting the grass with a thud.


    Cool energy flowed into Alex as his monsters stepped away from the corpse. It struck Alex that Glint looked more dangerous than the monsters they''d just killed did. At 5 feet tall, the gaunt monster wasn''t all that much shorter than Alex.


    His gangly arms hung by his sides, the long mirror shards emerging from his fingertips stained with black and blue blood. The Shardwalker''s glowing yellow eyes burned into Alex like two spotlights as he waited for instruction.


    I wonder what Spark will look like once I get him a little juiced up. But I shouldn''t need to do that yet ¡ª not unless we aren''t killing monsters fast enough. I don''t want to waste the potential power I could have.


    Speaking of which¡­ I want to know where I stand in the event. Where the hell is that leaderboard we were promised?


    No sooner than the thought had graced his mind did the air in front of Alex shimmer. Golden lines sprawled out and formed into a floating square as words took form within it, scrawled by an invisible pen.


    Local Leaderboard ¡ª Initialization Event


    Ogre (Novice 9): 19 Kills


    Gentlewind (Novice 7): 13 Kills


    Ash (Novice 7): 11 Kills


    Fangs (Novice 6): 9 Kills


    Ben-10 (Novice 5): 7 Kills


    Extra Pickles (Novice 5): 5 Kills


    NoIDontWantAName (Novice 4): 2 Kills


    NoPickles (Novice 3): 2 Kills


    Daggerman (Novice 3): 1 Kills


    Joe (Novice 2): 1 Kill


    ¡­


    Bricks (Novice 1): 1 Kill


    Dorriv (Novice 1): 1 Kill


    There were 25 total members listed on the leaderboard, but everyone below Rank 8 only had a single kill.


    And that was it.


    The System didn''t give any other information with regard to the leaderboard. It was just a list of names and kills, without any distinction as to which monsters the kills even were.


    It took Alex an embarrassing second to remember that his name for the leaderboards was Ash rather than Alex. That meant there were two people above him. Ogre and Gentlewind. As for Claire ¡ª he was just guessing, but something told him she was probably fangs.


    Nobody in the village was anywhere near Novice 9, and I didn''t see anyone that was Novice 7 ranked either. They could have both been just wearing an item that concealed their powers or just somewhere else, but¡­ Novice 9 is a lot. It''s difficult to get that high up. Could Ogre be ¡ª


    The leaderboards flickered and updated.


    Local Leaderboard ¡ª Initialization Event


    Ogre (Novice 9): 25 Kills


    Gentlewind (Novice 7): 14 Kills


    Ash (Novice 7): 11 Kills


    Fangs (Novice 6): 10 Kills


    Ben-10 (Novice 5): 7 Kills


    NoIDontWantAName (Novice 4): 4 Kills


    NoPickles (Novice 3): 3 Kills


    Daggerman (Novice 3): 3 Kills


    Joe (Novice 2): 3 Kill


    Dorriv (Novice 2): 2 Kills


    ¡­


    Bricks (Novice 1): 1 Kill


    Slicer (Novice 1): 1 Kill


    "What the hell?" Alex muttered. Ogre had gone up 6 kills in mere seconds. He dismissed the leaderboard with a thought. There wasn''t time to mess around and just sit staring. This was a race against time and his opponents. Sitting around was going to cost him the victory.


    Glint and Spark both shot forward as his command, and the three of them sought their next target amid the sea of monsters waiting for them.


    ***


    Alex lost count of the exact number of monsters he fought. The world was an endless blur of blood ¡ª and none of it was the right color. Glint and Spark tore through the ranks of the bonelike creatures in their path, though they kept near the edge of the horde to avoid getting completely swarmed.


    Sweat soaked into his clothes and poured down the front of his forehead. Every breath he drew was labored. This was more physical exercise than he''d gotten in a long, long time. Even with the improvements his body had gotten from the System, he''d been fighting for what felt like hours.


    He didn''t bother checking the Leaderboard while he fought. The distraction wasn''t going to help anything. All that mattered right now was putting every scrap of power he had into the fight and killing as many monsters as possible.


    Alex turned to find his next target. His eyes landed on a Boneraptor near a pile of corpses, both human and monster alike. It bore down on a Novice 5 warrior, who was scrambling for safety from it. Alex lifted a hand toward the monster. "Glint, go¡ª"


    A loud crack echoed through the bloodied clearing. A head-sized rock slammed into the Boneraptor''s face, shattering bone and practically ripping its head clean from its neck. Blue fluid sprayed out from its neck as the monster collapsed.


    Relief washed over the survivor''s face. He turned, his hand raising in appreciation ¡ª and a second crack split the air. A stone slammed into his skull. His face caved in and his body ragdolled, rolling across the ground to lie still beside the dead monster.


    Alex spun toward the source of the stones. A towering man stood at the top of a hill, his pale skin dirtied. Enormous muscles bulged beneath a torn-up, blood splattered tank-top that did not fit him in the slightest.


    Diego - Steel Crusher (Novice 9) Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 48 - 47: Ogre

    Alex stared at Diego. For a long second, neither of them moved. There was no doubt that they''d seen at each other. The hill Diego stood on was at least a few hundred feet away from Alex, but he''d seen what had happened to the last two targets of Diego''s throws.


    He''s here. Diego has to be Ogre, then. Holy shit.


    He''s already Novice 9, and without the monsters in the Mirrorlands to power-level him. He must have just been fighting people and monsters this whole time¡­ but the threat from them is comparatively lower. The only way Diego could have gotten this strong is if he didn''t advance his Mind Palace at all, and is dumping all his power into leveling up.


    The huge man reached down and pulled a rock free of the ground. It didn''t look like he was any more interested in settling things peacefully now than he had been before.


    Alex burst into motion and his monsters followed after him. Standing around in one place would just make him an easy target.


    If he wanted to keep climbing the leaderboard, he was going to have to deal with Diego. It wasn''t lost on him that the last fight he''d had with the massive man had nearly ended in both of their deaths ¡ª and that fight had been a two versus one.


    But things are different now. He might be stronger, but so am I ¡ª and unlike him, I''ve been leveling my Mind Palace and I''ve got a whole lot more tricks than I did the last time around.


    Diego hurled the stone. It streaked through the air like a cannonball, but Alex wasn''t a slow-moving target. The rock slammed into the hill a fair distance away from him with a loud crunch and Alex''s charge continued, unhindered.


    Another stone hurtled in his direction. Alex slipped out of the way a second time, but this one passed a little too close to comfort. Diego must have been a baseball player before the apocalypse had rolled around. His aim was terrifyingly good.


    Alex reached the bottom of the hill Diego stood on and started up it. But, even as he ran, he was more than aware that there was no way he''d be fast enough to dodge a rock when running up an incline directly in front of Diego.


    It would clip him at the very least ¡ª and at the speed that Diego was throwing the rocks, getting hit would probably be enough to take out an entire arm if it didn''t kill him straight out. That wasn''t even to mention that Alex couldn''t afford to spend every last scrap of energy he had on this fight. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    You''re a roadblock in my path, not my goal.


    "Spark," Alex ordered between breaths. Hedging his bets would only stall the fight out. He needed to be decisive. "Block the stone for me."


    Diego rose up above Alex, having claimed another rock. He reared back. The Echo Wraith lurched forward, its stormy form darting past Alex and appearing before him. With a roar, Diego flung his makeshift weapon.


    It whistled through the air and slammed into the Echo Wraith even as Alex threw himself into a dive. Chitinous armor shattered. The stone burst out the back of the monster like a bullet. With a loud crackle of energy and a pop of blue lightning, the Echo Wraith crumbled to dust.


    Alex rolled to his feet and continued his charge alongside Glint. Power poured into his body, granting him Spark''s powers ¡ª and then he crested the top of the hill and found himself face-to-face with Diego.


    Anger and fear mixed on the large man''s face. He took a step back and raised his hands, flexing them into fists. "You came back. Sharp, painful, little man. I am glad. We did not get to finish what we started. I hate leaving things unfinished."


    "Says the one that ran away," Alex countered, circling around Diego as he waited for an opening. He hadn''t forgotten just how fast his opponent was ¡ª and that had been several ranks ago. Now, he had no idea how strong Diego had actually gotten.


    "Phil always said I shouldn''t face problems I''m not ready for before I''m ready for ''em," Diego said, cracking his neck. Silver crawled across his skin and covered his body. "But I''m ready for you now."


    The huge man drove his foot into the ground. Dirt exploded upward in a line toward Alex as steel spines burst free of it, traveling out in a wave to impale him. Alex''s flung himself to the side, activating Spark''s powers to leave his shadow back where he''d been standing.


    He hit the ground in a roll and shot to his feet. Diego''s foot slammed down on the dirt beside him and he swung a meaty fist at Alex''s head. Alex ducked to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike. Wind howled past his head and he skipped back, not even bothering to try and punch Diego ¡ª he knew all too well how effective the man''s metallic skin was.


    "You know the drill, Glint," Alex said, dodging out of the way of another blow and stepping under Diego''s arms, trying to keep behind him. He reached within himself and drew on his power.


    The Shardwalker leapt and a strand of energy connected to him as Alex activated Rift Flood. Power poured out of his body and into the Shardwalker.


    Glint warped midway through the air. The glass blades jutting from his body jerked outward and expanded. His mouth grew, flooded with enormous, glistening fangs. The Shardwalker''s eyes turned a shimmering reddish-purple and power twisted within the mirrors covering him.


    Fear flickered in Diego''s eyes. He staggered back and swung an arm to bat Glint from the sky, lifting the other one to protect his face.


    Alex thrust his hands forward and drew on more of the magic he''d been saving to activate Funhouse. The air around Diego cracked. Fractures jerked and raced through reality, quickly expanding to surround the large man.


    Diego''s eyes widened in surprise and confusion and his body twisted like it had been put through a blender. Shapes and colors mixed and swirled within the large area of warped Space. Diego stumbled forward, suddenly finding himself facing away from Glint.


    Alex dropped the spell right before Glint passed through it.


    The Shardwalker slammed into Diego''s back. His empowered claws ripped into his huge back, shrieking as they met steel ¡ª and tearing deep into it. A scream of pain tore from Diego''s mouth.


    He reached back and grabbed Glint before the Shardwalker could dodge out of the way. Glass crunched and shards drove into Diego''s palm, piercing through his reinforced skin and sending blood splattering across the ground. He ripped Glint off his back and lifted the monster in the air before him.


    Alex gritted his teeth and drew on his magic again. Diego stumbled as the air around him shattered into fragments once more. His foot slammed down and he swayed, nearly losing his balance. The surprise cost him his grip on Glint, who dropped to the ground and skipped to safety.


    "Stop that!" Diego snarled. He lurched for Alex, extending his hand to reach for his face. The giant of a man moved with terrifying speed, closing what little distance there was between them in the blink of an eye.


    If Alex had just been a normal human, the blow would have connected.


    But, unlike Diego, Alex had been putting power into his Mind Palace. He didn''t have any abilities that made him stronger or faster, but his very body was upgraded, and that included his reaction speed.


    Alex swapped spots with his shadow. Diego''s hand drove through a cloud of inky darkness, closing down on nothing, and he let out a snarl of frustration that quickly turned into another scream as Glint leapt onto him.


    Diego had gotten stronger ¡ª but so had Alex and Glint. And, unfortunately for the huge man, it looked like he hadn''t invested too much effort into reinforcing his defenses. Perhaps they''d been enough against the other people he''d been killing.


    Glint was not most people.


    Diego let out an agonized scream as Glint ripped into him. The big man''s ability wasn''t strong enough to keep the Shardwalker''s Rift-empowered claws from cutting straight through it and, below the metal, Diego had nothing but normal human flesh.


    The huge man grabbed Glint, ignoring the glass shards that ripped through his hand, and threw the monster to the side with a scream. Diego took a step back and nearly lost his balance as his foot found the edge of the hill where it came to a sharp stop.


    He glanced over his shoulder, then looked back to Alex and Glint. Fury twisted his features and he let out a bellowing roar.


    The massive man lowered his shoulders and charged. He extended his arms to either side, covering as much ground as he could as he raced toward Glint. The Shardwalker dipped out of the way, avoiding Diego''s grasp, but Diego made no move to slow his charge.


    He hadn''t been aiming for Glint. He''d been going for the source of his troubles.


    Alex tried to dodge out of the way, but Diego moved too quickly. He snagged Alex''s wrist and his huge hand clamped down around it in an instant. Bone cracked. Alex hissed in pain as pain raced down his arm and he was yanked into the air like a doll.


    "Got you," Diego snarled ¡ª and Alex''s foot whipped up and struck him in the chin.


    Diego''s head snapped back and he let out a startled cry of pain. The blow had been a lot stronger than what he''d been expecting. His grip slacked for a moment, but it tightened again before Alex could escape.


    Alex''s jaw clenched as more bones cracked in his wrist.


    Glint leapt at Diego. The large man swung his hand again, and this time, Alex couldn''t stop him. His blow connected directly with the Shardwalker.


    Glass and metal shrieked against each other. Blood sprayed from several deep wounds that the Shardwalker raked across Diego''s arm. Glint slammed down onto the ground, several of his shards shattering, and Diego drove his foot down on top of him.


    Bloodstained glass shards carved up and burst out of the top of Diego''s foot. They scraped against bone and burst from its top like a bloody flower. Diego howled in pain. He yanked his foot away, blood already pouring from it, and leaned heavily on his good leg.


    Diego''s hate-filled gaze lifted up to Alex. Wide lips pulled apart in a snarl of pain and fury. His grip tightened on the captured arm. Pain tore through Alex''s entire body and it took everything he had to keep from screaming in pain.


    "Now it is your turn. You can''t hurt me anymore, small¡ª"


    Power rushed into Alex''s body, but he didn''t even let it finish arriving before he shoved it back out. Glistening shards ripped out from his injured arm and tore into Diego''s skin. They bit deep into his palm and burst free from the other side, splattering blood across the ground.


    Diego screamed and yanked his hand back. The hand that was ¡ª unfortunately ¡ª pinned to Alex''s arm.


    The world turned upside down. Alex sailed through the air. The shards jutting from his body finally snapped and the sky turned to grass. He slammed into the ground.


    Darkness flashed at the edges of his vision. Pain ripped through his nervous system. His head pounded and blood slammed in his ears. Alex shoved himself to his feet, but it felt like he had been spun in a thousand circles.


    Diego''s furious form danced before him like a mirage. Blood ran down the man''s palm in thin rivers to drip to the ground at his feet. He was swaying in the wind ¡ª or perhaps that was Alex. He couldn''t tell which.


    "No more touching," Diego said. His voice was distant, like it had come from a mile away.


    His injured foot lifted into the air.


    It drove down. Diego''s agonized cry of pain was followed by a wave of jagged metal spikes that erupted from the ground and shot out toward Alex.


    Panic pushed past his disorientation and Alex yanked on his power.


    The world snapped as he shifted, swapping locations with his shadow once more. Diego let out a furious curse and spun back to Alex.


    With a snarl, the large man limped, ran toward him, extending his hands once more. Blood splattered across the ground with every step he took. Even with the injury to his foot, he moved with the speed of a charging bull.


    Alex thrust his good arm forward and yanked on his reserves once more. The air before him warped and cracked. Diego''s eyes widened in recognition, but he was moving too fast to slow down in time.


    The space expanded to Diego''s size, draining almost every last scrap of energy that Alex had left to work with. It swallowed Diego and spat him back out, sending him careening to the side.


    Diego tripped over his own feet and fell face-first into the ground. His sheer weight was enough to crack his nose as it hit the floor. He let out a muffled cry of pain. Diego rolled over, blood splattering all around him.


    His chest rose and fell in large, infuriated breaths. He shoved himself upright, features twisted in intense agony.


    "No more," Diego hissed, blood dripping down his face as he advanced, half-limping with every step. He didn''t charge again. Alex tried to keep the distortion between them, but Diego was aware of it now. His fists tightened at his sides.


    Alex drew his shadow back to him with a thought. He stepped around the distortion, leaving the shadow behind him. From his palm, he formed a thin, pointed mirror shard. Alex snapped it off and held it between two fingers in a tight grip. Diego spotted the blade and smirked.


    "No more tricks. You will die now," Diego said. He stepped around the warped portion of space and reached out, his hand blotting out the moonlight shining down from above.


    Alex reared back and flung the shard in his hands with all his might. Diego flinched back, but the glistening blade wasn''t heading in his direction. Alex hadn''t been aiming at him at all. He was repeating a motion he''d already practiced hundreds of times that very night with the help of a crumpled up dollar. He''d thrown the mirror shard straight at the edge of a single, familiar fragment in Funhouse''s cracked domain.

 Chapter 49 - 48: Far from Over

    The shard of glass warped as it passed through the air warped by Funhouse. Diego''s eyes widened and he pulled back, trying to get out of the way, but he was practically on top of Alex.


    The glistening mirror shot free of the cracks in reality. It flashed straight up, moving toward his face. Almost instantly, Alex realized that it wasn''t going to connect ¡ª but when something sharp was hurtling in anyone''s direction, they tended to flinch.


    Diego was not exempt from that.


    His head jerked back and he squeezed his eyes shut for a brief instant. The blade of glass cut across his nose. It scraped against gray skin and spun off harmlessly, leaving a thin scratch in its wake.


    Alex didn''t care that the shard had missed.


    All that mattered was that Diego''s eyes were closed.


    It may have been for just a brief instant, but it was enough. Alex summoned a blade to his palm and slashed it horizontally across Diego''s face. The huge man''s skin turned gray, but Alex was aiming at the thin skin of his eyelids, and his glass was far sharper than it had been the last time they''d fought.


    His mirror cut across both of Diego''s eyes. Blood splattered across the ground, stained the tip of the mirror a ruddy red.


    A scream of pain tore out from the huge man''s lips. He swung his hands blindly, but at their proximity, even a blind attack was close enough to hurtle straight toward Alex''s head with enough force to cave his skull in.


    Alex swapped places with the shadow that he''d formed just a few paces behind himself.


    Diego''s fist smashed through the smoky form that marked where Alex had once stood, passing close enough that Alex could feel the wind from its passing. Diego continued to swing, screaming out in agony as he stumbled, reaching for where Alex had been moments before.


    Alex burst into motion, running at the large man''s side. He leapt into the air and grabbed onto Diego''s ill-fitting clothes, yanking himself up the man''s back like an irate monkey and slapping his hands over the man''s eyes.


    Diego''s huge hand shot back and grabbed onto Alex''s head. For an instant, it started to squeeze ¡ª but that instant lasted just a little longer than it should have. Instead of a fleshy human skull, Diego was up against a Mind Palace enforced one.


    And, in that long instant, Alex poured every last drop of magic he had left through his hands and through the big man''s eyes.


    Jagged blades of mirrored glass carved into Deigo''s skull. The inside of his head made something akin to the inside of a watermelon getting tossed into a blender, and a wet wheeze bubbled out through his lips as his lungs deflated.


    The hand on Alex''s skull went slack. Diego swayed. Alex dropped down, his chest rising and falling in deep, desperate gasps. For a brief moment, the two of them remained exactly as they were. Then the giant of a man pitched forward. Diego hit the ground with a loud crash.


    He moved no more.


    Magical energy coursed into Alex. It wormed through his veins and lit a light behind his eyes, burning so brightly that he could have sworn he could taste it. Sweet relief enveloped his body as the influx of power muted the pain of his wounds.


    Alex flopped to the grass. His heart raced at a thousand miles a second and the rush of blood in his ears was so loud that it could have been mistaken for a raging ocean. Some of the magical energy he''d spent through the fight returned as the sensation faded. It was like someone had given him a partial refill of the pool of energy he could draw from. Alex wasn''t in a position to wonder why.


    A corner of his lips quirked up. A single huff of air escaped his nose, followed by a single laugh. That turned into a soft chuckle, and that to a hysterical cackle. Adrenaline had his entire body gripped in its fist and had no plans of letting go.


    Alex could barely breathe through his laughter. It was so intense that it shook his entire body ¡ª not borne of amusement, but of excitement, fear, and the relief of tension. His body just didn''t have another way to process the emotion.


    The human mind''s greatest talent had always been its ability to adapt to any situation. To find a new normal, and to seek ways to survive in the face of the impossible. It could find faith when there was only darkness. It could deny facts for opinion. It shaped the way it witnessed the world to benefit itself.


    On that hill, kneeling beside the corpse of a mountainous man and surrounded by the bodies of monsters and survivors alike, Alex laughed in the face of the apocalypse.


    And on that hill, Alex ¡ª whose mind had already been one that adapted at a speed greater than most ¡ª adapted once more.


    This was what it truly meant to live.


    A Boneraptor heard Alex''s maniacal, wheezing laughter. It broke away from the horde and charged toward him. An easy target was simply too much for it to ignore. The monster made no move to conceal its attack, and Alex''s eyes snapped over to the sound of its approach.


    He lifted a hand in the creature''s direction, the laughter slamming to an abrupt halt. Every scrap of power he still had remaining burst free of his palm in an expanding bouquet of jagged mirrors. They carved through the air like a crystal forming in a fast-forwarded video.


    Mirror screeched against bone.


    Blue fluid splattered down all around Alex. The Boneraptor jerked to a halt, impaled on a jagged, silver lightning bolt frozen in time.


    Tinkling glass rained against itself as the mirrors crumbled away from Alex''s palm and poured to the ground like grains of sand in an hourglass. The destruction traveled up the veritable shimmering statue he''d just created, eating it away until nothing remained.


    The Boneraptor crashed to the ground, dead before it could even make an attack. Energy flowed into Alex, but it was only a trickle. The monster hadn''t been much of a challenge. Not anymore. He looked down at his palm and flexed his fingers. Then he looked out at the battlefield.


    Towntown was still fighting for its life. The buildings at its edge had been torn to pieces. Rubble and bodies littered the ground. Makeshift barricades dotted the battlefield, abandoned or destroyed.


    He shook his arms out, then scanned his surroundings for more monsters. There was almost no magical energy left in his reserves, but it was trickling back. In a few minutes, he''d have enough to fight another Boneraptor as long as he didn''t go pulling any stunts like the one he just had.


    The sounds of battle rang out in nearly every direction, the majority of them concentrated around the town center. Alex didn''t know how many monsters he''d killed. He didn''t know how many were left ¡ª but he wasn''t done yet.


    I wonder where I place now that Diego is dead. I think I have been somewhere around 30 or 40 kills, so unless anyone really accelerated, I think I should be around first or second place.


    With a thought, Alex summoned the leaderboard.


    Local Leaderboard ¡ª Initialization Event


    Ash (Novice 7): 86 Kills


    Gentlewind (Novice 7): 62 Kills


    Fangs (Novice 6): 49 Kills


    Ben-10 (Novice 5): 21 Kills S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    NoIDontWantAName (Novice 4): 10 Kills


    Daggerman (Novice 3): 6 Kills


    Joe (Novice 2): 4 Kills


    RockRocks (Novice 2): 4 Kills


    AAAA (Novice 2): 3 Kills


    Dorriv (Novice 1): 2 Kills


    ¡­


    Barbarara (Novice 1): 1 Kill


    Lisa (Novice 1): 1 Kill


    Alex blinked in surprise. He refreshed the leaderboard once again, but the numbers didn''t change. It said he had 86 kills ¡ª but that couldn''t have been possible. He hadn''t killed anywhere near that many monsters. He was certain of it.


    He looked down at Diego''s body. Right before the fight, his score had gone up by five out of nowhere. Alex''s head tilted to the side. 5 ¡ª the same number of kills that the man who had vanished from the leaderboard had possessed.


    Shit. Killing other people gets you their kills.


    The back of Alex''s neck prickled. He didn''t know if anyone else had figured that out yet, but it wasn''t exactly impossible to make the connection. Especially if someone had been watching the leaderboard before and after Ogre had disappeared from it.


    He stood on the hill for several more seconds, staring at the leaderboard to see if he''d missed anything else. Claire was still alive ¡ª at least, he was pretty sure she was. Alex doubted anyone else would have picked Fangs as their name unless they were a furry that was a little bit too much into roleplaying.


    If he went back into the town, then there would almost certainly be people gunning for him. Killing him would instantly place someone at the top of the leaderboard and nearly guarantee a victory.


    Alex had absolutely no desire to hunt other humans for sport. It was just tasteless, especially when killing monsters earned him the exact same reward. He hadn''t become that depraved yet ¡ª but if someone went after him first¡­ well, that changed things.


    Based on these numbers, there''s a pretty good chance that Gentlewind has been killing people as well. Maybe Claire too. The three of us are so far above the rest of Towntown that it''s basically incomparable.


    There was always the option to just stay out on the outskirts of the battlefield and go for the monsters there. Unless someone killed Claire, Alex''s victory was functionally guaranteed. He just had to keep hunting the monsters out here and his lead would likely be more than enough to win.


    But if he did that, there was a chance Claire could get stabbed in the back. If he did that, he turned down the chance to get even more points for himself. The chance to weed out anyone that was willing to try and go for his neck now, rather than wasting time and letting them get even stronger in the future.


    He would waste the opportunity to get even stronger for the sake of easy power¡­ and that didn''t sound fun at all.


    Alex wiped the sweat and blood from his face on the sleeve covering his shoulder. He stood in silence for several minutes, simply watching. No more monsters approached him. The majority of them made their way toward the center of town, seeking out the survivors within it.


    He waited until enough of his magic had returned.


    Then he set off toward Towntown. There was too much left to accomplish for him to sit around and wait. Alex had to do more than just get to the top of the leaderboard. He had to excel. This wasn''t just about the challenge. It was about pushing himself to the very limits of what he could do.


    It was about getting strong enough to eventually find Teddy. There was no doubt in Alex''s mind that he was still alive. Teddy had never done anything for no reason. Somehow, Teddy had known something. Alex was going to find out what ¡ª and why.


    And to do that, he had to become as powerful as he could.


    This event was far from over.

 Chapter 50 - 49: The Wind and Stars

    Kaze flicked the blood from his blade. It splattered across the ground of the shadowed alleyway, glistening faintly in the moonlight bearing down from above. The wind stole the death-wheeze of a man, muted the thump of his body as it hit the ground in a heap.


    Power coursed into his body. It wrapped down his arms and burrowed like tiny little knives into his chest. He drew in a deep breath, holding it for a moment as he stared up at the molten stars in the sky, then let it out in a shuddering sigh.


    The stars were a lie.


    They were not stars. He had long since memorized the position of every star. None of them were where they were meant to be. In fact, they were entirely missing. The light that filled the night sky now was something else entirely. Others believed them to be stars. Kaze could not be so easily fooled.


    Liars lurked in the light of these new stars. They had come to him, whispering falsehoods into his ears ¡ª promising entry to a family that named themselves Nightmarch, should he obey their honeyed requests. Their promises had been loud, but the wind had told him the truth.


    They sought to use him. To use the wind. They spoke with smiles but held blades behind their backs.


    Kaze had wanted to kill them, but the wind had warned him of that, too. They were too powerful. And so he had smiled and nodded and promised ¡ª and he, too, had lied.


    This new world was one of deceit, but that was nothing new. It had always been full of darkness. Full of things that wanted to hurt him. To lie to him. But the wind ¡ª the wind was there. It whispered just as it always did, and that was all that mattered.


    Kaze stepped over the man''s body and emerged into a city square. Monster and man clashed against each other in a loud cacophony. It assaulted his eyes and ears like a foul odor, though there was already no lack of that. The air was saturated in a vile, thick stench. Death hung in the sky. It permeated every single part of the city.


    Kaze had already become accustomed to it. The wind had helped him too much for him to let such a thing interfere in his task. There was only one thing in this world that mattered. He would not let anything get in the way of the wind''s commands.


    A man grabbed Kaze by the arm as he stepped into the street. He''d come out of the shadows, using some form of magic. He yelled something. Thrust his finger across the street, to where a large spider-like monster was ripping through a small group of people.


    Kaze didn''t hear it. Even if he could have, Kaze doubted he would have cared.


    His sword flashed. The man''s eyes bulged. Blood poured from his throat. His hands scrabbled at the wound as he fell. It was pointless. He was dead before he hit the ground. Power flowed into Kaze and he stiffened once more.


    Men weren''t all that much more interesting than monsters. They spoke and tended to put up less of a fight, but that was it. He struggled to tell the difference between them when his sword met their flesh.


    Both were necessary. They were the pavestones to his path to the wind. Kaze simply didn''t see a reason to attempt to properly differentiate between them. As long as they died and gave him their power, nothing else mattered.


    More screams filled the air. Ones loud enough to break through the whisper of the wind, but not loud enough to drown it out. Kaze''s eyes narrowed. His blade flashed up, batted away an arrow as it carved through the air toward him.


    The projectile clattered to the ground at his side and Kaze turned. A dark-haired man stood on the other side of the square, a bow in his hand and a short blade at his hip. His lips moved as he screamed something, but Kaze was spared from having to hear it.


    Kaze stepped forward. The wind swirled, pressing into his back, propelling him. The man''s eyes widened as the distance between them evaporated. He didn''t even have time to fire another arrow. Kaze swung his blade.


    The man whipped the blade free from his side and brought it up with an infuriating cry. Their blades rang against each other and he stumbled back, discarding his bow and grabbing the sword with both hands.


    Kaze pressed forward. He slashed with his sword once more. Their weapons struck each other and a loud clang echoed through the streets. White ripples of wind tore down Kaze''s sword and a blade of wind carved free from the weapon.


    It continued on, passing into the man and slicing across his chest. Blood sprayed from his clothes and he staggered back with a curse. He slashed wildly to keep Kaze back, but Kaze was in no rush.


    The man pressed a hand to his cut chest. He glanced over his shoulder, searching for an escape and finding nothing. With a roar, he spun back to Kaze and lunged. He thrust his sword forward, aiming for a killing blow.


    Kaze flicked his hand. The wind roared to comply. It slammed into the man''s palm in a rush, throwing the blow wide and sending the sword spinning from his hand. Before he could react, Kaze''s sword flashed and he stepped to the side.


    A line of red traced across the man''s throat as it realized that it had been cut. He gargled, grasped at his neck, then pitched forward. Kaze stepped out of the way of the corpse. Power rushed into him once more.


    The wind whispered in delight.


    For a moment, there was blessed silence. All he could hear was the wind. The sound of the fight had faded ¡ª the men and women fighting the spider had all gotten themselves killed or run off. The spider laid dead, brought down by a thousand cuts.


    The peace was welcome. Kaze took it in. He stilled his breathing and stood there, blood dripping from the end of his blade. There were precious few moments in which he could take a moment to appreciate everything the System had given him with. Precious few moments where he could ¡ª


    A warning borne by the wind caressed his ears.


    Kaze spun.


    A monster stood at the far end of the street. His dark clothes were splattered with blood and his posture weary, but his blue eyes burned. They were full of delight. Kaze''s gaze locked with the monster ¡ª the man. He was unarmed, but he carried himself like a weapon. Even though he couldn''t see the man''s face, Kaze knew that he was smiling.


    The wind whispered danger.


    "You do realize we''re supposed to be killing the monsters, right?" the man asked.


    Kaze stiffened.


    His voice had cut clean through the wind like a blade. They had reached his ears as clear as a still day. The man''s voice sounded younger than Kaze had expected, but he barely even registered the actual words.


    He had heard a voice. One that did not belong to the wind.


    Kaze''s jaw clenched. His fists tightened around the hilt of his blade and he shifted his stance.


    He hated it.


    "I am killing monsters," Kaze said. His voice was hoarse from years of disuse. The words didn''t even sound like they belonged to him.


    "Oh shoot, that''s rich," the man-boy-monster said with a groan. "That''s the shtick you''re going with? Seriously? The ''we''re all monsters down here'' angle? They''re trying to fucking survive, man. They''re not going out and murdering people for fun. Not everyone is evil. And shouldn''t you be focusing on the actual threats? What do you get out of killing people that aren''t as good of a warrior as you are?"


    "Silence," Kaze replied.


    He bounded forward, and the wind carried him. It roared in his ears and hurtled toward the loud offender. Whisps of white curled away from the edge of his blade as he brought it down to silence the fool forever.


    The boy lifted his hand. The air in front of him cracked. Kaze passed into it. His foot hit the ground. His stomach bucked up into his chest. The world twisted around him and his organs turned inside-out.


    Color and shape spun in a blender as he staggered, finding himself facing a wall instead of his target. Confusion spun in his mind as he struggled to right himself and throw off the dizziness.


    The wind whispered to Kaze. He spun, blindly lifting his sword before he even saw the threat. A ringing clang and a loud scraping screech filled the air. Kaze stared at the huge, mirrored blade of glass that pressed against his sword. It protruded from the man''s palm, glistening as it caught the light from the night sky.


    "Damn," the man said, his voice infuriatingly jovial and perfectly clear. "You''ve got good reflexes. With the whole wind shtick¡­ Gentlewind, I take it?"


    "Who are you?" Kaze demanded. "Why are you so loud?"


    "Ash," the man replied, driving his palm-blade for Kaze''s chest.


    Kaze thrust his hand forward. Wind howled forth and slammed into Ash, hurling him back. His glass weapon snapped off his palm and he rose, a dozen feet away from Kaze. The two of them watched each other warily for a few brief instants.


    Then Ash burst into motion. He bounded forward and dove.


    He was wide open. Kaze swept his sword down for Ash''s neck ¡ª and glass burst from his shoulder like an erupting volcano. It slammed into his blade and knocked it to the side, nearly tearing it from Kaze''s hands.


    At the same time, Ash thrust his other palm for Kaze''s chest. The wind flowed around Kaze as he twisted to the side, avoiding the strike, and slammed his fist into the man''s arm. Bone cracked. Ash snarled in pain. He grabbed at Kaze with his free hand.


    A howl of wind gathered around Kaze and lifted him into the air, pulling him out of range. He raised his sword as he landed, shifting from foot to foot as Ash clutched at his broken arm. The glass fragments jutting from his shoulder cracked and fell away.


    "You are powerful," Kaze said, his head tilting to the side. "Your death will aid me greatly. The wind will whisper so much louder once you are gone."


    "I''ve still got one hand, two legs, and a dick," Ash replied. "And you won''t be the first monster I put down with one arm left."


    "Now look who calls humans monsters?"


    "Difference is, I''m right."


    "And how have you come to decide that?" Kaze asked.


    "Because the one who wins is the one who gets to be right."


    The corner of Kaze''s mouth quirked up before he''d even realized what happened. Wind screamed in his ears and his features set.


    He drew on its power. Let it pump through his body and dig through the magic that connected him to its voice. Then, with a roar, he released it.


    His sword carved through the air horizontally, dragging through it like he was cutting through solid wood. A thick blade of twisting white energy gathered around the sword, twisting up from its hilt and reaching for its tip.


    "Then I will be right," Kaze said.


    The energy reached the tip of his sword. It screamed free of the weapon, carving through the air like a crescent moon and expanding as it traveled. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The white blade was easily twice as wide as Ash, and it moved with all the speed that his wind could muster. There was no room to dodge. Nobody could evade the wind.


    There was only death.

 Chapter 51 - 50: Right

    The blade of wind screamed through the air. There was a flash of black where Ash stood, and then it passed through him and struck the wall of the building behind him. The stone shuddered and debris rained down, pattering to the ground like rain. The stone bent under its own weight and collapsed with a ringing crash.


    A shadowy form stood where Ash had been. Before Kaze could get a good look, a cloud of dust rolled out from the fallen building and swallowed the shadow whole. The last thing he saw before Ash disappeared were two molten-red eyes peering at him from within the brown-gray cloud.


    The back of Kaze''s neck prickled. His hands tightened around the hilt of his sword and he took a step to the side, his eyes scanning his surroundings. For the first time in years, panic prickled at his mind.


    He''d seen his attack carve through Ash¡­ but there had been no blood. Even though the man should have been dead, there had been no sound of sliced flesh. No cry of pain. No thud. Nothing.


    The dust cloud expanded outward. It swallowed the street and rolled over Kaze, casting the world in muddy shadows. Light echoed and moonlight danced around him as it reflected off the particles in the dust.


    Wind whispered in Kaze''s ears, but it spoke so rapidly that he couldn''t make out what it was saying. He tasted metal in the air and he took a step forward, nearly jumping at the movement of his own shadow in the twisting storm around him.


    Kaze wet his lips. He tried to focus on the wind, hear what it ¡ª


    Red eyes burned in the near distance.


    He burst into motion. Dust curled away from him as the wind blew the dust back from his steps. He arrived before Ash, swung his blade, and found nothing but shadow.


    The sword passed through the inky clone, sending streamers curling off it and mixing with the dust cloud surrounding them. Kaze''s jaw clenched. He spun away from the shadow, lifting his blade defensively in preparation for an attack that didn''t come.


    He stepped to the side, swiping his sword through the dust. The wind was howling in his ears, but he couldn''t hear it. Its voice had been stifled. Muted by that damnable ¡ª


    A stone clattered.


    Kaze spun, diving for the source of the noise and thrusting his blade forward. It found nothing. He took several staggering steps, then spun once more. He could hear his heartbeat slamming in his chest, fear prickling at his spine.


    The wind grew louder. Its screams finally broke through his fear.


    Kaze''s eyes widened. He thrust his hands out at the wind''s command, calling upon it and thrusting magic out from his palms. A gale roared free. It gathered the dust and threw it away as a powerful gale whipped around him.


    With a howl, the dust storm was banished. It was hurled into the air above and forced through the alleyways, leaving the street visible once more.


    Kaze spun. He readied his blade to take a blow or attack, but there was no sign of Ash. He was ¡ª


    The wind screamed a warning.


    It wasn''t fast enough.


    Weight slammed into Kaze''s back as Something drove down on him from above. His knees buckled. The ground rushed up to meet his face. His nose slammed into the stone and broke with a loud crack. Agony exploded through his body.


    Kaze called on the wind. It burst free of his body and threw his attacker back. He rolled to the side and staggered to his feet, breath coming in pained gasps.


    Ash rose several paces away from him. He''d managed to avoid the wind''s fury.


    Fury twisted Kaze''s features. He reached up to his back, where a thick shard of glass was embedded below his shoulder. With a snarl, he grabbed the glass and ripped it free. He threw it to the ground and it shattered.


    "You know, you''re not meant to do that," Ash said. "It makes you bleed more."


    "Silence," Kaze snarled. He rolled his neck, raised his sword before him once more. Ash had gotten lucky once. It would not happen again. Kaze would not allow it to happen. Their fight had muted its voice. His panic was dulling its words.


    This must end. I must kill him here and now.


    "Are you not even going to ask how I got on the roof to jump on top of you?" Ash asked. He sounded genuinely offended. "It was really damn difficult, you know. Have you ever tried climbing with one arm? Fortunately, I still had both of my legs and my¡ª"


    Kaze blurred forward. Ash was still talking when the wind carried Kaze to him. Without so much as a word, he brought his sword screaming down for Ash''s neck, determined to see the strike through this time around.


    Glass burst from Ash''s side. It erupted like a cancerous growth and slammed into his blade. Kaze gritted his teeth and tried to slice through it. He called on the wind to rip free from his blade, but even that blade struck the spreading glass with a screech and failed to reach its target.


    Ash thrust his good palm forward, and the wind howled its warning.


    Kaze threw himself backward. He was forced to release the hilt of his sword, which was stuck fast in the glass. Ash''s palm fell just short of him, even as a shard of glass jutted free of it and caught his clothes, ripping a thin furrow through his shirt.


    He hit the ground with a pained grunt, rolling once before shoving himself upright. Dirt worked its way into the wound in his back and stung, pushing the voice of the wind even farther away from the forefront of his mind.


    Ash grabbed the sword as the mirrored shards jutting from his body shattered and fell away. He held it out with his good hand. His features ¡ª at least, those that Kaze could make out from behind the mask ¡ª wrinkled in distaste.


    "This thing is heavy. How do you swing it around so easily?"


    "It is a katana. One you are not worthy of wielding," Kaze growled.


    Ash glanced at the weapon, then back up to Kaze. "You know what? Somehow, I''m not surprised."


    The wind swirled around Kaze. It gathered at his back and shoved him forward as he let out a wordless scream, charging at Ash. With every word that he spoke, the wind''s words seemed to grow duller. His yammering was carving away the peace.


    Kaze twisted his shoulder, driving his fist toward Ash''s face. Wind gathered around his knuckles, roared with such intensity that it blew his hair back and made his eyes prickle.


    Ash twisted out of the way of the blow, but the wind still drove him down into the ground. Wind gathered around his foot and Kaze kicked at the fallen man''s head.


    At the last moment, Ash managed to bring his good arm up before himself. Kaze''s foot slammed into his arm and a loud crack rang out as Ash''s bone shattered. The sword flew from Ash''s grip and his arm bent at an angle ¡ª at the exact same time that a mirror blade shot out from it.


    It carved across Kaze''s leg and ripped deep through his flesh. Agony tore through his body and he staggered back, letting out a cry of pain. His foot caught on a piece of gravel and he pitched back.


    His ass hit the ground and the air was knocked from his lungs in a pained wheeze. Even more pain shot through his body as his open wound on his shoulder flared in conjunction with the new one on his leg. Blood pumped from his body and onto the ground.


    Ash rolled over, wheezing in pain; arms hung limply at his sides, both worthless. With a grunt, he heaved himself to his feet. Every movement clearly sent agony ripping through him, but still he rose.


    Kaze tried to rise, but his body wouldn''t respond. All he could do was drag himself back, his breathing coming out faster and faster. The wind was nothing more than a distant howl now, overwhelmed by the emotion pounding in his skull.


    "How?" Kaze wheezed, getting one of his arms out from under him and pushing himself upright.


    He called on the wind, but it wouldn''t answer him anymore.


    All of his magic was spent. Fear crashed against him in waves that rose and rose, driving into his mind like the relentless ocean.


    Ash took a shaky step toward him. His arms swayed like seaweed in the ocean current. Blood dripped down from where bone burst free and rolled down his arms; his features were twisted in pain, and still, he took another step forward.


    His shadow fell over Kaze.


    His foot lifted into the air.


    "I was right," Ash said.


    His foot fell.


    It slammed into Kaze''s skull.


    There was a sound like a gunshot on a distant, windy cliffside.


    Then there was nothing. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 52 - 51: Thinking with your head

    Every single part of Alex''s body begged for him to find an alleyway and slump down inside it. Exhaustion clawed into him like the hands of hell trying to pull him into the ground. His arms screamed with pain that intensified with every movement he took, and his head throbbed with a violent headache.


    A fair portion of him was pretty sure that he should have passed out long ago. There should have been only so far that adrenaline could take him.


    Maybe improving my Mind Palace also improves my ability to resist the appeal of keeling over and passing out.


    At least he''d managed to confirm the answer to one more question with Gentlewind''s death. Alex hadn''t gotten a flame from the man''s body. He hadn''t gotten much of anything ¡ª aside from the katana, Gentlewind hadn''t possessed anything else of value.


    The System was saving the rewards until the end of the event. He was certain of it.


    Alex brought his face down to a shoulder, wiping the sweat and blood mixing on his skin off as best he could. He repeated it with the other shoulder, clenching his teeth at the pain the movement brought him. He grabbed the sword with limp fingers, fighting to keep a hold on it as he wedged it into a loop on his pants.


    Then, with agonizing steps, he made his way over to the shadow of a dead spider monster. He could feel his arms twisting and bubbling like there was a colony of insects within him. The extensive damage to his body was desperately trying to fix itself, but it would be some time before he could fight properly again.


    He pressed down distaste as he stepped over the body of a dead man and crouched beside the wall. There were a lot of those ¡ª the dead men. Walls too, but he was a little more concerned with the former.


    Alex didn''t know the man, but he recognized him from the lobby of the apartment his room was in. The man''s eyes were frozen in terror, his chest and the ground around him soaked through with a puddle of blood. A broken sword laid at his side, snapped clean in half.


    Shoving through the pain, Alex reached out with his slightly less-injured arm. He put his hand on the dead man''s face and shut his eyes. It was a clunky, jerky movement that ended up being more of a slap than a graceful touch.


    He resisted the urge to flop down and instead crouched and braced his back against the wall. If he sat down properly, Alex was pretty sure it would take him far too long to stand again if something else showed up.


    With a thought, he called up the leaderboard.


    Local Leaderboard ¡ª Initialization Event


    Ash (Novice 7): 151 Kills


    Fangs (Novice 6): 53 Kills


    Ben-10 (Novice 5): 24 Kills


    NoIDontWantAName (Novice 4): 20 Kills


    Daggerman (Novice 3): 18 Kills


    AAAA (Novice 2): 8 Kills


    Joe (Novice 2): 7 Kills


    RockRocks (Novice 2): 3 Kills


    Lisa (Novice 1): 4 Kills


    Dorriv (Novice 1): 3 Kills


    ¡­


    Bricks (Novice 1): 1 Kill


    Barbarara (Novice 1): 1 Kill


    Well, that''s certainly a lead. I think it''s safe to say I''ve won this thing. But there''s still quite some time left in the challenge. I could probably push even higher. Who knows if there are some sort of bonus achievements or anything like that.


    Alex dismissed the leaderboard with another thought. He blew out a slow breath, trying to focus on anything but the pain in his arms. It didn''t work. The longer he sat there, the more the pain seemed to gnaw at him.


    Even aggravating the wounds by moving around was better than this. Gritting his teeth, he pushed against the wall and rose back to his feet. The sound of battle still rang in the distance. Everyone else was still out there. Fighting. Advancing.


    Alex tried to wiggle his fingers. It wasn''t like his arms had been severed. He''d just had some bones broken. A fair number of them ¡ª but he could still move. The pain was bad, but it seemed slightly better than it had been a minute ago.


    The smart thing to do probably would have been to sit around for an hour or so until Glint and Spark regenerated. His own body would probably be pretty patched up by then, and he could rejoin the fight at full strength.


    But that would mean sitting out for an hour. It wasn''t like he was helpless right now. Some of his magical energy had returned with Gentlewind''s death, and it was continuing to regenerate. Glint and Spark would reform whether he sat around or not.


    Really, I didn''t lie to Gentlewind. I have two legs and a bit more left to work with. There''s no excuse to just sit around when I can still fight.


    Alex took another moment to gather himself. Then he tilted his head to the side, listening for the location where the majority of the combat seemed to be coming from, and headed off in its direction.


    He only made it down to the end of the street and through a single alleyway before he stepped out in front of Dorriv''s restaurant. The portly cook stood leaning against the wall for support, a large cast-iron pan clutched in each of his hands. His beard was matted with blood and his eyes burned with panic. A long, painful-looking cut stretched from one shoulder to his hip. It bled profusely, but it didn''t look too deep.


    Across from him was a catlike monster. Long, ivory spikes of bone jutted from its back like the spines of a hedgehog. Its claws dug deep furrows into the stone beneath it, two tiny molten orange eyes buried deep within the monster''s skull bore into Dorriv. Blood mixed with saliva and dripped from a mouth of yellowed fangs to fall to the street below.


    Boney Prowler (Novice 5)


    Seriously? Boney? Who named this thing? It''s actually really similar to something I saw in the Mirrorlands. Just a bit weaker. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I wonder¡­ if Claire and I fell into the Mirrorlands, wouldn''t monsters be able to do the same thing? What exactly is the connection between the Mirrorlands and all these other worlds? I''m dying to find out, but Dorriv is going to literally die if I don''t do something.


    Alex crept toward the monster. Its focus was on Dorriv, which meant ¡ª


    The cook glanced in his direction.


    His shift in posture was enough to draw the cat''s attention. Its gaze snapped to the side and it spotted Alex, lips pulling back in a loud, yowling hiss. The monster spotted his hands hanging by his sides and burst into motion, instantly identifying what should have been an easier target.


    Its paws were nearly soundless as the large monster flashed across the ground toward Alex, hissing in fury.


    Unlike when he''d fought Gentlewind, Alex didn''t have a shadow he''d left behind in the darkness to call on. There wasn''t going to be any outrunning or dodging the Prowler ¡ª which meant he just had to strike first.


    He charged the creature, ignoring the burst of pain that shot up his arms. The monster tried to adjust, giving up on its charge and swiping its paw at him as he grew close.


    Alex dropped to the ground and slid, leaving behind a shadow to rectify his earlier mistake. His back and head hit the stone with a painful thud, but he successfully passed beneath the surprised Prowler''s paw.


    He threw his bodyweight forward, stumbling as he rose back to his feet without the use of his still-worthless arms. Alex spun, sending the best kick he could muster in the cat''s direction. Glass ripped free of his foot in a crescent form, transforming his entire leg into the shaft of a scythe.


    It carved across the Prowler''s side and shattered in the process, leaving fragments stuck within the cat. Yowling in pain, the deadly cat spun and batted at Alex.


    He swapped with his shadow. The monster hit nothing but air. By the time it realized that it had missed him and started to turn back toward the shadow, it was already too late. Alex lunged and drove his head straight for its neck.


    A blade of glass erupted from the top of his skull. It impaled the Prowler, slicing deep along its throat and spilling blue fluid across the ground. Alex jerked himself down, ripping the blade out of the cat''s neck and splattering its blue ichor across the ground.


    The Prowler collapsed at his feet. Energy poured into his body as he lifted his head, letting the glass shard snap and disintegrate. Blood from the mirror blade splattered onto his forehead. Alex cursed under his breath and tried to wipe his face off on his shoulders again. His arms burned with pain, but the monster was dead.


    Dorriv gaped at Alex, his twin-pans lowering as awe gripped the large man. He looked from Alex to the dead cat, then back again, as if he couldn''t believe what his eyes were showing him.


    "That''s for the food earlier," Alex said, rolling his neck to try and get a newly formed crick out of it. "It was to die for."


    A grunting laugh pulled free from Dorriv. "You eat free, anytime. Somebody tell you too much to use your head."


    Alex gave Dorriv a weary grin. "It worked, didn''t it? My arms aren''t being cooperative right now. What are you doing outside? Aren''t there safe places?"


    "No safe places," Dorriv replied with a grim shake of his head. He gestured around himself with a pan. "Monsters are everywhere. I got separated. They come from below. Try to eat my ass."


    "I¡­ really hope I misunderstood that last part," Alex said.


    Dorriv turned around. There was a large chunk of his pants missing in a particularly unfortunate spot. He had a rather nasty cut caked with blood, but it looked like it would heal. The cook moved to face Alex again. "As I said. It was not an enjoyable experience."


    "My condolences."


    "Accepted. I try most things once," Dorriv said. The corner of his lips pulled up, and Alex realized that the man had been pulling his leg.


    Alex tilted his head to the side, suddenly realizing that the fighting he''d been following earlier had faded away. A frown crossed his face.


    "Did you see a bunch of monsters nearby?" Alex asked. "I swear I heard a lot of fighting in this direction, but it''s gone."


    "Down there," Dorriv replied, jerking his chin down the street. "Lots of people. Not so many anymore, I think. It''s bad."


    Alex gave him a sharp nod, sending another wave of pain rolling down his arms. "Thanks. Stay safe."


    He darted off in the direction that Dorriv had indicated. Where there were a lot of people fighting, there were monsters.


    The scent of death hit Alex before he turned the corner around the street. Blood and sweat and viscera, stewed and concentrated into a pungent wall. He drove through it and emerged into a small town square made up by the crumbling pieces of what had once been a strip mall.


    It actually looked like the survivors had put up a good fight here. Monsters littered the ground around hastily erected barricades made of store shelves and sheet metal. A mixture of corpses ¡ª all bone themed, for whatever reason the System had decided on ¡ª were strewn across the ground. Scattered amongst them were dead survivors, but there were far fewer humans than monsters.


    But not everything in the square was dead. While most of the survivors had pulled back, there was still one locked in a fight at the farthest edge of the square away from Alex.


    Claire leapt back as a huge Boneraptor''s fist slammed into the ground where she''d been standing. She skipped back to avoid a swipe from one of its other hands, then dashed forward to slash at its wrist with her blade.


    Blue ichor splattered across the ground in a spray. The monster roared in pain and flinched back. Claire pressed her advantage, dodging past its desperate attempts to keep her away, her senses completely locked into the fight.


    Locked in so thoroughly that she missed the shadow passing over her.


    A Boney Prowler that had made its way up to the roof behind Claire leapt in a blur of muscle and bone, streaking straight down toward her back.


    Alex tried to run forward, but he was nowhere near fast enough to make it in time.


    "Claire!" He screamed. "Behind you!"


    She spun toward the Prowler, lifting her sword ¡ª


    The monster slammed into her and continued into the stone with an earth-shaking crash. A ringing clang echoed out as Claire''s sword bounced across the stone. It skidded and spun to a halt, her hand still wrapped around its hilt, severed at the wrist.


    Alex''s ears rung. Blood coated the side of the Prowler''s claws. Claire''s leg stuck out from beneath one of its haunches, unmoving.


    A moment of silence hung over the square, broken only by the slap of Alex''s feet as he leaned into his sprint, accelerating toward the monster as fast as he could push his injured body.


    "Claire!" Alex yelled again.


    There was no response.

 Chapter 53 - 52: A Helping Hand

    Alex''s blood pounded in his ears. His arms throbbed with every impact his feet had against the ground, but he barely even noticed it. All he could see was the leg protruding from beneath the Prowler.


    The still, unmoving leg.


    Claire couldn''t be dead. It wasn''t like he''d known her for long. They''d barely spent a few days together, but they''d saved each other''s lives more than once. As it turned out, escaping hell with someone else was a very effective way to establish at least a semblance of a bond with them.


    His hands tightened through the pain. He pinned his shadow in place as he accelerated, his lips pulling back in a snarl. Shards of glass pressed free from his arms before he even called on them.


    He couldn''t save Claire. It was delusional to think otherwise. Even he would have been crushed like a bug beneath the monster, and his Mind Palace had been at a higher level than hers.


    The Prowler turned, ripping Claire''s leg clean off as it moved to face Alex. He still couldn''t see the rest of her body beneath the monster, but he wasn''t so sure he wanted to. Anger burned in his chest. It worked up his neck and heated his ears, a burning fury that permeated his entire being.


    He was halfway across the market square when a scream ripped out from the Prowler''s mouth like a soul fleeing the depths of hell.


    The monster''s pupils shrunk in agony and it thrashed back, the scream intensifying. Alex missed a step as a spray of blue fluid arced out as if it had been shot from a fountain and splattered across the ground.


    Lurching to its feet, the Prowler staggered to the side. It twisted and dropped itself back to the ground. It seemed to have completely forgotten about Alex''s approach. The monster jerked back to its feet and bucked, screaming in pain for the second time. It slammed itself into the side of a building. Dust rained down around it, and it slammed itself into the building again.


    To the side, the huge Boneraptor that Claire had previously been fighting turned toward Alex. It didn''t seem concerned with its fellow monsters'' plight. It lumbered toward him, extending a huge hand as he grew closer.


    Alex bounded into the air with strength that he hadn''t realized his legs possessed. He landed on the monster''s arm, sending a powerful vibration running through his entire body. Mirrored blades carved out from beneath his feet.


    They sliced through the Boneraptors translucent blue flesh and scraped against bone. Alex snapped them off, even as the monster screamed, and dug his hands into the creature''s flesh as he scaled it like a stone wall. The climb sent spikes of pain tearing down his arms and into his shoulders.


    Every movement he made ripped huge, weeping furrows into the Boneraptor''s body. It reached for him, but it wasn''t nearly fast enough to stop him from reaching its head.


    He leapt.


    The Boneraptor''s mouth opened, aiming to swallow him whole.


    Alex thrust his hands forward. Mirrors exploded from his palms, rivers of glistening silver that slammed into the monster''s eyes and penetrated into its skull. The monster jerked to a halt.


    Spurts of blue liquid erupted from its face. Glass shards sprouted from within its head; rose like blooming flowers as they pushed their way free.


    The Boneraptor collapsed. Alex pushed away from it, barely even noticing the agony ripping through his arms as he landed on the ground beside the dead monster. The pain was nothing but a candle to the wildfire of his anger. His chest lurched. Something impossibly dense pulsed in his stomach. A flicker of energy tickled at Alex''s chest, the power from the monster entering him.


    And then there was something else. A pull at the back of his head, as if something was tugging on his brainstem. His mind instinctively responded, yanking on the sensation like a loose string in a jacket.


    There was a sharp snap. A whiteish blue flash of energy streaked out from the Boneraptor and into the deck at Alex''s side.


    He didn''t have time to consider it. Alex was already turning to the monster that had killed Claire. He couldn''t bring her back to life, but at the very least, he could avenge her. He called on his magic and prepared to kill the last living thing in the square, and that was the point in which he realized there was a problem. He couldn''t kill the Prowler.


    It was already dead.


    Blue blood coated the ground like a scene from a poorly done slasher movie set in an alien universe. One of the Prowler''s legs had been ripped clean free and laid in a pile of rubble near a crumbling house. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Its head laid ten feet away from its body, skull caved in and flesh ripped to shreds. The spines that had covered the creature were littered around the ground, forgotten cigarettes in a filthy city street.


    And, standing over the monster''s body, blood dripping from the stumps at her wrist and waist, painted blue with blood like a psychopathic Smurf, was Claire.


    A black protrusion had burst from her back. The dark bones of a bat wing extended over her right shoulder and curled around her arm. Her yellow eyes had dilated like those of a cat, going completely vertical. The veins all throughout her body were pitch black. Claire''s fangs jutted from her mouth, soaked through with blood, and she swayed unsteadily on her remaining leg.


    "Claire!" Alex exclaimed, his eyes going wide in disbelief. There was no way she could have survived an impact like that. She should have been dead.


    "Get me my leg," Claire rasped, blood dripping down the side of her mouth. "I can''t hold this much longer."


    Alex burst into motion. He hurried over to the missing limb and scooped it up. The motion flicked blood across the ground like he were swinging around a grotesque paintbrush. Pain pulsed in his broken arms, but he ignored it. He hurried over to Claire, nearly slipping on the blood, and handed her back her leg.


    Claire looped her arm ¡ª the one missing a hand ¡ª around his neck for support. She used her remaining hand to grab the leg and, after nearly losing her grip on it, she jammed it back into place.


    A pained hiss ripped free of her throat. Her grip on Alex tightened, nearly choking him for a moment as her entire body stiffened. Sickening squelching noises rose up from her leg. Thin ropes of blood wove around the severed limb, sewing it back on.


    Claire swayed. Her eyes fluttered.


    Alex grabbed Gentlewind''s katana and caught her before she could pitch forward.


    Her eyes snapped back open and she let out a low groan of pain. It was nearly completely muffled by the sounds her leg was making. She let out a slow, shaky breath.


    "Hand," Claire said.


    "You need a hand?" Alex asked, still trying to figure out how Claire was still in one piece ¡ª relatively speaking. Literally, she was still in two. Possibly three.


    "I need my hand," Claire rasped. "Quickly. Please."


    Alex glanced around the ground. He spotted her hand, along with her sword, lying at the edge of the blood. It was cracked and chipped, more than a half-step into its death bed. Gritting his teeth, he practically dragged Claire over to it. He hooked a foot under the sword and kicked it into the air. He went to grab it, but his hand slid off its slick surface and it fell back to the ground.


    She coughed. Alex hooked the sword a second time. This time, his attempt was more successful. He grabbed onto her hand and shook it until the sword slipped from its grip. It clattered to the slick ground. Alex smacked the hand back onto Claire''s stump where it belonged.


    More squelches filled the air. Claire stiffened once more, and Alex supported the Dhampir to keep her from falling flat on her face. After a few moments, she relaxed and let out one last groan.


    "Thank you. That bleedin'' hurt."


    "How the fuck are you alive?"


    "You don''t have to sound so hurt about it," Claire said through a grimace. She tested her weight on her re-attached leg, then released Alex and took an unsteady step back. "I got some blood to work with. Fortunately, my body was all pumped up and empowered when that damn thing sat on me."


    "You had blood? From who?" Alex asked.


    "The monsters. Do you not see the blue shit everywhere?" Claire wiped her face, succeeding only in smearing the blood across it, and let out a defeated sigh.


    "But¡­ they''re bones. And blue."


    "That was already established. What, you think blood is only red?" Claire let out a pained laugh. The wing protruding from her back crunched and withered in on itself, retreating back into her shoulder. She didn''t seem to notice. "The only blood I can''t eat is the shit in the Mirrorlands. These things are fair game. I''m really damn glad I upgraded Flowing Blood."


    "That''s one of your Auxiliary Skills? Does it let you stitch your limbs back on or something?"


    Claire snorted. "I don''t think that was the intended purpose for it, but yes. It gave me improved control over my body because of how saturated with my own blood it is. Was meant to let me pull off faster reactions. Move quicker. That kind of thing. But it also means I can re-attach shit, knit it on with blood, and hold it there until the System patches me up."


    "You mean you''re literally just holding your leg in place and hoping it''ll fix itself?" Doubt seeped into Alex''s voice.


    "Doing a bit more than that, but pretty much. I''ve got it real pulled together. Feel the sensation coming back with my improved internal body-sense. Can''t say I like it. I''m going to need to use up a lot of blood to keep everything on. If I run out, I might be fucked."


    Alex blew out a relieved breath and shook his head. Claire was going to be fine.


    "I thought you were dead."


    "Start missing me already?" Claire asked, a pained grin pulling at her lips. It quickly turned to a grimace. "And were you missing me enough to donate? I''m really low."


    Alex rolled his eyes and started to raise his wrist, grimacing slightly as he aggravated his still-throbbing arms. Then he paused. Claire''s fangs were still soaked with blood.


    "Clean your mouth off first. I do not want whatever awful combination of shit you''ve got in there getting into my bloodstream."


    "My saliva is a poison, remember?" Claire asked. "It''s all inert. Dead. Nothing to worry about."


    Alex scrunched his nose. Then he lifted his hand again. "Fine."


    Claire bit down on it, her throat bobbing as she drank. She pulled away several seconds later and ran her tongue along her lips, giving him an appreciative nod.


    "Thanks. Saved my ass."


    "A hand and a leg, actually," Alex replied. He looked over to the dead Prowler. "And I don''t think I did much of anything."


    "I more meant the blood bit. Also, the Boneraptor. It would have hurt like hell if I had to wait for that thing to get closer to bite it. Might have not been fast enough to stick my missing bits back on. I reckon I might have won with my full Awakening active, but it would not have been fun."


    "Full Awakening?" Alex tilted his head to the side.


    "That''s what I''m calling it. It''s when I have enough blood to completely shift my body. It draws a ton of energy," Claire explained. "It''s a mixture of Energy Thief ¡ª the ability that lets me steal attributes from things I drink blood from ¡ª and my normal Awakening skill. When I''ve got my stores full, I can use up all of it at once to get a lot stronger."


    "What kind of attributes? Strength and speed and the like?"


    Claire nodded. "That''s how I got so hard to squish. These monsters are pretty resilient."


    "That''s a strong ability," Alex said.


    So that''s where the wing came from. Claire''s no pushover. I suppose that should have been apparent enough with her spot on the ¡ª


    "Bleed me," Claire whispered, her eyes going wide. "What have you been up to, Alex? Is that you at Rank 1 on the leaderboard? How do you have so many kills?"


    Alex coughed. "Long story. I killed Diego. Also Gentlewind, but he attacked me first."


    "Hell." Claire swallowed and shook her head. "Well, I suppose you win. Nobody''s beating that."


    "There''s still the rest of the day. I''m not done fighting," Alex said. "There could be more rewards for getting higher. But if you need to sit out¡ª"


    "Don''t even think about it." Claire''s leg squelched and she winced. "Egh. Gross. But don''t try to shake me off. I''m copying your ass. If you aren''t done, then I''m not done either. I might just need a few moments to recover."


    "Yeah," Alex muttered. "Me too. Ten minutes, then we get back to it?"


    "Sounds like a plan." Claire said bent down and grabbed her sword, flicking the blood from it as best she could before studying its blade. The weapon was ruined. She grimaced. "Damn. This might be done for."


    "You can use that one," Alex said, nodding to the katana he''d dropped on the ground. "Took it from a crazy bastard."


    Claire discarded her old weapon and picked up Gentlewind''s sword. She held it up, testing its weight in her hand. The blade glistened in the light, even through the blood splattered across its surface. "Huh. This is pretty nice. A little heavier than I thought."


    "I think it was his class weapon. Don''t think its magical, though." Alex looked up at the sparkling night sky. The stars still hung far too low in the sky. They blinked like eyes staring down at them, burning with silver moonlight.


    Claire straightened and joined him in looking up at the sky. "Wonder how many more monsters can get. And what the reward is."


    "Suppose we''ll find out."


    "Think there''s a big bastard that''s going to pop up at the end of the event to cap things off?"


    "Oh, almost certainly."


    "Figured. You''re looking forward to it, aren''t you?"


    "Yep."


    "Figured."

 Chapter 54 - 53: Big and Scary

    Hours flew by like grains of sand in an hourglass ¡ª one connected to a leaf blower running at max speed.


    Monsters died.


    With every minute that passed, the fight swung more and more in the favor of Towntown. Alex and Claire carved through the ranks of the monsters and they eventually dwindled in number. The horde had been thinned out and all that remained were the stragglers. On top of that, even though they hadn''t had a chance to meditate and gain any levels, the fights were getting easier.


    None of the monsters in the wave were anywhere near as powerful as their opponents in the Mirrorlands had been.


    Alex and Claire racked up kills, securing their spot on the leaderboard and pulling so far ahead of the rest of the competition that Alex started to suspect a fair number of the other survivors had just stopped fighting.


    As they fought together more, Alex was struck by the realization that Claire wasn''t just fast at adapting to the apocalypse. There was no way she''d just picked up a sword a few weeks ago.


    Until now, he''d never really sat back and had a chance to watch her fight on her own with a sword. But with how weak some of their opponents were, Alex got all the chances he needed. It was even more apparent while she was stuffed full of excess blood to draw on, but Claire was good.


    She flitted past attacks, her blade carving into the monsters with practiced efficiency. The Dhampir excelled against single opponents ¡ª particularly the Boneraptors, which were the slowest of their enemies. She struggled when extra enemies piled in.


    Alex didn''t let that last long. He was still pushing to reach as high as he could on the leaderboard, and the only monsters off limits were the ones Claire was actively fighting.


    "How did you get so good with a sword?" Alex asked in a brief lull in the fighting. The night sky had long since faded, banished by the rising sun. They day had ground on long into the evening and they''d been fighting for hours on end. He had absolutely no idea how he still had any energy left to move, but he wasn''t going to complain.


    "Court," Claire replied, flashing him a grin as she flicked the blood from her weapon''s blade. "I told you."


    "You practiced fighting in Court?"


    "I told you before. People tend to get stabbed, especially toward the top." Claire shifted to take cover beneath the shadow of a crumbling building, raising a hand to keep the sun from poking her in the eyes. "Fighting was never my favorite part of it, though."


    "What was?"


    "Dancing."


    Alex squinted at Claire. That wasn''t the answer he''d thought he''d get. He wasn''t actually sure what he''d expected in the first place.


    "Really?" Alex asked, trying to keep the surprise from his voice.


    Claire nodded. "Oh, easily. It''s so bleeding fun. Everyone''s been at each other''s throats for weeks. Nobody knows which alliances are real and who''s going to betray them. We''re all as tense as a bowstring. You can practically taste the stress in the air. Then we all get shoved into a ball and you''ve got to keep pretenses and dance with people that want to run you through while figuring out if they want to kill kill you, if it''s a fake kill scenario, or if they''re actually on your side for the time being."


    Alex blinked. It took him a second to fully process everything Claire had said. That was a whole lot more than just dancing.


    "Maybe this is a dumb question, but why doesn''t that just turn into a brawl?"


    "That''s a great way to lose Court," Claire said with a shake of her head. "Never can a Dhampir lose control. Never. If you start a brawl instead of eliminating someone intelligently, then you''re not worthy of being King or Queen. You can''t power through every problem."


    "Well, damn. That actually does sound really fun," Alex said, a grin crossing his face. "Like a giant game of Mafia."


    "Mafia?"


    "You''d love it. I''ll explain some other time."


    With a thought, Alex called up the leaderboard. It had been a while since he''d bothered checking on it. There really hadn''t been a point to look before. None of the other survivors had gotten anywhere near as many kills as he and Claire had ¡ª not after Diego and Gentlewind had died.


    Local Leaderboard ¡ª Initialization Event


    Ash (Novice 7): 371 Kills


    Fangs (Novice 6): 201 Kills


    Ben-10 (Novice 5): 56 Kills


    NoIDontWantAName (Novice 4): 49 Kills


    Daggerman (Novice 3): 31 Kills


    Joe (Novice 2): 22 Kills


    RockRocks (Novice 2): 19 Kills


    AAAA (Novice 2): 16 Kills


    Lisa (Novice 1): 10 Kills


    Dorriv (Novice 1): 5 Kills


    ¡­


    ArbysLover (Novice 1): 2 Kills


    Barbarara (Novice 1): 1 Kill


    "Did anyone ever teach you the concept of sharing?" Claire asked, her eyes scanning the air before her, evidently doing the exact same thing as Alex and taking a moment to check the leaderboard. "You wouldn''t have made it very far in Court."


    "Wouldn''t people want to make an alliance with me since I''m scoring well?" Alex asked. He still hadn''t figured out exactly how the game that seemed to rule Claire''s society worked, but he was pretty sure that doing well should normally be a good thing.


    "Oh, for sure." Claire nodded empathetically. "People would flock to you. Shower you with praise and gifts. They''d gather behind you, let you do all the hard work as they plotted behind your back, and then they''d figure out the best way to make sure you didn''t live to see nightfall. Figuratively speaking, that is. Killing the young in Court is looked down upon."


    "The young? I''m not that young," Alex said with a frown. "And why would they want to get rid of me? Wouldn''t it be better to keep the person who''s shown to be at least somewhat strong alive and on your side?"


    "Young is anyone under the age of fifty." Claire shook her head. "And that''s the problem. When you reveal what you''re capable of, people can account for it. They can find out how to beat you. How to work around your abilities. That''s why everyone hides their full strength for as long as possible. The moment you reveal it, you''re done for. You''re not an unknown. That makes you easy to handle, even if you''re strong."


    "So how does anyone figure out if they''re strong or not? Do you just all wait in the shadows right up until the last second and then fling shit everywhere?"


    "That does occasionally happen," Claire said with a wry grin. "But no. The key is dosing that strength. Giving enough to show you''re powerful, but not playing your whole hand ¡ª but there''s the catch."


    Alex blinked. "Where?"


    "You need to look like you haven''t played your whole hand." Claire''s expression was excited now. Alex could see her reliving past memories as she spoke. "And that goes in both directions. If you''re insanely powerful, you only play tiny little bits. Just enough to keep yourself interesting. But the real fun is when you''re weak. You play your whole hand, but if you trick people into thinking its just part of it¡­ well, you''re still in the running."


    Her excitement was infectious enough to pull a small grin across Alex''s own face. He nodded his understanding.


    "Okay. I think I see why you liked this so much. That really does sound fun. So it''s a giant game of bullshitting."


    "That''s just one element of it, but it''s one of my favorites," Claire confirmed. She glanced up at the darkening sky, the all-too close stars glimmering just above them. Her smile faltered and a small sigh slipped between her lips. "I''d imagine Court is gone now. Ayrin did not take to the apocalypse nearly as well as Earth."


    Alex blinked. That was the first she''d mentioned that. He''d been under the impression that her planet had been doing relatively well in the apocalypse given all the information she''d already uncovered about it before they''d met.


    "Worse than this?" Alex nodded around Towntown. The city was still standing, but only barely. Nearly half of the buildings in the street around them had been reduced to rubble ¡ª even more so than they had been when the System had dropped them off to form Towntown in the first place ¡ª and the corpses of monsters and men littered the ground.


    "Much worse," Claire said. Her expression stiffened and she shook her head. "Nearly every older Dhampir died."


    "What? Why? Don''t you get like¡­ stronger in old age, and stuff? Or is that just rumor?"


    "We do, actually. It''s not quite an exponential growth rate, but it''s close. An ancient Dhampir is one of the most terrifying things I''ve ever seen, and that includes everything that happened in the Mirrorlands."


    "Then¡ª"


    "The amount of power we need to remain alive grows as well. It''s the flaw in our race that kept us from ever getting as much of a population as it sounds like humans did. The older Dhampirs get, the less we move. Every single action is harder. Takes more effort. More energy. When your diet never changes and you don''t get more ways to access that energy¡­ well, we hibernate."


    "Until what?" Alex asked. "Generally, the point of hibernating is to wake up, isn''t it? Do they just sleep a ton?"


    "I think we''re having a translation failure again. There might not be a direct convertible word for hibernation. I suppose I could say older Dhampirs would optimize their energy usage."


    "That makes more sense. So they''d do less even as they got stronger. But I was under the impression your society had a lot of fighting. I know there''s more to Court than that, but if older Dhampirs kind of stop moving around and doing stuff as much, aren''t they kind of out of the picture? I mean, it doesn''t matter how strong you have if you can''t use any of that power."


    Claire''s nose scrunched and she scratched at the side of her jaw. "We''re getting really into Dhampir society here. The old Dhampirs generally keep Broodguard around to fight off the weaker Dhampirs, as a stream of young challengers would absolutely end up eventually killing them. The amount of energy they get from draining a younger Dhampir wouldn''t justify the effort killing them."


    "Broodguard?"


    "Sworn soldiers. Another time," Claire said with a shake of her head. "It''s not really relevant. But when it comes to fights between older, more powerful Dhampir ¡ª well, they''re fast. Terrifyingly fast. Usually over in moments, and the victor drains the defeated to recover their energy and remain alive. If they can''t do that in time, they die as well."


    "Brutal. But¡­ how is that different from the system?" Alex tilted his head to the side with a frown. "Can''t you just drain the monsters? They''ve got magic in them."


    "That''s what we thought as well," Claire admitted. "And that''s why so many died. As it turns out, there''s subtle differences in the magic. Monster energy is denser. Thicker. It takes time to digest. You have to meditate, absorb all of it properly. Some of the power comes instantly, but most of it is stored in your soul."


    Alex''s eyes widened in realization. "And older Dhampirs need power instantly after a fight."


    Claire gave him a sad smile and nodded. "Their bodies just use energy without any consideration for how much they have left. So when they fought to defend themselves and their Broods¡­ well, you can imagine what happened."


    Alex could. "They crushed every single monster that attacked them, but the act of fighting was too much and their bodies gave out before they could actually use the vast majority of the power they got from their kills."


    "Like a drowning a man dying of dehydration in the desert. Their bodies couldn''t adapt," Claire said with a sigh. She ran her hand through her hair and shook her head. "Ironic, isn''t it? The System basically brought the cure to our greatest weakness, but it killed almost everyone before they could use it."


    "I''m sorry, Claire," Alex said through a wince. He''d never been the best at comforting people. There really hadn''t been much use for the skill in college, where the majority of problems were a failed exam and the majority of solutions were getting blackout drunk. "I''d try to offer you some form of condolences, but I feel like hollow words aren''t going to help much."


    She sent him a small smile. "It''s fine. I appreciate the honesty, and whining about it won''t change anything. I''m sure a few other Dhampirs survived, but I''m not strong enough to worry about them yet. For now, I''ll worry myself with surviving on Earth ¡ª and being around you."


    "Hey! I''ll point out that you were the one that decided to follow my Dao of fuck-it-we-ball."


    "I never said otherwise," Claire said with a snicker. "I still think you''re insane, but you''ve got the right idea. This is the way forward. If we die, we die. That would have happened either way. But if we live ¡ª we''ll be monsters."


    Alex started to nod. Then he paused. The night was darker than it had been a moment ago. A lot darker. Claire noticed it at the same time. They both looked up to the sky.


    The stars had winked out.


    An imposing translucent doorway floated in the air at the edge of town. It was easily stories tall and trimmed by carved pillars of ivory. Spiked growths ran up their length and curled into the sky.


    Strands of energy twisted around the gateway, undulating like kites in the wind. With every passing second, the gateway grew more solid. White stone doors took shape within the sea of power and designs carved themselves upon their surfaces.


    A deep thrum echoed out from the doors and rolled through the city like a wave. The hair on the back of Alex''s neck stood on end.


    "Well," Claire muttered. "I think you were right about the big scary thing."


    A dull groan filled the air and echoed through the streets. The huge doors shuddered, turning completely solid. There was a loud crunch as they crashed down, slamming into the ground beyond the town.


    A black line sliced down the gateway''s center as it cracked open. Darkness spilled out like smoke. It rolled over the ground and washed over Towntown, casting the entire city into shadow.


    Five massive skeletal fingers emerged from the darkness beyond the door. They grasped onto the edge of the door with a resounding crash. Stone shuddered and groaned. Not for the first time, Alex and Claire watched as an enormous monster pulled itself into their realm.


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 Chapter 55 - 54: Not Normal

    A low, creaking moan echoed out from the enormous gateway rising before the city. The massive hands clutching at the doors were slow and ponderous as they pulled, grinding the towering doors open at a rate of inches per minute.


    Alex and Claire set a hasty course toward the edge of town. They weren''t the only ones. A small crowd of somewhere around thirty or so survivors had already gathered there. They took cover around piled monster bodies and behind the remains of their barricades, staring up at the gateway in horror and disbelief.


    "What in the everloving fuck is that?" one man muttered as Alex and Claire pushed past him. He didn''t even notice their passing ¡ª his attention was completely fixed on the monster struggling to free itself from the void within the gate.


    A second hand of bone bloomed in the darkness and grabbed onto the second door. The creaking noises echoing across the fields grew louder, the black mist enshrouding everything trembled as if in fear.


    "Why does it have to be bone?" Claire muttered as she and Alex came to a stop near the front of the crowd to join in the gawking. "Why couldn''t it be a giant meat-monster? Something nice and soft and fleshy?"


    "I thought you didn''t mind what kind of blood something has as long as it''s got it."


    "Does that look like it has blood to you?" Claire asked.


    "Touch¨¦. Maybe it''s only got boney hands and the rest of it is normal."


    Claire levied a flat stare at him. "Do you really believe that?"


    "Not really, no."


    The crowd behind them parted and Ben limped out from within it, using his axe like a crutch. His left leg was mangled and carved to ribbons. He''d bandaged it heavily with what seemed to be several shirts, all of which had been soaked through with blood. A pained grimace gripped at his features.


    "Alex. Claire." Ben greeted them, but there wasn''t much cheer in his voice.


    "Is this everyone?" Alex asked, glancing over his shoulder to look back at the crowd.


    "I don''t know," Ben replied with a helpless shrug. His gaze lifted past Alex to the doorway rising in the distance. Ben swallowed. "It''s hard to keep track in the chaos. I don''t know what I''m doing, but I''m trying my best. Our losses haven''t been light."


    Another groan echoed from the darkness within the gate. A hand reached out from the shadows and slammed down on the door. That was the third one ¡ª which either meant Alex''s count was somehow off or something had forgotten to teach the monster that sharing was caring and hording hands was rude.


    "What the hell is that thing?" a female survivor said, shifting nervously in place as she ran her hand along the hilt of a curved sword at her side. "How are we supposed to fight something that big? Is this just some cruel joke?"


    "This whole damn apocalypse has been a cruel joke."


    Alex glanced over his shoulder as he recognized Isaiah''s voice. The long-haired man caught his eye and averted his gaze instantly, moving to stand behind the woman. It didn''t look like he wanted a repeat of their last interaction.


    "I don''t suppose you''re high up on the leaderboard?" Ben asked, ignoring Isaiah. "And possibly have a few hundred vats of anti-bone juice?"


    Alex chuckled. "No anti-bone juice, I''m afraid. And I''m still alive. That counts for something, right?"


    "I''m not blind, man. I''ve seen you fight, and I''m pretty sure better off than just alive. Just be careful. Someone''s been hunting everyone doing well on the Leaderboard."


    "Gentlewind," Alex confirmed with a nod, making no move to address Ben''s guess as to his spot on the leaderboard. "I think he bit off more than he could chew."


    "Good riddance," Ben muttered. "But it almost doesn''t matter. The rest of us are shit out of luck. There''s no way we can handle something this big. If we try, we''ll just end up getting killed. I think it might be time to abandon the town."


    A murmur of assent passed through the other survivors. The massive gateway trembled again. A fourth hand reached out from the darkness and latched onto the stone doors, aiding the other three in prying them open.


    "How many bleeding hands does that thing have?" Claire asked.


    "Maybe we were supposed to attack it before it got out," one of the survivors said.


    "A bit late for that," Ben said, running a hand through his hair. "What am I going to do, give it a paper cut? Look at the size of its hands. I don''t think I could hurt a monster that big even if it stood still for a whole ten minutes."


    "Maybe that''s the point. We can''t win," Isaiah said. "We must have gotten unlucky. If we leave now, we can get away from the town before the monster reaches it. There''s no way it''s fast at that size."


    "That means failing the Trial," Ben said. "And what about the people still in the town? It would take time to round everyone up. Some people are injured or taking cover. If we leave, they''ll be stuck behind. Not all of them will retreat in time."


    "Man, that''s their problem."


    "I''m not going to try telling you that you have to stick around and fight," Ben said, pinching the bridge of his nose and letting out a sigh. "But we can do more than just run. There''s time, especially if some of us stall that monster. You can help evacuate the town. Get the non-combatants out."


    "And risk sticking around and getting my bucket kicked?" Isaiah let out a snort, and judging by the looks in the crowd, he wasn''t alone in his opinion. Isaiah shook his head. "This is all bullshit. Fuck the system and fuck you. I''m not sitting around here and getting myself killed so you can play mayor. I''m leaving ¡ª and anyone that doesn''t want to get themselves killed is welcome to follow me. It''s safer out there than it is here," Isaiah said with a shake of his head. He took a step back, then turned and strode away from the town.


    Ben raised a hand, but Isaiah was already leaving.


    The other survivors exchanged glances. They looked from Towntown to the gate that was now nearing completely opened. A woman broke away from the crowd and followed after Isaiah.


    Others poured after her until just under three quarters of the remaining survivors had split off. Ben''s jaw clenched. His hands tightened, knuckles going white around the haft of his axe.


    Alex barely even noticed the people leaving. He didn''t care much what the survivor did ¡ª less people here just meant less ways he''d have to split the rewards. Alex pulled the mirror cards from the box at his waist and examined them. Both Glint and Spark had long since returned. His monsters still hadn''t been powered up yet and that was how he preferred to keep it ¡ª but depending on how powerful the approaching monster was, there was a chance he''d have to power them up.


    "You were right when you called them cowards," a Novice 4 survivor identified by the system as Mary said. She adjusted her grip on a long staff in her hands and spat on the ground. "I hope they all get killed."


    "It''s their choice to make," Ben said. "I can''t ask people to die, and they''re probably right. We''re fucked. It''s going to be hard to evacuate the town, but if you''re all still willing to help, we can save a lot of lives. Alex¡ª"


    "I''m not evacuating anyone. Sorry," Alex shook his head and raised his gaze from his mirror cards. He nodded to the monster. "I''m going over there."


    Ben''s eyes bulged. "What? Do you not see how big that thing is? We might have been able to stall it with all thirty-odd of us, but just you?"


    "I''m going as well," Claire said.


    "So you''ll take two seconds to die instead of one," another survivor said. "Why kill yourselves? We could use the help evacuating."


    The conversation was interrupted by an echoing boom. Everyone spun back to the gateway. A pitch black void filled its entirety. The doors had been completely pushed open. For a long second, there was silence.


    What could only be described as a wave of bone hands spilled from within the gate. They clambered over each other as they grasped into the earth, digging huge furrows through the grass and dirt as a twisted abomination dragged itself free of the darkness with a keening moan.


    There was no logic to the monster''s form. It was a teeming mass of undulating bone and soggy gray flesh. Arms and legs emerged from its body in a flail of haphazard limbs that all worked in unison to pull it toward the town at a steady pace.


    Alex caught a glimpse of a sharp, triangular beak like that of a squid nestled somewhere within the nest of skeletal body parts. Every movement the monster made was equally parts a rattling roar and a wet squelch.


    Crawling Tomb (Initiate 1)


    Alex scratched at the side of his jaw. Initiate 1 wasn''t exactly the strongest monster he and Claire had fought. It was definitely close to one of the largest given that the monster was roughly spherical in shape, but size wasn''t everything.


    Well, that explains all the extra hands earlier. Initiate 1 would be a huge threat for everyone else, but after the Mirrorlands¡­ honestly, I''m not impressed. This will be easy.


    "Oh, shit," Ben breathed, his eyes going as wide as saucers. "It''s a Stage up on us. Everyone, move. Get the town evacuated and then get yourselves to safety. I think Isaiah had the right idea. We¡ª"


    Alex started toward the monster.


    This shouldn''t be too bad at all compared to the stuff I''ve been up against in the Mirrorlands. The System basically just gave me a score multiplier. Sweet.


    "Alex!" Ben called, practically begging. "Come back, man! We can''t fight something like this. Don''t throw your life away!"


    Mirrored claws carved through the air to Alex''s right, rending the space behind them. Glint stepped into reality beside him. To Alex''s left, there was a crackle of blue electricity. Spark emerged from within it, gauntlets tightening into fists as power siphoned into the center of his chitinous armor to form the slow-moving storm of lightning that made up his flesh.


    "Worry about evacuating the town, Ben," Claire said, looking over her shoulder at him. "Your concern is appreciated, but it isn''t needed."


    "But¡ª"


    "I''d follow your own advice," Claire said with a smile.


    "My own¡­" Ben trailed off. He looked from Alex to Claire, then to the advancing monster. His eyes widened. "The Leaderboard. You''re Ash and Fangs?"


    I suppose it''s not like there''s any point trying to hide it. It''ll become obvious the moment we kill the Crawling Tomb and the leaderboard updates.


    "I told you I was going to kill some monsters," Alex said, pausing to look back at Ben. "That isn''t going to change just because a few people didn''t stick around to back us up."


    Ben swallowed, and the other survivors looked to each other in stunned disbelief as they tried to reconcile Alex and Claire with the figures at the top of the local leaderboard. The gap in numbers between them and everyone else was so significant that they might as well have been on entirely different battlefields.


    "But¡­ can you really beat something like that?" Ben asked, swallowing nervously. "I mean, look at it. It''s massive."


    Alex just smiled.


    The Rolling Tomb is pretty intimidating, I''ll give it that. To the other survivors, it might seem impossible to beat. But compared to what I''ve seen in the Mirrorlands¡­.


    This thing isn''t a threat. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It''s just a stepping stone in my way.

 Chapter 56 - 55: Cracked

    Alex and his monsters looked up at the towering mass of flesh and bone as it bore down on them. Claire stood by his side, drumming her fingers against the hilt of her sword and shifting from foot to foot in impatience.


    "So, how are we splitting this one up?" Claire asked. "Because unless the rules for the last fight are any different than the previous ones, only one of us is getting the kill."


    "Last hit?"


    Claire let out a snort. "I think we both know you''re going to win that one. You''ve got two extra bodies ¡ª but if I''m honest, I''m kind of curious to see just how high you can get your score. If there''s a reward and it''s gated by total score, bet it would be better to have someone at the highest possible number rather than two people at relatively high ones."


    "What, you''re just going to let me finish it off?"


    "Oh, no. I''m going to do everything I possibly can to make sure I get the kill," Claire replied with a smug grin. "Anything else would reduce the challenge to both of us, and I''m not trying to get scammed out of the experience. You''re going to have to earn it. Just know that you owe me."


    Alex chuckled. "But you aren''t going easy. Why do I owe you?"


    "Because I''m raising the challenge for you by making it harder to get the final hit."


    "And lowering the challenge by backing me up in the fight."


    "So the amount of reward for killing the Crawling Tomb should be just about the same. The fight will just be easier for both of us. Less work for the same challenge level. Sounds like a good deal."


    "You skipped the part where you''re going to try to steal the last hit," Alex said with a chuckle.


    Claire grinned at him. The rumble of the approaching monster''s limbs slapping and digging through the ground grew louder. She pointed her sword toward it. "Sorry. No time to hear your counterargument. Monster approaching."


    She darted off toward the Crawling Tomb without giving him a chance to respond. He let out a snort before sprinting after her, Spark and Glint at his sides.


    He didn''t actually know if the System would actually count the increased challenge of getting the last hit of a kill as a legitimate part of a fight''s difficulty. The competition did technically make things harder, but there wouldn''t be a way to find out if her theory actually worked unless they ran into a second Crawling Tomb. It was an annoyingly convincing argument.


    She actually managed to make it sound like her trying to steal the kill is going to be beneficial for both of us. That''s scary levels of twisting words.


    Alex was starting to see why she liked the Dhampir game of Court so much. She certainly had a lot of practice in it.


    That''s not to mention it would have been lame for me to insist that she just give me the kill or stand out of the fight when we''re in the middle of a Trial. We both want to win, and we''re both going to give it our best shot. Any other approach is just disrespectful and boring.


    Alex extended his power toward Spark. Energy hummed to life between them. Arcs of blue lightning crackled and popped beneath the Echo Wraith''s armor.


    The monster expanded, his floating plates parting to accommodate the growing storm within him. Lightning arced across his knuckles and buzzed in the air like a swarm of angry bees.


    "Spark, shadow. Go distract that thing," Alex ordered, veering to the side to avoid standing directly in the Crawling Tomb''s path. It hadn''t shown any signs of slowing down in its advance toward the town to fight them. "Glint, see how much damage you can do to one of those big flailing limbs. Don''t get squished."


    His monsters rushed to follow his orders. Spark formed a shadowy replica on the ground before flying up toward the Crawling Tomb in search of an opening while Glint dashed across the ground just a short distance behind Claire. Alex let himself slow slightly, staying just out of range of the fight for the time being.


    The Crawling Tomb is too big for me to use Funhouse directly on it for anything other than a moment of distraction. The repositioning effects only work if the spell is bigger than my target, and I can''t make anything near two stories wide. I have to bide my time.


    Claire reached the Crawling Tomb first. Black veins carved down her arm, pulsing with energy as she swept her blade at the finger of a boney hand. There was a loud clang. The weapon rebounded, vibrating in her grip, and a small chunk of bone spun free.


    A furious moan echoed from the Crawling Tomb. Its blur of limbs ground to a halt as it registered the attack. Within the forest of bones, Alex spotted two horse-sized pitch black eyes swiveling down to look in her direction.


    Several hands unfurled from the monster''s body and reached for Claire. She launched herself out of the way, skidding across the dirt when she landed. And, before the monster could retract its hands, Glint leapt onto one of them.


    The Shardwalker raced up the Crawling Tomb''s arm. He dug his claws into the monster''s body as he raced up toward its center of mass. Bone sheared apart in his wake, splitting like the surface of a choppy lake.


    At the same time, Spark flew up to the monster''s eye-level. Blue lightning rolled and hissed within his gauntlets as he shot forward, slipping past the grasping hands, and drove a fist into the huge monster''s skull.


    Bone shattered with a loud explosion. A scream of pain tore from the Crawling Tomb and it rolled back like a tortoise tipped on its shell, limbs flailing all about it. The motion launched Glint into the air like he was an acrobat in a circus.


    "Catch Glint, Spark!" Alex yelled. "Glint, do your best not to stab Spark!"


    Spark veered away from the Crawling Tomb, shooting up toward the plummeting Shardwalker and grabbing it from the air. Mirrored blades screeched against chitinous armor, carving deep gouges into it, but the two monsters managed to avoid killing each other.


    Claire threw her sword to the side and launched herself forward. Claws burst from her right hand, sharpening to black points, and she ducked past a skeletal foot to reach the gray skinned core of the monster.


    She drove her sharpened claws into it, sinking her hand nearly a foot into its body. Claire leaned in and bit down, clamping onto the monster''s flesh and gulping the blood that poured free.


    As it turns out, the big bone thing does have blood after all.


    The Crawling Tomb rolled to the side in an attempt to crush the Dhampir beneath it. Before Alex could call out another command to Spark, Claire blurred. She threw herself away from the monster, hitting the ground in a roll and launching back to her feet in the same motion.


    Dark blood dripped from her hand. She lifted it to her mouth, licking the last of it free, and flexed her fingers. Claws pushed free from her other hand and black veins crawled down across the rest of her skin. They worked up her neck and down her legs. The bones of a bat wing burst from her shoulder and furled over her right arm like armor.


    One of the Crawling Tomb''s limbs crashed down toward her. Claire swung her fist up. Their blows connected with a loud crack.


    Bone shattered.


    Claire stumbled.


    A bone hand the size of a small room crashed down behind her, shattered and broken clean off at the wrist. Some of the normal color returned to her skin and the claws protruding from her fingertips shrank.


    "Throw Glint back into the fight, then attack the same spot you just hit!" Alex ordered, realizing he was just standing around and watching Claire fight.


    Spark took Alex''s orders literally. The monster spun, whipping Glint through the air, and launched the Shardwalker down at the Crawling Tomb. Glint tucked his limbs in, transforming into a veritable ball of spinning shards.


    He struck the huge monster. Glass scraped against bone with an irritating screech, carving clean through it. An instant later, Spark was upon the Crawling Tomb. The Echo Wraith raised its gauntlets into the air, a blue storm roaring within them, and brought them down with a crash.


    There was a brilliant crack like a bolt of lightning had fallen from the heavens. A blue flash lit the air. Bone shattered.


    White fragments exploded in every direction.


    They carved through Spark, impaling the Echo Wraith like javelins and killing him on the spot. A stream of energy flowed Alex before he could even try to command his monster to swap with its shadow.


    Thick, electric ozone flooded the air.


    The Crawling Tomb''s limbs flailed in agony. Grey blood poured from a massive gaping crack in the bone between the flesh and its beak, pouring onto the ground in gallons. Another scream ripped from the monster''s mouth as Glint unfurled himself and burrowed through flesh and bone alike, cutting through everything in his path on his way into the monster''s core.


    Claire wasn''t one to be shown up. She dashed forward, launching herself onto the monster''s side and scaling it. The Dhampir dodged flailing limbs as she made her way up to its eyes. A hand reached for her and she drove her palm into it, shattering the limb with a single strike. With a cry, she drove her other hand down into the black orb that was its eye.


    It popped with a squelch.


    The monster screamed.


    Its cry was so immense that it formed a shockwave that erupted in every direction around the monster. The rolling air drove into the dark mist that had settled over Towntown and hurled it in every direction, banishing the darkness like some herald of light.


    Alex clapped his hands to his ears. He felt blood against his palms. His head rang and a headache pounded at his temples. Pushing through it, he craned his neck back and squinted upward.


    Claire clutched onto the monster''s side. Her fangs dug into its flesh and her fangs were buried within the monster. Blood trickled down the sides of her face as she swallowed, drinking greedily.


    A shuddering moan echoed out. It barely reached Alex''s throbbing ears. The Crawling Tomb was seriously injured, but it wasn''t dead. Not yet. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His eyes flicked to the shadow that his Echo Wraith had left behind. It still remained in the same spot that the monster had left it, now just feet away from the Crawling Tomb. Interestingly enough, Alex could feel the shadow like it was his own.


    Spark''s power rolled in his body. It begged to be used ¡ª and he obliged it. Alex swapped spots with the shadow.


    The world shifted. He appeared directly before the Crawling Tomb. The monster was still reeling and thrashing, trying to rid itself of the pests ripping it apart.


    Alex drew on Spark''s magic even further. Blue energy popped across his wrist, sending tingles racing down his arm. The magic intensified, transforming into hissing arcs that flicked in the air like his hand was the end of a tesla coil.


    He clenched it into a fist.


    The power gathered in his palm, humming and pressing against his grip. His fingers trembled and his lips pulled back. One of the Crawling Tomb''s hands shot out for him. Alex burst into motion, dodging under the limb.


    This might have been an Initiate level monster, but it was injured. And compared to what he''d seen in the Mirrorlands ¡ª this was just a body that needed to be put back in the grave.


    Alex launched himself into the air, directly toward the weeping hole beside the Crawling Tomb''s beak. It reached for him, but it wasn''t fast enough.


    He crashed down.


    His fist slammed into the exposed, bleeding flesh.


    A massive thunderclap split the air. The Crawling Tomb pitched back and fell to the ground with an earthshaking crash. Crackles of electricity screamed out across it, carving across gray skin, burrowing through its body like worms. The smell of ozone mixed with rancid, burnt flesh.


    The gateway behind the Crawling Tomb crumbled. The ivory towers pitched away from the doors and crashed to the ground, shattering. Color bloomed in the pitch black void as it turned translucent, then vanished as the gate disintegrated.


    [Trial: Cull the Meek]


    Objective Completed. Rewards Earned.


    Power flowed into Alex.


    The monster was dead, and he''d claimed the final blow. The amount of energy the Crawling Tomb gave wasn''t an insignificant amount by any means ¡ª but compared to his fights in the Mirrorlands, it was nothing to write home about.


    Alex''s appreciation for the benefits of the Mirrorlands grew even further. Without the power and combat experience he''d gotten within the warped world, this fight would have been nearly impossible. But with it¡­ the Crawling Tomb felt like nothing more than a slightly powerful normal opponent.


    The monster''s body rent apart. Glint carved his way free from the sopping wet, scorched mess. Gray blood soaked the Shardwalker. It dripped from the glistening mirrors that covered him, marring their perfect reflections.


    A grin split Alex''s features. He''d finally won a fight without killing one of his summons, and he hadn''t even gotten a chance to truly power them up yet.


    The future was looking good.


    "Damn it," Claire said, spitting gray blood onto the ground and wiping her mouth with the back of a sleeve. "I was eating! You don''t kill a gal''s food while she''s fang deep in it!"


    "Sorry," Alex said with a laugh. He glanced back at Towntown. Ben and the remaining survivors stood, watching them in slack-jawed disbelief. "I¡ª"


    A loud hum carved through the air and swallowed the rest of his sentence. Huge, golden lines carved into the sky far above them, the width of a barn door. And judging by the looks on everyone else''s faces, Alex wasn''t the only one that could see them.


    Local Announcement for Subsector 735


    Part [2/3] of the System''s initialization has concluded in this location. Rewards will now be distributed. Bonus rewards will be distributed to the top scoring members from every Local Leaderboard in Subsector 735.


    Subsector 735 Leaderboards will activate and populate at the start of the 3rd Initialization Event.


    Even as Alex read the massive message in the sky, more words from the System drew itself into the air directly before Alex.


    Congratulations on achieving Rank 1 in your Local Leaderboard.


    Reward deferred.


    Congratulations for scoring among the top 10 Local Leaderboards in Subsector 735.


    Reward received.


    Rewards for the victors of the top 10 Local Leaderboards in Subsector 735 will be distributed at the Subsector 735 Nexus Point. Please prepare to be transported.


    WARNING: You will be temporarily removed from your current location until your reward has been distributed. Ensure you are prepared before proceeding. Are you prepared to proceed? [Yes/Yes]

 Chapter 57 - 56: Nexus Point

    By the time Alex had finished reading the golden words floating before him, an invisible blanket of tingling energy had already wrapped itself around his entire body. A loud buzzing noise filled the air around him. Something within him lurched, his stomach clenched. He tasted iron against his tongue.


    "Oh, shit," Alex said, his words echoing in his own head. "I''ll be back! I''m about to get¡ª"


    The tingling sensation turned to a prickling heat, sharp enough to sizzle against his skin. His ears popped. The world jerked, twisted, swirled together like someone had shoved the entire thing into a blender. Colors mixed into a solid brown, and that shifted to black.


    The ground fell out from beneath him.


    Alex''s stomach shot up into his throat as he plummeted, devoid of every single sense.


    His feet slammed into something hard with an abrupt jolt. Color blurred and swam back into place as his hearing returned with a second pop. Alex staggered, nearly tripping over himself as the world drew itself back into being all around him.


    A circular cave stretched out around him. A ceiling, well over forty feet at its peak, rose into the air above, polished perfectly smooth gray. The ground was paved with shimmering white tile, dismissing any remaining notion that the location could have been natural.


    The tiles had been laid in a design that twisted inward to a large dais at the center of the room. Upon it was a door, circular in shape. Rotating segments had twisted shut like the petals of a closing flower to nigh-seamlessly seal its entrance shut.


    Before Alex could so much as start to wonder exactly where it was he''d been pulled to, he came to the abrupt realization that he was not alone in the room. He wasn''t sure when or how it had happened, but there were several other people standing in the room together with him.


    He couldn''t make out any detail of their forms. It was as if they were oddly sharp silhouettes in a dimly lit room, granting him only the general greyish-black outline of their shape and nothing more.


    A melodious hum filled the air. Alex yanked his gaze up to the center of the room. Dull golden sparks danced as they traced a rectangle through the air, leaving a glowing path in their wake.


    Matching energy washed across the rectangle''s face, forming into a glimmering doorway. From within it stepped a figure wearing plain white robes. They didn''t seem to have any features at all beyond their clothing.


    The figure had no face. No skin ¡ª no anything. Its clothes conformed to an invisible form, hanging from a body that did not exist. Pale light washed off the strange apparition, washing over the room and breaking through the edges of the strange silhouette-people surrounding Alex. He still couldn''t make out any details, but everyone''s features grew sharper and more defined.


    "Congratulations on your placement in the 2nd Initialization Event for Subsector 735," the figure intoned. Its voice was smooth and polished, completely devoid of any emotion. "I am the Overseer for this Trial. Welcome to the Subsector 735 Nexus Point. The lifeforms in this room are the Rank 1 Leaderboard runners who achieved the highest scores on their Local Leaderboards for the 2nd phase of Initialization."


    "Are you the System? What''s the point of all this?"


    Alex''s gaze snapped to the side as the loud, energetic voice of a man somewhere around his mid-twenties rang across the room from one of the silhouettes. The figure in question stood over a head taller than Alex. Even without detail, Alex could make out muscle rippling over the man''s form. He held the shadows of what seemed to be a small axe in each of his hands.


    The robed figure didn''t so much as acknowledge the interruption.


    "Rewards will be distributed according to your relative scores," the Overseer stated. It waved a hand through the air and gold streamers trailed behind it, twisting like snakes in its wake. "The final competitor in the trial was worth 100 Kills. You may take a short period of time to familiarize yourselves with the rankings."


    Hold on. Did it just say competitor?


    The lines of gold connected and formed into words.


    Final Leaderboard ¡ª Initialization Event


    Absolution (Initiate 8): 824 Kills


    GoGently (Initiate 4): 693 Kills


    Stargazer (Initiate 6): 502 Kills


    Ash (Novice 7): 471 Kills


    Sunset (Initiate 4): 464 Kills


    Stem Major (Initiate 7): 399 Kills


    TacticalSandal (Initiate 2): 346 Kills


    TryFinger (Initiate 1): 319 Kills


    HackNSlash (Initiate 1): 289 Kills


    River King (Initiate 1): 250 Kills


    The first thing Alex noticed was that someone had somehow managed to get eight hundred kills. There definitely hadn''t been anywhere near that many monsters to fight, but he only managed to linger on that thought for a second before his mind flitted to process the words he was reading.


    Every single person on the leaderboard ¡ª himself excluded ¡ª was already at Initiate rank.


    Alex wasn''t the only one to notice it.


    "That''s odd. What''s a Novice doing in here?" A female voice asked.


    Alex glanced in the direction of the person that had spoken, taking care not to turn his head. If everyone could only see silhouettes, then they couldn''t track his eyes ¡ª and he wasn''t so sure he wanted to give himself away by looking too excited about being mentioned.


    The speaker was short and carried a staff taller than her with both hands. There was a large, circular hat with a flattened top and rectangular brims perched on top of her head. Alex turned his gaze over the rest of the room, taking in the other silhouettes and committing them to memory.


    A huge, armored form that must have been at least eight feet tall, bearing a broadsword as wide as they were.


    A thin form draped in robes not all too dissimilar to those of the Overseer, leaning on a wizened staff with what appeared to be a pointed wizard hat upon their head.


    A woman in plain clothes, clutching a paint brush nearly as large as she was, unable to sit still as her head turned back and forth to scan the room.


    A man that seemed to be completely naked beside a loincloth, holding a tiny dagger in one hand.


    A brawny man ¡ª the one who had spoken first ¡ª with two hand axes.


    A slightly rotund man wearing what Alex suspected to be a suit and leaning on a cane.


    A man of average build with a huge scythe slung over his back.


    A tall, thin figure that Alex couldn''t determine the gender of, with their long hair tied back into a ponytail and a thick book tucked under an arm.


    It seemed the others had a similar idea, because it was several moments before the silence was broken again, this time by the heavily armored form.


    "I''d rather know why he''s in the middle of the ranks at his level. He doesn''t even have Qi yet!" the armored figure exclaimed, their gruff voice identifying them as male. "Who''s Ash? Speak up, mate."


    Qi?


    "Hey!" The axe-wielding man yelled, pointing one of his axes up at the Overseer and ignoring the conversation entirely. "Can you hear me?"


    "Be quiet. Please. All of you," the man in the wizard hat said. "The Overseer obviously isn''t going to say anything until we stop talking. I want to see what I get and then get back to work. I have important business to get to. Work might be a foreign concept to the rest of you, but I''m swamped with it."


    "You just spoke more than all of us," the girl with the paintbrush said.


    "I figured out who Stem Major is," the naked man said through a nasally snicker. "Do you really think the System would get stunlocked on a bunch of idiots yapping? I doubt it''s even registered us talking."


    "I''m not Stem Major. And shut up. Don''t lecture me," the robed man who was definitely Stem Major said. "I¡ª"


    The leaderboard vanished from the air and the Overseer brought its hands together in a gentle clap.


    "Your excess rewards will be distributed shortly. Upon return to your former locations, any deferred rewards will be released. It is suggested that you steel your Mind Palace in preparation for Energy Overload."


    What the hell is Energy Overload?


    "Just give it to us already," Stem Major muttered under his breath.


    The air before Alex crackled and a tiny golden portal traced itself into existence. His hands shot out a moment before a tiny white crystal fragment tumbled out from the portal and landed in his palms. Glistening words traced through the air above it, identifying the small item.


    Unstable Nexus Core Shard (Epic) ¡ª Consumable


    Upon Destruction: Permanently gain 5 Units of Soul Energy.


    If the user of this item is killed, it will re-form at the location of their death.


    The first three Unstable Nexus Core Shards returned to this location will evolve.


    Alex''s eyes went wide. 5 Units of Soul Energy was practically enough to upgrade every single one of his skills. That was a ridiculously good item. His gaze shot up to everyone else in the room. Each of them looked to have gotten something similar, but the description strongly implied that there were different rarities ¡ª and Alex was willing to bet they''d been distributed in order of rank. He''d placed around the upper middle of the leaderboard¡­ so the ones at the top probably gave even more Units.


    I don''t know what the rarity even means in this case, but I''d be willing to bet it determines the quality of the ability upgrades I get. Holy shit. What an item¡­ and what a way to put us at each other''s throats. If we kill each other, we get another upgrade ¡ª and if we combine 3 shards, we can bring it back here and get an even bigger reward.


    But doesn''t this mean¡­


    "The System is making us hunt each other," the portly man leaning on his cane observed. "It''s keeping us from banding together and launching ourselves even farther ahead of everyone else by causing infighting. That also ensures only the strongest can benefit from these shards, while the weakest may end up falling to someone that doesn''t even have one and distributing the power to the more deserving. Intelligent."


    "Stop sucking your own dick," the mostly-naked man said, shattering his own shard. "You really like the sound of your own voice, don''t you?"


    The other man continued speaking without missing a beat. "For anyone who wishes to sell their shards, I will purchase them at a very good price. My name on the leaderboard is the River King. Find me."


    Yeah, not happening. No way am I giving this up.


    "Hand over your shards!" the heavily armored man proclaimed, also ignoring the River King completely. "Give ''em here and save yourself the¡ª"


    "Stuff yourself," the girl with the paintbrush said. Her silhouetted hand rose, a glistening shard pinched between her fingers, and she crushed them shut. The shard shattered, transforming into glittering motes that flew into her body. "I don''t want to deal with any of you, but I''ll be happy to take the shards off your bodies if you come looking for me."


    A shimmer in the air before Alex caught his attention. He glanced down as the tiny portal that the previous item had fallen through undulated with a final flicker of energy. It vanished, but not before dropping a little glass disk into his palms. He barely managed to catch it before it slipped between his fingers.


    Looking Glass (Legendary) ¡ª Consumable


    Upon Destruction: Choose a single entity in the Nexus Point and reveal their leaderboard identity and appearance.


    Alex''s eyes widened. His gaze shot up to try and see if anyone else had gotten the same item, but their portals had all vanished. There was no way to tell if they''d gotten the item as well. The safe bet was to assume that they had.


    He scanned the silhouettes around him, both trying to figure out who to use his own shard on while also trying to see if their body language revealed anything. Unfortunately, with their faces completely missing, it was hard to draw any conclusions.


    Well, shit. I want to know who all of them are, but I''ve only got one shot.


    Who do I reveal?


    There were several people that hadn''t spoken yet. A lot of them already had pretty evident silhouettes, but that didn''t mean they couldn''t just change their clothes. Alex frowned as he studied everyone for a moment.


    The girl with the giant hat and the staff seems really confident, and she''s not as dumb as the axe-guy. If she ends up putting that staff and pointy hat away, she''ll just look like any other random woman. The others are generally a bit easier to recognize, so she seems like a good one to go with.


    Alex shattered the piece of glass.


    The shadow covering the girl evaporated like water in the desert heat, peeling away from her form and disappearing. She looked to be around 24, with bright red hair that rolled down to her shoulders and pale, freckled skin. She wore dull purple robes trimmed with flowing silver designs. The side of her lip was marred by a small scar. A large portion of her face was concealed by her hat, but Alex could still make out more than enough of it to commit to memory. Letters carved into the air above her head.


    GoGently


    Sweet.


    She''s the Rank 2 on the leaderboard. I got a pretty good guess. She''s definitely stronger than me right now, so I''ll have to keep an eye out for her until I can close the gap a bit farther. I definitely don''t want to get into a fight with her yet.


    "Rewards have been distributed," the Overseer proclaimed. "Return to your former positions is imminent."


    Several of the other silhouettes shattered their fragments instantly. Alex followed suit. He wasn''t about to sit around on the shard and wait for someone to steal it from him.


    The crystal shattered between his fingers as he crushed it. Tingles raced across his skin. Something tightened in his chest. His heart skipped a beat and a painful pressure built within his ribcage.


    Alex nearly staggered as energy exploded within him. It roared from his chest like water bursting through a dam and flooded his entire body, flowing through veins and muscles alike with effortless ease. Pain ripped through him with such sudden intensity that he didn''t even have a chance to scream before it had vanished.


    In its place, golden words carved into the air.


    Unstable Nexus Core Shard has insufficient strength to influence Singularity Core.


    Singularity Core has refined the Unstable Nexus Core Shard.


    You have amassed 5 units of soul energy.


    Alex blinked as he studied the words floating in the air before him. Singularity Core had shown up before ¡ª back when he''d first gotten his class in the Mirrorlands. He had no idea what it was or what it was doing, but he''d gotten 5 whole Units of soul energy. That was an entire 5 level boost. A grin split across his face. This was exactly the kind of reward he''d been hoping¡ª Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Singularity Core has enriched [Requiem to the King]''s potential upgrades.


    It did what now?

 Chapter 58 - 57: Oddities

    Before Alex could even finish processing the message that had appeared before him, the someone stuck the entire world into a blender. His ears whirred, color shifted, and everything mixed together in a soup. The ground disappeared and his stomach flew up into his throat as he found himself plummeting through the air.


    His senses evaporated as he fell, but this time, Alex was ready for it. He braced himself, forcing his core to remain loose. It wouldn''t be long until¡ª


    A grassy field snapped into existence beneath his feet. His knees jerked and Alex took a step forward to balance himself. His ears popped and he finished drawing in the breath that had started a moment before the System had shunted him out of the Nexus Point like an unwanted rodent.


    He was back outside Towntown. The bodies of all the monsters and survivors who had died on the battlefield around the town had vanished as if they''d never been there, leaving nothing but trampled grass.


    Night had fallen in true ¡ª the massive stars seemed to have lost some of their luster and had let the surroundings plunge into relative darkness, illuminated only by the normal glow of the moon.


    "Alex!" Claire exclaimed from behind him. "What was that about? What happened?"


    He turned to face her, his mind still buzzing with all the new information he''d learned and power he''d gotten. He prepared to fill her in on what had happened when a buzz filled his ears.


    Alex paused and glanced around. The sound was distant. He couldn''t quite tell if it was coming from inside his own head or somewhere else. Confusion creased his face and a question formed on his lips.


    He didn''t get a chance to let it free. The System''s golden letters flashed through the air before him in an instant.


    Reward received.


    Alex doubled over in a surprised wheeze as energy drove into his gut like the punch from a professional boxer with a vendetta. He dropped to his knees, eyes shooting wide open, as a freezing cold hand clenched around his brain.


    It felt like an ocean of freezing water was being funneled directly into his skull. His entire body stiffened of its own volition. He fell forward, landing face-first in the grass, and gasped for air, unable to even form words as the power ravaged him.


    Hands grabbed his shoulders and spun him over. Claire''s mouth moved as she yelled something and shook him, but he couldn''t hear it. He could barely even feel her. His entire body throbbed. His head pounded, his throat constricted. Alex could only manage to form a single thought.


    So this is was what the Overseer meant when it warned about Energy Overload.


    He gritted his teeth, trying to remember what it had said to do. Something about preparing his Mind Palace. Alex had no idea what that meant or how to do it, but he did his damned best to try.


    He drove his squirming thoughts inward. There was no way he could actually sink into meditation when his entire body felt like it was getting transformed into a large ice-cube, but he focused on imagining a wall forming around his mind and slowing the flow of energy, focusing it into his basin instead of letting it run amok through his entire being.


    Agonizing seconds dragged by. Alex had no idea if his efforts were successful or if he''d simply just waited the System out, because the pain slowly started to recede. The pounding in his skull slowed and his fists unclenched, leaving pinpricks of pain in his palm where his nails had dug into the flesh. His jaw sockets throbbed with pain from how hard they''d been clenched. Tiny stars danced in the air above him.


    "Alex!" Claire said, shaking him like a doll. "Do you need blood?"


    "I''m fine!" Alex managed. "Stop shaking me!"


    Claire jerked to a halt. "Sorry. Blood?" S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I don''t think it would do much for me," Alex said, blinking as his vision cleared back up. "You''re the Dhampir here."


    "I figured you might have lost too much in the fight," Claire said, letting out a relieved breath. "I didn''t mean you should eat it. I thought we could put some extra back into your body."


    "That doesn''t work. Humans have different kinds of blood," Alex said with a small laugh. Claire pulled him back to his feet and he gave her an appreciative nod. "Thanks, though."


    "No problem. And that makes sense, actually. I never thought about that, but you all do taste different."


    "Have you eaten from a lot of humans?" Alex tilted his head to the side.


    "Yes. But more importantly, why did you just seize up? And why did you just vanish? What in the bleeding hells is happening?"


    Alex blew out a breath and a smile crawled across his face. "Rewards from the System. A lot of them. It''ll take a while to fill you in on everything, and I still don''t know all the rewards yet. I have to meditate as soon as I can¡­ but it''s good. Really good. Give me a second."


    He reached down, grabbing a Spatial Mirror from the box at his side and examining its surface to see if the System''s rewards had included the souls of the monsters he''d killed during the challenge.


    Spatial Mirror


    Stored Energy:


    High-Mid Grade Novice (Floraking) - 1


    Low Grade Initiate (Riftwarped Crawler) - 1


    Low-Mid Grade Initiate (Riftwarped Granite Soldier)


    High Grade Novice (Corpse Burrower) - 1


    Low Grade Novice (Corpse Poker) - 1


    Mid-Grade Novice (Boneraptor) - 1


    Reward Soul (Conglomerate) - 1


    Bonded Creature: Shardwalker (Novice 7)


    Alex''s head tilted to the side.


    That''s interesting. I can''t wait to see what happens when I feed that to one of my monsters. But something is off. What''s going on here?


    The system had obviously condensed the soul rewards he''d gotten from the Trial into a single one¡­ but there was an outlier. For some reason, he had the soul flame of a Boneraptor. A frown crossed his lips as he thought. Now that he thought about it, Alex could even remember when it had happened.


    After killing one of the Boneraptors, there had been a strange sensation a moment before he''d seen something fly into his Spatial Mirror of its own volition. That must have been the monster''s soul flame.


    But why? How come I was able to get that soul flame but none of the others?


    He had absolutely no idea, but he didn''t want to just stand around in the open thinking forever. Alex lowered the mirror and returned his attention to Claire. "Did the System tell you what you got?"


    "Not yet. I need to go meditate." Claire shook her head, then glanced back in the direction of Towntown. "But I''ve been holding off on heading back. It''s only been a few minutes and I was hoping you''d return sooner rather than later. Figured I should make sure nobody strolls up and waits to stab you in the back."


    "It''s appreciated," Alex said. "Was someone looking like they were planning on doing just that?"


    Claire gave him a half-shrug. "I don''t know. They haven''t gotten close yet. It''s only been a few minutes, but I think that idiot Isaiah''s group came back to town when they realized that the fight was over and it was safe again."


    Alex followed her gaze. A group of survivors had gathered at the edge of town. It was split roughly down the middle, and even though he wasn''t quite in earshot, the tension was clear. Several people had their hands on their weapons and seemed to be a moment away from drawing them fully.


    "Figures," Alex said through a snort. Right now, the only thing he wanted to do was sit down and meditate to process the rest of the rewards he''d gotten. With the amount of energy he''d just gotten ¡ª well, he wasn''t even sure how much he could accomplish. There was already enough for multiple advancements to his abilities, not to mention the extra power the System had just injected into him.


    "We going to bother getting involved?" Claire asked.


    Alex scratched at the side of his head as he studied the survivors. It seemed that he and Claire had been forgotten in the wake of the growing argument. People had started yelling over each other as the tension rose.


    He rather liked Ben.


    Moreover, he did not think much of Isaiah. Throwing a hissy fit and then coming back to the town they''d abandoned rubbed Alex the wrong way.


    That all said, Alex wasn''t so sure he wanted to get himself completely wrapped up in a bunch of politics. He wasn''t even sure if he could. Alex wasn''t exactly a master negotiator. His last interaction with Isaiah had been punching the man in the face. That was a remarkably effective way for ending an argument. It was slightly less effective for actually making a point. Slightly ¡ª but he supposed slightly was better than nothing.


    Alex started forward.


    Claire put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. He glanced at her in surprise.


    "What?" Alex asked. "I was going to go help Ben."


    "How?" Claire asked. "By beating the shit out of Isaiah?"


    "Probably, yeah," Alex admitted. "Glint and Spark are still alive. I''m pretty sure Ben is Ben-10 on the leaderboard, and Mary is also on his side. She seems capable enough. I''m pretty sure we can deal with a bunch of low-Novice pricks if they try to kill us."


    Claire rolled her eyes. "Alex, there''s more than one way to deal with something like this. Not every single situation results in having to kill or fight something, and there''s more than one way to fight."


    "Not arguing that. But I don''t exactly know what else to do, and it''s best to be prepared for the worst."


    "Then let me handle this one," Claire said, a small, dangerous grin pulling across her lips. "I think it might be more up my alley than yours."


    "Sure. What are you thinking?"


    "The more you try to prepare for something like this, the worse it''ll go. Just back me up. You''ll figure it out as we go." Claire strode toward the group confidently.


    Alex moved to keep pace with her.


    "Can''t you at least give me a hint? What am I supposed to be preparing for? A fight?"


    "You wanted to see a bit of how Court was played, didn''t you?" Claire asked, keeping her gaze on the survivors as their argument grew louder still. "I''m going to give you a small demonstration."

 Chapter 59 - 58: Confrontation

    A noticeable shift occurred in Claire as she and Alex drew up to the arguing survivors. The easygoing smile normally present on her face evaporated like summer rain. A cold glint lit behind her eyes and her lips curled into a faint, confident smirk. It was an expression that would have fit perfectly upon the face of a lawyer whose defense had been caught mid-crime.


    The change wasn''t contained to her face. Claire''s posture and stride changed as well. A slight sway had entered her step and her hands trailed at her sides her as if she were running them through the fur of an invisible creature.


    It was like someone had flipped a switch in her head. The change had literally happened mid-step. Alex''s skin prickled in unease. The sensation he felt wasn''t too dissimilar from staring into a dark alley in the middle of the night and finding someone peering back at you.


    Claire''s approach drew gazes as they came to a stop at the edge of the group.


    "My ears must be deceiving me," Claire said, her words lined with razored edges and dripping with a thin layer of honey that did nothing to conceal the threat behind them. "Because with the amount of noise you were all making, I might have been deceived into thinking one of you actually tried to fight the boss of the Trial. Be quiet, please. Talk like the adults you are instead of screaming like spoiled children."


    The argument faltered for a moment as both sides hesitated.


    One of the survivors from Isaiah''s group took a step forward and thrust a finger into Claire''s collarbone. "Shut your trap, you mouthy bitch. You don''t get to throw weight around just because you got carried by your¡ª" S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A sharp crack echoed out, like a particularly loud twig snapping beneath a heel.


    The survivor let out a pained scream. Claire held his hand by the wrist with one hand, black veins running down her arm and through her fingers. The man''s finger hung at an odd angle.


    Claire had broken it at the joint.


    "I''m quite certain I just asked you to be polite," Claire said, admonishment entering her voice. "I did do that, didn''t I?"


    Alex pushed down his surprise at Claire''s shift in personality to see where she was taking things. If she could stop the all-out brawl that seemed to be brewing, a broken finger would be a small price to pay.


    "You definitely did, But I''m sure that¡­" Alex trailed off to glance at the name of the man, who was only Novice 2, floating in golden letters in the air above his head, "Carson is smart enough to avoid being a prick and poking people stronger than him."


    The Novice 2''s hand tightened at his side. For an instant, his good hand shifted toward a dagger at his side. Then his eyes widened in pain. He let out a pained whimper and tugged desperately on his arm.


    "I''m sorry! Let me go, you maniac!"


    Claire released his hand like she was dropping off a bag of trash. The motion held just enough force in it to send Carson stumbling several steps back.


    "With pleasure," Claire said. She wiped her hand off on her side. "Now, will someone enlighten me as to what has a group of grown men and women frothing at the mouth instead of doing something useful?"


    "This lot thinks they can come back into Towntown after leaving everyone in it for dead," Ben said, setting his jaw and driving the butt of his axe into the ground. "That''s not happening. Anyone can stay ¡ª but if you don''t pull your own weight in a fight, why should we let them eat up resources? Everything is limited, and I don''t feel comfortable having a traitor watch my back."


    "Yeah, well, who made you leader? Why do you get to choose who stays and leaves?"" One of the male survivors from Isaiah''s group demanded, though Alex couldn''t help but notice that he kept his voice notedly quiet to avoid it being misconstrued as yelling. He glanced to Isaiah for support, clearly expecting to find something there.


    But Isaiah wasn''t paying attention to the argument anymore. He was staring at Alex, his face a shade paler than it had been before. The man''s shoulders shrunk in unconsciously. His stance shifted ¡ª where there had once been confidence, there was now unease. The survivor''s eyes flicked over Alex''s shoulder, to where the boss had come from, then back to him.


    "You," Isaiah muttered, his attention shifting from Alex to Claire. It lingered on her face ¡ª or, more accurately, her mouth, which was still pulled up in a confident smirk that just barely revealed a hint of her fangs. Realization lit in his eyes. Isaiah took a step backward, shaking his head. "Fuck this."


    He turned on his heel and strode in the other direction. The other survivors stared at him in stark disbelief.


    "What?" the male survivor that had been speaking a moment before exclaimed. He grabbed Isaiah by the wrist. "Where are you going? They don''t get to say who lives in the damn town, man. Why would we¡ª"


    Isaiah ripped his arm free. "Don''t touch me. If you want to get yourself killed, go ahead. Leave me out of it. Join Carson and see what happens when they rip both of your heads off."


    "Killed? By who?" another survivor from Isaiah''s group asked through a scoff. "Ben? The idiot that named himself after a cartoon? Or do you really think that woman¡ª"


    "You are a moron. The two people that were at the top of the fucking leaderboard. Do you remember their names?" Isaiah snarled. He thrust a finger in Claire''s direction, then moved it to Alex. "Fangs. And a summoner ¡ª it''s a Pok¨¦mon reference. Ash. Just use your head for a millisecond. Are you dense? These crazy bastards killed more people than they did monsters. If they''re anywhere near this shithole, then you can bet I''m not staying around to get run through in my sleep."


    Isiah turned and strode off without another word. Everyone watched him leave in a stunned silence. It was only a second before a second survivor broke away from the group and hurried after Isaiah. Several others broke away in quick succession.


    The final holdout hesitated for a moment longer. His jaw clenched as he looked from Alex to Ben. For a moment it looked like was actually going to try and stick around to keep arguing. But, without the rest of his group, it would have been in exercise in futility and he knew it. The final survivor that had been standing off against Ben''s group strode off with a slew of muttered curses under his breath.


    Nobody said a word for several long seconds as the group left. Claire''s entire demeanor shifted once more as it returned to normal. Her shoulders slumped and her nose scrunched in disappointment.


    "Damn it," Claire muttered, crestfallen. "I was really having fun there. They didn''t even put up a fight. Why are people here so damn scared? They could have at least tried!"


    "Are you kidding? That was the best possible result," Ben said, letting out a relieved breath and letting his shoulders sink. "That was a crazy show. Things weren''t far from coming to blows. I''m pretty sure we would have won if you and Alex hadn''t showed up, but it would have been bad. We can''t afford to lose even more people."


    "Maybe you should tell that to Ash," Mary said, watching Alex warily. "I was watching the leaderboard through the entire event. The number of kills you got¡­ a lot of them aren''t from monsters."


    "I only killed two people," Alex replied, doing his best to avoid sending a sidelong glance at Claire. She''d said she liked Court ¡ª but there was a difference between acting and acting. That had been more than a little scary, but now wasn''t the time to address it. "Both of them deserved it. Gentlewind tried to kill me first, and Ogre was Diego."


    "You killed Diego?" Mary took a step back, clutching her staff closer to herself. "The Novice 9 monster? You?"


    "You heard Isaiah. He''s a coward, but he''s right," Ben said. "Alex is Ash. Claire is Fangs. They were at the top of the leaderboard. I''d imagine there''s a reason for that."


    "But¡­ how?" Mary asked. "I heard stories about what he could do. Nothing hurt him. How could you survive a monster like that?"


    "Generally, the best strategy I''ve found thus far is killing my opponent before they kill me," Alex said. "But I''m still ironing out the kinks."


    Mary levied a stare at him. Claire heaved a long sigh. It didn''t seem like she''d been paying too much attention to the conversation ever since Isaiah and the others had left. Given how excited she''d been to actually be able to do¡­ well, whatever it was Court involved ¡ª Alex still hadn''t figured out if the whole speech & debate aspects were separate from the stabbing bits or not.


    Honestly, I''m kind of bummed as well. I wanted to see what she was going to do. Then again, I feel like it almost would have been too easy against them. Nobody in Isaiah''s group could have been that strong given the leaderboard rankings. Any sort of fight against them is basically just a waste of energy.


    "If this is all dealt with, I think I''m going to head off and get some rest," Alex said. "I''ve been up for hours now, and the only thing I want to fight from now until the morning are some bedsheets."


    After I meditate, of course. I cannot wait to see what I got for the rest of my rewards ¡ª and to level up as well as cash in those extra skill Units I got. There''s a literal goodie bag in my soul with my name on it waiting for me.


    "Maybe that''s best," Ben said. He ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. "We owe you, Claire, Alex. The town would have been fucked if you hadn''t dealt with that monster. There''s no way we could have beat it, even if Isaiah''s group hadn''t bailed on us."


    "Makes you wonder what the fuck the System is trying to do," another survivor said under his breath, just loud enough for Alex to hear him. "There''s no way we were meant to win that fight, right? The System is just trying to murder us. This is unfair. It''s just a matter of time until we all get killed."


    Alex wasn''t so sure.


    He''d seen the people that had gotten summoned into the Nexus Point together with him. Every single one of the top leaderboarders was far higher in level than he was ¡ª more than high enough to have reasonably challenged the Crawling Tomb without too much difficulty.


    Alex wasn''t sure how large Subsector 735 was, but the System had referred to Earth as a whole before. That strongly implied that Subsector 735 was smaller than Earth. Possibly a country or a continent in size ¡ª he had no way to know.


    But either way, there are a ton of powerful people out there. It isn''t that the System is unfair. It''s that people here are too weak. Maybe that''s because they weren''t pushing hard enough. Maybe it''s because there just aren''t enough difficult monsters to grind against here ¡ª but the fact of the matter is, Towntown is lagging behind.


    "We''ll be off, then. Until tomorrow," Claire said, interrupting Alex''s thoughts as she raised a hand and grabbed him by the arm, dragging him away from the group and back toward town.


    The streets were a scene of destruction. Already-damaged buildings had been destroyed. Glass and broken wood littered the streets amidst large chunks of masonry. An eerie silence hung in the streets, devoid of both people and monsters.


    Alex and Claire slowed as they passed by the center of town. An enormous white meteor that had fallen from the sky ¡ª the one that Alex had mistaken for a star ¡ª rested directly in the middle of the town square in a large crater.


    Its surface was pockmarked and wisps of dim white magic twisted across its body like oil in water. A faint hum emitted from its surface, just high-pitched enough to grate on Alex''s ears. The System made no move to identify it.


    Hm. This definitely isn''t suspicious.


    "What do you think the chances are that this thing does something when you touch it?" Alex asked.


    "Probably pretty high. It''s shiny," Claire said. "But I''m not so sure messing with it is a great idea right now. I''ve got so many unrealized rewards from the Trial that I feel like doing anything before leveling up would just be asking to get killed."


    "Oh, I completely agree," Alex said. "I wonder if it''s got something to do with the next stage of Initialization."


    "What, you think it''ll blow up or something?" Claire asked as they started back off toward their apartment building.


    Alex sent a sidelong glance at her. "After all that shit to defend the town? That would be pretty damn annoying. I hope not. But¡­ that does bring up an interesting point."


    It was Claire''s turn to look at Alex. "I know what you''re going to say. Save it for the room."


    He inclined his head, and neither of them spoke again until they''d made it back to Room 221. The apartment had been shaken pretty badly by the 2nd Initialization, but it still seemed mostly structurally sound.


    "I don''t think it''s worth staying in Towntown," Claire said as soon as they''d closed the door behind them.


    "Can''t say I disagree," Alex admitted. "The main reason I stuck around this long in the first place was to get the rewards from the Initialization event. Thus far, the only other real benefit of being in Towntown are the dwindling supplies."


    And there are things I want to accomplish that won''t happen here. I''m going to find Teddy, if he''s still alive. He better be. I have to figure out why the hell he pushed me into the Mirrorlands.


    That isn''t even to mention the other leaderboard rankers. I have to keep pushing forward and getting stronger. Strong enough to beat them.


    After that¡­ I don''t know. What the fuck do you do when the world gets destroyed? Maybe find a place to carve out for myself somewhere. I''ll need a home at some point.


    "We''ll deal with it tomorrow," Alex said. "Given the direction this last Initialization went with the focus on towns, I wouldn''t be surprised if the third one is similarly related to them."


    "I suppose we''ll find out," Claire said. She sat down on the bed and stretched her arms over her head with a yawn. "You want to meditate first? You''re practically vibrating in place."


    Alex glanced down at himself. "Is it that obvious?"


    "Yes."


    He grinned and shamelessly sat down, crossing his legs beneath him. "Whoops. Well, if you''re offering, then I won''t refuse. Thanks. And we''ll get you a chance to practice Court some more sometime soon."


    Claire blinked in surprise. "Huh?"


    "You were put out about not getting a chance to do more earlier."


    "Oh," Claire said with a small laugh and a shake of her head. "Right. Thanks. I appreciate it. I do miss it a lot. Maybe my skills will be a little more useful when we get to a larger town. If you''re anything like Dhampirs, humans are herd animals. They gather instinctively. And where there are groups¡­ there are opportunities."


    Alex nodded. Then he sent his senses inward, sinking into meditation.


    There were rewards from the System ready for him, and he wasn''t going to keep them waiting any longer.

 Chapter 60 - 59: Rewards

    As soon as Alex found himself in his Mind Palace, he found a massive orb of mist swirling above his basin. It was easily the biggest cloud he''d ever formed, bearing nearly five times more energy than he had gathered the previous time. There was so much that Alex wasn''t even sure he could fit all of it into his basin in a single go.


    He climbed up the plain white stairwell and stopped at the top, bracing his hands against the rim of the huge bowl. The black gemstone on the back of the mantle before him glistened with internal light.


    Leaning forward, Alex reached out and touched the gem. Black slithered out from it and down the stone, forming into words upon the plain white mantle.


    [Trial: Cull the Meek] Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Objective Completed. Rewards Earned.


    Accept Rewards [1/1]?


    "Yes," Alex said.


    The lines vanished, and the air before him shimmered. Threads of golden light swirled together and traced through the air, forming into sentences.


    Title Fragment Acquired.


    Top Ranker: Granted to those who placed among the top 10 spots of a leaderboard in a Trial. Magnify the effect of any Title Fragments connected to this one.


    Alex studied the floating words for several seconds. This was the first time that one of his titles had actually come with a description of what it did. It certainly made things easier, and this Fragment was good ¡ª and straight forward.


    A straight improvement to another Title Fragment was a great reward. Considering the System had chosen the word ''magnify'' for its phrasing, Alex got the feeling any Title Fragment he combined with Top Ranker would be getting a rather significant improvement.


    Before he could dismiss the glowing words, Alex''s eyes caught on a different portion of the wording.


    The System had said any fragments. Plural. Of course, there was a chance that meant it would work with any singular fragment, but there was an equal chance it would let him put three or more different Title Fragments together.


    His head tilted to the side and he quickly tried to see if he could combine Top Ranker with Unbound Mirrorlander, one of his fully made Titles, but the desire went nowhere and the System ignored him.


    Alex shrugged to himself. That was fair enough. Titles weren''t Title Fragments, but it had been worth a shot. He could save Top Ranker until he collected a few more powerful Title Fragments and then see what he could do by combining them all together.


    Given how much of a benefit Unbound Mirrorlander had gotten him by advancing his Core Skill for free, Alex was more than just a bit eager to find out. He''d just have to be careful not to waste it on a Title Fragment that wasn''t particularly powerful. When it came to magnifying abilities, the quality of the original mattered a lot.


    The glowing words before him abruptly shifted.


    Soul Gem Acquired.


    Nightmare Aspect


    A tiny disk of golden light traced through the air. Alex''s hands shot out a moment before a fist-sized red gem dropped from the portal. He caught it, looking back just as the portal vanished and the System''s words faded.


    He looked at the crystal, his head tilting to the side. Other than its name, the System did nothing to identify it. It did look vaguely similar to the crystals embedded in the mantle above the basin, but not nearly close enough that he could confuse them for each other. The Soul Gem was larger by far.


    This is part of my rewards from the Trial, so it''s definitely important. I would have loved an actual description, though. What''s this thing do?


    Alex studied it for a few more seconds, but no answers emerged. With a small shrug, he carefully set it on the ground in front of him, taking care not to knock it into the basin. The gem wasn''t going anywhere. He could figure out what it did once his main tasks were accomplished.


    Alex raised his eyes to the huge ball of mist churning above his head. There was something far more pressing than Title Fragments. He could get some new abilities.


    He could finally advance Monster Medley.


    The eagerness in his stomach made his insides prickle. Alex hadn''t even cashed in all the energy he''d gathered from the fights leading up to and around the Trial. He didn''t even want to think about how much power that was.


    Alex sat down at the top of the stairs and focused himself, pushing the churning emotion away. He had to distill the power before he could work with it.


    And that was what he did.


    Drip by drip, brilliant blue power rained down from the sky and filled his basin. Alex was only vaguely aware of the process ¡ª his full attention was focused on harnessing the power and drawing it free from the misty cloud.


    Time slipped by.


    The misty cloud shrunk.


    The Basin filled.


    Alex realized he had a very slight problem.


    The basin was full ¡ª and almost a quarter of the power still remained floating in the air above him. Drawing any more would just send it spilling over the brims of the bowl and into the lake below.


    Something told Alex that would do nothing but waste the energy. He hesitated for several long seconds. He''d never left power undistilled before, but it wasn''t like he had much choice. His mind released its hold on the power.


    The mist twisted above him. It collapsed in on itself, all the floating particles shifting to create a smaller ball that more properly represented the amount of power remaining. A relieved breath slipped from Alex''s lips. It would wait until he was done with the power that currently filled his bowl.


    With this much energy¡­ I wonder how much I can push my Mind Palace.


    There was only one way to find out.


    Alex lowered his head and drank the glistening liquid.


    Icy power poured down his lips and flooded through his body. It prickled against his skull and cloaked him in a freezing blanket. A single ripple passed through the dark lake beneath him. It rolled out from the basin and traveled through the reaches of his Mind Palace.


    A rumble shook the lake. Dozens of tiny ripples emerged from the space at its edge. The water broke, rolling away from a large white column as it broke free of the darkness and lifted into the air. It continued to rise until it towered easily ten times taller than Alex.


    The pillar was a pure, plain white, without any decoration or adornment. That did nothing to take away from its grandiosity ¡ª but Alex didn''t wait to admire it. He wasn''t done yet. The amount of energy in the basin had been only marginally impacted.


    He continued to drink. A thin twister of magic liquid twisted up from the surface of the water as it drained, keeping its connection to his lips.


    More ripples passed through the water. A second pillar broke through the dark lake, lifting into the sky as rivers rolled off its surface.


    It was followed by a third. The three made a triangle around the entirety of Alex''s Mind Palace. They were perfectly distant from each other and identical in every single way. By the time the third had risen, Alex had drained over half of the energy in the bowl.


    He made no move to stop. The advances to his Mind Palace had been immensely useful, and Meiderly''s warning not to advance to Initiate before he upgraded his mind as much as he possibly could still rung in his head.


    With the amount of power I''ve got here and how much less energy it takes to level up than it does to grow my Mind Palace, the smartest thing I can do now is make sure the Mind Palace is maxed out in preparation for reaching the Initiate Stage.


    Alex pulled more power through himself. The ripples passing through the lake below grew stronger, transforming into small waves. They crashed against the base of the basin and the pillars.


    Far in the depths below the lake, white chains rattled like thunder.


    No more changes seemed to be happening. That didn''t stop Alex. He could still feel energy flowing, and that meant it had to be going somewhere.


    Seconds ticked by.


    Sweat trickled down Alex''s forehead as the strain from the energy bit at him from within. It was getting harder to continue drinking. The power in him was pressing against his insides and seeking escape.


    The fuller his Mind Palace grew, the more it resisted power ¡ª and the harder Alex pushed.


    He shoved power into it like he was packing a tiny suitcase for a month-long trip. A dull hum built in his ears and power prickled against his skin. The basin was less than a quarter full now.


    The power thrashed against him, driving into his stomach like a physical kick. Alex doubled over, but he still didn''t stop drinking. He yanked on the magic even harder. A loud crack split through the air. He didn''t have time to check what it was. There was still room. There was still a ways to grow.


    A second crack split the air. Alex''s jaw clenched of its own volition. His eyes throbbed and his head pounded with a freezing headache. Every single part of him longed to release the magic.


    His hands held the rim of the basin so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Tremors shook his arms and ran up his shoulders.


    He drank once more.


    A third crack echoed out.


    A hammer of invisible energy slammed into Alex''s chest. It launched him from the top of the basin. He hit the watery ground with a pained grunt, the breath completely driven from his lungs. The world rang all around him.


    For several seconds, Alex didn''t move. Then he let out a groan. He gathered himself and blinked heavily before pushing himself upright.


    For a moment, it looked like his extra efforts had done absolutely nothing. Then he caught sight of one of his pillars.


    There was a single, circular indent in its surface. Alex approached it, shaking off the last of the freezing cold and his confusion.


    The indent was perfectly smooth. There was no sign of the stone that had once been where there was now a fist-sized socket. Alex glanced over to the other pillars. They each bore the exact same impression.


    His gaze drifted over to the gem sitting on the top of the basin, then back to the pillars. He arched an eyebrow.


    One quick trip to the top of the basin ¡ª which was now empty ¡ª and back to the ground later, Alex lifted his Soul Gem up to compare it to the hole in the pillar.


    It was a near perfect match.


    "Not suspicious in the slightest."


    A faint pressure pushed up against Alex''s hands. He blinked, then tried to bring the gem a bit closer to the socket. He had no plans of actually sticking it in yet, but the pressure coming from the pillar grew even stronger when he brought the gem closer.


    It was like trying to touch the positive ends of two magnets together. Alex pushed a bit harder, but the gem ground to a halt nearly a foot away from the pillar. It stubbornly refused to move any closer, no matter how hard he shoved on it.


    Alex let out a grunt and let the gem lower. It seemed his Mind Palace had absolutely no plans of accepting the gem quite yet.


    At least I know what it''s for¡­ vaguely. I''m going to have to fish for information to figure out what this thing is for. At least it looks like this isn''t part of what I need to upgrade before I can advance to the Initiate Stage. It must be something I have to do after I get stronger.


    Alex walked back up to the edge of his basin, scanning the lake for any reflections within it. There was nothing. Its dark surface had returned to a perfect black. No more hazy apparitions hid beneath its surface.


    He climbed up to the top of the basin and sat down, then sank into meditation once more. Alex condensed the rest of the swirling mist into raindrops that fell into the basin, filling it just over a quarter of the way full with magical energy.


    Then his eyes opened once more. Alex looked down into the swirling water, taking a moment to make sure he hadn''t forgotten anything.


    Nothing came to mind. His Mind Palace was completely prepared. There was no reason to wait any longer.


    He drew in a deep breath, steadying himself, and then reached down.


    The water twisted up to meet his hand.


    Power slammed into him in a wave.


    Your Stage has advanced to Novice 8.


    Your Stage has advanced to Novice 9.


    Your Stage has advanced to Initiate 1.


    Your Mind Palace has evolved from Establishment to Illusory.


    You have unlocked [Riftwarped] Domain Qi.

 Chapter 61 - 60: Rewardmaxxing

    The System messages slammed into Alex one after the other, but his attention was completely fixed on the final one.


    You have unlocked [Riftwarped] Domain Qi.


    Riftwarped Domain Qi?


    That sounds fucking sick.


    But what the hell is it? When I was in the Nexus Point, one of the silhouettes mentioned Qi as well. He said I didn''t have it yet¡­ so this is what he meant. It gets unlocked when you reach Initiate Rank.


    Given the amount of stress that guy put on Domain Qi, It seems like I just got a huge power-up. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alex''s head tilted to the side as more pieces of a massive puzzle started to slowly slide into place.


    Even before the apocalypse had come, a true coincidence was rare. Things often tended to depend on each other in one way or another. That was especially when they happened at once.


    His Mind Palace was linked to his level. Meiderly''s warnings implied that advancing Stages would somehow cap or otherwise lock in the Mind Palace, which would be why it was important to completely fill it before progressing.


    That leaves me with two things.


    My new Soul Manifestation and this new Riftwarped Domain Qi energy. I''ll take a look at the former in a moment, but Domain Qi has to be related to either my Soul Manifestation, my Mind Palace, or possibly both.


    Probably both.


    Everything has to be connected somehow. The thing I need to figure out which threads lead where, and what I can do to optimize everything beyond the obvious ''just keep following Meiderly''s advice''.


    A new thought passed through his mind. He''d pushed his Mind Palace as hard as he could with magical energy, but was it possible there were other ways to make it stronger?


    The presence of the indents in the pillars implied that there were. Fortunately, they''d only shown up after he''d finished his Novice level Mind Palace ¡ª or as the System had referred to it, taken his Mind Palace from Establishment to Illusory.


    The name Establishment makes sense, but what does Illusory mean? Given what I know right now, it probably has something to do with the Riftwarped Domain Qi that I got right when I leveled up.


    His gaze flicked over to the letters of gold that floated in the air before him. He''d been ignoring them as he dug through his thoughts, but if he wanted to get any level of proper analysis done, he had to actually finish completing the level-up process.


    You have amassed 8 Units of soul energy.


    Please select an Auxiliary Skill to upgrade.


    The corner of his mouth twitched up in a smile. 8 Units. He could barely contain his excitement.


    As Alex watched, the blue gems on the mantle of Alex''s basin shimmered with light. Black letters traced across the white marble surface.


    [Requiem to the King] (Novice 1)


    [Monster Medley] (Novice 2)


    [Riftwalk] (Novice 4)


    Alex studied his options for a moment. Of his points, 3 were from leveling up to Initiate 1 and 5 had come from the Unstable Nexus Core Shard.


    He hadn''t forgotten the message he''d gotten when he''d used the item. Something called a Singularity Core ¡ª the same skill that had somehow caused him to get Requiem to the King as his first Auxiliary Skill ¡ª had "enriched" the very same skill.


    Enriching is definitely a good thing.


    He was definitely spending at least one of his skill points to upgrade that, which left him with 7 more to play with.


    He''d already decided that he would be upgrading Monster Medley as well. Since it was a Novice 2 skill, it would cost 2 Units to upgrade, so he''d be left with five points and an interesting situation. Both Monster Medley and Riftwalk would be Novice 4 and thus cost 4 Units to upgrade.


    I can get either of them. Then again, there''s a chance I''ll have to use a point to upgrade my Soul Manifestation or something. I should probably make sure it doesn''t need something like 5 Units or some crap like that before I go using them on something else, as I''m pretty sure upgrading my Core Skill is the most important thing I can do.


    Alex summoned his status sheet with a thought and scanned it until he found his Core Skill.


    [Spatial Mirrors] (Initiate 1) ¨C Spatial Mirrors contain the Evoker''s bonded creatures. They can only contain bonded creatures that originate from the Mirrorlands. The creatures stored within Spatial Mirrors can be summoned at will. Upon death, the creature''s energy will return to the Spatial Mirror until it recovers.


    Available Spatial Mirrors: 3


    Domain Energy [Illusory]: Riftwarped Qi


    Hell yes.


    A grin split Alex''s lips. He felt like a pampered child on Christmas morning. Advancing to Initiate had earned him his third Spatial Mirror. It looked like it was going to be time to return to the Mirrorlands soon. He was steadily advancing closer and closer to having an actual army to call his own.


    There was only a small change to his Core Ability. A single line at the end ¡ª but that one line carried quite a bit of information with it.


    I already suspected this, but this just about confirms it. Domains, the Qi, and my Core Ability are all heavily linked if not the same thing. The Mind Palace almost certainly has a huge amount of influence over them, which is why Meiderly put so much focus on it.


    I still don''t know which element directly changes which, or if it''s all a soup where each ingredients affects something else. I suppose that, for now, all I can do is start hunting for information while making sure I don''t advance before every single part of my Soul Palace is completely at its peak.


    "So at the Adept Stage, I should unlock my actual Domain," Alex mused. A vision of Berith destroying the enormous Riftwarped Monster flashed through his head. If that had been a Domain, then even getting a portion of those powers would be incredible. "I wonder just what it is that this Riftwarped Qi can do¡­ but I can''t get ahead of myself."


    He dismissed his status screen with a wave of his hand and turned his attention back to his skills. The System had decided to be kind and didn''t demand extra Units of energy to upgrade his Core Skill. He''d gotten access to Riftwarped Qi energy entirely for free. That let him save everything to upgrade his Auxiliaries.


    And, of those abilities, Alex was starting with Requiem to the King. He had to figure out what the Singularity Core meant by enriching a skill. The instant Alex''s mind was made up, his Mind Palace responded.


    Black lines flowed down his mantle, running from the blue gem that aligned with Requiem to the King. Three small boxes appeared beneath the gem.


    (1 Unit) Synchrony: Summoned monsters regenerate faster while you are meditating.


    (1 Unit) Encore: Intensify the pull of your soul, summoning every regenerating monster back to the plane you currently reside in for a brief period of time.


    (1 Unit) Support Song: Empower your voice with magical energy and rally your summoned monsters, empowering all of them for the duration of your song.


    What the fuck is up with Encore? Bring every single dead monster back to life? That''s bullshit!


    I want it. Getting enriched is absolutely a good thing.


    Alex paused for a moment ¡ª just to make sure he hadn''t missed something good on one of the other two abilities. Support Song could not have possibly been farther from what he was aiming for if it had tried to be. Alex had never dismissed an option faster in his life. The absolute last thing he wanted to be doing in the middle of a fight is singing to his monsters and deafening everyone in a five mile radius around him with his horrible pitch.


    Synchrony was definitely a useful skill. Getting his monsters back faster was always going to be convenient. But compared to Encore, the skill was just mediocre.


    Alex could still hardly even believe his eyes when he looked at Encore. It was the first upgrade that Requiem to the King got, and not particularly useful if he only had a single monster, but when he had two, three, or more¡­ the ability''s potential was immense, and it only grew even more with every single extra monster he got.


    A vision passed through Alex''s mind. His entire army, defeated after a grueling fight ¡ª only to be ripped back from the clutches of death and return to the battlefield once more. Even if it didn''t last long, that was a trump card like no other.


    Alex selected the option without a millisecond longer of hesitation. If this was what the Singularity Core, whatever it may have been, did when it enriched an ability, Alex only knew one thing for certain.


    He had to get more Unstable Nexus Core Shards.


    Blowing out a slow breath to try and contain his excitement, Alex turned his attention back to the golden letters in the air before him. There were still seven points he had left to distribute. This was almost too much.


    He wanted to get back to the real world and test his new abilities out so bad that he was tempted to do it on the spot, but he still had more points to use ¡ª and he knew just what he was going to use the next four of them on. The most important thing he could do to grow his own power was to grow the power of his monsters.


    He had so many Soul Flames waiting to be used that choosing any skill over one that would make them grow even stronger still would just be foolish.


    Alex selected Monster Medley.


    The marble mantle wiped itself clean. A glimmer of light shimmered within the centermost blue gem upon its surface. As Alex was growing used to, black lines raced out from the gem and slithered down to form into new boxes.


    (2 Units) Elemental Affinity: Permanently empower a monster with an elemental affinity drawn from a Soul Flame, changing its form and granting it attributes of that affinity. A monster can only have one elemental affinity.


    (2 Units) Fusion: Fuse yourself with one of your summoned monsters at a continuous cost of magical energy.


    (2 Units) Harmonious Evolution: Fuse two monsters to transform them into an entirely new one. The potential of the new monster scales with the potential of the combined ones. Complementary abilities will be magnified, while competing ones will be reduced.


    Alex scanned over the options, the excitement filling him like a bubbling stew and threatening to spill out in a delighted laugh. Another set of great options ¡ª two of which carried the potential to make his Mirrorlands monsters even more powerful than they already were.


    These are awesome. They all seem pretty damn good... so which one should I pick?

 Chapter 62 - 61: The Rewardmaxxer

    Seconds ticked by. Alex went over the skills several times, trying to make sure he didn''t miss anything from their descriptions. Two of the options were directly related to improving his monsters, while the third was more of an active ability that would be useful in a fight.


    Purely based off his goals for the ability, Alex dismissed Fusion on the spot. What he needed now wasn''t short term power boosts but something that would let Glint and his other monsters continue to scale.


    Fortunately, he was at no shortage for that. Both Elemental Affinity and Harmonious Evolution were very promising looking growth-based skills. Alex was predisposed toward Harmonious Evolution off the bat, but he didn''t let himself make a choice too quickly.


    Elemental Affinity seemed like the safer of the two options. It would give his monsters a direct boost in strength related to the element they got. Simple and straightforward. Fire burned things. Air cut things. Water¡­ watered things. He wasn''t really sure what water would do to a monster.


    Either way, it was direct. It wasn''t going to turn around and blow up in his face. He wasn''t so sure the other could be said for Harmonious Evolution.


    The third and final skill offered in the list promised a way to combine and evolve monsters, but it came at the risk of potentially making something that was completely useless if he combined the wrong monsters.


    Alex drummed his fingers against his leg as he thought over his options. But, in the end, it proved to be a largely pointless exercise. He blew out a short breath and shook his head. His decision had already been made some time ago.


    I''ve never been one not to take a bet, and Harmonious Evolution might as well be calling my name. It''s not even an actual gamble. I just need to make sure I''m intentional with the monsters I combine. As long as I am, I shouldn''t end up with a result that''s just objectively worse than the two original ones.


    "I choose Harmonious Evolution," Alex said with a grin.


    The surface of the mantle had already changed by the time he''d started to speak. At the very instant his mind had been completely made up, black lines pulled back and retreated into the blue gemstone. The marble fell inert in wait for another command.


    A shiver ran down Alex''s back as he felt the magic settle within himself. His heart thumped in his chest like a racing horse. He was pretty sure the amount of adrenaline and excitement he''d gone through in the past few days was enough to kill a small animal.


    He swallowed and shook his arms out. He still had 5 Units left, which meant he had at least one more ability he could upgrade. Alex took a quick glance at his entire status screen.


    Alex Vaya [Human]


    Class: Evoker [Mirrorlands]


    Stage: Initiate 1


    Title Fragments:


    [Top Ranker]


    [Lone]


    Active Titles:


    [Unbound Mirrorlander]


    [Unmaker]


    [Anomaly]


    [3/5] Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Inactive Titles:


    Soul Manifestation:


    [Spatial Mirrors] (Initiate 1)


    Auxiliary Skills:


    [Requiem to the King] (Novice 2)


    [Monster Medley] (Novice 4)


    [Riftwalk] (Novice 4)


    Riftwalk and Monster Medley were both at Novice 4, so they would need 4 points. He could also upgrade Requiem to the King a third time¡ª or he could choose not to use the points at all and save them for later.


    A frown crawled across his face. Alex drummed his fingers on the smooth white marble that made up the rim of the huge basin in the center of his soul. His eyes flicked around the dark lake that surrounded him, running over the pillars and staring into what seemed to be the infinite shadow beyond.


    "I can''t stand around here forever," Alex muttered to himself. "I want to see what I can do after all these power boosts. I need to make decisions, so I''ll start by removing options. I can forget holding off on using the points. Sure, that would increase the challenge with weaker monsters¡­ but at this point, why wouldn''t I just seek out stronger monsters instead? I don''t have to restrict myself anymore. My hunting grounds aren''t the real world. They''re the Mirrorlands, and pretty much everything there is stupidly powerful. Why would I screw myself out of a good fight?"


    That was decided, then. He''d use the points.


    The only question remaining was where he''d use them.


    Unfortunately, that was a bit harder to answer. Riftwalk promised utility and the ability to fight while his monsters still lived. Monster Medley let him make his monsters stronger, and Requiem let him use them more.


    If it had been a decision in a vacuum, Alex feared he might have been sitting around and debating for the next ten minutes. But there was one small thing that his mind latched onto. Perhaps it was only a way to give himself a way to actually take a step forward, but his thoughts caught back on the most mysterious reward he''d gotten upon reaching the Initiate Stage.


    Riftwarped Domain Qi.


    He still didn''t know what it did, but it did have Rift in the name.


    Of course, that wasn''t really the best basis for making decisions. Alex didn''t particularly care. It wasn''t like he was going to lose access to a skill by picking a different one first. It was just the next thing he got access to.


    Considering he''d already leveled his other two abilities, it felt like a fairly safe bet. Thus far, every one of his abilities had been pretty powerful, and it would be nice to make sure he could still fight while his monsters were alive. Having them kill themselves constantly was honestly just a bit rude.


    With that all in mind, Alex selected Riftwalk.


    (4 Units) Mirror Image: Warp the space around you with rift energy, causing images of yourself to appear. The images will copy your motions perfectly unless otherwise directed. The number of images scale with the amount of magical energy spent. Images will disappear when they are hit by any form of attack.


    (4 Units) Spatial Screech: Use rift energy to rip a small partial portal into the air, releasing a loud, ear-splitting noise that will disorientate anyone in a nearby vicinity.


    (4 Units) Rift Break: Gather rift energy in the air before you and release it in a concussive blast. A portion of any magical energy caught in the zone of Rift Break will be consumed, causing the blast''s radius to increase. The size of the detonation scales with the amount of magical energy spent and consumes energy the larger it grows.


    You''re kidding me. How busted is Riftwalk? I mean, all of my skills kind of seem completely unbalanced, but these are some really good options.


    Alex read over everything for a minute. He had an interesting dilemma this time around. All three of the abilities were quite promising, and he wasn''t certain any of them was objectively better than the others.


    Rift Break definitely seemed strong, but there was nothing in the skill that said anything about stopping it. If it consumed magical energy that was caught within its radius, it could easily hit Alex as well as his target ¡ª and it could end up completely draining him in the process of going off if it grew enough. It could end up consuming all his power and leaving him with nothing. The ability sounded cool, but it could end up being a trap.


    My real power is my monsters. This is going in the wrong direction. It doesn''t help them. If anything, it might end up killing them.


    Spatial Screech was something between utility and offense. It looked like it would be most useful for catching enemies off guard, but it said nothing about preventing himself or his allies from getting their own eardrums destroyed. That could be handled with earplugs, but he couldn''t exactly give his monsters earplugs.


    And finally, Mirror Image was another utility skill, but it gave him a ton of extra survivability. Even if the images vanished after getting hit, they would buy him precious seconds in a fight. Being able to control them also came with a lot of potential uses.


    Mirror Image seems like it would be able to synergize with any other abilities I have. I can conceal where attacks are coming from and keep myself alive for longer while my monsters still alive. It''s just too versatile to pass over, and it''ll be useful long in the future while I can definitely get other offense skills at some point.


    Alex made his final decision of the day and chose Mirror Image. The surface of the basin''s mantle adjusted to his choice, then faded away. Blowing out a long breath, Alex rocked back on his heels.


    He still had 1 unit left over, which would have to wait until he next meditated and got some extra power to work with.


    Alex nodded to himself, satisfied with how things had played out.


    He couldn''t wait any longer.


    It was time to go back to the real world, where Claire was waiting. Alex needed her to get started with her meditation as soon as possible. Because, when she was done, they were going straight back to the Mirrorlands.


    Alex let himself slip out of his Mind Palace. His eyes re-opened in Room 221 and he blinked awake.


    Claire sat on the other end of the bed, her eyelids half-shut, but still awake and watching the door. Her sword''s tip bit into the ground and she leaned on its hilt for support. Her eyes flicked to Alex as he moved.


    "Done? Did it go well?"


    "More than," Alex replied with a shit-eating grin. A quick glance out the window showed that it was still deep in the night. The unnaturally bright light from the previous day had faded, and the enormous stars had shrunk down to a slightly larger than normal size. "Sorry for taking so long. I''ll take over watch while you meditate."


    Claire was too tired to respond. She just gave him a curt nod and let her eyes drift shut. Alex watched her for a moment, then reached down to the deck at his side. He pulled three cards from within it.


    One was empty, but the other two had monsters waiting patiently within them.


    He might have finished his own advancements, but now it was Glint and Spark''s turn.


    I can''t wait to see just how strong this will make them.

 Chapter 63 - 62: Qi

    While Claire meditated, Alex took a look over one of his Spatial Mirrors to examine the Soul Flames stored within it.


    Spatial Mirror


    Stored Energy:


    High-Mid Grade Novice (Floraking) - 1


    Low Grade Initiate (Riftwarped Crawler) - 1


    Low-Mid Grade Initiate (Riftwarped Granite Soldier) - 1


    High Grade Novice (Corpse Burrower) - 1


    Low Grade Novice (Corpse Poker) - 1


    Mid-Grade Novice (Boneraptor) - 1


    Reward Soul (Conglomerate) - 1


    Bonded Creature: Shardwalker (Novice 7)


    There were quite a few Soul Flames, but Alex''s attention was mostly focused on the final two. The first, from the Boneraptor, was still an oddity. He had absolutely no idea as to why he''d gotten the soul when the Trial had sucked up every other one and mashed them together into a Reward Soul.


    Unfortunately, just like the last time he''d wondered about it, he didn''t have the faintest idea as to why it had happened. The only thing he could do for the time being was remember the coincidence and try to see if he could replicate it in the future.


    The Reward Soul, at least, was a much easier mystery. Alex didn''t know how strong it would be, but it had the stored up energy of many monsters. Even if they hadn''t been particularly powerful, there had been hundreds of them, not to mention the Crawling Tomb.


    I could split these between Glint and Spark¡­ but I kind of just want to push one of them to be as powerful as I possibly can, just to see how far they can get. And, if I''m doing that¡­


    "Glint, come out," Alex said, his quiet words bouncing through the dark room before fading away.


    His attempts to avoid making too much noise were unfortunately completely wasted by the sound of shattering glass as Glint stepped out through a portal and onto the wood before him.


    The Shardwalker was as intimidating as always. He stood a little taller than Alex sat, covered in glistening rows of mirrored blades. His long, gaunt arms hung low to the ground, the curved claws on his gray fingertips just barely missing the floor. The claws emerging from his feet weren''t as merciful. They dug into the planks and cut clean through them.


    Alex winced.


    I''m glad I didn''t give them a security deposit.


    "You hungry, buddy?" Alex asked. Glint stared at him, two empty yellow moons waiting for a command. Alex lifted the Spatial Mirror. He wiggled it like a box of treats. "I have some Flames for you."


    Still, Glint stared.


    Alex repressed a sigh.


    I don''t know if I should be happy or sad that he''s completely unresponsive. On one hand, it helps me not feel bad about killing him. On the other¡­ come on. At least laugh at my shitty jokes.


    "Here," Alex said, fishing the Floraking''s Soul Flame from his Spatial Mirror. It crackled in his hand, energy fizzling as the green orb buzzed against his skin. Alex lobbed it into the air.


    Glint moved like a striking snake. His glistening, fang-filled mouth slammed shut on the Soul Flame, swallowing it whole. Then he looked back to Alex, who had already fished the next Flame out of the mirror. He passed over the Riftwarped Soul Flames, saving those as well as the Reward Soul for last, and started to feed the others to Glint.


    The Shardwalker''s body changed with every flame he ate. The shifts were gradual, but grew faster with each successive bite. Moonlight lit within the mirrors covering him.


    Glass shifted. Shards adjusted their positions to align with each other in rows of razor-sharp spines, pressing free of his skin like the quills of a porcupine. His fangs sharpened and straightened even further, and the light burning behind his eyes grew deeper still.


    The Spatial Mirror in Alex''s hand warmed. He pulled his gaze away from Glint and glanced down at it.


    Spatial Mirror


    Stored Energy:


    Low Grade Initiate (Riftwarped Crawler) - 1


    Low-Mid Grade Initiate (Riftwarped Granite Soldier) - 1 S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mid-Grade Novice (Boneraptor) - 1


    Reward Soul (Conglomerate) - 1


    Bonded Creature: Shardwalker (Novice 9)


    Your Bonded Creature has reached the threshold to advance to Initiate 1. Would you like to evolve this Shardwalker? [Y/N]


    Alex blinked. There was no System message asking about the evolution ¡ª which meant he didn''t actually have to respond immediately. His head tilted to the side.


    Huh. That''s interesting. He''s reached a threshold amount of energy¡­ but that''s not the same thing as saying he''s capped out, is he?


    What are the chances that my monsters work similarly to my Mind Palace? If that''s the case¡­ advancing Glint now would basically be like screwing him out of all the potential strength he could have had if I''m patient.


    But if I''m wrong, I would just be wasting energy.


    Alex pursed his lips. He still had a single normal Soul Flame left in addition to the ones he''d been saving. He could try that one out at the very least. If it proved to be worthless, the loss would be relatively minimal.


    He pressed his hand into the Soul Mirror and drew the flame free, feeding it to Glint. The monster devoured the energy without a word. Then he went still. Alex watched his Shardwalker for several seconds, but nothing happened. The Spatial Mirror hadn''t changed either.


    Well, shit.


    "Did that make you stronger?" Alex asked Glint.


    The monster did not respond.


    Alex chewed on the insides of his cheeks. That was slightly less than ideal. He had absolutely no idea if it had done anything.


    That meant he only had two options. Either he could risk spending some of the stronger Soul Flames in hopes of seeing a change, or he could let Glint evolve now. As much as he liked bets, even if Glint did have the potential to grow more at this level, had absolutely no idea how much more energy the Shardwalker would need.


    There was a very real chance it would end up consuming the rest of his Soul Flames, and he could still have absolutely no idea if it had worked or not.


    Alex blew out a short breath.


    He''d gotten a lot today.


    A Title Fragment.


    The Riftwarped Domain Qi ¡ª even though he hadn''t had a chance to figure out what it did yet.


    Three skill upgrades.


    An upgrade to Glint.


    Alex could afford to be a bit greedy. He''d already gotten such a huge boost in strength from his meditation that he could take some extra risks.


    Alex plunged his hand into the Soul Mirror and drew out the Riftwarped Crawler''s Soul Flame. He studied it for a second, then tossed it to Glint.


    The Sharwalker''s mouth yawned open. It slammed down on the energy. Then it was gone, and Glint stood before Alex in wait once more.


    That was it.


    There was no change. No update to his mirror.


    Nothing.


    Alex grimaced. Then he reached into his mirror once more. He drew free the Granite Soldier''s Soul Flame. It was the strongest normal Soul Flame he''d managed to get thus far at Low-Mid Initiate Grade.


    He tossed it into the air like a scrap of trash.


    Glint bit down, and it was no more.


    Two yellow eyes bore into Alex. He suppressed a groan. Once more, nothing had changed. The only difference was that his Spatial Mirror only listed a single remaining Soul Flame. The Reward Soul.


    Alex pulled it free.


    This time, he hesitated longer. He wasn''t about to sacrifice a random Soul Flame. This was the culmination of hundreds of kills. The reward from a Trial. Minutes slipped by.


    Alex''s eyes narrowed. There would be other Trials.


    He tossed the flame.


    Glint ate it in a single bite. Alex watched the energy vanish down the Shardwalker''s gullet.


    A second ticked by.


    Alex''s eye twitched. He was about a second away from driving his head through a wall and letting out a groan of frustration when something flickered in Glint''s gaze.


    The dull yellow light that filled his eye sockets changed. It grew brighter, shifting from yellow to a dull silver, like the shimmer of the moon on a cloudless night. His heart skipped a beat.


    Out of the corner of Alex''s eye, he caught something written upon his Spatial Mirror shift. He jerked his gaze down to look at it. The final line had changed.


    Your Bonded Creature is 75% above the threshold to advance to Initiate 1. Would you like to evolve this Shardwalker? [Y/N]


    A delighted grin split Alex''s face. It was followed by a sigh of relief. He leaned against the wall and rubbed the bridge of his nose, dismissing the mirror with a thought. It transformed into a stream of silver energy and returned to the deck at his side.


    It''s not like I made that huge of a leap. It would be weird if monsters and humans were that different. It makes sense that you can advance before you''ve completely stuffed yourself full of magic, but that was still nerve wracking.


    But¡­ how much energy does Glint need to be completely full? Good god. He ate so many souls. I''m not too far from reaching 100% over capacity now, but what an immense amount of energy. That''s terrifying.


    Alex looked over to Claire. She still sat cross-legged on the bed, focused on her meditation. It would be at least a few hours before they could head out and test out their new abilities ¡ª and as tempting as it was, Alex wasn''t about to leave her unprotected because he was impatient.


    He dismissed Glint with a wave of his hand. The Shardwalker transformed into a stream of energy and flitted into his deck like a silvery snake, leaving Alex and Claire alone in the room once more.


    He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. He''d been doing a lot of that recently, but it was difficult to keep the excitement bubbling in his chest contained. There were just so many things he wanted to do.


    Fortunately, he didn''t have to wait to get started. Not everything needed a monster to test on.


    It''s time to figure out just what this Riftwarped Domain Qi is. I haven''t the faintest idea about it, but if it''s part of my Core Ability, it''s in me somewhere. I''ll spend the rest of the time until Claire wakes up seeing if I can hunt it down.


    Alex crossed his legs beneath him and sat down on the ground. He braced his back against the wall and placed his palms upon his knees. Then he sent his mind inward, searching for the power he had released within himself.


    Time ticked by.


    Alex wasn''t in meditation ¡ª he was still aware of the room around him ¡ª but his attention was digging his mind in search of new power. It was there, somewhere.


    Waiting for him to find it.


    And, deep within himself, his mind ran into something new. His thoughts brushed against something that responded with what felt like a jolt of electricity. Deep within his stomach, just behind his navel, was a burning droplet of power.


    It wasn''t magical energy. The power within it felt completely different. Electric and alive, rather than freezing cold.


    No, this was something else.


    It was Qi, and it responded to his call.

 Chapter 64 - 63: Qimaxxing

    Warm energy tingled within Alex''s chest. It crept through his body like a slow moving storm, forks of heat working their way through his limbs. He held his hand up to his face in awe.


    Arcs of purple lightning ran through his veins and lit his hand from within, almost as if he were holding a tinted flashlight up to the other side. He flexed his fingers, then held his hand out and tried to push the magic free.


    It remained exactly where it was. Alex''s brow furrowed and he tried to concentrate harder, but nothing changed. The energy felt like it was trapped within his body. He carefully climbed back to his feet and shifted his weight from foot to foot to see if the Qi had caused any physical changes.


    He could feel his body even more responsive than it had been before he''d sat down to meditate ¡ª but that was because he''d upgraded his Mind Palace. It didn''t have anything to do with the Riftwarped Qi as far as he knew.


    For that matter, is it even safe to have something called Riftwarped Qi inside myself?


    He didn''t feel any worse for the wear. The magic was just¡­ there. Sitting inside him. Waiting for something. Alex chewed his lower lip as he thought. He lifted his hand back to his face. It was lit, both by the energy within and by the light starting to spill in through the window.


    The sun had started to rise over the horizon, banishing the night and heralding the day.


    Seconds ticked by. Alex squinted at his hand, trying to access the energy in every way he could imagine. His efforts were unsuccessful. The Qi started to pull away and drain back toward his core.


    He fought to keep a hold of the power. It was like trying to scoop water with open hands. It slithered between his mental fingers and returned to its resting place, stubbornly refusing any attempts to re-collect it.


    How do I use this stuff? It''s got to need some sort of outlet, but it doesn''t look like I can just shove it out as it is. Maybe I have to do something else at the same time?


    It wasn''t like he had many other options to test. If the Qi couldn''t be used directly, then perhaps it was a way to empower his other skills. Something like an alternate energy source or an extra pool of power to draw from.


    "Glint," Alex whispered, though there was little point to it. The silence in the room wasn''t going to last long. "Come out."


    Glass shattered. Twinkling shards of reality rained down as mirrored claws raked through space, ripping it apart and forming a portal.


    Something lurched in Alex''s stomach. His core tightened as if he''d just been punched and he drew in a sharp breath. Power raced out of him in a river. Every droplet of Qi that he still had a hold of evaporated like a puddle in the desert.


    A loud, buzzing crackle filled the air. The edges of Glint''s shimmering portal crackled purple ¡ª not all too dissimilar from the ones that connected Earth and the Mirrorlands. The hair on Alex''s neck stood on end and he tasted iron in his mouth.


    A mirror-clawed foot hit the ground, slicing deep into the wooden planks beneath it. Stormy purple energy hummed within the shards of glass, lighting them up like precious gems. The rest of Glint''s body followed after the foot.


    Every single mirror that jutted from his body churned with energy. Crackles of purple magic arced across his skin and popped between his fingers. It raced across his teeth and vanished deep within his gullet. Glint raised his eyes to Alex.


    The Shardwalker''s eyes were silver no longer. They were two vortexes of swirling purple and black, twisting inward in an infinite spiral. The fragments of reality littering the ground at Glint''s faded away as the portal sealed shut behind him once more.


    Alex stared at Glint in surprise. His monster''s actual proportions were normal, but the energy filling his body made it evident that he was anything but. Glint''s fingers twitched at his sides in sharp, jerky movements.


    Slow-moving arcs of energy wormed up from Glint, crawling through the air as they sought purchase on any other surface. The floorboards buzzed as the energy burned them and the air was filled with a thick, earthy scent that would have been comforting if not for an acrid undertone.


    Pieces of Glint''s body shifted in and out of reality like they couldn''t decide which plane they resided in. His very position on the ground vibrated like a plucked guitar string.


    "Whoa," Alex breathed in awe. He extended a hand toward Glint, then thought better of it at the last second. He didn''t know what would happen if his finger touched a part of the monster as it was phased out when it was coming back into being ¡ª and he didn''t want to find out.


    "What is the Qi doing to you, Glint?" Alex took a step to the side to get a better look at his twitching monster.


    It¡­ kind of just looks like I just had him snort a bunch of magic cocaine. There are definitely some ethical concerns here. I hope OSHA didn''t survive the end of the world.


    "Can you control the whole¡­ flickering thing?" Alex asked, squinting at Glint. It almost seemed as if his Shardwalker had one foot in the Mirrorlands and one foot on Earth. "Cement yourself fully in this plane if you are able to."


    Glint''s vortexed eyes bored into Alex''s skull. The energy around him let out an angry crackle and scorched into the ground around him, raking across it like claws. A pungent stench filled the room as charred wood blackened.


    The Shardwalker fully solidified.


    "Can you do the opposite?" Alex asked.


    Alex''s ears popped. Glint vanished, disappearing from sight and leaving nothing but a buzzing, veiny outline of electric purple energy where he''d been standing a moment ago.


    So imbuing Glint with the Riftwarped Qi makes him slide in and out of this plane. Kind of like that ability I got offered a while ago, but for him instead of me. That''s interesting. I wonder what it does to my other abilities. I''ll have to find ¡ª


    Claire yawned.


    "I did¡ª"


    Glint snapped back into existence.


    Claire launched herself nearly a foot into the air with a string of surprised curses. She nearly tripped over her own feet as she landed and gaped at the Shardwalker. "What the bleeding hell happened to Glint?" Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I imbued him with Qi," Alex replied. Parts of Glint started to buzz and flicker in and out of reality again, but he noted that the energy filling the mirror shards had started to recede. Where there had once been pure purple glass had become veiny and reflective. The Rift energy Alex had spent on his Shardwalker was running out.


    This could be incredibly useful¡­ but Qi has to do more than this. The silhouette back in the Nexus Point put way too much stress on the importance of Qi Energy for this to be it, and that''s not even to mention the fact it''s got something to do with my Domain.


    Meiderly said I''d unlock that at the third Soul Stage. I guess this is like an intermediatory.


    "Qi?" Claire''s head tilted to the side. "What''s that?"


    "Did you reach Initiate Stage?"


    "No. I''m Novice 9," Claire replied. She blew out a breath and held a hand up, flexing her fingers. "I think I could have reached Initiate if I hadn''t spent the vast majority of my energy on advancing my Mind Palace like you suggested. I don''t think I''ve quite made it yet."


    "How much do you have right now?"


    "My big ass marble bowl thing with the slab behind it, a stairwell leading up to it, and one and a half giant pillars."


    "You''ve got a bit more to go, then. I had 3 of the pillar things. Also, if you keep shoving energy into them, you get some holes in them as well."


    "Holes. Useful."


    Alex shrugged. "Seemed like the right thing to do. I also got a gemstone thing from the rewards of reaching the top of the leaderboard. Did you get one as well?"


    Claire shook her head. "Nothing like that. Just got a bunch of energy. Can''t complain. It got me three levels in addition to the Mind Palace advances, and I was able to use that energy to upgrade Dhampir''s Awakening. Now my wings will actually function like real wings as long as I get enough energy to work with."


    "Wait. You can fly?" Alex''s eyes widened.


    "More like glide. They''re not that strong yet," Claire admitted. "At least, I don''t think they are. Haven''t had a chance to test it yet. I also upgraded Energy Thief to let me drain a bit of Life Energy when I get a good bite on someone. It''ll help me accelerate my healing mid-fight. Should be useful, considering I nearly got squished last time."


    "Nearly?" Alex raised an eyebrow. "There was no nearly about it. You got sat on by a giant cat."


    Claire grimaced. "I can pretend, okay? But you never told me what Qi was. Is it something I get at Initiate?"


    "Yeah. I''m not fully sure what it is yet, but it definitely magnified Glint somehow. I think I need to see him in an actual fight to figure out what Qi really does," Alex admitted. He and Claire both looked back to Glint. The power had almost completely drained out of the Shardwalker by now. Alex could feel it welling in his chest once more, but it would be some time before enough of the power had regenerated for it to be back to the amount he''d initially had.


    "To the Mirrorlands, then. I want to test out just how much stronger I am now, especially after the upgrades to my Mind Palace. Have you had a chance to eat?"


    Alex blinked. He had not. As a matter of fact, he''d completely forgotten about food. He tried to remember when the last time he''d eaten was. It had been the pancakes at Dorriv''s joint, which had to have been around a day ago.


    I think I might be on a bit too much adrenaline.


    But now that Claire had brought it up, his stomach panged in protest.


    "No," Alex said. He reached for his back pocket, where the crumpled up water bottle waited to be used. "I should probably do that. We can get some water and food from Dorriv on the way."


    Claire nodded. The two of them left the room and set out to find Dorriv.


    Excitement welled in Alex''s stomach. The Mirrorlands were practically calling his name. After all the boons he''d just cashed in, it was about time to see just how much stronger he''d gotten.

 Chapter 65 - 64: The Everblooming

    A low, keening wail slipped from the craggy lips of the Magma Golem as a black line carved across the monster''s twenty-foot tall body. Cracks raced throughout its form and huge chunks of molten rock plummeted down, crashing to the floor of the huge cavern.


    The monster crumbled to pieces, its cry lost to the thunderous roar of falling stone in a cave. A wave of wind rolled out from it, bearing the scent of hot sulfur and old earth.


    Absolution watched the corpse in silence, lowering his scythe as energy trickled into him. His lips thinned and turned down. An Initiate 8 monster, felled with such ease that he''d barely even gotten the power to justify the time it had taken him to clear out the rest of the dungeon.


    He scanned the ground for any magical items, but he suspected that, had the Magma Golem possessed anything worthwhile, it would have already put it to use.


    The hole in the center of his chest throbbed. A strange sensation, since there was nothing there with which to feel pain, but a sensation, nonetheless. Absolution''s frown grew further.


    He''d already reached the peak of Initiate 9 well ahead of schedule. His Mind Palace was built prepared to advance, and he''d gotten all 3 Aspects imbued within it.


    Everything was going exactly how he had wanted it to. There should have been no cause for concern.


    But instead of satisfaction, his thoughts had been nothing but troubled as of late ¡ª and he could pinpoint the exact reason why.


    Once the 3rd Initialization is dealt with, I am going to hunt Stargazer and this native of his down. He has dwelled on my mind for too long.


    Absolution turned on his heel and strode out of the dungeon. There was too much to do. Too much to prepare. The 3rd Initialization would not be far off. New worlds always took a little time to stabilize under the implementation of the System. It depended on how large the other planets they''d been merged with were ¡ª and this location had been part of a 50 planet merger. A relatively small merger for a new planet, which meant stabilization would likely occur in a few day-night cycles at most.


    If there was truly a native in this subsector that could pose a threat to me, then they will have been one of the ten in the top leaderboard. Stargazer was among their ranks, but the rest are unknown to me. I had hoped he would reveal something about this native''s identity, but Stargazer didn''t react to a single thing the Overseer stated. He knows he''s being watched.


    It was of no matter. Absolution had already memorized the names of the other eight leaderboard rankers. He would deal with each of them in time. Subsector 735 was far too large to waste time hunting for rats right now.


    Absolution left the dungeon a short while later through a rippling green portal. His foot landed in a knee-high field of yellow grass awash in bright sunlight. Warmth beat down on his back and heated the air around him in a faint haze ¡ª and something at the base of his neck prickled in warning.


    His eyes narrowed.


    A young woman holding an enormous staff stood in the field about twenty feet away from him. Her purple robes stood out in stark contrast to the grass around them. A huge, floppy hat covered her face, leaving only its lower half visible. There was a small scar running along the side of her lips amidst a sea of freckles.


    "You are an Anomaly," the woman said. Her name was concealed by an item ¡ª one strong enough to keep even Absolution''s eyes from making it out.


    "As are you."


    The air around Absolution crackled. Particles of frost twisted together into a cloud. Razor sharp blades of frost shot free from it and carved down toward him.


    Absolution shifted. The world bent around him, a single step taking him all the way across the field and directly up to the woman.


    His foot landed on the ground.


    A faint thrum of magic pulsed in his ears, even as he started to swing his scythe.


    She set a magical tr¡ª


    The world vanished an explosion.


    Lava burst free from the ground like an erupting volcano, swallowing Absolution in an instant. Grass burst into flame as it came into contact with the flowing molten rock. The fire spread in instants, passing by the woman harmlessly as it caught on the dry grass and ripped across the field.


    The lava flowed around the woman, giving her a wide berth as it rapidly solidified into stone. She lowered her staff. The flowing lava hardened at a rapid speed. Within moments, all that remained was a solid block of lavarock where Absolution had been standing, locked in place like a frozen fountain.


    Her whitened knuckles loosened as she lowered the staff. She drew in a small breath, the remnants of a nervous tremor still gripping her body.


    The woman turned ¡ª and Absolution''s fist slammed into her cheek. Blood splattered from her lips and she let out a cry as her head snapped to the side.


    Coils of gray Qi twisted off Absolution''s body. It pulsed behind his eyes and seeped from between his lips like smoke.


    That almost got me. She''s fast.


    The woman''s staff lit with flowing reddish-brown Qi and she drove it into the ground with a cry. Dirt exploded in a geyser of flame. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Absolution folded the space behind him and shifted a dozen feet away.


    Three molten hands of lava, each the size of a small horse, clawed free of the ground. The woman thrust her staff forward. The hands burst into motion. Qi rolled off their surfaces as they shot out toward Absolution in a pincer formation.


    A shadow passed over him as the hands blocked the daylight out, crashing down like a wave of burning orange stone. His head tilted to the side.


    That''s a league above the last lava attack she used. Her Qi is powerful. Not too bad. Her Domain will be impressive. The heat coming from those things will melt me if they get close enough.


    Absolution drew on the Qi flowing through his own body and snapped his fingers. Gray lines carved through the air around him. They split open, forming dozens of small portals that melted together into a dome above him.


    The hands of lava struck the flat gray energy. If he hadn''t used his Qi, they would have shattered his magic and continued onward into him.


    Instead, their Qi clashed with a roar. The power coursing through the lava evaporated, a droplet of rain against the walls of a castle. Then the hands vanished, sucked through the portals surrounding him and swallowed without a trace.


    He folded the space between himself and the woman, closing the distance between them in a split second. Her eyes didn''t even have time to widen.


    Absolution''s knee drove up into her stomach with enough force to lift her into the air. His other hand slammed into her chest an instant later. The woman flew back and slammed through the stone formation, the air driven from her lungs. Rock crumbled down all around her.


    The staff on the ground twitched. Absolution tilted his head to the side as it leapt into the air and swiped at him, missing by mere centimeters. A roar of wind howled past him and gathered around the fallen woman.


    It detonated with a loud explosion, sending rock pelting out in every direction. Absolution lifted a hand, grabbing a stone before it could strike him in the skull. Others struck his shoulders and legs, but he paid them no mind.


    The woman staggered to her feet, wiping the blood from her cheek. Her staff flew back into her hand and she pointed it at Absolution. Her lips pulled back in a snarl. "How did you dodge?"


    "You know my fighting style," Absolution said, tilting his head to the side. "Someone sent you. That seems to be happening often as of late."


    The space between him and the woman vanished, even as her mouth opened to respond. She reacted with respectable speed. Her staff slammed down on the ground and stones detonated around her, rising up in a ring of jagged spikes.


    But Absolution didn''t take form at her side.


    He appeared above her.


    His leg whipped down and his heel connected with her nose with a loud crunch. She stumbled back with a cry of pain, tripping over her own spikes. They sank back into the ground an instant before the woman impaled herself on them.


    She rolled to the side as Absolution''s foot slammed into the ground where she''d been a moment before. Fire roared at the head of her staff as she pointed it toward him ¡ª


    Absolution shifted.


    A blanket of molten flame enveloped the space where he''d been standing. It was so intense that the air around the woman warped and shimmered with heat.


    He landed behind her. She twisted, but Absolution was faster. His leg snapped out and his heel connected with the fingers holding the staff, breaking them. The weapon spun from her grip. Before she could go for it again, Absolution''s hand darted out like a snake.


    It slammed into her neck, driving the breath from her lungs and slamming the woman into the dirt. Absolution lifted the woman into the air, grip tightening. She clawed at his hand, her legs kicking desperately, but her attempts didn''t so much as make him falter.


    "What family?" Absolution asked, his voice emotionless. "Or are you just an unlucky Anomaly?"


    "Everbloom," the woman wheezed.


    Absolution''s hand loosened.


    The woman crumped to the ground at his feet, gasping for air. She shoved herself to the side and her hand shot out. Her staff leapt across the ground, slapping into her palm. She staggered to her feet and pointed the staff at him.


    "That would be unwise," Absolution said. "The Everblooms are in dire straits. For her to send a representative here¡­ it seems you took a poor deal. It is a sad day when the Everblooms become nothing more than hired blades."


    The woman''s eyes widened. She wiped the blood from her face with the back of a hand and took a step back. "How did you¡ª"


    "Don''t give me so much credit," Absolution said. "It was not a difficult guess. Remove your concealing treasure."


    The woman''s lips thinned. She hesitated for a moment, then reached up to a thin silver choker that hung around her neck. The latch clicked and she dropped it to the ground at her feet. Golden words shimmered through the air over her head.


    Orchid - Elemental Mancer (Initiate 6)


    "Orchid," Absolution said. "Tell me, then. Who contracted your family to send you after me? I am disappointed I was judged unworthy of a more capable assassin."


    Orchid''s jaw clenched. She said nothing.


    Absolution quietly stepped over to where his scythe laid in the grass. He hooked a foot under it and kicked it into the air, grabbing it with a hand. His gaze drifted back to Orchid.


    "Is the secret so great that it is worth dying for?"


    "They will destroy my family. I have no choice. Everbloom''s future rests on my shoulders."


    "Then your silence will bury that future in this field," Absolution said.


    "What does it matter?" Orchid asked, her jaw clenching even tighter. "I cannot fail. I have no other options. This is the only way."


    "The other Outworlders are cut from this world for some time longer. Only after the 3rd Initialization will they be able to peer in, and it will take longer still for them to attempt to worm their way deeper. The only people present are you and I. There is no other here."


    Orchid hesitated.


    "You would let me leave, knowing I had tried to kill you?"


    "It is the nature of the weak to seek the death of the strong," Absolution said. "I cannot hold your inability against you. The only mistake you made was failing to kill me. Should you prove yourself useful, then I have no reason to end your life."


    The Mancer swallowed. Her weight shifted and her eyes darted around the field, but there was nowhere to run to. Nowhere to escape. And, when a scared animal was cornered with only a single way out¡­


    They took it.


    "It was the Starfallen family," Orchid said. "They granted me access to Planet 274-50 through their portal on the condition that I would hunt you."


    Absolution stiffened. "Did any of their members enter this Subsector?"


    "Not that I''m aware of. They promised me that it was just me."


    The corner of Absolution''s mouth twitched.


    Promised. As if the Starfallen would ever keep a promise.


    He still had time, but this was a surprising development. The Starfallen family¡­ it had been a long time since they''d made a move on a new world. And if they''d made a move, the other major families had as well. There were more players than he had expected. Something about this world had the attention of powerful players.


    And the more interest there was from Outworlders, the more the System counterbalanced it by increasing the potential of the world to give the natives a way to fight back against the resources the families could bring to bear.


    How fascinating. All the more reason I must ensure to harvest every resource this Subsector has to offer if I wish to save anything at all.


    "Tell me, Orchid. Did your Matriarch pass down her path to you?"


    Orchid''s features paled. "You know about it?"


    Absolution just watched Orchid in silence.


    She swallowed, then nodded.


    "Yes."


    "Very good," Absolution said. "Now tell me, what city have you taken up residence in?"


    "Valley Ford. It is large. I think the System will select it as a Hub City. It''s one of the largest locations in the Subsector."


    "How fortunate for you. You will do something for me. Keep an eye out for a native who has been to the Mirrorlands. And, if he appears, kill him."


    Orchid blinked. Questions played across her face, but none of them made it to her lips. She gave him a stiff nod. "I ¡ª very well."


    "The 3rd Initialization will be soon. Days at the most. I suggest you utilize that time wisely. I will not be so forgiving should you find yourself against me a second time. Choose your side well, Everbloom."


    His scythe flashed.


    Orchid''s lips were still parted mid-word when her body pitched forward, severed at the neck. Her head bounced off her back and landed in the tall grass amidst a growing pool of blood.


    Absolution turned and strode away, his mind already on other things. He would have to unlock his Domain as soon as possible.


    If the Starfallen family had set foot on Planet 274-50, then he had far more competition than he''d initially anticipated. With the 3rd Initialization, the Outworlder families would arrive in full force, and the System would ensure the natives had a way to defend their land. A way that Absolution would have to wrest from them.


    I must ensure I get a Town Token as quickly as possible. The greatest rewards are for those who take the most risk. Far too many times have I witnessed just how immensely useful controlling a portion of the world can be. The opportunities it provides are innumerable. There should be a token in one of the dungeons that appear after the Initialization completes, but even I do not know where their locations will be.


    The Starfallen family cannot be allowed to take another world. Anyone powerful in this Subsector must fall in line ¡ª or fall before me.

 Chapter 66 - 65: Terrifying

    Flowing blue grass stretched out before Alex as his feet fell on Mirrorlands soil once more. It was the same location the portal near Towntown had dropped him off last. He could see the warped city in the distance, the towering stack of street signs near its entrance rising into the twisting smoke far above like a landmark.


    Alex wisely stepped to the side as Claire emerged from the crackling purple portal behind him, stumbling before catching her balance. He held an arm out to her even as her eyes shot up, bloodshot.


    She latched onto it. Her fangs dug into his wrist and Alex repressed a grimace as Claire drank from his arm. He scanned the sky around them in search for any portals that would mark the arrival of a Riftwarped monster.


    Claire released his hand with a relieved sigh. "Thanks. I bloody hate portals. They wring me out like a wet towel."


    "I got to eat at Dorriv''s place, so I can''t complain about you getting a meal of your own." Alex said absently. He turned in a circle, frowning. "Do you see any portals forming?"


    Claire shook her head. "No. Huh. Maybe we managed to avoid notice this time around? Is it guaranteed that something finds us when we come in?"


    "I don''t think it''s guaranteed. Berith said that the monsters would be drawn by power when a portal opens, either mine or the power of the location. This spot is pretty normal, so maybe there wasn''t another Riftwarped Monster close to this location."


    "Huh. Well, guess that means we get to save some energy to fight later on," Claire said with a shrug. She started toward the warped city that loomed in the distance.


    As Alex turned to follow after her, a flicker of pink energy rolled across the grass. A dull, chittering buzz rang through the air. He and Claire both spun toward its source. An electric pink portal hummed in the air above them.


    Mandibles broke free of the portal, followed by a long, flowing insectoid body. Legs covered its length and swam in the air like oars as the monster emerged into the Mirrorlands. Purple energy arced and snapped around the monster as its eyes focused on Alex.


    Riftwarped Block-Eater Centipede (Initiate 1)


    The monster wasn''t anywhere near as large as the City-Eater Centipedes that patrolled the cities, but it was still easily three times as wide as a human and dozens of times longer. It coiled down toward Alex, chittering in hunger.


    "We spoke too soon!" Claire yelled, raising her sword before her and setting her stance.


    Alex reached into himself and called on his Qi. Warm energy rushed through his body, but before he could even try to summon Glint or Spark, another portal snapped open before the centipede.


    It slithered into the portal. Another disk of pink energy yawned open behind Claire. She flung herself to the side and hit the grass in a roll as the centipede burst free of the portal. Its mandibles ripped through the grass where she''d been, tearing a huge chunk of dirt free. The monster hissed in displeasure and turned courses toward Alex.


    "Glint!" Alex commanded, pushing his Qi into the command. "Come out!"


    The air before him shattered. Shards of glass rained down in a clattering rain as his Shardwalker emerged. The mirror shards jutting from his body hummed with rift energy. Pressure washed off Glint with enough force to press into Alex like a strong wind.


    Curiously enough, the effect where Glint had shifted in and out of existence had vanished. He seemed solidly grounded in reality. There was no time to wonder why yet.


    "Show me what you can do," Alex commanded. "Kill the Block-Eater Centipede. Normal rules for the fight."


    Glint lurched into motion. His claws flashed as he leapt for the Block-Eater.


    The centipede jerked to the side, slipping into another portal an instant before Glint could connect with it. Light illuminated Alex''s back as a portal snapped open behind him. He mirrored Claire and dove to the side.


    Mandibles snapped shut over his head with a loud crack. He hit the ground in a roll. By the time he rose again, Glint was upon the monster. His claws raked across the armor on its back with a loud shriek.


    The chitin rent like it was paper. Black blood spilled across the Shardwalker and the centipede screamed in agony. It thrashed violently, launching Glint from its body and pelting the Shardwalker into the ground.


    Alex was pretty sure that a blow of that strength normally would have killed Glint ¡ª but instead, the monster rolled back to his feet. Several of the mirrors on his back had shattered and impaled themselves in the ground, but he was still alive.


    Claire took advantage of the centipede''s distraction to bound across the ground and leap into the air, driving her katana into the wound Glint had made in the monster''s side. The sword bit deep.


    The centipede thrashed in agony. Claire''s eyes widened and she found herself with the same treatment as Glint. She lost her grip on the sword as the long monster bucked, launching her straight into the ground.


    There was a loud crack of breaking bone as she hit it. The breath left her lungs in a pained grunt. But, even as the centipede turned toward Claire, Glint leapt at it once again.


    A portal yawned open before the centipede and it slithered into it, slipping out of the way moments before Glint could connect with it. The Shardwalker landed on the ground and spun to look up into the air.


    The Block-Eater Centipede emerged from above a new portal far above them, but it made no move to descend. Dull pink energy gathered between its mandibles and formed into a shimmering orb.


    Alex activated Mirror Image.


    Purple energy crackled out from him like the branches of a tree blooming in real-time. It slammed into the ground and erupted with a brilliant flash. When the light faded, two perfect clones of Alex appeared beside to his side.


    "I don''t think that''s good," Claire said, pushing herself up to her feet. Black veins pulsed beneath her skin and she grimaced. "That thing is bloody strong, in case you were wondering."


    "Figured," Alex replied, and his voice came from all three of his bodies instead of just one. It almost looked like the centipede was charging a ¡ª


    The centipede''s jaws snapped shut. A beam of burning pink energy shot from its mouth with a loud crackle and carved straight toward one of his clones. The hair on Alex''s arms stood on end as his mirror image evaporated. The beam drove into the ground behind it, scorching it black with a loud hiss. Black smoke curled up from the patch of melted dirt and grass and an acrid smell filled the air.


    Purple magic gathered at the centipede''s jaws once more as it started to charge another attack.


    "Bleedin'' thing is cheating," Claire hissed. Black veins carved down her arms and pulsed beneath her skin. Two jet black wings burst from her back with a loud ripping sound, tearing straight through her shirt. She flapped them once, launching herself into the air toward the centipede.


    Its head snapped toward her, but it hadn''t finished charging up its magic yet. Claire slammed into the underside of the monster and drove her katana straight up into it. A scream ripped from the centipede as it thrashed. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A pink portal snapped open before the monster and it swam into it. Claire dropped away an instant before she fell in. Her wings snapped open, slowing her fall before she could splatter against the ground.


    Another portal ripped open to Claire''s left with a loud pop. She tucked her wings in and dropped, hitting the ground in a roll, as the centipede emerged where she''d been moments before with a chittering screech.


    She landed on the ground beside Alex and prepared to launch herself back into the air.


    Alex turned to give Glint a command, but it never left his lips. His eyes widened in surprise.


    Rift energy swirled around the Shardwalker like a miniature storm. The purple Qi that Alex had infused Glint with zipped within his mirrors as if seeking an escape, and his eyes glowed like two miniature spotlights.


    The Shardwalker swiped his claw through the air. A loud, rending screech tore out as his claws carved a furrow through reality. An identical rip formed in the air directly above the centipede. The monster twisted toward it, but not nearly fast enough.


    Glint flung himself through the unsteady portal. He slammed down on the centipede''s head from above. Glint drove his huge claws straight through the centipede''s eyes and into its brain. Chitin and flesh rent like paper and the centipede thrashed in agony.


    The final remnants of Riftwarped Qi within Glint drained out and his appearance returned to normal.


    An instant later, jagged shards of glass tore free from within the centipede''s body. They sprouted from beneath the chitin like a parasitic fungus, ripping the huge monster''s body to shreds within instants.


    The centipede plummeted from the air ¡ª and straight toward Alex and Claire. Alex''s eyes widened. He and Claire both sprinted out of the way, narrowly avoiding the back end of the huge monster as it slammed to the grass behind them with a resounding crash. The ground bucked beneath Alex''s feet and he stumbled, nearly losing his balance as he spun back toward it.


    Glint stood victorious upon the monster''s body, blackened blood dripping from his claws and the glistening fangs in his mouth parted in what could almost have been considered to be a smile.


    Then there was silence.


    What the hell was that? Glint can fucking teleport and control his mirror shards?


    That must have been the Riftwarped Qi. It used up the purple magic when he used both of those abilities.


    No wonder that other ranker was so concerned with it. This is a ridiculous boost to Glint''s power, and I bet it affects other spells the same way.


    I do wonder why he wasn''t flickering in and out like he was back on Earth, though. I''ll have to test that.


    Energy flowed into Alex ¡ª a respectable amount of it, but not as much as some of the other fights he''d been in. They were getting stronger. The centipede would have been a nearly impossible fight before, but this time around, Alex hadn''t even needed to call Spark in.


    A Soul Flame flickered to life above the dead Riftwarped Block-Eater.


    Low Grade Initiate (Riftwarped Block-Eater)


    "Alex?" Claire asked, wiping the sweat from her forehead as her wings sank back into her body.


    "Yeah?" His voice came from two locations, both himself and his remaining clone speaking up at once.


    "Glint is bleeding terrifying."


    "Yup." Alex scooped the Soul Flame off the ground.


    For an instant, he felt a connection form to the centipede. Then it snapped shut, sealing itself off from him. Something about the Riftwarped Soul Flames prevented him from bonding to them¡­ yet. Alex wasn''t bothered. He needed energy to level up Glint and Spark anyway. He was confident he''d eventually find a way to break through the barrier and bond a Riftwarped Monster if he ever met one he really wanted to summon.


    Alex stuffed the Soul Flame into a Spatial Mirror. His clone mirrored the motion. Alex glanced at it, then back over to Claire. "You ready to go find the next one? That barely made me break a sweat."


    "That''s because Glint did all the work." Claire snorted and walked over to the centipede and grabbed her sword, ripping it free of the monster''s stomach. She flicked the blood from its blade, then nodded. "More than, though. I have to catch up to you."


    "Great," Alex said, turning his gaze toward the warped city. "Because I''ve got some more abilities to test and a new monster to get my hands on."


    A grin crawled across Alex''s features as they set off, Glint falling in at their side.


    I wonder what kind of summon I''ll be able to get this time around.

 Chapter 67 - 66: Hunting for monsters

    Over the course of the next hour, Alex and Claire made their way into the city and started to work their way through the monsters that lurked within its warped streets. It was a constant balance of seeking challenge, staying out of sight of the City-Eater Centipedes that swam through the air far above, and making sure they didn''t accidentally stumble straight into the territory of something so big that it could kill them with a single glance.


    They took out a number of monsters that they''d seen before as well as a fair few new ones.


    Alex had Glint kill 3 Corpse Pokers, 4 Corpse Burrowers, and 2 woody, humanoid creatures called Root Fiends on his own. He considered bonding with one of the Root Fiends, which had been high Novice monsters, but was in no rush to choose one when he still had more chances to recruit something more interesting. The Root Fiends hadn''t been particularly impressive.


    Claire killed a similar number of monsters herself, including several new ones that they hadn''t seen before, but none of them caught his eye as particularly interesting. The monsters on the outskirts of town simply weren''t as much of a threat as they once had been.


    They didn''t interfere in each other''s fights to avoid lowering the challenge to such an insignificant level that they didn''t get a reward for it. That did mean Alex didn''t get any souls for the monsters that Claire defeated, as he hadn''t participated in the fight, but he wasn''t bothered by that.


    Thus far, aside from the Initiate level Riftwarped Block-Eater Centipede that had greeted them at the entrance of the Mirrorlands, none of the monsters they''d fought had been strong enough for him to truly want its soul.


    Just fighting a single monster in the mid-Initiate levels would be more than enough to make up for everything he''d given up and then some.


    The problem was finding that monster. They''d grown past the absolute bottom of the food chain that dwelled within the Mirrorlands. That was an achievement in and of itself, but it meant they had to push deeper into the city in search of more appropriate opponents.


    Alex and Claire drew to a stop under the shadow of an apartment building that floated far above. Chunks of the building had fallen away and frozen halfway to the ground, suspended almost like a garden path trailing through the sky.


    What had once been a restaurant sat beneath the apartment. Nearly half of it had been ripped to pieces by a bleached tree that grew out of its center. Alabaster roots jutted up from the ground with chunks of masonry impaled upon their tips. Agonized faces pressed against the rough bark from within, forever frozen in their attempts to escape. The roof of the restaurant hung about ten feet above the rest of the building. It was held in place by the gray-leafed branches of the tree that bore through it like worms.


    Alex and Claire ducked into the restaurant, taking care to avoid the strange tree, to get out of view of the street. It was cover ¡ª but only relative cover. Nowhere in the Mirrorlands was ever truly safe.


    "We''re pretty deep in, now," Claire whispered. "How long have we been walking? About an hour?"


    "Something like that," Alex whispered back. His gaze alternated between the tree behind them and the street. A crackle of energy overhead announced the presence of a City-Eater Centipede passing by. They both fell silent until the monster vanished into a portal once more.


    An eerie wind blew through the Mirrorlands. It howled as it passed through the holes in the destroyed buildings and rustled the leaves of the enormous trees that permeated the city. Even though this was far from Alex''s first time in the Mirrorlands, he wasn''t any less on edge than he had been before.


    Everything about the warped world screamed danger to his senses. It was uncanny in every way that it could have been, and primal human instincts struggled to convince his adrenaline-riddled brain to panic.


    Minutes ticked by.


    Alex summoned Spark and told the Echo Wraith to watch the white tree behind them so he could keep his focus on the street.


    The wind continued to howl, and the rustle of the leaves grew so loud that it resembled a rumbling thunderstorm. It was so intense that Alex almost didn''t hear the car-sized spider crawling across the face of a building across from them.


    The crunch of the spider''s pointed legs driving into the sheer wall of the building as it raced across its surface was muted by the wind, but that did nothing to stop Alex''s eyes from working. He drew in a surprised breath, but his attention wasn''t on the monster''s size, nor was it on its size.


    It was on its face.


    Where there should have been the head of an arachnid, there was instead the face of a young girl. It was grotesquely sized to match the rest of the monster''s body, but the proportions and appearance were unmistakable. Long blonde hair hung around her ¡ª its ¡ª face, whipping behind the spider in the wind.


    The illusion of humanity was broken by the monster''s eyes. They were empty and sunken, two shriveled empty sockets devoid of sight so that it could be spared the agony of witnessing its own vile form.


    Barrow Puppeteer (Initiate 3)


    "I hate it," Claire whispered.


    "Me too," Alex muttered back, not taking his eyes off the monster. The spider had frozen in the middle of the building.


    Even as the wind started to die down and the rustle of the leaves relented in its assault, the spider didn''t make so much as a noise. It remained frozen in place. The monster was waiting for something.


    "Alex?"


    "Yeah?"


    "Don''t bond that thing," Claire said. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Absolutely no plans of it," Alex replied with a grimace. There definitely would have been a certain intimidation factor that came with showing up to a fight with a monster like that, but this was one of those things that he suspected would be far better served as a snack to Glint or Spark.


    The Barrow Puppeteer looks like an ambush predator anyway. What I need right now is something with some real survivability. A frontline. Well, that or a ranged monster. Both would be great. I''ve already got Glint for pure damage output.


    Another minute ticked by. Alex was just about to suggest they attempt to attack the Barrow Puppeteer when the spider suddenly flung itself from the side of the building. It plummeted down, crashing onto the top of a building to the side of their hiding spot.


    There was a wet snik, followed by silence. Neither Alex nor Claire moved a muscle. They watched the rooftop in silence, waiting for the monster to re-emerge. Their patience was rewarded several long seconds later when the Barrow Puppeteer crawled back over the side of the building, descending to the ground with a limp, headless body made of wood clutched to its chest with two of its eight legs.


    All guises of humanity had vanished from the monster. Black blood coated its face, which had split apart down the center to reveal rows of sharp, yellowed fangs. The burrower''s face had split apart along its center line. Gummy, gray lips ran all the way back through the girl''s ears and disappeared behind her long hair. Loud crunching noises echoed from the monster and its entire body undulated as it chewed, crunching down on the remains of what seemed to be a Root Fiend''s head.


    "Effective," Claire whispered.


    Alex nodded in mute agreement. There hadn''t even been a fight. If this Root Fiend had been anything like the ones he''d fought earlier that day, it had been something around high-Novice tier.


    "I''m going to go for it," Alex said as the Burrower came to a stop in the shadow of a building and started to eat the rest of its meal. "This is the best time to attack. Maybe not the most challenge in killing a monster mid-meal, but I think it''ll put up a pretty damn good fight regardless. Also, I kind of just want that thing dead."


    "Tell me about it," Claire said. She readied her katana and gave Alex a nod. "I''ll back you up. I''m more worried about another one of those monsters dropping down on us out of nowhere than I am the one that''s eating."


    Alex nodded in agreement, then looked to Spark. "You''re lookout. Keep watch for any monsters in the area that might be drawn to the fight. Interfere and delay them for as long as possible if they spot us."


    The Echo Wraith made no indication to show it had understood Alex''s command, but he knew that it had.


    Alex and Claire started forth with Glint at their side. They crept along the edge of the nearest building, avoiding any open areas, and made their way toward the bulbous abdomen of the Barrow Puppeteer. Loud crunches continued to echo out from the monster''s jaws as it ate, blissfully unaware of their approach.


    They stopped about a building away from their target. Alex glanced down at Glint.


    I wonder¡­ can I use my Qi to empower Glint after he''s already been summoned?


    Now seemed like a pretty good time to find out. It wasn''t exactly quiet, but he highly doubted they''d be able to actually creep up the entire way to the monster. It would hear them coming long before then. If they were going to get noticed, it was better that it happened while they were at full strength.


    "Get ready," Alex whispered.


    Claire''s grip on her katana tightened and black veins carved down her arm, flowing into her wrist. She lowered her stance and gave him a curt nod.


    Alex extended a hand and carefully placed it on Glint''s clammy gray shoulder between two razor sharp shards of glass. He drew on the warm energy stored within himself and pushed it free, driving it out through his finger and into the monster.


    Arcs of purple Qi crackled within the mirror shards covering Glint''s body. They forked out, expanding within the confines of the shards, until they''d filled every piece completely. The Shardwalker''s eyes shifted from yellow to purple and power gathered around him, buzzing into the air and hissing as it burned into the ground at his clawed feet.


    "Go," Alex hissed.


    Glint''s claws carved through the air, rending it with the sound of shattering glass. Matching fault lines, full of buzzing purple energy, appeared in the air above the Barrow Puppeteer.


    And then three things happened in such rapid succession that they may as well all have been at once.


    The Barrow Puppeteer''s head jerked up with a hiss and it spun in their direction, legs clicking as they struck the paved ground.


    Glint launched himself through the portal and slammed down on top of the grotesque spider to rip it to shreds.


    The wall of the building to their side exploded. A burly, eight-foot tall humanoid mass of coagulated black sludge lurched out bearing a featureless bone-white mask with two empty eyes and a flat slit for a mouth where its face should have been ¡ª and it headed straight toward Alex and Claire.


    Blacktongue Dredge (Initiate 6)

 Chapter 68 - 67: Revenant

    Spark shot through the air and slammed into the Dredge before Alex or Claire could even twitch. A flash of electrical blue energy split the Mirrorlands and the Dredge let out a moan, lurching to the side. Its mask sunk into the thick sludge that made up its face for an instant before re-emerging as the monster swiped at Spark.


    The Echo Wraith was forced to float back to avoid the huge hand that hurtled through the air where it had been. The Dredge stumbled after Spark, swinging repeatedly in attempt to catch him.


    Meanwhile, loud screeches echoed out as Glint and the Barrow Puppeteer ripped at each other. Glint''s claws raked across the monster''s body while it twisted and screamed, trying to fling him free with its many legs.


    The Blacktongue Dredge abruptly shifted targets and spun away from Spark. It leapt, transforming into a river of sludge that arced through the air and crashed down toward Alex.


    Alex flung himself to the side, hitting the ground in a roll and springing to his feet. He used Mirror Image, summoning two copies of himself by his side with a flash of rift energy. Both the Blacktongue Dredge and the Barrow Puppeteer hissed in pain and surprise at the bright light ¡ª as did Claire, who let out a slew of curses.


    "Sorry!" Alex called.


    Claire didn''t reply. She launched herself at the Dredge and brought her sword sweeping down into its body. The blade sliced about a foot into the monster''s vicious body before grinding to a halt and going no further. She ripped the weapon out and leapt back as the monster reached for her, its fingers closing over air as she just barely managed to clear them.


    "Stabbing is not particularly effective," Claire warned Alex.


    A loud crash echoed through the street. Alex''s eyes flicked over to Glint and the Barrow Puppeteer. The two monsters had fought their way over to the side of the building, where the spider was repeatedly smashing itself against the wall in an attempt to dislodge the Shardwalker from its back. Glint had ripped the monster''s body to shreds, but it was surprisingly resilient.


    He couldn''t spend much attention watching his monster fight. The Dredge shifted its body mass into an arm, enlarging and extending it as the monster reached for Alex.


    Spark flitted through the air and brought his fists down on the Dredge''s hand with a resounding crack of magical energy. The arm tore free with a wet squelch. It splattered to the ground, losing cohesion and pooling in a thick pile.


    Claire''s katana flashed several times in rapid succession. The speed of her empowered attacks was terrifying. Alex could barely even follow the strikes as they carved across the monster''s flesh, each one sending sludge splattering to the ground. She then thrust her sword forward, straight into the Dredge''s chest.


    A keening moan slipped from the sickly monster and its body quavered. It grabbed for Claire with its remaining hand.


    Spark''s fists slammed down on top of its head. The monster splattered to the ground, its hand faltering before it could find its mark.


    A rush of energy entered Alex. It was a respectable amount, more than any of the other monsters he''d killed thus far in the Mirrorlands. That was good. They''d made a lot of noise with the unexpected addition to their fight. Now they just needed to help Glint finish off the Barrow Puppeteer and they could relocate before anything too powerful came to check out the scene of the fight.


    Alex turned toward Glint.


    Then he blinked in surprise.


    His Shardwalker stood above the body of the Barrow Puppeteer. The hideous monster was dead. It laid in a filleted heap upon a spreading pool of sickly liquid at Glint''s feet, its entire body ripped to shreds.


    The monster''s Soul Flame floated above its body, waiting for Alex to claim it.


    What? But if that''s the monster that died, then how ¡ª


    Alex''s eyes widened.


    "The Dredge isn''t dead!"


    He and Claire leapt back. The puddles of sludge flowed together, twisting together and rising back up to reform the Blacktongue Dredge''s body. It let out a moan and stumbled forward, reaching for Alex and Claire with each of its hands.


    Spark rained blows into the large monster''s body. Each strike flashed with blue energy and sent large portions of thick fluid arcing through the air, but they only slowed it. Alex dodged out of the way as a hand crashed down where he''d been, sending droplets of black fluid flying everywhere.


    "Glint! Kill this thing!"


    His Shardwalker burst into motion. Glint bounded across the ground and leapt, crashing into the Dredge''s body like a very sharp toddler going in for a bear hug. He proceeded to rip into the sludgy monster''s body with reckless abandon.


    Every strike bit deep into the monster''s body and tore away huge chunks of its wet flesh. Claire and Spark re-joined the onslaught, unleashing everything they had into the monster. The dredge barely even seemed to notice. It swept a hand toward Claire, barely missing her and striking the wall behind her instead.


    Its hand smashed through the stone like there was nothing there. Glint severed its arm with one hand, then swiped at the monster''s face with his other. The Dredge collapsed into a puddle before the strike could connect.


    No sooner than it had fallen did the sludge bound to the side, flying straight over Glint''s head, and land on the ground several feet to Alex''s side with enough force to shatter the cobbled streets beneath it. The Blacktongue Dredge bubbled back up, its body reforming entirely without injury.


    "What the bleeding hell is this thing?" Claire demanded. "It won''t die! I can''t fight like this forever. I''m going to run out of blood."


    A low moan echoed through the street ¡ª but not from the monster they were fighting. Alex''s eyes flicked to the side.


    Two more Blacktongue Dredges stood on the other end of the street, empty-eyed masks staring in their directions.


    Blacktongue Dredge (Initiate 5)


    Blacktongue Dredge (Initiate 5)


    "And now there are three of them. I guess the Mirrorlands got offended we were having too easy of a time with things," Alex said with a laugh. He ducked as the Dredge swept an enlarged hand at him in a diagonal strike. The strike slammed into the ground to his side and Alex stumbled from the sheer impact of the blow.


    Letting out a gurgling moan, the Dredge lurched for Alex again, but Glint''s claws carved through its arm and sent it splattering to the ground.


    Claire unleashed a flurry of thrusting attacks on the monster. It collapsed back into a pile of thick fluid. Spark shot forward and brought his hands down on the pile, pummeling it with all his might.


    The Blacktongue Dredge flowed away, and Alex caught a glimpse of the monster''s white mask buried deep within its goopy body. There was a thin scratch along its side from one of Claire''s sword strikes. The monster rose back up near the two other Dredges approaching them. Claire''s scratch was still on its mask. It hadn''t healed.


    Alex''s eyes narrowed.


    "Get the mask! It''s the only part we haven''t managed to destroy yet! It must be protecting it."


    Glint shifted targets immediately. He leapt at the Dredge''s face. The Dredge immediately raised its arms to cover its face, but Claire and Spark joined in on the attack. They focused their attacks on the monster''s head, tearing through its defenses as fast as they could.


    Their efforts were working ¡ª but not fast enough. The other two Dredges were almost upon them. The monsters were just too annoying to kill. Now that the Initiate 6 Dredge was focused on defending itself instead of attacking, it was even more resilient than before.


    If the other two entered the fight, then it would be practically impossible to focus one of them down without getting caught by one of their slow but powerful strikes.


    He gathered his power and darted forward, stepping around the Dredge and ducking under a swing, before thrusting his hands forward and using Funhouse.


    Reality shattered before him. Cracks spread out like a jagged spiderweb and expanded until the patch was just over eight feet in diameter. Alex couldn''t force it any larger in the time he had left. The approaching Dredges lurched forward and swung at him.


    Alex dove out of the way. The Dredges passed into the warped space and were abruptly twisted together before being spat out in two opposite directions. They stumbled and moaned, the masks sliding across their bodies to relocate Alex.


    One of them leapt at him again. Its fists crashed down on Alex''s remaining Mirror Image clone, shattering it instantly. He backed up, keeping distance between himself and the two new monsters.


    "Spark!" Alex called, not risking a glance back. "Forget protecting yourself. Grab onto the Dredge''s mask and hold it still for Claire and Glint!"


    With that, the other two Dredges were upon him again. Alex danced around Funhouse, keeping it between himself and the monsters as best as he could. They didn''t seem to be intelligent enough to comprehend what the magic did. Their hands and bodies passed through it, only to be spun and sent stumbling out in other directions.


    Sweat rolled down Alex''s back and beaded on his forehead as thrill gripped his body. The Dredges were slow, but a single hit could kill him. He had to keep their attention until ¡ª sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Magic rushed into Alex in a river of energy. One of his monsters had died.


    A loud crack echoed through the air an instant later.


    Alex risked a glance back.


    The Initiate 6 Blacktongue Dredge stood frozen in place. Glint''s claws were buried deep into its body, having just sliced through its mask. Then the Dredge collapsed into a wet puddle. Energy gripped Alex''s chest from the kill and a Soul Flame materialized in the air above the dead monster.


    Yes!


    Alex strode over to the flame and plucked it from the ground, inserting it into a Spatial Mirror and turning to Claire with an excited grin.


    His elation was short-lived. A shadow passed through the air overhead. Everyone ¡ª the other two Dredges included ¡ª froze and craned their necks back to look skyward.


    The blood drained out of Alex''s face.


    Perched upon the roof of a building was what could have only been described as a living shadow. It was easily twenty feet tall and sported blackened armor that melded together with its body. He couldn''t tell where the armor ended rippling flesh started. Its eyes were two solid chunks of crystal-blue dry ice, smoking with indiscriminate hunger. The monster''s fingers transformed into long shadows, sinking down into the actual shadow it cast along the building''s wall and onto the ground.


    Forsaken Revenant (???)


    The monster''s shadow stretched out along the ground and met with the foot of one of the Dredges.


    There was a faint snick.


    The Dredge exploded.


    Its shattered mask clattered to the ground amidst raining droplets of black, vicious flesh.


    The hair on the back of Alex''s neck shot straight up. A primordial sense of terror welled in his stomach, borne from the very same warning that told humans not to venture into the dark.


    Freezing blue eyes turned toward the second Drudge.


    Alex spun on his heel. There wasn''t a word to be said. Claire was already at his side. They poured every scrap of energy they had into doing the only thing they could.


    Running.

 Chapter 69 - 68: The Riftwarped

    Alex''s feet pounded against the warped stone of the Mirrorlands and his breath came in short, poorly repressed gasps. He nearly tripped over a random root jutting out from the sidewalk, barely managing to hop over it in time to avoid coming into contact.


    Claire ran just ahead of him. He was pretty sure she probably could have left him behind with the enhanced abilities her remaining blood could give her, but she hadn''t pulled too far ahead. A fair portion of that was probably because, if Alex died, the way out of the Mirrorlands evaporated with him.


    Alex couldn''t risk throwing a glance over his shoulder. A moment of distraction would be enough to let him stumble into something littering the street, whether it was a random floating stone, a root, or a hole straight into super-hell.


    He and Claire just ran. They kept to the edges of the buildings, trying to stick to the paths they''d already traveled through before, and praying that none of the City-Eater Centipedes saw them.


    The memory of the Forsaken Revenant clung to Alex''s mind like the wet sludge that made up a Blacktongue Drudge''s body. Even though he couldn''t see or hear it, the mere thought of the monster squeezed his heart in his chest with a hand of frost.


    It was nearly five minutes before they dared slow. Alex and Claire drew to a stop in the shadow of a huge tree emerging from the side of an office building and doubled over, bracing their hands against their knees and scanning everything in sight for any traces of the Forsaken Revenant.


    "What the fuck was that?" Claire rasped between gasps for air, wiping her brow with the back of a hand.


    "I have no damn idea," Alex replied. He swallowed, glanced back in the direction they''d come, and shuddered. There was a difference between enjoying a good fight and¡­ whatever that thing had been.


    He had absolutely no desire to fight it. No desire to even see it again. Something about the creature was deeply twisted. A minute passed. He and Claire didn''t budge. They remained in their hiding spot, but the Forsaken Revenant didn''t make itself known again.


    A slow frown worked its way across Alex''s lips as his heartbeat started to return to normal and his mind pulled itself from the grip of the terror that had been gripping it.


    I''ve seen some scary shit before. Why was that thing so bad? It actually had a name, unlike the Riftwarped monster that Berith killed. I wasn''t nearly as scared of that thing ¡ª or Berith, for that matter ¡ª as I am of this.


    His frown deepened. Now that he actually had a moment to think, he realized he couldn''t remember what the Forsaken Revenant''s face looked like, or if it had even had one at all.


    "Bloody creepy," Claire muttered, pushing her hair out of her face and shaking her head. "Too creepy. Literally. Are you¡ª"


    "Yeah. Confused," Alex said. "I¡­ do you think it had some sort of ability that made us want to run?"


    "More like it just flipped a switch in our brains. Prey know a predator when they see it," Claire said with a shudder. "I don''t know about you, but I think I''d like to head back just about now. I don''t know if I want to be wandering around the Mirrorlands so soon after that¡­ thing saw us."


    Alex knew exactly what she meant. Even though the monster was nowhere to be seen, an edge of uneasiness still pressed against his spine. The only reason they were alive was because the Forsaken Revenant had gone after the higher Stage monsters before them.


    If they met it again as they were now, they would die. There was no question or doubt about it. Even if Alex had been able to bring the absolute brunt of his strength to bear against the Revenant, it would have killed them.


    "I think I''m with you on that," Alex said with an uneasy laugh.


    "Decided you don''t want to die fighting anymore?" The corners of Claire''s lips twitched in amusement.


    "I decided I don''t want to get slaughtered. There''s a difference between a fight that might kill me and one that definitely will. Anything with an unreadable level is definitely beyond what we can handle right now."


    "Agreed," Claire said. "And getting back earlier rather than later is probably smart anyway. I don''t want to miss the third Initialization Event."


    Alex nodded. He glanced down at the deck at his side, slipping the topmost card free and turning it face-up.


    Spatial Mirror


    Stored Energy:


    High Grade Novice (Corpse Burrower) - 4


    Low Grade Novice (Corpse Poker) - 3


    Low-Mid Grade Initiate (Riftwarped Block-Eater Centipede) - 1


    High Grade Novice (Root Fiend) - 2


    Mid Grade Initiate - (Blacktongue Dredge) - 1


    Bonded Creature: None


    Even though each mirror only held a single monster, they shared the pool of souls. And sitting at the bottom of the list of potential monsters was the one Alex had just killed before they''d gotten the attention of the Forsaken Revenant.


    The Blacktongue Dredge.


    It had been one of the most annoying monsters to kill that Alex had ever fought. He''d been looking for something that could keep monsters off him and act as a tank for the party¡­ and Alex was sure he''d just found it. He grinned to himself.


    Between the Dredge''s ridiculous strength and defense, it''s perfect for my needs. Sometimes ¡ª on very specific occasions ¡ª I love the Mirrorlands. I''d have hated to be a summoner back on Earth. The monsters in the Mirrorlands are just cooler in every way. Then again, I don''t think people are running into Forsaken Revenants back on Earth.


    "You going to summon a monster before we try to get out of here?" Claire guessed, looking from Alex to the mirror in his hands.


    Alex nodded.


    "We could end up calling a strong monster when I open the portal back to Towntown. Intentionally holding ourselves back on Earth is fine when we''re up against weaker monsters, but the Mirrorlands is insane. It''s best to have every trick we can, even if we don''t end up needing to use them."


    "I''m not the one that has to be told that not everything we do has to be borderline suicidal," Claire said dryly. "I''ll keep an eye out while you get ready."


    "Thanks. I''m going to do it in my Mind Palace to avoid making a ridiculous amount of light and sound. We don''t need more attention than we''ve already got."


    Alex sat down, crossing his legs beneath him, and focused his attention inward. It was a little difficult to slip into meditation when his heart was beating so fast with the mixture of excitement, adrenaline, and nervousness pumping through his veins like a slurry of drugs, but he eventually felt the world fall away around him.


    Darkness rose up to take its place. A black lake stretched out around Alex and a huge basin rose from its center, backed by a mantle and before a set of plain white stairs. Three pillars emerged from the lake at the edges of the lake, looming far above.


    The gemstone that he''d set aside previously still rested at the top of the stairs. Beside it, blue mist swirled in a large orb.


    Alex didn''t let himself get distracted. He didn''t have time to do a proper meditation right now, nor had he killed enough monsters to have a pressing need for it. Instead, he pulled the empty Spatial Mirror from his deck and placed a hand upon its surface.


    Energy pressed into his palm as the glass rippled at his touch. Alex located the Blacktongue Dredge''s Soul Flame. He drove his palm forward, pushing past the resistance, and it sank into the mirror''s depths. Chilly energy prickled at his skin and raced down his arm as it worked into his body.


    Alex''s teeth clenched at the uncomfortable sensation. His fingers found the Blacktongue Dredge''s Soul Flame. The chill became a biting frost, so cold that it almost burned. Alex''s hand tightened around the energy. It twisted and leapt in attempt to escape him, but his hold on it didn''t falter.


    He yanked his hand back.


    The Soul Flame burst free from the Spatial Mirror. It slipped from Alex''s fingers and lifted into the air, condensing down into a tiny marble.


    Thin lines of molten blue energy twisted around the marble as it started to spin, forming a miniature vortex within the air. Pressure blew Alex''s hair back and sent small waves rolling out across the surface of the black lake.


    Alex raised a hand before his face and squinted as the power coming off the marble grew stronger. The ripples turned to waves, lapping against the sides of his legs and the basin. Wind whipped past his head and gathered around the marble, spinning with such intensity that it turned a translucent white.


    A dull hum filled the room. It grated on Alex''s ears and made his jaw throb. The pressure changed; his ears popped. Alex''s stomach clenched and he slid back across the surface of the water.


    The light pouring out from the marble grew brighter until it was a deep ocean blue. It forced him to squint and peer past his fingers. His mindspace felt like it had been caught in a storm.


    Waves crashed against his legs and the sound of rushing wind and water mixed into a cacophony. His hair whipped furiously around his face and the world almost seemed to tremble as more power gathered within his Mind Palace.


    Alex squeezed his eyes shut just in time to avoid a brilliant flash of light and a loud whump.


    A final wall of pressure slammed into him with such force that it lifted him off his feet and knocked him to his backside. He skidded across the surface of the lake ¡ª still largely unsure as to how he was sliding on top of water ¡ª before he managed to get his feet out under him.


    Alex blinked furiously to rid his eyes of the dots floating before them and jerked his head to look in the direction of the Soul Flame.


    Oh, hell yeah.


    Standing in the center of Alex''s Mind Palace was a Blacktongue Dredge. The monster stood two heads taller than Alex and was made of familiar black sludge packed into a muscular, vaguely humanoid form.


    A bleached white mask with two horizontal crescents for eyes and an inverted one for a mouth covered the monster''s face.


    Deep blue veins ran just beneath the monster''s skin, pulsing with dull light. Those were definitely new. None of the other Drudges had anything but sludge in their bodies.


    Alex clambered to his feet, swaying unsteadily for a moment but not letting his gaze break from the newly summoned monster.


    "Hello there," Alex said, a smile stretching over his face as he approached the Dredge. The monster watched him silently, waiting for a command. Its presence was intimidating, just like nearly every monster from the Mirrorlands.


    This thing is great¡­ but what if it was even better? I''ve got one new ability that I haven''t had a chance to test out yet and a few extra souls to work with. The normal Blacktongue Dredge was already ridiculously strong.


    Alex glanced back over the souls in his mirror, and his eyes locked on one as another thought struck him. He fought to keep his excitement from running amok. It would be a huge let-down if the idea didn''t work, but it was too late to stop his racing mind.


    How powerful would my Blacktongue Dredge become if I combine it with another monster?


    There was only one way to find out if this would work.


    Alex drew on his magic and activated Harmonious Evolution.


    Crackling energy raced through his veins and gathered in his palms. The world shifted around him, falling into grayscale in an instant.


    The Blacktongue Dredge lifted into the air, its body twisting in and collapsing on itself until it was a black and blue ball of rippling flame floating in the air before him ¡ª the only source of color that wasn''t a pure shade of gray.


    Alex blinked in surprise, then glanced down at the Spatial Mirror in his hand. The flames within it each still bore their color. He reached into the mirror and plucked a Root Fiend''s flame free.


    It was a blackish green, like the color of rotting moss. A faint hum filled his ears as he held the flame up before him, and it started to tremble in unison with the Blacktongue Dredge''s flame.


    He quickly returned the Root Fiend''s flame to his Spatial Mirror. Swallowing back his excitement, Alex grabbed a different flame. This one was also black but had streaks of angry purple and red magic arcing through it.


    The Riftwarped Block-Eater Centipede''s flame.


    It started to tremble. He couldn''t summon a Riftwarped monster¡­ but perhaps there was a different way he could harness their power.


    My Dredge might get stronger if I combine it with another monster¡­ but how powerful would it become if I combined it with the Riftwarped Block-Eater Centipede?


    His excited grin grew wider. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I''m going to find out.

 Chapter 70 - 69: Hideous

    Alex held the Riftwarped Block-Eater Centipede''s Soul Flame in the air before him, his gaze fixed on the mote of black light that was his Blacktongue Dredge. Gray stretched out in every direction, toning out the rest of his Mind Palace so the only things that still remained in full color was the energy of his monsters.


    He fought to keep his excitement under control and remain focused. He didn''t know how much concentration Harmonious Evolution would take, and he didn''t want to risk potentially damaging two of his strongest Soul Flames and creating a worthless monster.


    I suppose I''ll just have to ¡ª


    Wait.


    Alex would have slapped himself in the forehead had he not been holding a Spatial Mirror in one hand and a Soul Flame in the other. He had quite a few monsters. Nothing in Harmonious Evolution said there was a time limit on how often he could use it.


    There was absolutely no reason for him to use two of his strongest Soul Flames on his first attempt when he could test out how the ability worked on something far less important first.


    Almost got ahead of myself there. That would have been stupid. I can''t let myself make impulsive decisions just because they''re cool¡­ too often. A few cool decisions don''t hurt anyone.


    I''ll do a quick combination of two random monsters just to see how it works, then meld the Dredge and the Block-Eater Centipede right afterward.


    Alex returned the green and black flame to his Mirror. He then plucked out two more Soul Flames ¡ª one from a Corpse Burrower, and one from a Corpse Poker. They both had corpse in the name, but he was pretty sure the combination would be terrible. There wasn''t much actual synergy between them.


    And that''s fine. The best way to learn is to fuck things up. Once I know what doesn''t work, I can figure out what does.


    He released his Spatial Mirror, which vanished and returned to his side. The typical grey energy that marked its passing was invisible in the grayscale that ruled the world while Alex had Harmonious Evolution active.


    Lifting the two Soul Flames, Alex held them out before him. Faint energy pulsed from both of them, pressing against his hands and each other. He tried bringing the flames closer together and the resistance increased ¡ª though not by a significant amount. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Both of the flames started to glow as they drew closer still. A faint purple aura emanated out from them and bit into the gray around them, tinging it with color. Alex squinted as he moved the flames until they were nearly touching.


    A high-pitched hum rose up into the air and the Soul Flames started to tremble in his hands, trying to fling themselves from his grip. Arcs of energy popped off their surfaces and formed into a miniature storm between them.


    It feels just like combining Title Fragments, but a bit easier.


    Let''s see how this turns out, then.


    Alex brought his hands together like he was clapping. He slammed the two flames into each other and squeezed his eyes shut as a brilliant flash lit up the gray world. A wave of electric energy washed over him and buzzed across his skin. It was followed by a wall of pressure that drove into Alex''s gut like a punch.


    He stumbled a step back and opened his eyes to find a brilliant ball of white light floating where the two soul flames had been. It pulsated with shifting energy, sending ripples of purple and black light washing out in waves.


    Alex held a hand up to block the light and squinted past it. He could see the vague form of¡­ something within the light. The shadow of a pointed beak the length of his arm. Dark limbs, each one nearly as tall as him, shifting and warping.


    The buzzing filling the air turned into a deep, thumping bass. The monster within the light grew darker, taking a more concrete form. Limbs snapped into place with loud cracks and flesh bubbled within the light, sliding to form over a new body.


    There were several loud splashing thuds as something heavy dropped down onto the dark lake that stretched across Alex''s Mind Palace. A pop filled his ears and his stomach clenched as the pressure around him abruptly shifted.


    The light vanished, the world returned to grayscale, and Alex''s face twisted in involuntary disgust.


    A horrible mass of flesh and feathers sat on the ground before him. The monster, like the Soul Flames, arrived in full color, but it almost didn''t matter. It was a pallid whitish-gray, with black nails at the end of gangly, clawed limbs jutted out from it at odd angles.


    A long yellow beak stuck out from a birdlike face, a thin blood-red tongue lolling from within it. It had a bulbous body that sagged under its own weight. Weeping wounds covered its surface and the sickly smell of rotted meat wafted from its body. The monster rose to its feet unsteadily, its beak clacking as it got its bearings.


    Corpse Mass (Novice 5)


    Fire erupted across its body no more than an instant later and it twisted in on itself, forming into a Soul Flame to float before Alex.


    Mid Grade Novice (Corpse Mass) - 4


    "Right," Alex said, wiping at his nose in a fruitless attempt to remove the lingering stench that still assaulted it. "Combination¡­ successful. They combined, but that combination was fucking awful. Also looks like it ended up at Mid Grade, while the components were High and Low Grade. It must have averaged their strength. That''s good to know."


    I did want to see what happened when two monsters I suspected wouldn''t mesh well together were merged. I guess I got my wish.


    The Corpse Poker and Burrower had both been tangentially related in what they ate, but their actual forms were very different. The former was a tiny scavenger bird, while the latter was more of an ambush predator.


    Their fighting styles and general traits were definitely too different, then. So the skill functions pretty much how I expected, and it doesn''t look like just being a Mirrorlands Monster is enough to make them similar.


    He nodded to himself. That lined up with what he''d originally expected, but it was good to confirm his guesses. His thoughts turned to the two monsters he actually wanted to combine.


    The Blacktongue Dredge and the Riftwarped Bock-Eater Centipede.


    They weren''t as different as the previous two had been. Alex wasn''t entirely sure which traits were the most important to share, but he didn''t feel like they had anything that would be directly in opposition to each other.


    The Riftwarped aspect might cause some something to shift, but I have no idea what and won''t have a way to find out until I test the combination. I don''t think there''s any way to figure out what that''ll be beyond just saying fuck it and seeing what happens.


    Eh. Fuck it. I''ve got a basic grasp on the ability now. Let''s see what this ability can really do.


    Alex drew a Spatial Mirror free from the deck and plunged his hand into its chilly depths, pulling free the Riftwarped Centipede''s Soul Flame once more. The black and purple fire crackled and buzzed in his hand as he dismissed the mirror and strode over to the Blacktongue Dredge, grabbing its Soul Flame.


    The pressure between the Soul Flames was immediately evident. His hands were pushed apart like he was holding massive magnets. Alex''s arms tensed, halting the monsters attempts to fight back.


    I wonder what a stronger opposition means. The last combination was bad and had an easy combination¡­ that could just be because they were weaker, though.


    Only one way to find out.


    Gritting his teeth, Alex brought the flames together. They fought back against him and desperately tried to slip free of his grip. He didn''t let them. Slowly, steadily, he pushed the two motes of light closer and closer.


    Energy ignited between them, a crackling storm surrounding his arms and buzzing as it brushed across his skin. Light spilled out as Alex brought the Soul Flames closer still. It burned the grayscale world away, forcing him to squeeze his eyes shut as the flames grew closer and their energy grew brighter.


    The resistance the monsters put up grew stronger the closer he brought them together. He could feel the warmth from the energy pouring out of them heating the air and warming his skin. It felt like he''d stepped out into a hot summer day.


    His teeth clenched tighter and Alex let his hands slack slightly, drawing on as much strength as he could muster. Even as the flames slipped back an inch, he drove his hands together.


    The momentum slammed the flames into each other.


    There was a brilliant flash. Pressure slammed him back several steps and he raised his hands before his face to protect it.


    Wind buffeted his hair and bit at his eyes. He squinted past his fingers. A ball of purple energy floated in the air around eleven feet in diameter, arcs of black lightning racing throughout it. The huge orb pulsated, thrumming with power.


    Something moved within the orb. The shadow of a centipede''s leg, connected to a huge, dark mass. Alex grit his teeth as the light grew brighter. Crunches and squelching, ripping noises tore through his Mind Palace.


    He fought to try and make out what the new monster was, anxiety twisting his stomach. It was hard to make out any details within the light. All he could do was wait.


    Seconds slipped by.


    The pressure finally pulled back. All the light vanished, sucked into the monster, and Alex drew in a sharp breath as he laid eyes upon his new monster.


    A towering, hunchbacked humanoid made of thick black sludge loomed before him. The monster was almost twice as large as the original Dredge had been. It was wider and taller, easily making it Alex''s biggest monster by a wide margin.


    Its mask was still made of bleached white bone, with two horizontal crescents for eyes and an inverted one for the mouth.


    Along its chest, running from just below its mask and down to its hips, was a gaping line. A ripple passed down the line and sludge-like flesh pulled back to reveal a vertical mouth running through the monster''s center. It roiled with rows upon rows of small, pointed teeth that would rip anything unfortunate enough to be caught within it to shreds.


    Two extra undulating arms rose up over the monster''s back, curling over its shoulders like Dr. Octopus'' robotic limbs. They rippled in eerie unison, made up of dozens upon dozens of undulating centipede legs.


    Purplish-red energy crackled like a miniature storm behind the eye holes of the monster''s mask. Ripples of it occasionally passed through its vicious body like a slow moving storm before being swallowed by the darkness once more.


    Riftwarped Devouring Dredge (Initiate 2)


    Alex swallowed heavily before his lips were pulled apart in a mixture of delight and revulsion. The monster was horrifying. It looked like it had been ripped right out of somebody''s fever-induced nightmare.


    It''s hideous.


    I love it.

 Chapter 71 - 70: The Threat

    Alex''s new monster stood upon the surface of the black lake as still as a block of ice. The final ripples of its arrival settled down and silence returned to the world. For several long seconds afterward, Alex couldn''t bring himself to move or tear his gaze away from his creation.


    The monster was massive. It was everything he''d been looking for and more. Not only would it be the perfect tank for him, but it was also terrifying. Anyone that had something like this barreling toward them was undoubtedly about to have a very bad day.


    Elation welled in his stomach. He''d actually done it.


    He''d combined his monsters ¡ª and more than that. Alex had combined a Riftwarped monster, getting past the limitation that stopped him from binding them. He still didn''t know what it was that prevented the connection in the first place.


    He suspected he''d find out at some point, but he was a little preoccupied at the moment. The Riftwarped Devouring Dredge was definitely a successful combination.


    Alex finally forced himself to move. He raised a hand, waving it in front of the monster''s face to see if it would have any reaction. The Dredge didn''t so much as blink. It remained frozen in place, awaiting a command.


    "You wouldn''t happen to be intelligent, would you?" Alex asked. He still had to make sure ¡ª every time he made a stronger monster, there was a chance they would somehow unlock a degree of thought.


    He wasn''t sure what he''d do in the case that happened, but it didn''t look like today would be the day. The Dredge didn''t acknowledge him in the slightest. He may as well not have even been there.


    Alex glanced back at his Spatial Mirror. There were still several monster souls within it. He could theoretically continue combining them ¡ª but he wasn''t sure if any of them had any proper synergy with the Dredge as it was now.


    Neither the Corpse Burrower nor Poker really lined up with the Dredge, even in its new form. They were just too different, not to mention considerably weaker. The Root Fiends weren''t all that much stronger than the other monsters and their wooden bodies didn''t seem like they would mesh particularly well with any of the elements in the Dredge right now.


    I think I''ve got exactly what I need right now. None of the remaining monsters are powerful or interesting enough to need to fuse, so I''ll save them for snacks to feed to Glint. Hopefully I can get him to evolve on his own pretty soon.


    Alex de-activated Harmonious Evolution. Color bloomed across the expanse of his Mind Palace ¡ª even though there really wasn''t all that much color in it beyond the dark lake and the white structures rising around him.


    He dismissed the Dredge with a thought. It melted into a stream of gray energy and flew through the air, pouring into the deck at his side.


    The preparations were done. He was ready to leave the Mirrorlands and return to Earth once more ¡ª and, if he was lucky, he''d take another Riftwarped monster''s soul with him on the way out.


    Alex pulled himself free of his meditation. His eyes opened to find himself in the Mirrorlands once again. He sat on the ground in the shade of a crumbling building floating far above them.


    Claire crouched beside him, her gaze scanning over their surroundings in search of any monsters and a hand resting on the hilt of the katana at her side. She glanced at him as he shifted.


    "Did it work?" Claire asked in a hushed whisper.


    "Yeah. More than. I used one of my new skills to combine two monsters. We can leave," Alex said, pushing himself up to his feet. "Any signs of that¡­ thing?"


    "No," Claire replied. She rose to her feet and sent one last glance in the direction that they''d come from. "It''s been around ten minutes. At this point, I think it gave up on us. We got lucky and weren''t strong enough to be worth chasing. I don''t think I''d press my luck, though."


    "With you there," Alex said with a nod. "Let''s head back."


    ***


    They reached the portal a short trip later. With the extra caution they took to make sure they didn''t draw any attention to themselves while the Forsaken Revenant could still be lurking around somewhere, they didn''t run into any monsters on the trip back. That was a welcome change. Alex had been expecting to run into something annoying on the way back.


    He and Claire left the warped city rising in the distance behind them and made it up to the thin purple fault in the hills. Brilliant blue grass swayed around it in a faint wind that prickled against Alex''s skin.


    Claire drew her katana and readied herself. Spark was still dead, but Alex still had two more monsters to work with. He summoned Glint and his new, unnamed Dredge, with a thought.


    Shattering glass announced the Shardwalker''s arrival as claws carved a rend through reality and Glint stepped out from within it. He came to a stop before Alex, waiting for a command.


    The ground to Glint''s side started to darken. Alex and Claire glanced down at it as thick black sludge started to pour out from beneath the grass, bubbling like boiling oatmeal. The patch of darkness spread out and Claire took a step back as the Dredge''s enormous form rose up from beneath the ground like it was emerging from within a swamp.


    Pointed legs burst from its back, spraying out sludge, and cracked together as they formed into arms that curled over its shoulders. The sharpened claws at the tips of the arms flexed, causing the rest of the arms to undulate.


    "Bleed me," Claire breathed, staring at the towering creature in awe. "What the fuck, Alex? This is yours?"


    "Hey, it''s got feelings," Alex said. "Don''t be mean."


    "It does?"


    "No." Alex scratched at the back of his neck. "I don''t think so. Still completely unintelligent. I check every time."


    "Right," Claire said, craning her neck back to look up at the monster. Her face twisted in a grimace as she spotted the huge maw running down the center of its body. "Creepy. What''s its name?"


    "Er¡­ what about Princess?"


    Claire stared at Alex. She looked from him to the monster, then back to him. "Princess? Really?"


    "I mean, think about it. I say my monster''s names sometimes in a fight. Who''s going to expect the lumbering sludge creature to be called Princess? Besides, it follows Pitbull rules."


    "It follows what now?" Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Pitbull rules." Alex scratched at the side of his chin. "It''s like when someone has a pretty intimidating breed of dog called a pitbull and they name it Brutalizer. It sounds scary, but the dog always ends up being the sweetest dog you''ve ever met. But when the pitbull is called something like Cupcake or Princess, it always lives off a diet of toddler faces."


    "Right," Claire said, drawing out the word and squinting at Alex like he''d been dropped on his head. "Well, it''s your monster."


    "So she is," Alex confirmed. "How do you like that name, Princess? Is it good?"


    The Dredge didn''t respond.


    Alex was pretty sure that didn''t count as consent, but he was starting to get the idea that Princess was not particularly talkative. If the monster ever decided she didn''t like her new name, then he would change it. Until then, Princess she would be.


    "Right," Alex said. "Glint, Princess, I want to see what you''re capable of. Kill the shit out of whatever shows up. Focus on survival. Princess ¡ª your job is to absorb any attacks and keep our opponent''s attention off Glint, me, and Claire. Try to lock it down and damage it if possible, but do not prioritize offense over defense."


    "I''ll let your summons take this one so you can test them out," Claire said. "But you''ve got to give me a cool fight next time if you don''t end up needing my help."


    "Thanks," Alex said with an appreciative nod. He strode past his monsters and up to the awaiting portal. He lifted his hands, drawing on Riftwalk and pressing his hands into the line as power flooded through him.


    He dug his fingers into the purple energy and pulled. The crackling energy resisted him, but he was surprised to find it gave way easily.


    With a loud ripping noise, the portal tore open. A disk of spinning purple energy took form before him and a black sheen enveloped its face like a plane of tinted glass. Alex rapped his fingers against it, but it was as hard as steel. They''d been blocked off.


    What sounded like a loud zipper tore through the air above them. Alex and Claire both skipped back as a familiar-looking bundle of chitinous legs tumbled down from a portal to land with a rattling crash on the hillside beside them.


    The legs shot out, digging into the ground as the monster unfurled and rapidly righted itself. It had a crablike body with two, long, swaying eyes upon chitinous stalks. Five legs extended from each side of its hard-shelled body, which was lined from top to bottom with spines.


    A purple name burned in the air above the monster''s head, identifying it as the first Riftwarped monster they''d ever fought.


    Riftwarped Crawler (Initiate 1)


    The Crawler let out a chittering hiss and burst into motion, legs slamming into the ground like a dozen drums going off at once. It charged toward Alex ¡ª and Princess slammed into it like a freight train.


    Sludge splattered across the ground as the huge Dredge drove its weight down into the Riftwarped Crawler and slammed it into the ground. Several loud cracks split the air as some of the monster''s legs were shattered beneath it.


    The Crawler screamed and hissed, trying to rip itself free, but Princess''s body glommed onto the crab and held fast, completely locking it in place. The huge mouth on the center of her body split open and bit down on the crawler''s shell.


    The shell crunched. Dark blood sprayed from the crab as it screamed and thrashed. Its claws snapped at Princess, carving through her sludgy body. Thick black fluid splattered from her to the ground, but the damage was nowhere near significant.


    While Princess held the crab down, Glint advanced toward it. He waited for the right moment, watching the flailing limbs until an opportunity presented itself, then burst into motion.


    His large claws plunged into the top of the crab''s shell and punched through its carapace like nothing was there. Glint yanked them down. The shell barely even made a sound as he carved it apart.


    The Riftwarped Crawler''s limbs collapsed to the ground. Power trickled into Alex.


    Silence ruled over the clearing, broken only by the drip of blood from Glint''s claws to the ground below and the crunch of Princess'' chewing.


    Alex and Claire stared at the two summoned monsters in disbelief.


    And, in that moment, it struck Alex that they hadn''t just gotten lucky in avoiding monsters on their trip back through the city.


    The reason they hadn''t been attacked wasn''t because the monsters had all been preoccupied. There were no monsters in the alleys they''d gone through because the monsters that used them to avoid stronger enemies had vacated the area.


    Alex and Claire had become the threat.

 Chapter 72 - 71: The 3rd Initialization

    In the wake of what could only be described as the brutal slaughter of the Riftwarped Crawler, Alex gathered the monster''s Soul Flame and stepped through the portal together with Claire in a stunned silence.


    He donated some more blood to her upon their return ¡ª the System was definitely letting him regenerate that faster than normal, because he was pretty sure humans normally couldn''t get snacked on this easily ¡ª and the two of them made their way back to Towntown.


    The city was still covered in rubble and ripped to pieces from the attack. Calling it anything more than a crumbling wreckage would have been lying. The scents of battle had lifted from the city, and all the bodies that had been there earlier were gone. Not so much as a splotch of blood remained on the ground.


    People huddled behind the destroyed walls of buildings and watched Alex and Claire warily as they walked through the streets toward their room.


    The lobby of the apartment was emptier than Alex could ever recall it. Ben sat on the remains of a table, dark bags under his eyes and his head buried in his palm. Mary and several other survivors gathered around him, discussing something in hushed tones. Ben spotted Alex and Claire out of the corner of his eye. He glanced up at them.


    "Run into any trouble?"


    Somehow, I don''t think he''s asking about the Forsaken Revenant.


    "No," Alex replied. "Nothing too crazy. Did we miss anything?"


    "Isaiah and his group left. Weakened us by about half our strength, but I''d rather have a smaller group of reliable warriors than a bunch of turncoats." The corner of Ben''s lip tugged up into a bitter smile. "At least, I''d say that, but I don''t think Towntown is going to exist for much longer. Everyone worth anything wants to leave, and I''m not so sure that''s a bad idea."


    "Finding a larger settlement is just the safest bet," Mary said with a helpless shrug. "Look at us, Ben. We barely survived the event. If Alex and Claire hadn''t been here, we''d all be fucking dead. And because they were, we barely got shit in the way of rewards. We need to get a new base. Somewhere to regroup and gather our strength."


    "I''m not arguing with that," Ben said. "But what about the people who can''t make the trip? We don''t even know where¡ª"


    "You''re too nice, Ben," Mary said flatly. "You''re so concerned with the people that won''t pick up a weapon and try to defend themselves that you''re going to get the rest of us killed because of it. What happens during the third Initialization Event? What if another horde shows up?"


    "Then I''d assume the System is painfully unimaginative," Ben said. "If we had some semblance of a plan as to where we could go, I''d be more amiable to this. But as things are now¡­ we''d just be wandering off into the wilderness. Nobody knows where we are. Even if its still Earth, it might as well be an alien planet."


    Alex and Claire exchanged a glance as the other survivors plunged back into an argument. This wasn''t their fight. They quietly made their way over to the stairs and headed up to their room, not speaking a word until the door was shut behind them.


    "I think I''m with Mary," Claire said. "But we''ve already covered that."


    Alex nodded. "There''s no reason to stay here, if only because the monsters in this area aren''t particularly strong. I''ve seen some of the people we''re up against. We can''t afford to fall behind. I just don''t have the slightest idea of where to actually go. Even if Earth was exactly as it was, I have no clue where we are."


    "Can probably set out and look for a river, then follow it," Claire suggested after a moment of thought. "Cities usually get built near large bodies of water, and a river should connect to that."


    "Good idea. I''m for that. Tomorrow, then? I''ve still got some energy I want to try to put into my Mind Palace. Mind keeping watch?"


    "Sure thing. Go for it." It had been a bit since he''d gotten to practice with Funhouse, and the ability''s full potential would only really be unlocked after a painful amount of testing. This was as good an opportunity to work on it as any.


    Claire sat down on the bed and Alex drew on his magic. He went to cast Funhouse, then paused.


    He''d tested his Riftwarped Domain Qi on summoning Glint, but he hadn''t seen what happened when he used it on a different ability.


    Now seemed as good of a time to find out as any.


    He shifted his attention to the core in the center of his chest. Warm energy rushed forth and flooded his body and filling it with a gentle prickling sensation. Alex pushed it out from his palms as he activated Funhouse.


    The air before him shattered. Cracks ripped through reality and carved out in a growing storm before him. That normally would have been where the ability stopped, lying in wait for something to pass into its domain, but this time, it was different.


    Deep purplish-red arcs of lightning leapt between the shards of space and reflected off the fragments of reality. A low whistle filled the air as wind was sucked into and spat out of Funhouse''s domain from every direction.


    Qi drained out of Alex at an alarming rate. Funhouse continued to expand. Cracks carved through the air and he felt himself pulled toward the center of the ability. The force of the suction wasn''t quite enough to lift him off his feet, but it forced him to dig his heels into the wood and grab onto the bed.


    Alex grabbed the crumpled up dollar he''d been using to test the ability earlier and flicked it into the center of the crackling storm. It vanished within the fragments of reality, elongating like a noodle and stretching through space before getting shot out in the opposite direction in a blur.


    The dollar smacked into the wall with enough force to completely flatten itself.


    "What the bloody hell are you doing?" Claire hissed.


    Alex''s Qi ran out before he could try to explain himself.


    Funhouse crumpled. The cracks folded in on themselves and vanished with a pop as if they''d never been there. Claire''s hair fluttered down around her face, frazzled and tossed. Alex sent her a sheepish look.


    "Sorry," Alex said. "I was testing something."


    "Testing what? And since when did you have an ability like that? And are you going to do that again? Because, if you are, can you wait until I finish meditating?"


    "Don''t worry. I''m out of Qi for now, but it was worth it. I figured out exactly what Qi does!"


    Claire''s annoyance evaporated. "You did? What does it do?"


    "Well, I already suspected this, but this confirmed it. It modifies any ability you use it in conjunction with," Alex said with an excited grin.


    "Like a power boost?"


    Alex waggled a hand from side to side in the air. "I think it''s more than just that. It''s more like a twist. A power boost would have just made Funhouse bigger or stronger. It did that, but it also started pulling things in. That''s completely new. I did notice that the energy that permeates the Mirrorlands was showing up, both in Glint when I used Qi on him and Funhouse just now."


    "You think it''s giving your abilities traits from the Mirrorlands?" Claire asked. "Like it''s changing them to be Riftwarped, or something?"


    Alex gave her an empathetic nod. "Exactly. I don''t have any way to prove that yet. We need you to get Qi of your own to confirm my theory, but that seems accurate so far. I need to test out a Qi-empowered Rift Warp as well."


    Claire blew a strand of hair that had fallen over her face out of the way. "Now you''re making me impatient. I''m killing the next few monsters we run into on my own."


    "All yours," Alex said. "Sorry for the distraction."


    Claire scrunched her nose, then closed her eyes once more.


    Alex waited for a few minutes to make sure she actually got a chance to start meditating before he called on his powers again. Even though he was out of Qi, his normal magic was still waiting to be called on.


    Right. Back to the original plan. It''s practicing time.


    ***


    Hours ticked by. Claire was taking her sweet time with her meditation, but Alex wasn''t particularly pressed for time. The down time was a perfect opportunity to push himself farther, and it was surprisingly fun trying to map out exactly how Funhouse worked. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The ability was not making things easy for him. Everything that passed through its domain ended up getting redirected so many times that it was agony to keep track of, but he was making headway.


    He''d never focused quite like he was now. His entire being was completely locked in on the cracks in reality, only pausing when he took brief breaks to let his magic recover in between tests.


    Night marched on. Huge stars twinkled overhead, showering Towntown with far more light than they had any right to. The moon shimmered far above, a silver eye watching over their every move.


    Alex was still practicing when a massive crash split the air.


    The world lurched beneath him and bucked like a violent horse. The ground vanished, leaving him suspended in the air for a brief moment before flying back up and slamming into his feet.


    He stumbled, pain shooting up his legs, and a thud marked Claire landing face-first on the ground beside him.


    Powerful tremors ripped through the entire apartment and rattled it violently, forcing Alex to fight to keep his balance. He clutched onto a wall, not even able to move, and desperately weathered the abrupt attack.


    Stars flashed outside as brilliant forks of blue lightning screamed and thundered far overhead.


    Claire let out a slew of nasally curses as she bounced and rolled across the ground, her nose broken from the fall. She managed to get her feet out from under her and dragged herself upright.


    She grabbed her nose and snapped it back into place, then wiped the blood from her lips before yelling to Alex. "What''s going on?"


    Golden light flashed in the air before Alex'' face before he could respond.


    Local Announcement for Subsector 735


    Part [3/3] of the System''s initialization has begun. Links between select Hub Cities are in the process of being established and System Approved Merchants will now be allowed to take up residence in Hub Cities.


    Outworlder Envoys have been approved for arrival in certain Subsectors.


    The adjustment period has concluded.


    Dungeon formation is no longer restricted. Dungeons will form at areas with high concentrations of magical energy.


    Global Leaderboards have been initiated.


    The merger of Planet 274-50 will complete at the conclusion of this event.


    WARNING: Region Bosses have been released. They will awaken over the course of the 3rd Initialization Event.


    [Trial Assigned: Cataclysmic Arrival]


    Objective: Defeat the Region Bosses before they can consume your Subsector.


    Sentence after sentence slammed into existence before Alex, nearly blinding him with their intensity. His eyes went wide and his heart thudded in his chest. Adrenaline still coursed through his veins from the earthquake that had just rocked the world.


    Links to other cities? Like portals? And what''s this about Region Bosses?


    Alex''s thoughts were interrupted by a burning orange glow from outside. A rumbling roar like that of a furious dragon echoed out, only growing louder and louder.


    Alex''s gaze was pulled through the window and into the sky beyond.


    His lips parted in disbelief.


    A gargantuan, perfectly spherical meteor carved through the night above Towntown. It was easily the size of a city block and unnaturally smooth. Molten flame wreathed the meteor''s surface as it hurtled down, passing directly overhead and heading for the hills behind the town.


    "Get down!" Alex yelled, flinging himself beneath the bed and throwing his hands over his head.


    Claire dove down beside him and threw her hands over her head.


    The meteor screamed over the town and out of view. Its massive roar continued on for another second before an enormous, earthshaking crash went off in the distance like a detonating atomic bomb. Every piece of glass in Towntown that hadn''t already been broken shattered and disintegrated into dust.


    Alex and Claire were both thrown up into the bed as the ground bucked once more. A brilliant flash lit the night and barged into their room.


    It was followed just instants later by an immense wall of pressure. Alex''s ears popped. His hearing didn''t even get a chance to start ringing.


    The walls of the apartment ripped apart. He and Claire were lifted from their shelter and flung through the air like ragdolls as Towntown was enveloped in an enormous explosion, and then the world became a sea of debris and flame.

 Chapter 73 - 72: Opportunity

    Alex''s stomach was in his throat. He flew through open space, head ringing, the world spinning around him like he was a piece of laundry caught in a washing machine. Burning light still filled the sky, broken by the shadows of pieces of debris alongside him.


    He couldn''t tell up from down; left from right. His entire body throbbed from the force of the blast. If it hadn''t been magically reinforced by his Mind Palace, he would have been ripped apart by now.


    Alex desperately tried to gather his thoughts or wring back any semblance of coherent thought from the twisting vortex of shapes and colors around him.


    The ground hit him first.


    It arrived in a flash, ripping the momentum from his body. Alex couldn''t hear the snap of his bones, but he could certainly feel it. His arm, which had still been wrapped around his head, shattered in several places. A rib crunched as something heavy drove into his chest. The air was driven from his lungs in a wet wheeze.


    An immense wave of dizziness and disorientation slammed into him and, for an instant, Alex''s consciousness flickered and threatened to go dark. Pain tore through his body and his head slammed in conjunction with his heart. The only things that kept him aware were the magic filling his being and the adrenaline pumping in his veins.


    The loud ringing in his ears was split by the thunderous crash of debris raining down all around him. Tremors shook the ground and sent arcs of pain flooding through him with every involuntary movement he was forced to make.


    Alex''s body begged him to collapse into the darkness. He fought back against the sensation with all his might. Passing out here could mean getting buried ¡ª or getting hit by something even bigger.


    He had to move.


    His hands trembled. He clenched his teeth, grinding them in agony as blood trickled down the sides of his face and ran from lacerations covering his body. The world felt like it was a thousand miles away and growing farther with every second.


    Come on!


    Alex''s limbs stubbornly refused him. He could feel some of the damage trying to fix itself, but it was too difficult to move yet. His body simply didn''t have the energy to spare. He couldn''t move from where he laid on the cold pavement.


    A shadow passed over Alex. He caught a glimpse of a huge piece of masonry plummeting toward him from a half-shut, dust filled eye. His finger twitched. That was the full extent of the movement he could muster.


    Princess! Help me!


    The massive chunk of wall crashed down. It smashed against the stone next to him, the enormous explosion that marked its arrival barely audible to his damaged hearing. Tiny pieces of debris sprayed Alex, but it wasn''t over. The shadow of the wall hurtled toward his face as the rest of the stone fell toward his body.


    Darkness exploded around him.


    A chest-sized chunk of stone landed inches away from his face. Other pieces of debris crashed down around him. None of them found their mark on him. A new shadow rose over Alex. Sludge dripped from it, splattering against the ground.


    Alex managed to roll himself over with a groan. Pain shot through his body, but it was momentarily forgotten as he found himself staring up at Princess. She tossed a huge chunk of the wall away from her like it weighed nothing more than a paper plate.


    Surprise roiled in Alex, mixing with and briefly muting his agony. He''d managed to not only summon Princess without a word but had also managed to make her act in accordance with his will without saying a single thing.


    Does that mean¡­


    Princess reached down toward him. Her enormous hand dug through the ground beneath Alex and lifted it ¡ª and him ¡ª gingerly into the air. The scent of dust and blood soaked into the dirt and his clothes, thickening the air around him.


    His ears popped, a portion more of his hearing returning to him. Bones twisted and jerked in his chest as they slowly, ponderously, worked back toward their proper positions. Alex tried twitching his fingers. The attempt sent another flair of pain arcing through his body.


    Fuck me. What the hell just happened? S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alex blinked furiously, one of the few things he could still do without making the pain worse and tried to get a better look around himself. Princess lifted him higher into the air. Roiling clouds of dust obscured the sky and drifted across the ruined street around him.


    He''d landed somewhere in the city, but he wasn''t even sure if Towntown could be called that anymore. The buildings had all been reduced to rubble. Pieces of steel and stone littered the ground and jutted up at odd angles, breaking through the dust like earthen fangs.


    Princess turned Alex in a circle at his mental request, then jerked to a halt as he spotted something at the edge of the hills beside the remains of the town.


    Wreathed in smoldering flame was the enormous meteor that had crashed down from the heavens. It was buried deep into the ground within a massive crater. Everything in the immediate area around it had been completely obliterated. Grass had burned away and the hill itself had been demolished and charred.


    Good god. What the fuck just happened? Is that huge thing one of the Region Bosses?


    A bone in Alex''s arm popped. He fought through a grimace, fighting to keep his thoughts focused. All the adrenaline in the world couldn''t have completely overruled the disbelief pounding in his skull, but there would be time to stand around looking confused later.


    Princess lumbered off at a thought, bearing Alex along with her.


    He needed to find Claire. He was hopeful that she''d had enough blood to survive the blast, but there was a good chance she''d need more. Alex just wasn''t sure if he had enough extra to go around right now.


    Every second that passed felt like an eternity. His eyes scoured through the rubble covering the ground as Princess crunched through it, each lumbering step grinding against wood, steel, and stone fragments.


    Alex would have called Claire''s name if he could breathe properly, but every single movement he drew in sent more pain spiking through his lungs and chest. It would be at least a few minutes before any part of him was properly back under commission.


    Fortunately, Alex''s body didn''t need to work.


    If he could control his monsters with just thought alone¡­


    Glass shattered and lightning crackled. Spark and Glint emerged beside Princess, then instantly set off digging through the rubble in search of Claire.


    Neither of the monsters was exactly built for a search and recover mission, but the extra bodies still helped. Glint and Spark set off in opposite directions in search of Claire.


    Alex''s body slowly repaired itself while they searched. Bones ground back together and flesh knit shut. It was slow and painful, but it was better than dying. He barely even noticed any of it. His attention was too focused on trying to find any traces of Claire.


    An uneasy sickness built in his stomach as his search turned up other people buried within the ruins.


    Not one of them was alive. It was a small mercy that he didn''t recognize any of them, but it didn''t bode well for the rest of the town''s survival rates.


    A shimmer of light caught the corner of Alex''s eyes, grabbing his attention. Princess turned him toward it.


    The white "star" that had fallen during the 2nd Initialization Event burned with moonlight like a miniature spotlight. It beamed into the air and vanished into the night sky far above, coils of misty silver power crawling out from it.


    And, standing at the base of the star, was a tall man with golden eyes. He had tanned skin and slick black hair that framed sharp features. Thin, metallic tattoos that matched his eye color ran down from his temple and along his cheeks before disappearing at the base of his neck. Sleek black armor covered his body and a curved sword hung from each of his hips.


    The man''s eyes lingered on Princess for several long moments. His posture tensed and unease warped his features as he muttered under his breath. "What wretched place in the Infinium did this horrid thing come¡ª"


    His eyes lifted to find Alex in the monster''s hand. He blinked in surprise.


    "Another Outworlder? You went down that easily?" the man asked, a worried frown furrowing his brow. He put his hands on the hilts of his blades. "Actually, no matter. How is it that you managed to arrive before me?"


    Who is this? Is he related to the Region Boss? Did he summon it? Hell, is he the boss himself? Shit. This is really bad.


    "Arrive?" Alex croaked, dust and blood gumming up his words. The longer he kept the man talking, the more time his body would have to heal. "What are you talking about?"


    Princess readied herself. Alex still couldn''t move properly, but he had his Qi and his magic. No matter who the man was, he didn''t plan on going down without a fight. He prepared to call his monsters back to his side.


    "What do you mean, what am I¡­" the man trailed off. His eyes widened in shock. "You can''t be serious. You''re a Native?"


    "Do I look native to you?" Alex asked through a grimace. His skin was the same tint as a sheet of paper and he had about as much culture in his family tree as an unused petri dish.


    "A Native," the man repeated in delight, staring at Alex like he were a choice cut of meat in a butcher''s shop. He adjusted his sleek armor, then cleared his throat and held a hand out. "Forgive me. I did not realize who you were. A valued one such as yourself can count themselves among friends in my presence. I mean you no harm."


    "What?"


    "My name is Finley," the man said, inclining his head and upper body in a slight bow. "I am a merchant from the Starlight Family. I did not expect to run into any Natives out in the boonies so soon. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."


    He extended a hand.


    Alex stared at it. He still couldn''t properly move the majority of his body. Finley cleared his throat and crossed his arms behind his back.


    "Right. Mercy. I did not consider your, ah, state. Perhaps you would be interested in purchasing a healing tincture?"


    So¡­ he''s not going to try to kill me?


    "Who are you?" Alex asked. "And what the hell is going on? I''d prefer answers to a healing potion."


    Finley pursed his lips. "I prefer not to give anything away for free, but I suppose I was rather rude, and its family tradition to make sure our first customer is a longtime one. I''ll give you three questions for free. As to the ones you just asked¡­ my name is Finley Starlight, from the Starlight Family of Planet 002-10. I am a merchant."


    Alex opened his mouth but caught himself before he could say anything. If he only had one question left, he couldn''t waste it on something useless by accident. Finley definitely seemed like the type of person to count asking the weather as one of his three questions.


    The merchant raised his eyes to the meteor rising in the distance. His face went pale and he pulled at his hair. "Oh, no."


    Alex arched an eyebrow. If he didn''t say anything, he couldn''t mistakenly ask a question.


    "I am cursed," Finley proclaimed, his shoulders slumping. "To answer your second question, from the looks of things, it seems I''ve gotten unlucky. Again. I chose the cheapest option onto your planet, and it appears that landed me in the wake of a Region Boss. Damn it all."


    There were so many questions that Alex wanted to ask, but he held them back. It didn''t look like Finley was about to attack him, which meant his priority was still finding Claire. He sent Spark off to search for her with a thought. The Echo Wraith left a floating shadow in its wake before darting away.


    "I see," Alex said. He couldn''t really think all that straight yet and didn''t want to accidentally waste his last question, so he settled for the only thing that came to mind. "That sucks."


    "Sucks?" Finley exclaimed, tugging at his hair "The understatement of this apocalypse, I''d say. This is terrible. My profits are ruined. Do you have any idea how much money I just ¡ª fuck. Forget it. Tell me, were you the weakest of this location? Perhaps the others all hid? Are there other Outworlders here?"


    "I don''t answer questions for free."


    Finley blinked. Then his eyes narrowed. "Fair play. I will give you an extra question if you answer mine."


    "Hardly seems fair. One question for infinite?"


    "Come, now. My knowledge is far more valuable than yours. Your apocalypse started¡­ what, a day or two ago? The only reason your information holds value is because nobody else is here right now. You''ve got expiring goods. I don''t."


    Alex''s legs shifted. His control was coming back ¡ª and Finley actually had a point. There was no way he was the only survivor of the explosion. If he waited until other people showed up, any leverage he had evaporated.


    Princess lowered him to the ground. He swayed, tingling pain twisting up his legs, but he could stand again.


    "I was one of the strongest people in this area according to the leaderboards," Alex said. "And you''re the first person I''ve ever met that''s called themselves an Outworlder."


    Finley winced and let out a groan. "Shit. If you got this injured by the Region Boss''s arrival, you can''t be higher than Adept tier. Shit. It''ll be weeks before you''re strong enough to take on the monster. By then, it''ll have ruined everything. Nobody will ever come to this shithole town. I knew I should have spent more money on a better transfer."


    Half the words Finley said felt like gibberish, but Alex committed them to memory as best he could anyway. His thoughts were finally starting to gather. Concern for Claire still tightened his stomach, but his monsters were actively looking for her and he wasn''t going to make much of a difference as he was right now.


    His thoughts briefly focused on Finley.


    The System message said something about merchants and Outworlders showing up.


    Alex swallowed, the taste of blood souring his mouth, and finally regained enough of his strength to wipe the dust and blood from his face. His hair rose to stand on end as realization prickled against his insides.


    This guy¡­ he''s from another planet? One that''s had a System for longer than this one?


    Holy shit.


    This might be a huge opportunity.

 Chapter 74 - 73: A Small Army

    Alex''s mind spun as he dug for the best questions. His head still spun from the damage he''d taken and a mixture of dust and blood coated his body, sparing no part. He could taste death in the air ¡ª though that might have just been the asbestos in the destroyed buildings.


    Princess held him up above the ruined ground and over Finley''s head. The heavily armored merchant watched him with poorly concealed distress. Most would have assumed he was worried about the wreckage of the town around them, but Alex would have put money that it was anything but.


    Finley didn''t care about the dead at all. The only thing he was concerned about was having landed next to a Region Boss. As scummy as that was, Alex was focused on it for an entirely different reason.


    Why is this such a big deal? Can''t Finley just leave and go to a new area? The System mentioned something about towns getting linked together. Even if Towntown isn''t one of them, there should be a way for him to get out of here.


    The way Finley had spoken earlier implied that he was considerably stronger than Alex. That might have just been a bluff, but Alex wasn''t so sure. Something else was at play ¡ª but he wasn''t so sure he wanted to blow one of his two questions on it.


    Think in the long term, Alex. With two questions, I can afford to at least try and use one of them as insurance for the future. The second question can be more related to what''s going on right now, but I can''t pass up the chance to get a huge leg up on everyone else.


    Finley definitely has knowledge about the System that I don''t. Even if he''s only one Stage above me, that would put him at Adept. Meiderly said I would unlock my domain at that Stage. That''ll definitely be important. I could ask him ¡ª


    Alex''s eyes widened.


    There had been one thing that Meiderly had stressed more than anything else. And, thus far, the eyeless man''s advice had yet to lead him wrong.


    "Right. I''ve got my first question," Alex said, coughing as dust bit at his lungs and stuck to his throat. "In detail, how can I make my Mind Palace as powerful as possible?"


    Finley froze in place. "What?"


    "That''s my question," Alex said.


    "I ¡ª the questions were meant to be about this!" Finley snapped, waving his hands in the air around him. "About the apocalypse. The Region Boss. Aren''t you confused?"


    "Yes," Alex said. He stared at Finley, waiting to see if the man would let something slip without making him waste another question.


    The merchant didn''t fall for it. His jaw clenched so tight that the veins in the side of his neck bulged. Then he blew out a sharp, bitter breath. "I''m fucking cursed. I knew it. I can''t answer that question, kid."


    Why?


    "That seems unfair. You promised me two questions."


    The corner of Finley''s lips quirked up. He hadn''t missed that Alex hadn''t been caught by the bait he''d set in hopes to get him to ask a potentially pointless question.


    "Because you asked for details. That would be sharing family secrets," Finley replied with a shake of his head. "But I hate to be made a liar. Bad for business ¡ª and trust me, you don''t want to make an enemy of my family by trying to force me into revealing secrets."


    "Probably not, but I don''t want to get scammed either," Alex said. He thought for a moment before adding, "I''ll accept an answer where you give me as much detail as possible while avoiding mentioning anything that is unique knowledge that only your family has access to."


    "That''s acceptable. The answer to your question is both simple and complicated. What Stage are you?"


    "Initiate."


    Finley blinked in surprise. "Initiate? Seriously? I ¡ª never mind. The most important thing you can do for your Mind Palace is to build it. Every single Stage gives you something different to work with. Novice gives you the foundations to work with. It''s the easiest step. Initiate lets you imbue the pillars with attributes of your choice. You''ll also be able to start putting together the palace. Make it as true to yourself as you can but push your limits. That''s it. The closer you can get to that, the more powerful your Mind Palace will be. That might sound pretty damn simple, but I promise that''s genuinely the truth. I can''t give you the Visualizations my family uses to form our Mind Palaces, so don''t even bother asking."


    Attributes. That must be what the Nightmare gem I got was. Fuck. So many answers, but so many questions. What do attributes do? I''d guess they somehow modify my abilities, but that''s what Qi does, so these have to be something else.


    And building the palace ¡ª well, that makes sense. Conceptually, at least. So energy I drink gives me the pieces to work with, but I''m the one that decides how to put them together. Does that mean architects get a ridiculous advantage in the apocalypse? And how do you make the Mind Palace "feel true to yourself"?


    Questions spawned in Alex''s mind like a virus had taken root, far too many to possibly ask all at once, but the piece of information he''d just got was invaluable. Thus far, it didn''t seem like most people even knew how important upgrading the Mind Palace was. Now Alex knew why Meiderly had stressed its importance.


    It was the basis of his power, and rushing through the ranks would leave him with shoddy materials to build with. Just what he had to build was still a little bit unclear, but he had a path forward ¡ª and Finley had made it clear he wouldn''t be giving Alex anything that belonged to his family.


    That said¡­


    "Second question," Alex said. "You mentioned something called a Visualization with a lot of stress on the word. That makes it sound like a physical object of some sort. Tell me where I can get the best one possible that does not already belong to your family."


    Finley let out a sharp burst of laughter. "You''re a little shit, aren''t you? That''s a real nasty question. Unfortunately for you, I''m a System Merchant, not an Outworlder with full rights. I don''t know where you''d get any fancy Visualizations. I wouldn''t be a merchant if I did. But if you''re looking for a normal one¡­ well, the best ones I know of would be in my spatial ring. I''ll sell a real basic one to you for 10 credits."


    "I don''t suppose you could at least tell me where someone would theoretically get their hands on a powerful Visualization, then? It feels like it falls in the bounds of my question." Alex wasn''t interested in Finley''s offer in the slightest. He didn''t have any credits, nor did he want something that people could buy for what seemed to be a relatively low price.


    "A dungeon, probably," Finley replied. "Or a really difficult monster. One that had one of its own. You might find it in a Core or inscribed on a magical item. Satisfied?"


    "Yes," Alex said. He shifted his weight, then sent a thought to Princess. The monster lowered him to the ground and he stepped off her huge palm. His body had regained the rest of its functionality. "Pleasure meeting you."


    I need to find Claire.


    "Whoa there," Finely said, holding his hand up. "That''s it? You''re just going to use me like a cheap courtesan and leave? We had a business relationship going. At least spend a few credits."


    "I''ve got no clue what a credit is." Alex scanned the surroundings for any sights of movement, but there was still nothing. Concerned tightened his chest.


    Ben¡­ Dorriv¡­ There''s no way literally everyone got killed, right? I liked them. I really hope they made it. The others too. They didn''t deserve to just get flattened.


    "May all the gods take a steaming shit on this planet. How damn early did I show up?" Finley demanded, flinging his hands into the air. "How do you not know what credits are yet? It gets announced at the end of the 3rd Initialization!"


    "That hasn''t ended yet," Alex said. "It just started, actually."


    Finley blinked. His hands lowered. "It¡­ just started? You''re telling me I managed to land with one of the first Region Bosses?"


    Alex shrugged in response.


    "How fucking unlucky am I?" Finley groaned, pulling at his hair. "You don''t have a single credit, then. Nothing. You ¡ª and everyone else here ¡ª is broke."


    "Seems like an apt analysis. I''ve got a crumpled dollar if you want that, but I''ve gotten a bit attached to it." Alex started around the glowing white meteor to see if Claire had somehow flown all the way behind it.


    Finley followed after him.


    "So the town is ruined, everyone is weak, there isn''t a single Outworlder here, and on top of that, you don''t have the grace to have even a single credit to your name," Finley said, ticking the points off on his fingers. "Let me guess. I can''t interest you in a loan either? I have fantastic rates. Very competitive."


    "Hell no. I''m not getting into debt in an apocalypse."


    "And he''s financially literate. Of course he is," Finley muttered under his breath. He cleared his throat loudly and raised his voice. "Aren''t you interested in anything? I''ll sell you more information."


    "For credits?"


    "Yes."


    "No. Not until I know what they are and how to get them. Thanks for the offer, though."


    "Don''t you think you should invest in yourself?" Finley asked, a terse note entering his voice. "I mean, you did see the enormous meteor crash down behind the town. Don''t you want to know what it might do?"


    I already know it''s got the Region Boss in it. Getting myself into debt in an unknown currency for info I don''t know if I need is stupid.


    A crackle from behind Alex caught his attention. He spun in time to see Spark fly out from behind a building, Claire holding onto his back with one hand and keeping her balance with the other like the Echo Wraith was a surfboard. She dropped down, taking several long strides across the rubble to come to a stop before Alex.


    "Claire!" Alex exclaimed, a wave of relief passing over him. Claire was surprisingly uninjured. She had a thin layer of dust covering her, but she didn''t look nearly as gaunt as Alex had expected her to. Either she hadn''t been forced to use a lot of blood, or she''d found something to drain on the way back.


    "Alex! I knew you''d make it," Claire said, grabbing him by the shoulders and giving him a small shake. She glanced from Finley to the huge meteor rising over the horizon, then grimaced. "Who is this? I''d ask what in the bleeding hells happened, but ¡ª well, the System already said."


    "I am Finley, of the Starlight family. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance," the merchant said with a slight bow. His eye twitched slightly as he straightened. "Perhaps you would be interested in purchasing something. Information, weapons, you name it, I might have it."


    "Might?" Claire asked.


    "You never know what kind of outlandish requests people might have," Finley said with a small shrug. He tapped his foot on the ground impatiently. "But perhaps I could make a suggestion? Information is never amiss."


    "He wants us to pay in something called Credits," Alex warned Claire. He took the opportunity to summon Glint back to his Spatial Mirror, as the monster still had yet to return.


    "Credits?" Claire frowned. "What are those?"


    "No clue," Alex replied. "And Finely hasn''t said yet."


    A sudden thought struck Alex and he blinked, a small frown pulling across his lips as Claire looked over to the merchant.


    Wait. Didn''t she last about a week in her world before she fell into the Mirrorlands? It only took days for us to get to the 3rd Initialization¡­ so shouldn''t Claire have seen this event already? She should know what credits are.


    "Ah. Thanks for the offer, but I''ll pass for now." Claire sent Finley a polite smile before turning her attention back to Alex. "We should get out of here. You saw the message, right? Connections are established between the cities. We can go somewhere a little less¡­ destroyed."


    "Hold on, now!" Finley stammered. "You two are the only ones here thus far. I ¡ª what if I gave you a discount? Half off any purchases. Especially on information."


    Why is he so insistent on selling us something? This is suspicious, but goddamn it, let me focus on one mystery at a time!


    "Claire¡ª"


    Alex didn''t get a chance to finish his sentence. A loud crack split the air like a gunshot. They all spun toward the source of the noise as the crunch of stone and grinding gravel carved through the silence.


    A hill of rubble shifted and rose into the air, sending pieces of masonry and former buildings crashing down to the ground.


    "Shit," Finley said, his face going pale. "The shop discount has dropped to 100%. Have some free advice. Don''t let that thing get anywhere near the Starstone, or we''re all going to be stuck in this backwater shithole. All we can do is pray that it''ll be weak and¡ª"


    A roar echoed through the ruins of the town. A huge doglike monster, easily twenty feet tall, burst free from the pile of rocks. The monster slammed down on the ground down the street from Alex, black saliva dripping from its grey lips and splashing to the ground in a small river. Its massive paws ended in jagged white claws and it was covered with a layer of black, dust-covered fur.


    Four red eyes glowed on either side of the dog''s head, and the barbed tail of a scorpion rose over its back, glistening with purple poison. Every single one of the monster''s eyes swiveled to look straight at the glowing meteor behind Alex and its lips pulled back in a snarl.


    [Field Boss] Mutated Chimera (Initiate 7)


    Field Boss? That sounds special.


    And with that level outside of the Mirrorlands¡­ this thing means business. Scary looking bastard.


    Alex grinned.


    A perfect opportunity to test how strong I''ve really gotten.


    "Ah," Finley said weakly. "Of course. Just my luck. A mutated monster. I fear I will never make a single sale. I have brought great shame to my family."


    "Maybe draw those swords and help us?" Claire suggested, cracking her neck and flexing her claws. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I can''t. I''m a System Merchant. I can''t fight on this world," Finley said, his shoulders slumping. "Run. Two Initiates have no chance against something like this. It''s a Field Boss, meant for a group of adventurers. The monster won''t kill me, but it''ll destroy the connection to the other Hub Cities to ensure the Region Boss gets time to grow stronger. I¡ª"


    "Thanks for the information, but we''ll take it from here," Alex said curtly. He glanced at Claire out of the corners of his eyes. It felt a bit strange for her apocalypse to have been so different from his when the System seemed standardized, but now wasn''t the time to press. "I don''t suppose you wanted to take this one on your own?"


    "Already found a few solo monsters before Spark found me," Claire replied, cracking her neck and flexing her fingers. "They''re lurking around town, hunting survivors. We can split this one. Looks big enough for the two of us."


    "Are you insane?" Finley asked, taking a step back as the Chimera prowled closer, its growl growing louder by the step. "You can''t beat that thing! You would need a small army of competent warriors to fight it!"


    "What a coincidence," Alex said, his lips pulling back into a full smile. Princess lumbered to stand by his side and Spark floated over to join them. The sound of shattering glass filled the air as Glint emerged alongside them. "That''s exactly what I brought."

 Chapter 75 - 74: Chimera

    A howl tore from the Mutated Chimera''s mouth like the wail of an air raid siren. Alex and Claire both staggered, clutching their hands to their ears. Finely barely even flinched ¡ª and neither did Alex''s monsters. Spark and Glint raced ahead of Princess as they made for the huge monster.


    "I''ll make an opening," Alex said to Claire. "Wait for the right time."


    She gave him a terse nod.


    The muscles in the Mutated Chimera''s legs bunched. Its eyes focused on Glint and its lips pulled back in a snarl. The ground beneath it shattered as it exploded into motion. It blurred through the air and brought its claws down toward Glint.


    Dodge to the side!


    Glint flung himself at an angle, narrowly avoiding the huge paws as they crashed down where he''d been with a loud crunch. The Chimera pulverized a huge chunk of stone into nothing but dust.


    Spark arrived before the monster. He formed a shadow on the ground and lifted into the air, swinging his hands down in a dual strike for the Chimera''s skull. They connected with a thud ¡ª sending the doglike monster staggering.


    Swap!


    The barbed tail on its back whipped forward with such speed that the air cracked. Spark swapped places with his shadow before the attack even went off. His shadow exploded into swirling fragments of darkness.


    Alex extended his power toward Princess as his final ¡ª and slowest ¡ª monster arrived before the Chimera.


    I''ve used Qi when I''ve summoned my monsters, but it worked on Funhouse. That means it should work on any ability ¡ª so what happens if I use it on Rift Flood instead of when I directly summon my monster?


    Alex''s lips stretched in a thin smile.


    He drew on his Qi until the warm, buzzing energy filled his entire body like an ocean waiting to be called upon. Then he activated Rift Flood. A link snapped to life between him and Princess and power rushed out of him and into her.


    Princess'' body roiled. Rift smoke burst from bubbles that burst on her back. She ballooned outward, gaining nearly five feet in height as pulsing purple veins carved through the black sludge that made up her body.


    The undulating arms that extended from her back exploded in size, more than doubling. Hundreds of centipede legs squirmed in the air, peeling away from the center of the arms like they were blooming flowers.


    The Chimera didn''t look too pleased with the change. It hissed and swept a massive paw for Princess.


    The Dredge and she lifted her own hand in response. A shockwave passed down her arm and through her body. Sludge splattered from her body and across the ground and her form wavered ¡ª but it didn''t collapse.


    Princess'' hand wrapped around the Chimera''s paw, keeping the monster from pulling away. The tendril-legs on her back exploded forward, ripping apart to form into dozens of different squirming limbs and wrapping around the boss''s hand to bind it even further.


    His Dredge had transformed into some sort of wretched eldritch monster from a child''s nightmares.


    Holy fuck. She''s incredible.


    The Chimera''s barbed tail slammed through Princess'' chest and drove into the ground behind her with a loud crash. Sludge splashed across the ground, but Princess didn''t so much as flinch. Power pulsed in the veins running beneath her skin and the goop on the ground twisted up behind her, sliding back into her chest and reforming around the tail to pin it in place within her.


    A furious snarl ripped from the Chimera and it yanked on its tail. For a moment, Princess managed to hold onto it, but the tail exploded free from her a moment later in a spray of black liquid.


    The Chimera fought to lift its captured paw into the air. Strands formed in Princess'' body as she started to stretch apart. Despite her best efforts, the boss was still stronger than she was. But, in the brief few moments she held the chimera down, Glint was able to scale the side of the monster like a craggy cliffside.


    Alex could have had Glint attack well before, but that would have meant he landed a blow on a limb instead of somewhere where he could do actual damage ¡ª and now he was on the Chimera''s back.


    It realized what was happening, but not quickly enough. The monster''s head twisted to snap at Glint even as he struck.


    His claws flashed through the air as they ripped into the monster''s furry neck, carving through its matted defenses and carving deep into flesh. The Chimera''s many eyes went wide in surprise and pain and it screamed in pain.


    It ripped its paw free of Princess and slammed the other one into her sidelong, ripping through the Dredge''s entire body and sending it splattering across the ground. Her mask clattered to the ground.


    The Chimera shook its head furiously, dislodging Glint and sending him plummeting to the ground.


    Spark shot over to the falling Shardwalker, grabbing Glint by under his arms and tossing him to the ground in a roll. The Echo Wraith dipped to the side as the Chimera swiped a paw at it, but it wasn''t fast enough to avoid the sonic strike of the Chimera''s tail as it exploded forth like a gunshot.


    The Echo Wraith exploded into fragments, its teleportation still on cooldown.


    Glint darted for the Chimera again, but the monster was wary of him now. The wounds on the back of its head and neck wept blood that soaked into its dark fur. It hopped back a step, readying its tail over its head.


    Alex yanked on Glint with his magic. The monster exploded into a streamer of energy and flew back into him. Moments later, the Chimera''s tail smashed into the ground where the Shardwalker had been standing.


    He resummoned Glint with a thought, but the precious few seconds that the monster''s dismissal had cost him gave the Chimera enough time to turn straight toward Alex and Claire.


    "Alex?" Claire asked, her voice taut.


    "Working on it. Not yet," Alex said, his jaw clenched. "You saw its tail, right? That thing is an instant kill device against anyone other than Spark and Princess. You''ll never get close as things are."


    Glass shattered, raining down beside Alex as Glint emerged beside him. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Chimera exploded into motion ¡ª and Princess burst up from the ground like a black wave. Her entire body formed into a huge fist as it slammed into the boss''s chin, snapping it up with a loud crunch.


    Glint dashed forward, bounding across the ground toward the boss as fast as he could move.


    A howl of fury ripped from the monster''s mouth and it swiped its paw straight through Princess, splattering her across the ground once again. This time, Princes pressed the attack immediately.


    Strands of sludge grabbed at the Chimera''s foot and tried to bind it down. The massive boss''s tail drove into Princess, ripping her body to ribbons in a split instant. The monster ripped its tail free and drove its foot down on top of her instantly.


    A loud crunch echoed out.


    Her mask shattered.


    The Dredge''s body collapsed to the ground. She pooled before transforming into a stream of energy that flowed into Alex.


    She had died, but she''d bought Glint more time. The Chimera realized that too, but it realized too late.


    The Shardwalker launched himself into the air and slammed straight into the Chimera''s face. His claws ripped down across the monster''s features, shredding the boss''s face like confetti. One of its eyes burst under Glint''s onslaught.


    "Now?" Claire asked.


    "No. Not yet." Alex''s hands clenched at his sides. The Chimera was weakened, but it wasn''t downed. The monster''s tail was terrifying. They couldn''t afford to overextend when a single misstep would end either of them in a split instant.


    I should have Princess'' powers now, so I might be able to tank a hit, but I''ve got a better idea.


    An agonized scream tore from the Chimera and it whipped its head back and forth furiously. It staggered to the side and slammed its face straight into the ground. There was a crunch, followed by silence.


    Energy flowed into Alex as his third monster died. The Chimera lifted its face, wounded, bleeding, and partially blinded. Fury shone in the monster''s three remaining eyes and it stalked forward. Blood and saliva dripped from its mouth and formed a trail that marked its wake.


    Alex drew deeply on his power. He still had a fair amount left ¡ª there had been no reason to use Funhouse when the Chimera was so much larger than him that he''d never be able to envelop it within the ability''s radius.


    "Come on," Alex called. "You haven''t even landed a single blow on me yet. Isn''t that embarrassing? Some boss, getting fought off by a single Initiate Stage. You might have to get the boss bit scrubbed from your name."


    He doubted the Chimera had actually heard him, but it was pissed ¡ª and that was enough.


    It burst into motion.


    Alex snapped his fingers, and all the power he''d gathered exploded out of him in an instant.


    "Encore."


    The ground before Alex exploded in a spray of black liquid.


    Princess rose up from the rippling darkness and. She drove into the stunned Chimera''s. She wrapped herself around its front legs and slammed her weight into the monster, grinding its charge to a halt. The Chimera down bit on her shoulder, tearing a huge chunk of black flesh free, but Princess held fast.


    Electrical energy crackled and glass shattered. Spark burst out from a buzzing blue portal and grabbed Glint as he emerged from a jagged fragment in reality. The Echo Wraith spun once before whipping the Shardwalker into the air like they were acrobats in the world''s most dangerous circus.


    The Chimera''s remaining eyes went wide. It tried to flinch back, but Princess'' grip tightened on it, not letting the monster escape.


    A brilliant crack rang out as the sound barrier shattered. Glint''s body jerked as the Chimera''s tail slammed into his chest. The Shardwalker went limp, then exploded into particles of dust.


    "Now!" Alex yelled.


    Wings exploded from Claire''s back and she burst into motion. There was a brief moment between strikes where the Chimera had to retract its tail before it could attack again. And in that moment, Claire arrived before the boss monster.


    She slammed into its face with such force that it staggered. Bone crunched and blood sprayed across the ground. Claire didn''t wait to see the results of her attack. With a snarl, she drove her katana down straight through one of the Chimera''s eyes.


    Blood and bodily fluids sprayed from the wound. The Chimera screamed in agony, but Claire wasn''t done. She drove her hand down straight into the center of its skull, striking the location that Spark had hit at the start of the fight.


    Bone crunched beneath her empowered hands. Her claws carved deep into the monster''s skull and ripped a huge chunk of flesh free.


    Yes!


    The power flowing from Alex abruptly vanished.


    Encore''s time was up.


    Princess and Spark vanished with a pop.


    The Chimera staggered. Without Princess to interfere, it could move properly once again. Blood mixed with saliva and sprayed from the monster''s mouth as it roared and focused on Claire once more.


    Its tail lifted into the air.


    No!


    Alex left a shadow on the ground behind him and sprinted forward with a yell, trying to get the monster''s attention. The moment it turned its eyes to him, he''d have to swap back. There was no way for him to react fast enough to the monster''s tail. He would just have to predict it.


    But the Chimera wasn''t paying attention to him. It was fully focused on Claire. She''d thrust her right hand back behind her, and the blood coating the ground churned beneath them.


    The boss whipped its head to the side with a sharp snap. Despite Claire''s best efforts, she was launched into the air. Her wings snapped, stopping her tumble mid-air. The huge monster''s head turned to follow her path as it lined up a strike with its tail.


    Alex called on Glint''s powers as he closed the gap between himself and the Chimera. There were enough open wounds to attack the monster from within if he could get close¡ª


    Clair clenched her fist shut.


    Blood flowed upward from the ground in a smooth arc. Its surface shimmered as it solidified and sharpened, forming into a blade. The blood drove up through the bottom of the Chimera''s skull and burst out through the top of its head with a wet crunch.


    For an instant, the Chimera stood frozen in place. Blood dripped down the frozen blade running through its head. The monster twitched once.


    Then it pitched forward and crashed to the ground, dead.


    Power poured into Alex as he skidded to a stop, nearly overwhelmed by the wave of energy. Claire dropped to the ground beside him, breathing heavily.


    "Holy shit," Claire said. "That was almost worse than if I''d been fighting the whole time. My heart is going to explode."


    "It was well played, though, wasn''t it?" Alex asked with an adrenaline-fuled grin. "What a fight."


    He glanced back to the dead monster. A Soul Flame materialized above its body.


    Field Boss Slain. Rewards Earned.


    Alex''s grin grew wider.


    That''s what I''m talking about.


    Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted someone standing beside the glowing white meteor that had fallen in the center of town during the 2nd Initialization.


    Finley.


    The merchant''s eyes were wide and his mouth hung askew in abject disbelief. He lifted a shaking finger toward Alex and Claire, almost as if in accusation. Finley''s mouth worked as he tried to piece together what he''d just seen.


    In the end, he managed to force just a single, stunned word from his lips.


    "How?"

 Chapter 76 - 75: Valley Ford

    Dust twisted through the air as a wind blew through the ruins of Towntown, sending it dancing in streaming clouds. Light from the glowing white meteor behind Finley reflected off the dust and danced across the ground, illuminating it in rippling patches like the ocean floor.


    Finley gaped at Alex and Claire, his eyes flicking from them to the dead Chimera as if they couldn''t process what they''d just seen.


    "No free questions," Alex said with a tired grin, wiping his face with the back of a sleeve.


    He approached the fallen Chimera and reached out to the Soul Flame that shimmered on the ground beside its body.


    [Field Boss] Mid-High Grade Initiate (Mutated Chimera)


    Whoa. That thing is huge, and the name is different as well. It kept the Field Boss tag. This is going to be worth a whole lot of energy¡­ or possibly a really nice combination if I can work with it.


    Alex scooped the fire up and power prickled against his palms. Its power was definitely proportionate to its size. He summoned a Spatial Mirror and shoved the flame into it, depositing the magic for later before turning to Claire.


    "You okay?"


    "More than," Claire replied, rolling her neck and giving him a grin. "Wasn''t the tastiest thing I''ve ever taken a bite out of, but it wasn''t the worst."


    "I can''t believe it," Finley muttered, walking up to stand beside Alex as he stared at the fallen Chimera''s body. "Did you lie to me earlier? Are you higher than Initiate?"


    "No," Alex said. "Why would I lie about that?"


    "There are all sorts of reasons as to why. The power you just demonstrated was far from some middling Initiate should have been able to pull off ¡ª especially one that was asking me questions about upgrading their Mind Palace," Finley replied, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Are you trying to play me for something?"


    "I''ve got bigger things to worry about than that," Alex said, giving Finley a sidelong glance.


    Namely, Claire. I want answers. Something isn''t adding up, but I can''t quiz her here.


    "Would you be willing to prove it?" Finley asked, reaching for Alex''s shoulder but pausing before his hand could connect. "If you''re telling the truth, then I''ll make it worth your time. Very worth your time."


    "Why?" Claire asked, tilting her head to the side. "An offer like that doesn''t seem appropriate just to find out how strong someone is when they''re only a mere Initiate tier."


    "Look around you," Finley said tersely, drumming his fingers on the hilt of his swords. The merchant was nervous. Alex could see it the hunch of his back, the flit of his eyes. "This isn''t some genius game I''m trying to play at. You''re both Natives, right?"


    Actually, I''m pretty sure Claire would count as an Outworlder. She''s not from Earth ¡ª but there''s no need to mention that.


    "Yes," Alex said.


    "Then you have no idea how important this all is." Finley waved his hands around, but something told Alex he wasn''t indicating the rubble. "This is a Tier 1 world, ripe with resources. Magical power. Unique Titles, Visualizations, Paths, it''s all fresh. The System is the paradigm of evolution, and this is the freshest petri dish. And you ¡ªNatives upon your own world¡ª have both the biggest disadvantage and the highest potential out of everyone in the universe."


    "Whoa there. Slow down," Alex said. "Go over that again, but in more detail? And what do you mean by us having an advantage?"


    Finley smirked and shook his head. "Oh, no. I don''t think so. The only answer you''re getting is the one you need right now ¡ª and that''s the reason I need you. I am a System Merchant, the lowest form of Outworlder. I can''t fight unless attacked first. My power is heavily restricted and my contact back to my home planet has been completely cut off. The only thing I can do is sell resources. That means I need someone to sell those resources too. That''s why I need you."


    "Us and nobody else?" Claire arched an eyebrow. "I bet you''re popular with the ladies."


    "I wish," Finley grumbled. He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a defeated sigh. "The reason I need you specifically is not some marketing scheme. It is because there is no alternative. Among the things I am limited from doing is activating a Starstone. The two of you can leave this place and go to another Hub City, but I am stuck here."


    Alex''s gaze shifted past Finley and to the glowing white meteor behind him.


    "But surely other people could come here?" Alex asked. "And there could be other survivors here."


    "People will come eventually, to defeat the Region Boss. But in the near future? No. People gather at large or powerful cities. Such is the nature of life. Very few will come out into the middle to a ruined town like this before the boss awakens. And the ones that are already here¡­ do you imply they are strong enough to be able to afford my services?" It was Finley''s turn to arch an eyebrow. "There are most certainly survivors, but they are not powerful ¡ª which means they will earn little. Thus, I will earn little, and that cannot be allowed to happen. I must sell my goods."


    "Why?" Alex asked. "Can''t you just wait?"


    "He''s in debt," Claire said, her eyes sharpening. "Isn''t that right? You have to earn a constant stream of money to keep your debtors paid off."


    Finley''s jaw clenched. "Very good. I trust you understand my situation, then. I need your money. You need information and strength. We can help each other. I cannot afford to give you more information for free, but I trust we can form a business relationship."


    "I''m not sure we''re planning on sticking around here much longer," Alex said, nodding to the town around them. "There isn''t really much left."


    "I would expect not," Finley said. He bit his lower lip, then blew out a short breath. "What I am asking is that you return to this place. Within a week. No longer. If you do that, then I am willing to give you a gift. Something to prove that partnering with me will be worth your time."


    "What kind of gift?" Alex asked.


    Finely shook his head. "I will not answer that. The more information I give away, the more I lose. I am not asking much ¡ª only that you return to this place before a week passes. You will not have to buy or return anything unless you decide that you want to."


    Finley''s offer sounded good. Possibly too good. The merchant had a calm smile plastered over his features, but it was only skin deep. A bead of sweat trickled down the side of his face and there was panic buried within his eyes.


    Finley was terrified. It was difficult to tell if it was an act or not. If it was, Finley was the best liar that Alex had ever met. He was selling it perfectly.


    I don''t think I can poke any major holes in just promising to come back. Finley''s already given me some really useful information. The time to push my lead is now.


    "Will we have to pay to travel back?" Claire asked.


    "Yes," Finley said. "But you will be able to afford it. I can guarantee it."


    Alex and Claire exchanged a glance. Claire shrugged one shoulder, and Alex finally nodded.


    "Fine. I think that seems fair enough. We''ll come back if your gift proves that it''s worth working together."


    Finley blew out a breath. He turned his hand over, palm to the sky, and the air above it shimmered with faint blueish-purple energy. It warped like a mirage in the desert, then bent in on itself. A walnut-sized silver marble took form as the energy faded with a pop. Thin lines ran across its surface, splitting it almost like the streaks of a basketball.


    "Here," Finley said, holding the marble out. He dropped it into Alex''s hands.


    "What is it?" S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "A Harvester," Finley replied. He nodded over Alex''s shoulder to the dead Chimera behind him. "You wanted to know how to get Credits? Sell your shit. Merchants, other people, you name it. There''s a market for everything magical."


    "And this will help us do that?" Alex asked, holding the ball up and squinting at it. "How?"


    "You''re about to go to a Hub City. Likely a family-controlled one. I doubt any Natives have had a chance to get their hands on a Town Token and actually grow it to the point where they can establish their own city. It''ll be months before that happens." Finley plucked the ball from Alex''s hand and held it up.


    Town Tokens?


    "What''s a¡ª"


    "The families offer a great deal of things," Finley continued, not so much as missing a beat. "They will rip open your horizons ¡ª and they''ll enslave you in the process if you let them. There''s only one way you can get what you want without selling yourself. And that way is money. Credits. It makes the world turn, and you''re about to have a whole lot of it."


    Finley flicked the ball at the dead Chimera. The Harvester struck it in the side. There was a violent shearing noise, like an electric razor ripping through a head full of hair. Segments of the marble split apart and hovered in the air around it. A brief flash of purple energy lit the marble from within and the segments snapped back shut.


    The Harvester dropped to the ground with a clink.


    "You didn''t answer Alex''s question," Claire pointed out.


    "No," Finley agreed. "I did not. I''m already giving you the clothes off my own back like you were my own children. Stop trying to drag my underwear off as well."


    Alex walked over to the marble, grabbing it before it could roll away. The lines running across its surface had turned a dull purple. He brought it back over to Finley, still studying it.


    "I''m not sure I followed what this did."


    "Ripped the monster''s core out," Finley replied. "When it comes to value, the core makes up around ninety five percent of a monster for the common man''s purposes. The extra stuff¡­ well, unless you''re pinching pennies, there isn''t a reason to lug a wagon of corpses around with you until you can get an extradimensional space. A Harvester can only hold one core at a time, but any merchant worth their salt can pop the core out for you. Bring this to whatever city you''re going to and sell the core. It''ll go for a rather nice amount ¡ª a monster like this will be quite valuable to anyone with a crafting-based Class. Just save some of that money for when you head back."


    "If it''s so expensive, why don''t you buy the body off us?" Claire asked. "Or maybe we could trade?"


    Finley winced and coughed into a fist. "I¡­ am in a somewhat unfortunate spot with regard to Credits at the moment. I am in a slight want of them."


    "You''re flat broke," Alex said.


    "That would be one way to put it. I cannot trade either. I need Credits, not a body that must be resold. Somehow, I doubt anyone in this backwater location will be in a purchasing mood."


    "I see. Then we''ll sell it in the city." Alex studied the Harvester, then slipped it into a pocket and nodded. "Thank you. This is useful. I''ll get Credits for the core, I take it?"


    "Don''t accept anything else. There are too many dodgy currencies going around the Infinium," Finley said through a grimace. "Every single family tries to push their own, and every single one of them will pull the rug out from under you if you buy in. Only accept Credits. The System backs those."


    "I see," Alex said. "Thank you. That''s some really good information. You''ve mentioned families more than once. I don''t suppose¡ª"


    "Nope." Finley smiled. "That''ll cost you. Information is the most expensive resource I sell. You''ve already gotten your freebies."


    "Fair enough," Alex said. He couldn''t expect Finley to just give him everything for free. He''d already gotten more than enough to keep his mind occupied. There was no doubt in his mind that he''d be coming back, even if it was only to fulfill a promise. Breaking one would just leave a sour taste in his mouth.


    "Then be on with you. The faster you leave, the faster you come back," Finley said, nodding to the glowing Starstone. He coughed into a fist. "And don''t feel a need to wait the whole week. I would be quite appreciative if you returned earlier."


    "What about the other survivors?" Claire asked. "I saw some others before Spark grabbed me."


    "They''ll be fine for a short while," Finley said. "With the Field Boss dead, the monsters that came in its wake will have temporarily retreated. Anyone intelligent will make their way to me soon enough. I can''t do much, but I''ll tell them to use the Starstone at the very least. Perhaps a few more will come back in time to purchase something."


    Finley didn''t sound too optimistic about the whole thing.


    "We''ll be back," Alex said. He studied the white meteor for a second. "How do we use this? Do I just touch it?"


    "Together, yes. There won''t be many options at this point. Oh ¡ª avoid any city controlled by the Nightmarch."


    "Nightmarch?" Claire asked. "Is that a family?"


    "Yes." Finley''s expression went dark. "Scumbags. I can''t say more than that, but just trust me on this one. Avoid the Nightmarch like the plague ¡ª and don''t trust a single word out of their mouths."


    Damn it. I have so many questions. It sounds like the Outworlders don''t really like each other all that much. I guess inter-dimensional politics are even more insane than normal ones.


    Gah, I wish he''d told me what this big advantage Natives have is, but I suppose I''ll just have to buy the information later or figure it out myself.


    Alex threw a glance over his shoulder at the ruins of Towntown. Part of him was tempted to look for Dorriv and Ben, but even if he managed to find them, there was nothing that he could do. He had no healing abilities and the System would slowly fix them up anyway.


    All he could do is hope that they''d somehow survived the landing of the Region Boss and that they, too, would make their way out of Towntown.


    Claire stepped up to the meteor. Alex mirrored her motion. Excitement built in his stomach. They would finally have a chance to see how the rest of the world had fared in the Apocalypse ¡ª and to see where they stood among the other survivors.


    The two of them lifted their hands at the same time to press them against its rough, craggy surface.


    Something cold and wet prickled against Alex''s palm. A river of energy pressed through it and into his body, and the air around him shimmered as white letters traced themselves in the air before him.


    Towntown Starstone


    Connected Hub Cities:


    Valley Ford


    "Well then," Alex said. "Lots of options to choose from."


    Claire snorted. "Valley Ford it is, then. You ready?"


    He nodded.


    The glowing white letters exploded.


    Silver mist wrapped up from the ground beneath their feet, twisting up to form into a shimmering portal before them. Its surface rippled like that of a lake, but it was completely opaque and impossible to see through.


    Alex and Claire stepped through it as one.


    The world collapsed. Colors and shapes twisted together into a vortex, spiraling into the center of the portal until only darkness remained. A loud ringing filled Alex''s ears and a roar of freezing cold energy washed over him like a crashing waterfall. The floor dropped out beneath Alex and his stomach flew up into his throat ¡ª and then he was falling.


    And then, as abruptly as it had started, the sensation stopped. Alex lurched. Lines traced through the darkness, forming into the black and white model of a market square.


    Before the rest of the world could even completely take form, a familiar feeling greeted Alex''s mind ¡ª prickling goosebumps that rolled across his skin and gripped the back of his neck like a claw.


    There was another Anomaly near them.

 Chapter 77 - 76: Arrival

    Color exploded throughout the world, painting back over it in a flash. Solid ground materialized beneath Alex''s feet and his body jerked, any thoughts of an Anomaly temporarily suspended.


    He and Claire stood on a raised platform before a large white meteor. Moonlight bore down on them, inexplicably dancing and swaying over a massive market square.


    Men and women filled it, clad in armor and bearing weapons that ranged from blades to staves. While the majority of the people in the city had concealed their Stage, Alex saw a number of high level Novices scattered throughout the square.


    They had arrived at Valley Ford.


    Alex blinked in surprise as he took in his surroundings and shook off the final effects of the portal.


    The buildings around them were whole. Unlike Towntown, there were no chunks of skyscrapers or restaurants that had been stolen from their streets. Every single building had been intentionally placed, lined up in neat rows ¡ª but they were like nothing that Alex had ever seen.


    Beautifully carved stone flowed like frozen ocean waves to make the walls, coiling around blue glass windows. Calling their surfaces carved would have been like calling the ocean a puddle. The tallest buildings stood well over five stories tall, though the majority of them were two or three.


    Dozens upon dozens of bridges crisscrossed through the sky above them, connecting the buildings like strands of a spider''s web. Blue flags embroidered with whorls of gold fluttered from the tops of many of the buildings between the bridges.


    And, above it all, was a glistening lake. Alex blinked, then did a double take. His vision had not tricked him. Water flowed up from all around the city to gather in a lake suspended in the sky. There was no glass or container keeping it there. The water seemed to have just decided that it belonged in the sky. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The moonlight passing through it shifted, turning to dancing beams of silver rolled across the city like rippling waves.


    "Whoa," Alex breathed, craning his neck back and staring up in awe. "That''s¡ª"


    "Keep it moving!" a loud voice barked. "You''re blocking the Starstone!"


    Alex glanced toward the source of the voice. A huge man bearing a large polearm and clad in heavy green armor stood to the side of the Starstone. He stood easily five feet over Alex and the few parts of his body that were exposed were covered in rippling muscle. The man''s skin had a faint blue tint, as if his entire body was severely devoid of oxygen.


    Claire and Alex both stepped down from the raised platform and onto the shimmering cobbled streets below. The guard didn''t so much as look in their direction a second time.


    "Friendly place," Claire observed, turning in a circle to take in the market square. "But¡­ this is what Earth cities are like? You never said they were so beautiful."


    "I don''t think this is an Earth city," Alex said, his neck turning on a swivel as they walked across the market square. Even though it was the middle of the night, light from oil lanterns spilled out from shop windows and vendors lined the sides of the streets. "I''ve never seen anything like this, but be on your guard. You remember the guy we first met in Towntown?"


    Claire''s expression sharpened. "You sense another one?"


    "Yeah." An odd mixture of scents ¡ª everything from oil to greased meat to salty brine ¡ª intertwined in the air and wormed into Alex''s nostrils. His brain was still yet to decide if he liked it or not.


    "What do we do?" Claire asked.


    "For now? Nothing. I just know they''re present, and that means they know the same. Our original goals haven''t changed," Alex said.


    "Guess there''s no point driving ourselves insane searching. Then the first move is probably selling the thingie we got. We can figure out what to do from there."


    The question nudged Alex''s mind back to what he''d been thinking about before they''d stepped into the portal. He repressed the urge to send a sidelong look in her direction.


    What I really want to do is get some answers to a few questions I''ve got for you.


    "Agreed," Alex said. "We can look for a place to settle in for the night and meditate as well. Something tells me that lodgings might not be free here."


    Claire nodded in agreement. The two of them glanced around the square in search of an appropriate merchant. There were a number of them, and Alex wasn''t sure which one would be the most likely to ¡ª


    "What about that place?" Claire pointed across the square.


    Alex followed Claire''s finger to look in the direction she had indicated. A wide, three story building made of white stone loomed near the very center of the market square. Dozens of people had gathered around and inside it and excited conversation rose from the crowd.


    "Looks like as good a start as any," Alex said.


    They made their way across the square and over to the entrance of the building. A pair of large double doors, made from the same flowing stone as the rest of the building, already hung open. Beyond them stretched a beautiful malachite-tiled room.


    Iron braziers hung from the ceiling, suspended on chains, and crackled with lime-green flame that danced across the room. They illuminated rivers of flowing water suspended in nothing but air that wound through the room and traveled up through holes in the ceiling.


    The walls were covered with an assortment of weapons, armor, and scrolls, all of which had been broken off into sections. At the back end of the room was a spiral staircase that led up to the second floor.


    A long counter ran along every wall but the one that boasted the building''s entrance. Clerks sat behind it wearing uniforms that could have been taken for gaudy flight attendant outfits. They matched the flags covering the city ¡ª largely blue, with golden whorls running down their sleeves and emblazed upon their chests.


    People stared up at the riches adorning the walls and murmured in awe. Many of them already sported what looked to be new weapons and armor purchased from the shop. While most of the staff were already occupied, Alex spotted a few open counters and made his way toward one of them.


    A clerk with short blonde hair sat in wait, her fingers interlaced and hands resting on the countertop before her. She gave them a beaming smile full of uncomfortably white teeth as they came to a stop before her.


    "Welcome to The Ocean''s Tide, courtesy of the Great Tide Family. We''re thrilled to make your acquaintance and deliver you the finest goods in all of the Infinium. The greatest treasures all flow from the ocean. What can I do for you today?"


    The woman''s voice was bubbly and energetic. There was a nonzero chance she''d pounded back a few dozen expresso shots before showing up to her shift.


    "I''m looking to sell something," Alex said, reaching into to his pocket and pulling out the Harvester.


    "Of course. At Ocean''s Tide, we sport the best deals in the city," the clerk said. Her wide, plastic smile didn''t so much as twitch and her voice kept a constant, flat note of manufactured excitement as she continued. "Our appraisers are a little busy right now. We only just moved into town, so please bear with us. I''m thrilled to share that we have a Grand Opening deal going on. We''ll be paying twice as many Shells as normal for anything you have to¡ª"


    "I''d prefer Credits, please," Alex said, opening his hand to reveal the Harvester.


    The clerk''s eyes went wide. Her smile evaporated like rain in the desert and she hopped down from her chair, walking around the counter and bowing slightly in respect.


    "Mention that you are an Outworlder before I get started on the marketing pitch," she said in a terse whisper. "Please, follow me. We would be pleased to deal with you on the second floor."


    "Hey, hold on," a large man standing at the counter beside Alex exclaimed. "I''ve been waiting here for an hour! Why''s he get special treatment?"


    A few other murmurs of annoyance ran through the people in the immediate area around them.


    "This gentleman is a personal friend of the establishment and has prior dealings with us," the clerk said without missing a beat. "We pride ourselves on rewarding repeat customers. Rest assured, you too will receive similar treatment should you continue to bless us with your patronage."


    Her words drove a blade through the heart of the man''s annoyance in an instant. He blinked, then scratched the back of his head.


    "Oh. I suppose that makes sense. It''s good to know you guys remember your customers. We''re the ones who pay you, after all."


    "Very true. We would be nothing without your generosity."


    Holy shit. She turned that around in a split second. What a load of shit, but damn if she''s not good at it. It looks like these guys are professional bullshitters, and they must think I''m an Offworlder because I know about Credits and have that Harvester thing that Finley gave me.


    The clerk started over to the stairs, then stopped to turn and send Alex and Claire a pointed glance.


    They hurried after her. She wasn''t exactly giving them a moment to rectify her mistake. And even if she had, Alex wasn''t particularly interested in waiting around like some shmuck for an hour when they clearly had people ready to pay out.


    The stairs came to a stop on the second floor, into a long, beautifully decorated hallway. Mosaics of beautiful shells and ceramic depicting the ocean waves covered the ground and wove up the walls. Light danced across them from black metal braziers that dangled from the ceiling well above their heads. A dozen white coral doors lined either side of the hallway.


    The Ocean''s Tide definitely wasn''t hurting for money.


    "We''ve only got one Merchant available at the moment," the clerk said apologetically as she came to a stop before one of the coral doors. "We really weren''t expecting another Offworlder this early on. Please excuse our lack of preparation. It will not happen again."


    Another Offworlder? Does that mean¡ª


    "Oh, please. We didn''t announce ourselves. I would have been more displeased if you did know we were coming. There''s a reason we keep a low profile," Claire said casually, her tone and demeanor shifting to become slightly haughty. "So long as your service is satisfactory, we''ll have nothing to complain about."


    The clerk smiled in appreciation. "We will ensure that you are well taken care of, Miss. The Great Tide family is thrilled that you have chosen us to serve you."


    With that, the clerk pressed her hands against the door. It swung open soundlessly to reveal a plain white room with a large pink coral desk growing out of the ground in its very center. Seated across from them was a tall, blue skinned man in fine clothes. He had thin, diagonal lines running along the sides of his neck and his features were flat and sharklike ¡ª but Alex''s attention wasn''t on him.


    He was focused on the woman in one of the several chairs across from him with her back to the door. A woman with a huge, pointed hat. It, and her robes, were purple and trimmed with flowing silver designs. Bright orange hair rolled down her back and a huge wooden staff leaned against her side.


    Even before she turned around, Alex knew there would be a small scar on the side of her lip.


    Goosebumps prickled at his back and the hair on his arms stood on end.


    Oh, shit. You can''t be serious.


    He''d seen this woman before.


    It was GoGently, the Rank 2 on their Subsector''s 2nd Initialization''s Final Leaderboard.

 Chapter 78 - 77: Who Are You?

    The blue-skinned merchant rose partially from his chair, sending it scraping back across the mosaic-covered ground. Surprise washed over his features and he splayed his hands out over the table. "Vivian. What are you doing? I''m in the middle of a meeting! This is most inappropriate. Remove them at once. You should not be bringing¡ª"


    "Master Mako, these visitors have come bearing a Harvester," the clerk, whose name appeared to be Vivian, said, her tone terse. "They would like to sell it."


    The merchant froze mid-sentence. The expression on his face shifted at the flick of a switch and a welcoming smile split his features. "Ah, of course! The circumstances are a little unfortunate, but I would never be a poor guest to any soul who graced my doors. Please, come inside."


    Thoughts spun in Alex''s head like it had turned into a washing machine. He fought to keep his expression from revealing his thoughts.


    You can''t be serious. She''s an Outworlder? How the hell was she in the Leaderboards, then? I thought Outworlders only showed up after the 3rd Initialization!


    What''s she doing here? And what is she after?


    Shit, could she recognize me?


    No. That''s pretty unlikely, right? Unless she happened to use that identifying item on me back in the Nexus Point, my silhouette really shouldn''t be that recognizable¡­ but I might be in trouble.


    I''m supposed to be pretending to be an Outworlder, but I don''t know what they even really are.


    Several seconds of uncomfortable silence ground by.


    "You don''t mind, do you, Orchid?" Mako asked with the practiced smile of a car salesman. "I can assure you it will not interfere with our deal."


    "It''s your building. You can do what you want with it as long as you don''t try to stiff me on my Credits," GoGently ¡ª or Orchid ¡ª replied. She did not sound nearly as okay with the situation as her words would have implied. Her gaze bore into Alex and Claire like she was trying to peel their skin away with her eyes. "But I was unaware that there were two more Outworlders in the area. What family are you from?"


    "One that prefers not to air their laundry out in public," Claire replied curtly. "We don''t want to waste any more time than we have to."


    "A sentiment I can assure you that we all share." Mako adjusted his collar and nodded to the empty chairs in front of the desk. "Sit. Please."


    Alex and Claire moved to oblige the merchant. They sat down beside Orchid, who didn''t take her eyes off them for a second. Alex was tempted to scoot his chair away from the woman from keeping her from getting too good of a look at his face, but that would have been an insult at best.


    At least I''m using the Band of Shadowed Shroud so my face is partially covered.


    Mako cleared his throat and sat back down himself. "Well, then. I wouldn''t want to waste any time. Miss Orchid, have you decided on what you want in exchange for your offer yet? Will it just be Credits, or are you looking to purchase anything else?"


    "I''m still thinking," Orchid said, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair. "Feel free to help your new visitors. There''s no need to make them wait while I mull over your offer. It seems they wanted to sell you something."


    "That''s a kind offer, but we don''t need to intrude," Claire countered. "We can wait. Don''t let us bother you."


    "There''s no reason to delay for my sake," Orchid said. Her eyes narrowed. "We''re both customers here, and it''ll take me some time to figure out what I''m going to be purchasing. Don''t worry about me. I''m not interested in quarreling with the other families. We''re all here for the same reason, more or less¡­ right?"


    Orchid let the question hang in the air like a noose. It was clearly meant to be a trick question, but it didn''t work nearly as well when Alex had absolutely no idea what the Outworlder was talking about.


    Claire sent Alex a questioning look ¡ª but it was more than that. The pointed glance was so obvious that the others couldn''t have missed it even if they''d been half blind. She''d exaggerated the motion on purpose.


    Alex was confused for a moment before he suddenly realized what Claire was trying to do.


    Ah. She''s trying to give us some mystery of our own. If Orchid and Mako are trying to figure out what family of Outworlders we''re from and who we are, their minds will automatically skip past the bit where they wonder if we''re Outworlders in the first place. It''s like sleight of hand. That''s genius.


    I guess I have to play the part of the secretive boss. Shit. I should have watched more Godfather. How do I sound cool and mysterious?


    "There''s only one thing in this world I care about, and it isn''t you or your family." Alex thunked the Harvester down on the table between himself and Mako. "So long as you don''t stand in my way, you can do what you want."


    Big lofty goal. That seems like it should keep them distracted.


    Mako lifted the Harvester from the table. He pulled a small metal disk from out of his pocket and set it on the coral desk before him, pressing down on a small indent in its center. There was a small click as three prongs jutted out from it, curling up like the claws of a bird.


    The merchant set the Harvester on the claws, and a dull hum filled the room. Energy buzzed at the tips of the prongs and, with a pop, purple words scrawled themselves through the air above the humming metal marble.


    [Field Boss] Mid-High Grade Initiate Core


    Mako''s expression flickered for an instant, but it was impossible to tell exactly what emotion he''d felt.


    "This isn''t half bad," Mako said, leaning back and crossing his arms in front of his chest. "It''s only a Field Boss, of course. Not a bad find, but I fear it won''t be making either of us rich."


    The effect of his words didn''t quite hit home. While the merchant might have been an experienced salesman, it very quickly became evident that Orchid was not. Interest lit behind her eyes and she leaned forward, her gaze sharpening.


    She didn''t say a word. It didn''t matter. Alex and Claire alike caught the motion. So did Mako. The merchant grimaced, but it was too late. The Core was obviously worth more than he had let on.


    "I''m sure you''ll be able to come up with something worthwhile," Claire said.


    Mako''s lips thinned. He definitely wasn''t happy with Orchid, but he didn''t say so much as a word to her. Mako just coughed into a fist and pressed the beds of his fingers together. "Did you shatter your soul in order to arrive on 274-50? I could arrange for a decent Visualization in exchange for this." S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Shatter my soul? Is that something Outworlders have to do before they arrive here, like some form of balancing measure by the System? Finley did say that Natives were the ones with the most potential on this world¡­ but the way Mako posed the question implied it was possible to get to Earth without breaking your soul.


    Do I even want a ''decent'' Visualization? Finley said they''re what people use to form their Mind Palace. If all the stuff I''ve built so far is the foundations, I don''t want to ruin all that work by using something that''s only average. I think I''d rather just have Credits so I can choose what I''m getting myself.


    "I would prefer to be paid in Credits," Alex said. He paused for a moment, then tilted his head to the side. "Unless your family is running low on them at the moment?"


    Mako stiffened. "We are doing quite fine, and I can assure you that we will have no troubles paying for this core. If you wish to be paid exclusively in Credits, then I can offer you 50."


    "75," Claire said without so much as a breath in between Mako''s words and hers.


    "75?" Mako exclaimed, distraught. "This is just a mere core. It''s hardly worth¡ª"


    "A Field Boss core," Claire corrected. She crossed her arms in front of her chest.


    "Perhaps, but¡ª"


    "I''ll accept your offer," Orchid said abruptly, extending her hand. "Effective immediately."


    Mako''s eye twitched at the constant interruptions. He extended a hand to Orchid, and she grasped it. A shimmer of purple light passed between rings on each of their thumbs.


    "It was a pleasure," Mako said with a smile. "Our scouts have already identified a dungeon likely to possess this region''s Town Token. I will a map of it to you shortly. But, now that our business for the day is done, please¡ª"


    "80 Credits," Orchid said.


    They all stared at her.


    "What?" Mako asked.


    "80 Credits," Orchid repeated, jerking her chin for the Harvester floating on the table.


    "I ¡ª you ¡ª what? No! You can''t do that," Mako sputtered, slamming his hands down on the coral table with a thud. "You don''t even have that many Credits!"


    "I do now," Orchid replied. "You just paid me a fair sum. I''m offering 80 Credits for that core. I can use it."


    "90 Credits," Mako growled. "Watch yourself, Orchid. You do not want to make an enemy of me."


    Orchid let out a huff. She rose to her feet and her staff floated into the air by her side. She grabbed it, then lowered her wide-brimmed hat over her face. "All yours."


    With that, she swept out of the room.


    What was that about?


    Alex could hear Mako''s teeth grinding from across the table. He repressed the urge to bust out laughing.


    "So," Mako said, dragging the word out. "Perhaps we could ignore¡ª"


    "90 Credits," Claire said. She extended her hand.


    The merchant heaved a sigh and took Claire''s hand, giving it a shake. With his free hand, he reached out and plucked the Harvester from the clawed contraption. There was a high pitched whine and a stream of purple energy poured out of the Harvester, forming into a fingernail sized bead that the three claws clenched down upon.


    Mako released Claire''s hand and gave the Harvester back to Alex.


    "Ring?" Mako asked.


    Alex and Claire stared at him blankly.


    "Spatial Ring," Mako said, his expression narrowing in annoyance. He beckoned impatiently. "Come on. We''re all busy people."


    Spatial Ring? The things both Orchid and Mako are wearing? Ah, shit. I don''t have one. What do I ¡ª


    "Give us a clean one. No traces of the interaction," Claire said. "We''d prefer that our passing goes unnoticed."


    Mako''s head tilted to the side. He studied them for several long moments, then shrugged. "Very well. That will be 10 Credits. System pricing. No negotiation."


    "Done," Claire said. "So long as you don''t break your end of the deal. When we say ''no traces'', we mean it."


    "Fear not," Mako said with a wry smile. He waved a hand through the air like a magician performing a trick. A black ring materialized between his fingers and he extended his hand, palm up, to Alex. "Here."


    Alex took the ring and slipped it over his pointer finger.


    A tremor of energy prickled against his skin. The moment he sent his attention toward the new piece of jewelry, dim gold words shimmered to life in the air above it.


    Lesser Spatial Ring (Rare)


    Bonded Effect: The Lesser Spatial Ring contains a 5 x 5 x 5 foot cube of extradimensional space folded within it. Inanimate objects and up to 1,000 Credits can be stored within this space.


    Credits: 80


    "It was a pleasure," Alex said, rising from his chair.


    "Don''t you want to see any more of my wares?" Mako asked. "Information, perhaps? Weapons? I have it all."


    "Another time, maybe," Alex said with a small shrug. He had other things on his mind at the moment ¡ª and he wasn''t so sure he trusted Mako. Right now, he was more interested in actually answering a few questions rather than getting more of them. Making purchases when he didn''t know the value of what he''d just gotten was a dangerous move.


    "In that case, please return another day," Mako said. "We value your patronage greatly."


    Alex and Claire just nodded. They headed out of the room and down the stairwell, making their way through the still-crowded lower floor before stepping outside.


    "Let''s find somewhere to stay for the night," Claire suggested.


    Alex couldn''t have agreed more. They kept to the side of the market square to avoid the thicker crowds as they headed toward the main street in search of an inn or lodgings.


    As they walked past an alley at the edge of the square, Alex caught something out of the corner of his eye. Orchid stood within it, just a few feet away from them and cast partially in the shadow, watching him from under the brim of her large hat.


    He and Claire ground to a halt.


    "I didn''t have the Credits," Orchid said.


    Alex stared at her. "What?"


    "The Credits I offered for your core. I didn''t have that many. I was just driving up the price. You''re welcome."


    Alex blinked in surprise, and Claire beat him to responding.


    "Why?" Claire asked.


    "A gesture of good will. I have a proposition for you. Something that I believe will be mutually beneficial," Orchid replied, turning on her heel and starting into the alley. She paused several feet in and turned to look back at them. "I trust you''ll hear me out? The extra Credits I earned you should be more than worth the time I ask."


    Alex exchanged a glance with Claire. Their fake identities as Outworlders were tenuous at best, but if they could get any information from Orchid¡­ they couldn''t pass up on the opportunity.


    "You''ve got 10 minutes," Claire said. She stepped into the alley after Orchid, and Alex followed after her. It was wide enough for the two of them to walk side-by-side.


    "I won''t need that long. My offer is to the point. I¡ª" Orchid''s eyes abruptly widened. She lifted her staff, pale blue power gathering at its large end. "Behind you!"


    Something scuffed in the alley behind Alex. There was a wet thunk and he staggered forward as a force drove into his back.


    He looked down in surprise.


    What the hell?


    A sword protruded from the center of his chest.


    "No!" Claire yelled. She shoved Alex behind herself, but the alley behind them was empty. There was nobody there.


    "Invisibility," Orchid spat, driving her staff into the ground. A wave of frosty air rolled from its head and past Claire.


    The form of a man appeared, rapidly covered in whitening frost crystals. He let out a hiss of pain, and staggered back, raising his hands to protect his face. Claire''s fist slammed into his stomach and the man doubled over. Blood splattered across her and the ground.


    Black veins carved across her flesh and she drove her hand forward like a knife. It burst through the man''s neck, painting the wall behind him red.


    Alex''s stomach felt cold. He pressed his fingers to the edge of the sword. They came back wet ¡ª and blinked.


    "Don''t move a muscle. You aren''t dead yet," Orchid barked, striding toward Alex and reaching for her side. "We can get a¡ª"


    Alex ignored her. He reached behind himself and found the sword''s handle. His fingers tightened around it and he gave it a tug, sliding the blade out of himself with a grunt.


    The fluid on the blade wasn''t red.


    It was black.


    Alex held the sword up before him, then looked back to the dead man lying behind them in the alleyway. His chest squelched as black sludge dripped from the wound, sealing back over the hole until nothing but whole flesh remained.


    A wave of dizziness threatened to choke him. It took every single scrap of strength he had to stay standing. Practically all his magical energy had evaporated, having been drained in mere instants ¡ª but the injury was gone.


    Alex would have laughed if he''d had the energy to spare. Princess was still dead. Her powers had saved him.


    Orchid ground to a halt before him, her mouth hanging slightly askew in disbelief as she stared at the now-sealed wound.


    "How did you do that?" Orchid breathed in awe. "Who are you?"

 Chapter 79 - 78: Orchid

    Orchid would have said that she was well acquainted with evading death. The Everbloom family had been perfecting the Midnight Bloom Soul Manifestation for centuries. It was the namesake of her family.


    She had been trained personally by the Matriarch in the path of Midnight Bloom. Though her own strength had not yet advanced to the point where she could utilize her domain to activate the full strength of Midnight Bloom, she had gotten very good at using Domain Qi.


    Qi allowed her to activate the Epic rarity bracelet that hung around her wrist and bridged the gap in power ¡ª at least, temporarily. Of the 3 chances the bracelet gave her to activate the true power of Midnight Bloom, only 2 remained.


    But even Midnight Bloom could not do what she had just witnessed. It had taken her a whole day to come back to life after Absolution had killed her. The Matriarch herself took an entire minute to return after being struck down, though she had not died in hundreds of years.


    But the Outworlder standing before her had healed from a mortal wound in seconds.


    This man¡­ he didn''t even flinch from getting run through. Even now, he''s barely so much as moved a muscle. He''s so unconcerned with getting stabbed that acting on his own would have been more effort than doing nothing.


    Orchid bit back the urge to swallow. She could show no weakness. The man''s pale-skinned companion had looked terrified for a moment when he''d been stabbed. Orchid had believed that fear to have been for him, but now it was apparent that it was anything but.


    She feared what his reaction would be. What family is this monster from?


    I may have made a mistake in choosing him, but I can''t back out. I just invited them to speak. It would be an insult to change my mind now.


    What is wrong with this Subsector? First Absolution, then some insane Native using the Mirrorlands, and now this monstrosity.


    A horrifying thought struck Orchid.


    They couldn''t possibly think I ordered this attack, could they? That fool was clearly a thief waiting near the Ocean''s Tide and hoping to get lucky robbing all of us right after we left. He clearly thought his invisibility made him invincible. Amateur.


    "I apologize for this," Orchid said stiffly. "I had no association with this attack, but I should have expected more attention would be on us after leaving from the second floor of the Ocean''s Tide."


    The dark-clothed man''s gaze bore into Orchid''s skull like a blade. He had still yet to budge from his spot. He wasn''t even looking at her. His attention went straight through Orchid as if she were nothing but air.


    "What was this idiot thinking?" the man''s pale-skinned companion asked as she nimbly checked the attacker''s pockets in rapid succession. Everything the would-be assassin had other than his clothes was stripped away in practiced motions.


    This wasn''t the first time the woman had looted a body. She knew what she was doing.


    They couldn''t be from the Starfallen family, could they?


    No. That''s not possible. They promised me that they weren''t entering my Subsector.


    "I''ve seen it many times before," Orchid said, not letting any of the panic she felt show through in her words. "Invisibility makes fools think they are gods. We should leave. The commotion may have been overheard, and I do not wish to deal with the Great Tide family right now. They won''t hold us responsible for defending ourselves, but we''ll waste precious time."


    Orchid tapped her staff against the ground and sent her magic coursing free. The cobbled stone split apart and swallowed the dead man''s body, sealing back over it with a crunch and leaving no trace of his passing.


    She started down the alley. Orchid didn''t glance back to see if the other two were following her, but she was relieved to hear two sets of footsteps in her wake. It seemed that they weren''t going to try to hold her accountable and were still interested in working together.


    Though it may have been safer if they had remained behind. That no longer matters. What is, is. I will not fail my family. Even if victory comes at the cost of making a deal with an ancient monster like this, we must succeed.


    No matter how powerful their family may be, this is a fresh Tier 1 world. Momentum is everything.


    I will not fail.


    ***


    Every single step Alex took felt like it sent shockwaves rolling through his entire body. He had no idea how he managed to keep himself upright as he and Claire followed after Orchid ¡ª but he couldn''t let himself show any form of weakness.


    This was an opportunity to get more information. To learn more about the Outworlders and figure out what the hell was going on with the apocalypse.


    Alex was fairly certain that Orchid actually wanted to work together with them for something. She''d been too surprised at the attack for it to have been intentional, and she''d been the first out of all of them to react to it.


    There''s a chance that she was just putting on an act to win us over, but I''ll reserve judgement for until she tells us what it is she wants.


    Orchid led Alex and Claire down the alleyway and into a one-story house a few streets away from the market. While the exterior of the house was beautiful, it was considerably less impressive on the inside. The building only had a single room inside it. Layers of flowers had been laid upon each other in the corner of the room to make a bed. The centerpiece of the room was a large, circular wooden table surrounded by chairs.


    "So, what is it that you want to ask us for?" Claire asked, saving Alex from having to figure out how to speak through lips as stiff as cardboard.


    Some power was returning to his body, but it seemed it would be at least a few more minutes until he felt anywhere close to normal again. He lumbered over to the table and pulled a chair out, lowering himself into it without a word.


    "A dungeon." Orchid walked over to the far side of the table and sat down, interlacing her fingers and resting her forearms on its wooden surface. "As you heard from Mako, I have acquired the location of a Town Token."


    The Outworlder let her words linger in the air. They probably would have been a lot more potent if Alex had any idea what a Town Token actually did or why it was important.


    "You want our help getting it?" Claire asked. "Why?"


    "My class is not one that performs well on its own for extended fights," Orchid replied. "And the Town Token is not going to be easy to take. Being able to create or upgrade a town is far too great of a boon for the System to release it easily. I would like to hire you to help me get to the Token."


    That caught Alex''s attention.


    Finley mentioned a Town Token as well. He said we wouldn''t be able to get one for months, but why would having a town be important to an Outworlder? I feel like it can''t just be because she wants a vacation home.


    "And what do we get out of this, presuming we''re interested?" Claire asked. "Are you going to sell the token?"


    "I am open to options." Orchid was clearly choosing her words carefully. "What I need is Credits. A lot of them. I''m not strong enough to defend a Town myself, but a lot of families would pay very well for the opportunity to try."


    Why? What the hell does a Town Token do that just building some houses somewhere doesn''t? It would be way too oblivious to just straight up ask. That would give us away.


    "Why us?" Claire asked.


    "You were here first," Orchid replied without a second of hesitation. "Speed of utmost importance. There hasn''t been a single town formed on 274-50 yet. Every single family is going to be racing to form theirs first, and the selling price we can get for the Token will be astronomical if we can do it before anyone else."


    "That''s an¡­ optimistic take," Claire said slowly. Alex could tell she was thinking on what question to ask that would give them the most information without revealing just how clueless they actually were.


    "I know it''s a long shot, but it''s not like clearing the dungeon won''t have other rewards. This isn''t some short task, and we''re ahead of the curve," Orchid insisted. She splayed her fingers out on the table and rose from her chair, leaning forward. "It''ll take weeks to get through the outer layers, and days for the final dungeon. The Town Token is the ultimate reward, but it''s the main one I care about. Help me get to the token and I''ll give you proportionate cuts of the sale as well as all the Credits we earn leading up to it. If we fail to get the Token, we split everything we earned three ways evenly."


    Whoa. That''s a really damn good deal for us, especially if we manage to get this Token. Orchid is desperate. Is she also in debt?


    Huh. Maybe that''s one of the restrictions the System puts on Outworlders. They all have to pay a crazy amount of Credits to stay on the planet.


    A little more of Alex''s strength returned. Working with Orchid was tempting. Very tempting. She''d dropped even more information in the short conversation they''d had with her. The longer they spent in her presence, the more she''d inadvertently reveal.


    But the more time they spent near her, the higher the chance was that Alex or Claire would slip up and she''d realize they weren''t Outworlders.


    I don''t know how strong Orchid is. At the very least, she''s got a lead on us with regard to understanding the system. Fighting her would probably be suicide, but if we don''t get caught...


    This could be another a massive opportunity. The Outworlders all think they''re coming here to play us, but we have a chance to play them instead. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alex would have struggled to avoid smiling if he wasn''t so tired.


    "So you want us to basically spend weeks looking for this dungeon?" Claire said asked doubtfully. "That''s quite a while."


    Oh, shoot. I almost missed that. Spending weeks grinding dungeons with her would be bad news. We''d definitely get caught at some point.


    Alex started to frown.


    "Forget the outer dungeons," Orchid said, sensing she was about to lose them. "I''ll hire some natives to deal with those. What I really need help with is the final network. The Great Tide family will be able to get me the general location of the Town Token based on its energy signature. The signal is muted because of all the noise from the dungeons that spring up around it, but even a weak one gives us the right direction to look. I''ll need your help once I locate that dungeon."


    "So you want a few days of our time to help you get the Town Token," Alex said, speaking up for the for the first time since they''d arrived Orchid''s house. He wanted to learn anything he could get from Orchid, but he had to be smart about it.


    I can''t afford to spend too much time next to her or she''ll definitely figure out that we aren''t Outworlders. Weeks would be impossible, but days¡­ we might be able to pull that off.


    "Correct," Orchid said.


    "Then I believe we might be able to help each other," Alex said with a smile.


    "Exactly the words I wanted to hear," Orchid said. She straightened her back and extended a hand, a small glint in her eye warning Alex that he might have missed something. "Then, as per custom, I am Orchid of the Everbloom Family. Which of the 14 are you from?"


    Ah, shit. That''s bad. Do I just make one up?


    No, that''s not going to work. She said 14. That must be how many families are on Earth. She knows their names, so I can''t just bullshit something.


    Alex was running out of time. He couldn''t just sit there staring at Orchid forever. A smile pulled across her lips as she watched him.


    "That''s right," Orchid said. "I know how many families made it onto 274-50. I have strong connections, Alex. You aren''t the only one with some leverage."


    The number of families here clearly has some importance, but I have no idea why. It doesn''t matter right now. Who the hell do I say I''m with? She seems confident that there are only 14, so she won''t buy it if I make something up.


    Finley mentioned a group called the Nightmarch family, but he clearly hated them. Pretending to be some massive asshole might go poorly.


    Maybe I could take Finley''s family name?


    No, shit. That won''t work either. He said his family was completely broke and couldn''t afford to send an Outworlder that could do anything other than sell shit. I''m obviously not part of the Great Tide family either. What else could I ¡ª


    A thought struck Alex. It was an old one, from back when he''d first been in the Mirrorlands. There was one other family that he''d seen the name of, though he hadn''t realized what it was at the time when it had been shimmering above a giant squid-vessel.


    I haven''t heard anyone use their name yet. I can''t just not answer Orchid. It would be too suspicious at this point. I''ve just got to take a gamble.


    "My name is Alex," he replied, reaching out to take Orchid''s hand. "Of the Starfallen family."

 Chapter 80 - 79: A friendly knock

    The world ground to a halt around Orchid. Blood pounded in her ears as she stared at Alex, his words echoing through her head on repeat. The sinking pit that had been forming in her stomach ever since she''d first met the strange Outworlder condensed into a block of lead.


    She could feel her grip tightening but could do nothing to avoid it. Her body had taken on a will of its own and her mind was nothing more than a prisoner within its flesh. The strangling hold of fear wrapped around her neck like a noose and started to tighten.


    No. This can''t be happening.


    Why would they send someone here? Did they hear that I failed to kill Absolution? That can''t be possible. There was no way for any family to get any information about 274-50 up until the beginning of the 3rd Initialization.


    My conversation with Absolution couldn''t have been overheard.


    Orchid''s skin felt clammy. Her tongue was thick in her mouth and her stomach clenched so hard that it hurt. Not a single one of those emotions made it through the frozen mask that was her face. She could not afford to show any weakness.


    I must approach this rationally. Panic will grant me nothing. Emotion will only hinder whatever path I choose to take. There is no proof that the Starfallen family would have sent someone here. They have no reason to.


    This could be an imposter. Someone attempting to use their name as leverage. I must determine if this is the case. Even the Starfallens would not hold me in contempt for testing their identity to ensure I did not reveal secrets.


    Orchid forced herself to relax. She pushed the embarrassment tickling the back of her mind away. If Alex was actually telling the truth, then she''d just bragged about knowing how many families had entered 274-50 by using information that his own family had given her. She wanted to sink into the ground ¡ª but she couldn''t afford the distraction any longer. Orchid forced herself back into the present.


    The entire internal monologue that had just torn through her mind had only lasted a second.


    Fortunately, it didn''t seem like Alex had noticed her thoughts. He barely even seemed to notice her at all ¡ª almost as if she were beneath his presence.


    Just like a Starfallen.


    The thought sent a wave of goosebumps rolling down her spine. She forced it down. An aloof attitude could be faked. There were other manners in which a true identity could be brought forth. Orchid released Alex''s hand and glanced to his companion.


    There hadn''t been time to see if the woman had picked up on Orchid''s hesitation. It was too late to find out now. The moment had passed. All that could be done was to forge ahead with the information she had.


    "And you are?" Orchid extended her hand.


    "Claire," the pale skinned woman replied, a soft smile playing across her lips. Once more, unease twisted in Orchid. Claire interlaced her fingers and made absolutely no move to accept Orchid''s proffered hand. "Of the Starfallen family."


    There should have been nothing to fear about Claire. She had not demonstrated any immense abilities in the fight. Orchid couldn''t see any powerful items on the woman, nor did she even have a storage ring visible.


    By all means, she just looked like a Native. But there was something about the way she carried herself ¡ª the slightest dash of contempt in her smile, the flatness deep within her eyes, the casual dismissal within her tone.


    It was like a queen¡­ or a monster.


    Could she be bluffing? If she picked up on my earlier hesitation when speaking with Alex, there''s a chance she noticed weakness and is capitalizing on it. But it was only an instant. There''s no way she could have figured out what I was thinking that quickly.


    "Then I am honored to be able to share my housing with you," Orchid said, inclining her head slightly.


    Neither Claire nor Alex responded. They stood as still as ice, completely ignoring the gesture of respect. There weren''t many families bold enough to do something like that. Even the stronger families still acknowledged when someone gave them face ¡ª and anyone from one of them would have been long since trained in the proper manner of interaction between families.


    The Everbloom Family might have fallen from grace, but it was far from trash. From almost every other family that could have arrived on this world would at least know its name. There were very few of them that were powerful enough to snub her completely.


    If Claire and Alex were from one of those families, they would have at least twitched as they repressed their instinct to return my bow.


    There were families that wouldn''t so much at look at hers twice as anything more than a pawn. The Starfallen were among their small number.


    Orchid fought the urge to swallow.


    This proves nothing. They could have rehearsed this.


    Alex and Claire''s silence ground down on Orchid''s shoulders like a millstone. Even though she''d been the last to speak, neither of them had said anything in the last few seconds.


    Perhaps I can determine information about their abilities. The Starfallen have access to some incredibly powerful paths.


    "We can discuss the specifics of the plan, then," Orchid hedged. "I will need to fill in our group once we locate the Town Token. Would you share your general class styles so that I can properly build the group?"


    "A group?" Claire let out a small laugh and shook her head. "We don''t need that. We will be sufficient. All you have to do is take us to the dungeon."


    What, without me? No. That''s ridiculous. She must mean the three of us.


    Even Absolution would be hard pressed to handle a dungeon with a Town Token in it. The magical energy that pours off an artifact that strong is the reason there are so many dungeons around it in the first place.


    Clearing the dungeon that a Token resided within would be leagues harder than a normal dungeon. Claiming to be able to deal with something like that without help was a slip up from an overconfident liar ¡ª or at least, it would have been if Orchid hadn''t just watched Alex get run through the chest and shrug it off as if nothing had happened.


    "I apologize for doubting your abilities. If you''re that confident, then I will gratefully accept. It''ll save me a lot of expenses," Orchid said, conceding the point. They certainly had the arrogance and confidence of the Starfallen Family.


    She had to change the topic to something more specific if she wanted to determine if these two were from the Starfallen Family or not. But, first, she had to buy herself some time to think. Orchid cleared her throat. "I will contact you when the Token has been located, then. In the meantime, since you are my guests, could I treat you to some food?"


    Claire inclined her head, but not nearly enough to be mistaken as a sign of respect. It was merely an acknowledgement. "We will not object."


    Orchid sent her mind into her spatial ring and drew forth several loaves of bread, cheese, and pies from within it. They materialized on the table before her and were joined shortly thereafter by an assortment of drinks.


    "Please," Orchid said, holding her hands out. "Help yourselves."


    ***


    "¡­but it''s been months since I have spoken about family matters with my Matriarch. We have difficulties, but I can assure you that the Everbloom family is as potent as it always has been," Orchid finished.


    "I am certain you will make that clear to us in due time," Claire said.


    Orchid started to nod. Then her eye twitched.


    An hour and a half had ground by since she''d procured the food. She''d been planning to use the time while Claire and Alex ate to determine a good strategy to really pick any potential holes in their story apart.


    But Claire hadn''t taken so much as a bite. Instead, she''d turned Orchid''s questions against her ¡ª and Orchid wasn''t even sure how. She couldn''t quite place at what point she''d started speaking about herself or the Everbloom family.


    In the meantime, Alex had been doing nothing but eat. He''d barely given her so much as a cursory glance in the last hour. It seemed that he was content to just sit back and listen.


    I''m being run in circles. I can''t let this keep happening. I''m going to have to be direct.


    Orchid cleared her throat. "If I may ask, why is it that you arrived in this Subsector and chose to come to Valley Ford?"


    "We came to Valley Ford because we have no desire to sell trash to our own merchant," Claire replied with a half-shrug. "And we arrived in this Subsector because some things need personal oversight."


    Orchid''s skin prickled.


    Trash? A Field Boss'' Core is trash? Damnation. I must have looked like an idiot pushing up the price of a core by 5 Credits to them. Of course they''d have contact with their own merchant.


    But why would they come specifically to Valley Ford, out of all the Hub Cities on 274-50?


    Could they be here to observe me?


    No. That can''t be possible¡­ but if they''re from the Starfallen family, they should know what my task is. Should I just straight up ask them? But if they''re not, I''d be giving away my affiliations. That would be less than ideal.


    Damn it all. Why can''t I figure out what either of them are thinking?


    Orchid was no stranger to reading people. She wasn''t a master manipulator, but she''d pulled a few strings in her time, and she''d been part of countless meetings together with her mother.


    She''d seen just about every trick in the book ¡ª but she couldn''t wring so much as a drop of information from the two before her.


    Even more direct, then. I have no choice.


    "I must admit, I did not expect your family to come here. I have everything under control." sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Claire''s head tilted to the side. "What makes you think we''re here for you?"


    Orchid blinked.


    They don''t know my task at all. Then they''re lying about who they¡ª


    Wait.


    Absolution is in this sector. Why would someone strong enough to draw the Starfallen Family''s direct ire be in an area of the world that was pointless?


    Her blood ran cold.


    Shit. Absolution isn''t their end goal. How did I not realize this? He''s just another Outworlder. Absolution is a side project. That''s why they sent me instead of one of their own. The real team is aiming to get to the top of the Subsector. They just want me to deal with him so they can focus on the real prize.


    Pieces of a puzzle clicked into place. It was so painfully obvious that Orchid wanted to bash her head against the wall. There was no reason a family like the Starfallens would be worried about Absolution if there wasn''t something they wanted to keep him from getting.


    "Then¡ª"


    "Our ultimate tasks are not your business," Claire said. There was a line of steel in her voice that warned Orchid not to press the matter so much as an inch further. "You deal with your family. They have enough issues, and your Matriarch can''t afford to replace you."


    That was a threat, but Orchid barely even registered it. Thinly veiled threats were commonplace when dealing with the higher members of any strong family.


    She knows a lot about my position. Even if someone really was planning to impersonate the Starfallens, there''s no way they would have known they''d run into me and prepared for that as well¡­ but damn it all, I can''t remember what information I just gave up while Claire had me talking.


    Did I reveal my position in the family at some point while we spoke?


    I don''t think I did.


    Orchid swallowed.


    Claire had steered the conversation completely and hadn''t let up on a single piece of information herself or Alex. She''d even managed to wrench some information from Orchid in the process, though she hadn''t revealed anything too important.


    A skill like that could only belong to someone that had honed their wits against the most dangerous minds in the Infinium. Orchid refused to believe some backwater family would be able to train someone that could run circles around her so easily.


    Between that, Alex''s complete nonchalance and disinterest in her, and the Field Boss the two of them had sold to the Great Tide family¡­


    It was impossible to deny it any longer. All the signs were there.


    Claire and Alex really are from the Starfallen family.


    Orchid swallowed. Her nerves felt like they were being plucked like the strings of a harp. This had been supposed to be a simple job. Difficult, but simple. Go to Planet 274-50, kill Absolution, then wipe up the rest of the Subsector and relax until a way off the planet arose.


    Her stomach threatened to push its way out of her mouth and bile welled at the base of her throat.


    The Starfallen family hadn''t been supposed to follow her here. She wanted absolutely nothing to do with them ¡ª but out of every single Outworlder family that had arrived on 274-50, she''d somehow managed to locate them instantly.


    First Absolution turns out to be far stronger than I thought and I get myself killed instantly. Then I stumble straight into the Starfallen Family. I''m almost starting to wonder if I''m cursed.


    There was nothing to be done, and it wasn''t all bad. The only thing worse than being next to the Starfallen family was being enemies with them. At least she wouldn''t be in their sights as long as they were working together.


    "I¡ª"


    Alex''s eyes snapped up, the first flicker of actual interest he''d had throughout the entire time he''d been in the house. He rose to his feet.


    "There''s someone coming."


    Claire stood instantly. There wasn''t a second of hesitation in her movements. She trusted him completely.


    And, no more than a moment after Alex had spoken, a loud knock echoed through the room.


    Orchid grabbed her staff. She didn''t know how Alex had figured out they had company or who it could be, but she had no plans of trying to find out. The Starfallen family had many enemies, and the less she knew about who was trying to kill her, the less liability she''d have if anyone came knocking on her door later.


    "Excuse me," a man''s booming voice called from the other side of the door. "Is this a good time? I can come back later if you''d prefer."


    "Were you¡­ expecting company?" Orchid asked hesitantly.


    Alex stared at the door for a moment. "In a manner of speaking, yes."


    "Should I open the door?" Orchid asked in a whisper.


    Claire and Alex exchanged a glance. Alex slowly nodded.


    "Yes. Go ahead."


    Orchid stepped forward and pulled the door open.


    A man in his mid-20s stood on the other side, a sheepish grin on his lips. He was lean, with muscles that came through years of work rather than intentional training. A thick sea of stubble covered the lower half of his angular face and he had a bed of messy blonde hair that hung around his face and sank to his shoulders.


    He was clad in heavy leathers that had been ripped to shreds in battle ¡ª and it seemed he''d brought the weapons that had put those cuts there along in him.


    There was a large axe lodged four inches into his left side. Several swords sprouted from his back, and the point of a rapier stuck out of his stomach. Dried blood covered the weapons and large portions of his destroyed clothes.


    "Pleasure to meet you all," the man said, raising a hand in greeting. A dagger had been sheathed in the very center of his palm. He didn''t seem very bothered by his situation. His eyes swept over the room and locked onto Alex. The grin on his face grew. "And there you are. Knew you were in here. Do you have any idea how long I''ve been stumbling around looking for you?"


    "No," Alex said.


    "Me neither." The man tried to step into the room, but one of the swords on his back thunked into the doorframe. He moved back and grunted. "Damn. You mind coming out here? I don''t fit inside."


    Orchid fought to keep her face expressionless, but it was quickly becoming a losing battle.


    Matriarch, what have I gotten myself into?


    "It''s usually polite to say why you''ve come looking for someone before you ask things of them," Claire said tersely, watching the man with thin lips.


    "Oh, shit. Introductions! I knew I was forgetting something. I''m real sorry about that. Been tired recently. I''ve tried to catch up on sleep, but you know how it is. Anyway, my name''s Derek." The man gave them a wide grin, then turned to look straight at Alex. "And I''m here to kill this guy."

 Chapter 81 - 80: The Count

    For the past hour and some, Alex''s mind had been trapped in the remarkable phenomenon that he''d previously thought was constrained to painfully boring classes. Namely, he''d been completely and utterly zoned out and time had slipped through his fingers like grains of sand.


    That was equal parts because of the enormous amount of energy Princess'' power had drained from him and because he was trying to figure out just how much of that magic he could actually control.


    He''d tried stretching his arms beneath the table a few times to see if he''d suddenly become elastic, but that had proven ineffective, even after some of his magic returned. Princess ended up returning to life and re-inhabiting her Spatial Mirror a few ineffective tests later.


    It was around then that Alex realized he''d been staring Orchid down for the past hour or so. She''d definitely noticed it, but it wasn''t like he could un-stare her. That had left him in an awkward position.


    He''d had two options. The first was to look away, but that would have almost made the aforementioned sixty minutes of staring even worse, as it would mean he knew exactly what he was doing.


    The other was to keep staring at her.


    Alex ended up going with the second option. After all, she hadn''t gotten weirded out yet. Changing anything would have just brought more attention back to him and Claire seemed to have a good handle on the situation as things were.


    As to what those things were, Alex was a little less certain. Claire and Orchid were locked in a conversation about the Everbloom family now, but he had no idea at what point the topic had shifted.


    He''d just sat and stared at the wall behind Orchid''s head ¡ª desperately wishing the two would stop so he could do literally anything other than this.


    When the tingling at the back of his mind that marked the presence of another Anomaly had grown stronger, he''d nearly leapt out of his chair in delight. It was exactly what he''d been waiting for. His ticket to escaping the hell he''d mistakenly built around himself had finally arrived.


    He just hadn''t expected the Anomaly that had showed up to be quite so¡­ upfront about their plans ¡ª or to be stabbed full of weapons.


    "What?" Alex asked, half-wondering if he''d managed to mishear the man. Nobody strolled up and announced that they were planning to kill¡ª


    "I''m here to kill you," Derek said. The large man scratched at the stubble on the side of his face. "Is now a bad time? Are you busy?"


    Okay. I didn''t mishear him.


    The look that Orchid was giving Derek made it abundantly clear that this wasn''t some weird Outworlder thing. She was even more baffled than he was.


    "Eh. We were just wrapping things up. Now''s as good a time as any," Alex said, trying to hide just how relieved he actually was. Derek''s timing was so good that he may as well have been an angel.


    "Great!" Derek exclaimed, placing his un-stabbed hand on his chest and letting out a relieved sigh. "That''s good to hear. I showed up while the last guy had food poisoning. It was really rough. Stood outside the toilet for about an hour. Then I found out he''d cut a hole in the back of the room and run off by the time I got concerned enough to check on him."


    You got concerned enough to check on the guy you were waiting to kill?


    "A common issue, I''m certain," Alex said dryly.


    "Is it?" Derek frowned. "That''s annoying. How do you normally deal with it?"


    Right. No sarcasm with this guy.


    "Stand on the inside of the bathroom," Claire advised from behind Alex. "That way you can see if they make a run for it, and you can help get some liquids if they need them."


    "I thought about that, but¡­" Derek glanced at the axe sticking out of his side, then shrugged helplessly. "I don''t exactly get along too well with doors. Or doorways. Or hallways. Any tight spaces, really." Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I think I may have suffered an occlusion in my brain," Orchid said, blinking heavily. Her staff wavered in the air and she stared at her hand as if she were trying to determine if it was actually there. "I do not believe I am hearing the words of this conversation correctly."


    "No, you''re hearing them right," Claire said.


    Derek cleared his throat. "If now is a good time¡­ could you step out of the house? There''s a doorway. I''d hate to damage it on accident."


    "Don''t you think we''d end up damaging the rest of the town if we fight here?" Alex asked, tilting his head to the side. He wasn''t even trying to stall for time ¡ª he genuinely wanted to know what the other Anomaly''s answer would be.


    "Oh, shit," Derek said, slapping himself in the face. "You''re right. I didn''t think about that at all! It would be pretty rude if we destroyed the street, and someone might get caught up in the fight. Do you think we could¡­"


    Derek gestured vaguely over his shoulder.


    "Take this outside of town?"


    "Yes!" Derek nodded empathetically. "Exactly!"


    "Do you want me to deal with him?" Orchid whispered hesitantly. "I''m certain something like this isn''t worth your time. It will be a middling problem for me to handle."


    "Absolutely not," Alex said with a firm shake of his head. He was not about to let someone else steal a kill on an Anomaly and prevent him from advancing his Unmaker title, which would let him upgrade an Auxiliary Skill the next time he killed an Anomaly.


    I''m still not actually sure this guy wants to kill me, though. He''s so polite. If he''s serious¡­ well, it''s a nice change from all the nutjobs I''ve met recently.


    "I''d appreciate that as well," Derek voiced. "I don''t really want to fight you, miss. Just¡­ er, what''s your name?"


    "Alex."


    "Just Alex," Derek finished.


    This might actually be the weirdest thing that''s happened to me since the apocalypse started, and that''s saying a lot.


    Claire caught Alex''s eye and arched an eyebrow. He just shrugged in response. There was no reason to be rude. Derek was an Anomaly. He wanted the same thing that Alex did ¡ª the winner of their fight would get stronger.


    "Let''s get to it, then. No point wasting time," Alex said, stepping out from the house. He prepared to call on his monsters if Derek tried anything, but the larger man just nodded in agreement.


    "I couldn''t agree more," Derek said, turning and starting toward the main road.


    Alex walked after him.


    "Find us later," Claire told Orchid. "We''ll be around town. I suggest leaving a little forewarning when you need our help. We don''t tend to stick around for long periods of time."


    "Understood," Orchid muttered, not sounding like she''d fully registered a single thing that Claire had just said. She just stared after them until they vanished from view, her mouth hanging askew.


    The three of them walked in silence for a minute. People stared at Derek, but the large Anomaly barely even seemed to notice. He hummed a happy tune to himself, his hands in his tattered pockets as he strolled through the city.


    "You know, you''re the first person to actually take me up on this," Derek said, glancing back at Alex. "Everyone else has just tried to kill me the moment I finish talking. Sometimes sooner. You''re a good guy. Your friend isn''t planning to jump me the moment we start fighting, I she?"


    "I''ll stay out of the way," Claire said as they reached a large gate at the edge of town. A small stream of people flowed in and out of it. "It does kind of seem rude to butt in at this point. Do you do this a lot?"


    "Done it a few times. Maybe I just got bad eggs," Derek replied with a small shrug. The three of them joined the line of people leaving the city, ignoring the looks as they drew on their way out.


    Alex drew to a stop as they emerged from within Valley Ford, the sound of roaring water slamming into him like someone had abruptly flipped a switch to turn it on.


    His eyes went wide as he got his first look at the city''s surroundings. It was at the base of an enormous valley. Perhaps the name should have given that part away, but Alex digressed.


    Rolling clay hills stretched out around them but came to an abrupt stop about fifty feet away from the city''s edges, which were all solid gray stone.


    Towering mountains with jagged, snow-tipped peaks loomed all around the city and the hills surrounding it. Waterfalls poured down their faces, joining into massive rivers at their bases. The water flowed naturally right up until it reached the edge of the city where the clay turned to stone, where it lifted into the air as if flowing through invisible tubes.


    The rivers all twisted together into an enormous spinning vortex above Valley Ford. It was the source of the thunderous sound, but the inside of the city hadn''t been anywhere near this loud.


    Derek yelled something, but Alex could barely hear him. He shook his head and held his hands up helplessly.


    The large Anomaly pointed toward the rolling stone hills away from town, then pantomimed walking toward them. Alex''s eyes lit up and he nodded.


    All three of them headed in the direction that Derek had indicated until the crashing water faded into a rumble in the distance. The trip took just under twenty minutes, and they came to a stop between two small hills.


    "How does this location feel to you?" Derek asked.


    "About as good as any, I''d say. This is an interesting place," Alex said.


    "Quite," Derek agreed. "I can''t wait to get a chance to properly explore the city. After this, I guess ¡ª but I don''t want to make plans while you''re waiting. You just about ready?"


    Definitely the weirdest thing that''s ever happened to me. It''s rather odd, actually. Derek is claiming to have killed other Anomalies. He''s stuffed full of weapons but isn''t acting hurt¡­ it feels like he should be relatively strong. I definitely didn''t see him in the Nexus Point, though. Was he from one of the other winner''s areas?


    Alex called his summons with a thought. The ground before him bubbled black as Princess emerged from it like a wraith escaping from hell. Glass shattered to his right; electricity crackled to his left.


    Glint and Spark joined Princess at his sides.


    Derek didn''t so much as blink.


    "Yeah," Alex said, feeling slightly awkward about the whole thing. It was considerably easier to start a fight when his opponent was already trying to kill him ¡ª though, Derek had flat out voiced his plans to do exactly that. Alex shook himself off and focused his attention. This was just a more civilized manner of doing what he''d already done. He couldn''t afford to be distracted when he was about to fight to the death. "I''m ready."


    "Wait, who starts? I haven''t gotten this far before. I think we need a count-down."


    You can''t be serious.


    "Claire?" Alex asked.


    "I¡­ uh, sure. Three. Two¡ª"


    "Wait!" Derek exclaimed. "Do we start on one? Or do we start on zero?"


    "I''ll say ''go'' after I finish counting down," Claire said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Is that fine?"


    "Perfect. Thank you."


    "I''m starting," Claire said. She waited for a moment to see if Derek would say anything else. When he didn''t, she started to count down.


    "Three. Two. One¡­ Go."


    Glint burst into motion. He bounded across the ground and lunged, his claws catching the light as they carved through the air in a blur. Derek didn''t even have a moment to react. One moment, the Shardwalker had been in front of him.


    The next, Glint skidded to a stop behind the Anomaly, blood dripping from his claws.


    Derek''s head slipped forward, severed at the neck, and fell off his shoulders. It landed at his feet with a soft thud.


    Alex blinked in disbelief.


    What? Just like that? He didn''t even try to dodge!


    "Huh," Claire said.


    "Did I attack too fast?" Alex asked. "I waited until the count was over, right?"


    "Yeah, you did."


    The answer didn''t come from Claire.


    It had come from the ground between Derek''s feet.


    The Anomaly leaned and grabbed his head by the hair. He lifted it back to the stump of his neck and thunked it down with a squelch, giving it a twist to set it in place.


    Alex''s eyes went wide.


    What the fuck?


    "That was a good opening attack. I didn''t even see it coming. I knew this was going to be a good fight." Derek grabbed the haft of the huge axe that protruded from his side and ripped it free of himself with a spray of blood and a grunt. He lowered his stance, readying the bloodstained weapon before him as a smile pulled across his lips. "But now it''s my turn."

 Chapter 82 - 81: Winning Strategy

    The hair on Alex''s neck stood on end. He''d just watched Glint cut Derek''s head clean off his shoulders, but the man had barely been inconvenienced. He had some form of immortality like Princess ¡ª but Alex didn''t see a white mask sitting around to target.


    Derek took a step forward. His grip tightened on the haft of his axe.


    Alex lowered his stance and sent a mental command to all of his monsters. Glint leapt back, keeping a wide berth around Derek as he raced to rejoin Alex. Princess moved to stand before them, her sludge-filled form bubbling as she rose to her full height.


    "Here I come!" Derek called, shifting his weight forward and bursting into motion.


    He charged Alex ¡ª at the speed of a strolling, middle-aged man. It would have been a relatively slow charge before the Apocalypse had made it so that people could strengthen their bodies to inhuman levels.


    It was so slow that Alex had time to blink in surprise. The charging Anomaly may as well have been underwater.


    Is it a feint? Or some sort of powerful attack that he has to move slowly to generate power for?


    "I''ve got you!" Derek yelled, raising his axe over his head ¡ª still about ten feet away from Alex.


    Princess stepped forward and punched Derek in the face.


    Her huge hand slammed him into the ground. Dozens of bones shattered as one with a loud crunch and blood splattered across the brown clay hills. Derek''s axe spun off to the side, clattering against stones before skidding to a stop several feet away from where he had fallen.


    Princess lifted her hand, then shook the blood dripping from her sludgy knuckles. The large man laid in a pulverized heap; a remarkable impression of a cockroach that had been squashed against the ground.


    Okay. Maybe that wasn''t a feint.


    A wet pop squelched out from the bloody mess. Derek''s body twitched. Then it lurched, shooting up to its feet. Muscles knit back together and blood flowed across them in a race back to its position. Broken skin sealed itself shut and the weapons in the fleshy mass quivered as Derek returned to his normal form within seconds.


    "Ouch," Derek said. "I was still attacking."


    "Were¡­ you planning on taking actual turns?" Alex asked, trying to determine if he was stunned, terrified, or impressed.


    "Yeah, kind of," Derek replied. He glanced at his axe.


    Princess smashed him over the head with both of her hands. There was a sickening crunch as he flattened. Alex and Claire both winced. Princess had flattened him into a human pancake. The only things that had survived her attack in one piece were the weapons protruding from his crunched-up form.


    Shit. I forgot to rescind the command to attack.


    The Dredge took a step back and lowered her hands. Derek''s body pulled itself back together within seconds, taking the weapons with it as he rose back to his feet. That was his third death ¡ª and his heart had definitely gotten crushed in the process.


    A flicker of unease built in Alex''s stomach.


    There''s no way he''s actually immortal, is there? Is he just playing with me? Or is this his actual personality?


    "Ow," Derek said, rubbing at his eyes. He squinted at Princess. When the monster made no move forward, he edged over to his axe and picked it up. "Okay. Now it''s my turn."


    "You¡­ can just attack," Alex said. "There aren''t turns."


    "Oh, right. I forgot." Derek lunged forward ¡ª and this time, he moved at about the speed of a normal human. It wasn''t a particularly fast attack, but it was better than his first attempt.


    Princess'' fist slammed down on Derek once more.


    The axe clattered across the ground.


    His body rebuilt itself.


    He picked the axe back up, then wiped at his eyes once more. "You''re good."


    I¡­ don''t think I''ve really done much of anything, actually. I feel like I''ve walked into an alternate dimension. Well, I guess that happened when the apocalypse arrived. This is a new alternate dimension. What the hell is going on?


    Derek burst into motion again.


    Princess slammed her hand into his chest ¡ª but this time, there was no crunch. Derek let out a grunt and fell to one knee. He skidded across the packed clay, pushing back against Princess'' immense strength for a brief moment.


    Then her other hand fell on his head and flattened him.


    Flesh and bone rippled. There was a familiar squelch. Derek re-formed, his mouth already mid-way through a yawn before his face had even fully knit back together.


    He''s got to have a weakness, but what is it? Maybe we have to cut out his heart?


    "Sorry, sorry," Derek said. "I''m enjoying the fight. I promise. I''m just a little tired."


    Princess whipped a fist toward Derek.


    He leaned back. Instead of catching him directly in the chest, her blow hit Derek''s shoulder. The Anomaly staggered back, but he didn''t fall. Princess'' other hand crashed down toward him. He crossed his arms before himself.


    Princess'' fist slammed into his body, her sludgy flesh flowing around his crossed arms and driving straight into his chest. Derek staggered back, but his feet dug into the ground and he managed to maintain his footing.


    With a roar, he swung his axe.


    The blade flashed through the air and carved into Princess'' arm, severing it. She lurched back, putting space between them as a victorious grin crossed Derek''s face and he thrust his axe into the air.


    Wait. Is he ¡ª


    "Ha! I landed a hit!"


    The sludge on the ground bubbled. It lurched through the air and reconnected with Princess, reforming into a hand. Derek blinked. He looked from his axe to the monster. Then his grin grew wider. "Oh, sweet! Your monster can do that too?"


    Alex''s skin prickled.


    Princess lunged at Derek. He hopped back, evading her grasp, then swung his axe again. It thudded into the Dredge''s back and sent black sludge splattering across the ground.


    The Dredge drove her fist into his stomach and tossed him back, but Derek kept his grip on the axe as he was forced away. The weapon carved across Princess. She reformed, but the monster only had so much energy to work with ¡ª and it didn''t look like Derek was running out.


    Shit. There''s no doubt about it. Derek was either holding back at the start of the fight¡­ or he''s getting stronger.


    And, in the light of that realization, an excited grin pulled at the corners of Alex''s lips.


    "I''ve never had a fight like this before," Alex said.


    "Me neither!" Derek exclaimed. He charged toward Princess and bounded into the air, whipping his axe down like he were trying to split her straight down the middle.


    The monster flowed to the side and the axe slammed into the ground where she''d been standing with a loud thud. One of Princess'' centipede-leg arms shot out and slammed into Derek''s chest, driving straight through it.


    Derek ripped a sword out from his back and brought it down, cutting through Princess'' arm. He ripped his axe from the ground with his other hand and brought it crashing down on her other arm, severing it.


    "I''m going to use my other monsters now," Alex said, the grin on his features matching the one on the other man''s face. He couldn''t keep himself from warning Derek. The other man was just too genuine.


    "You can use all of them at once?" Derek''s eyes lit up with delight. He dodged a punch from Princess, and his axe flashed as he cut it across the front of her chest.


    Princess ignored the middling wound and lunged forward, slamming her body into Derek and pinning him to the ground with a crash. He struggled to free himself, but it was fruitless. The monster was still considerably more powerful than Derek was, even when she wasn''t empowered by Qi or Rift Flood.


    There was just no point making her stronger than she already was. It would just be wasting energy, and Alex had to conserve everything he had until he could figure out a way to actually deal with Derek.


    Could I stop his regeneration by just cutting him apart while he''s trying to reform? Maybe it can only heal so much.


    Glint and Spark both exploded into motion. Princess lurched back just as they arrived. Derek brought his axe to bear, but Spark slammed into him and ripped the weapon from his grip, flinging it to the side.


    Derek thrust his rapier at the Echo Wraith, and Glint used the opportunity to flit behind him and rake his claws through the back of the man''s neck, severing his head from his neck once again.


    Spark slammed his hands down on the Anomaly''s back, and Glint ripped into his body with reckless abandon. Derek''s remains slithered apart under their rain of blows.


    Then they lurched. As they always seemed to do, the pieces of Derek''s body pulled themselves back together. Alex commanded Glint and Spark to continue their attack, but the Anomaly continued to reform even as they ripped him apart. His body almost seemed like it was putting itself together faster the more damage it took.


    Metal flashed.


    Spark floated back, a deep cut running across the chitinous armor that made up his segmented body. Derek''s body knit itself back together in its entirety. He held two of the swords that had been buried in his back in his hands.


    Derek swayed in place and let out a huge yawn. His eyes fluttered.


    Princess reached for him.


    He blurred, vaulting through the air as his weapons carved across her back. Black flesh sloughed away from the monster and Princess stumbled, cut in a dozen different places.


    Spark left a shadow on the ground behind him and leapt forward in conjunction with Glint. The two monsters collapsed on Derek, attacking him from opposite directions.


    Light danced across blurs of metal in the large man''s hands. Spark flashed as he swapped places with a shadow, narrowly avoiding a strike meant for him. Derek had somehow grown faster again.


    What kind of ability is this?


    Alex extended his power toward his Shardwalker, letting Qi fill him. He couldn''t afford to risk keeping his full strength contained any longer. Even if he didn''t have a way to fight Derek yet, the man had just gotten too fast to continue the fight as things were.


    He''d yet to see what a Qi-empowered Rift Flood would do to Glint, but he imagined it couldn''t hurt.


    Alex activated the ability.


    Glint''s body bulged, more than doubling in size. Shards of glass shrieked as his back hunched and jaw elongated until his face resembled that of an anglerfish. His mirror shards, instead of turning a pure purple like they had when he was summoned with Qi, darkened around the edges and buzzed with reddish-purple mist.


    The power faded away as Glint''s form solidified. He loped forward, moving just as fast as normal despite his considerably larger size, and lunged.


    Derek dodged back as Glint''s claws raked through the air where he''d been standing. He brought his axe down on Glint''s back in a blur of metal. A ringing clang echoed out. The strike should have been more than enough to shatter the shards jutting from Glint. It probably would have killed the Shardwalker on the spot if he hadn''t been transformed.


    But, instead, Derek''s sword rang off the monster harmlessly.


    Glint drove his serrated claws into his target''s stomach. Blood spilled across the ground as he ripped Derek open with a snarl.


    The ground beneath the anomaly''s feet cracked. Even as blood poured from his stomach, Derek launched himself toward Spark. He ducked past Princess and slammed both of his swords through Spark''s chest before Alex or any of his monsters could react.


    But, in the brief moment where his weapons were lodged in place, Glint attacked once more. The Shardwalker leapt forward and raked his claws along Derek''s back, slicing him into ribbons.


    Spark died, transforming into a stream of power. The swords lodge in his chest fell through the air ¡ª but they never hit the ground. Derek grabbed both of them before the skin had even finished re-knitting itself across his fingers. He let out a massive yawn.


    "Sorry," Derek said, rubbing at his eyes with the back of his palm. He stumbled over his own feet before catching himself. Glint slashed at Derek and the Anomaly twisted to the side, avoiding the strike. "I''m paying attention, I swear. You have some scary abilities. Going to give me nightmares."


    Alex''s eyes narrowed. Derek wasn''t trying to be rude. That much was obvious ¡ª it went completely against the man''s nature. He was genuinely sleepy.


    Derek isn''t running out of energy. He''s still getting faster¡­ but he''s tired.


    Realization washed over Alex. That was how Derek''s power worked. He got stronger and faster every single time he died, but he got more sleepy with every death.


    The more I kill him, the more dangerous he becomes. But if I can kill him enough times to make him pass out¡­


    I win. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 83 - 82: Decisions

    Metal rang against hardened mirrors as Glint blocked Derek''s swords. The Shardwalker skidded a step back through the packed clay, and the sunlight bearing down from overhead reflected from the mirrors covering his Rift Flood-empowered form. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Qi boost had turned Glint into a towering, hunchbacked monstrosity, but Derek was something else. He''d gotten fast enough to match speeds with the Shardwalker.


    "Your magic is incredible," Alex said as Princess reached for Derek, forcing the man to hop out of the way. Glint leapt forward and raked his claws across the Anomaly''s chest mid-air, but it wasn''t enough to be a killing blow. "Dying dozens of times every fight seems like it would really start messing with you, though."


    Derek pivoted as he landed. He drove his foot into Glint''s chest, sending the monster skidding back across the clay, then threw himself toward Alex. Princess exploded forward and slammed her body into his, driving him into the ground. Her centipede-leg arms slammed down on his skull and crushed it like a grape.


    The Anomaly''s body pulled itself back together. He rolled to the side to avoid another blow that slammed into the clay behind him. His swords flashed, carving huge chunks of Princess'' body away.


    "You figured me out," Derek covered another yawn, thrusting his weapons for Princess once more. She wasn''t fast enough to dodge, and one of them scraped along her mask. He hopped back before he could press the advantage. "This whole apocalypse has been so tiring. I accidentally slept through the Initialization thing, so I''m trying to catch up on lost time. It''s hard when I keep running into strong people, though."


    "What happens if you fall asleep mid-fight?" Alex asked. Derek opened his mouth and his hand shot up. "Actually, wait. Don''t tell me. You really shouldn''t tell people everything your power does. I don''t want to win just because you gave me the answers."


    "Then let''s find out which one of us gives out first." Derek turned straight toward Alex. His stance shifted and he lowered his body. The clay beneath his feet cracked as he exploded into motion.


    Alex released the power he''d been preparing into the air before him. Cracks carved through reality as he cast Funhouse, and Derek charged straight into its domain. The man''s eyes widened as he stumbled out in the wrong direction.


    Glint shot forward, raking his claws through Derek''s body and killing him while he was still distracted.


    By the time Derek reformed, there were three copies of Alex standing before him. His mouth dropped open.


    "No way! You can summon versions of yourself? That''s unfair."


    "Illusions," Alex said, his voice coming from all three of his bodies. "Two of them aren''t real."


    "Oh," Derek said. "Which is the real one?"


    "Illusions wouldn''t do me much good if I told you which ones were fake, would they?"


    "That''s a good point," Derek said with a knowing nod. He stabbed one of his swords into the dirt and scooped a handful of rocks up from the ground before him. "In that case, I''m going to start throwing things at you to see which one gets hit."


    On the sidelines, Claire pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why are you both telling each other everything you''re going to do?"


    "A gentleman always displays his weapon before he utilizes it in a duel." Derek flung his handful of stones in Alex''s direction. Princess moved in front of him. The rocks pelted into her harmlessly, and Derek frowned. "Aw."


    Why do I almost feel bad about blocking an attack?


    Derek''s sword flashed. It split straight through Princess'' center. The top half of her body sloughed off and splattered to the ground. Black sludge bubbled as she started to pull herself back together. It didn''t seem like Derek had figured out that she needed her mask to reform yet ¡ª nor did it seem that he had to.


    Alex''s eyes widened as Derek blurred. He dove to the side and a sword carved through one of his clones, shattering the power into fragments. Alex hit the ground in a roll and shot back to his feet, leaving a shadow in the place where he''d been standing.


    Glint and Princess both charged Derek, forcing him to change his attention to them to avoid dying again. He was getting close to his limit. The Anomaly alternated between blurring from the speed of his strikes to swaying in place, his eyes fluttering. It wouldn''t be many more deaths before he passed out ¡ª but Alex was far from fresh either.


    His energy was running thin¡­ and he was having the time of his life.


    "I''m going to throw my dagger at you now!" Derek declared, ripping the blade free from the back of his palm.


    Alex dove to the side as the weapon streaked through the air in a blur of gray above him.


    He swapped places with a shadow a moment before Derek''s sword drove into the ground where he''d been, but his final clone hadn''t been as lucky.


    "You can teleport too?" Derek''s mouth fell open in awe. "I''m so jealous."


    "You''re literally immortal," Alex protested. "How did you not manage to place on any of the Leaderboards?"


    Glint lunged at Derek. Mirror scraped against metal. Princess leapt to join the fray, and Derek ripped a third sword from his back. He drove it forward in a blur of motion ¡ª and a large crack echoed out. The mask in the center of the Drudge''s chest shattered.


    She collapsed to the ground in a puddle of black sludge that quickly faded from view. Energy entered Alex. At the same time, Glint found Derek''s neck with his claws.


    The other Anomaly collapsed to the ground, only to rise a moment later, his head hanging low and shoulders slumped like a slackened marionette.


    "I told you," Derek said, his words little more than a mumble through his yawn. "I fell asleep. I kept trying to fight this really strong monster. It didn''t work. By the time I woke up, it was all over."


    He and Glint lunged at each other.


    There was a flash of gray.


    The Shardwalker collapsed to the ground, transforming into a stream of energy and flowing into Alex.


    Derek turned toward him. He rocked back and forth. For a moment, it looked like he would collapse on the spot, he managed to right himself.


    "This¡­ was a good fight," Derek said. He shook his head off like a wet dog. The man was definitely on his last legs. It looked like the mere sight of a bed would cause him to pass out on the spot. Derek let out a massive yawn, then squinted at Alex in an attempt to focus. "I really enjoyed this."


    "So did I," Alex replied. He brought his hands together and drew on the final scraps of power he had.


    Derek exploded into motion. Chunks of dirt flew up behind him from the force of his movement.


    Mirrored shards rolled out from Alex''s palms like a silver wave. At the same time, he twisted his body to the side to minimize the area that Derek could hit.


    His arms jerked. Something slammed into him, and Alex staggered a step back as pain bloomed in his chest, inches away from his heart. Derek''s sword.


    The other man''s fingers slackened on the sword as his arm fell to his side. He''d been impaled upon the growing forest of glass shards.


    Alex took a step back, pulling the sword free of himself. Sludge dripped from the wound as it sealed itself. It wasn''t in nearly as bad of a spot as the last one had been, but he still shuddered as energy ripped out of his body, leaving him with nothing. He wasn''t so drained that his brain had turned to that of a slug, but his magic had dried up completely.


    "I¡­ should have realized," Derek muttered, swaying in place. "You get your monsters'' powers. That''s so cool. It was a good¡­ fight."


    He pitched back, crashing to the ground amidst a shower of shattering glass. The huge wound in his chest stitched itself back up ¡ª and Derek started to snore.


    Loudly.


    "That was¡­ certainly something," Claire said from the sidelines.


    Alex nodded mutely. Adrenaline still pumped in his veins. Derek had been moving so fast toward the end of the fight that Alex may as well have been fighting an afterimage. The other man''s powers were incredible.


    Blood pooled around Derek''s body as Alex looked on. The other Anomaly wasn''t dead yet, but all the locations where he still had weapons jutting out of him had started to bleed ¡ª and the wounds showed no signs of closing back up.


    The immortality ends when he''s asleep, huh?


    "You''re right. It was a great fight," Alex told Derek''s snoring form.


    "Are you going to¡­" Claire trailed off.


    For several seconds, Alex didn''t respond. Derek was an Anomaly. The two of them had been doing their absolute best to kill each other just a few moments ago, but the fight had been fun.


    The System wants anomalies to kill each other. I''ve got absolutely no problem obliging it when the other person deserves to get killed, but I''m not some mindless slave to its desires that just kills everything that I get pointed at.


    "No," Alex replied, turning away from Derek and starting back toward Valley Ford. "I''m not."


    Claire blew out a breath and fell in alongside him. "Why? Not that I''m arguing with the choice, of course. He was kind of fun. You do realize he''s definitely going to come after you again though, right? Derek didn''t strike me as the type of person to just give up."


    "Oh, I''m counting on it," Alex said with a grin. "That fight was incredible. Killing Derek now would just deprive me of the chance to improve more in the future. That''s worth way more than an Auxiliary Skill upgrade. The best way to improve is to push yourself, and Derek was a really close match for me."


    "That''s an Alex answer if I''ve ever heard one."


    "It is, isn''t it?" They walked in silence for several minutes before Alex abruptly came to a halt. Ford was still a good walk away, and the roar of the vortex of water above the city hadn''t quite grown loud enough to drown out their thoughts.


    They were alone.


    Claire glanced back at him, confusion playing across her features. "Is something wrong?"


    The moment we get back to Valley Ford, who knows when we''ll get another quiet moment. I can''t count on it anytime soon ¡ª but I''m done letting things keep delaying me.


    "Wrong? I don''t know about that," Alex replied with a small frown. "Maybe you can tell me. I''ve been confused about something."


    "Yeah?" Claire asked. "What is it?"


    "Do you remember when we met a while ago?"


    Claire nodded. "What about it?"


    "You said you''d been in your apocalypse for around a week," Alex said, watching Claire''s expression carefully ¡ª not that he expected to find much in it. Court was her battleground, not his. "But it''s been less than a week on Earth, and we''ve already had all 3 of our Initializations. You should have known they exist. So why didn''t you say anything about any of them?"


    "I''m not sure what¡ª"


    Alex held up a hand.


    "A real answer, Claire. What are you hiding?"


    He locked eyes with her. Neither of them spoke for a long few seconds. They remained as still as statues, frozen in time and thought.


    Then Claire blew out a long sigh.


    "Well, shit." Her features went flat. Claire''s slight accent changed, losing what had almost been an Irish lilt and drawing closer to something far more serpent-like. "Getting caught by something so stupid is painfully embarrassing. That''s what a going without blood for so long does to a Dhampir ¡ª but well played for paying attention. I honestly didn''t even remember that slip up myself."


    Damn. So she really was lying. That¡­ kind of hurts, actually.


    I trusted her.


    How much does she know? And why didn''t she tell me? What''s the point of that? I don''t see what benefit she would get from hiding that information. Even if this was some sort of trick, she should have capitalized on prior knowledge she had on the Initializations to perform even better than she did. I''m missing something.


    "So are you going to answer my question? Saying I caught you isn''t quite going to cut it."


    "No," Claire said, reaching to her arm and pulling the bracelet off her wrist. "I''m not going to answer your question ¡ª not outright. I could. Don''t get me wrong. It''s not that I can''t. I won''t lie about that. But I would lose too much if I did. Even revealing this much is going to sting¡­ but I like you, Alex. And because of that, I''ll I tell you why I won''t answer."


    Her name and class shimmered to life above her head in golden letters.


    Claire - Dhampir Warrior (Novice 9)


    She lifted her other hand to her right ear, to the tiny silver earring within it, and removed it.


    The identification above Claire''s head rippled.


    Then the words started to change.


    "This is my real class," Claire said. "I stole it from one of the Nightmarch family''s Heirs when she came to my planet together with the System ¡ª and I stole a Trial she had along with it. If I ever reveal anything about the Nightmarch family that someone doesn''t already know, I''ll fail the Trial and lose everything that I worked for. No matter how much I like you, I can''t let that happen. I paid too dearly for this opportunity. I had to lie¡­ but for what little it''s worth, I''m sorry."


    And then the words above her head finished changing.


    Claire - Nightwhisper (Novice 9)

 Chapter 84 - 83: Trust

    Claire stood quietly as Alex stared at her, disbelief in his expression. In the best scenario, he''d been expecting that she had some goal like increasing the challenge they faced in the trials by not revealing exactly what was going to happen. In the worst, he would have guessed that Claire had just betrayed him.


    This hadn''t been anywhere on his radar of potential outcomes. Finley had briefly mentioned the Nighmarch family before, but the only thing he''d really said about them was how horrible they were.


    Alex swallowed down his surprise. "You stole a class? I didn''t even realize that was possible, not to mention changing your class''s appearance for other people. How much more did you know?"


    "Yes. You can do a fair bit with some items. If an ability doesn''t give you information, then it can easily be a lie. Only your powers are absolute ¡ª anything else can be manipulated," Claire replied. She slipped the earing back on, then returned the bracelet to her wrist. "It''s difficult to answer your other questions. I want to, Alex. I can''t tell you how long it''s been since I''ve had someone I genuinely wanted to rely on. But I can''t. I won''t fail this Trial."


    Claire stood quietly for several long seconds as Alex studied her. It was somehow even harder to read her expression now than it had been before. There was nothing in her expression. Nothing in her eyes. Just a perfect mask.


    "Can you tell me how?" Alex asked. "How you stole a class, that is. That has nothing to do with the Nightmarch family. And why didn''t you tell me any of this earlier?"


    She grabbed the bottom of her shirt and pulled it over her head in a fluid motion. Alex let out a curse and glanced away, only to glance back an instant later.


    Can''t take my eyes off a threat. That''s definitely the reason.


    There might have been the faintest flicker of a grin on her lips for a moment, but it was gone so quickly that easily could have been his imagination. She ¡ª fortunately ¡ª wore wrappings around chest that stopped just beneath her neck.


    Claire grabbed the top of the wrappings and pulled them down an inch, craning her chin up so Alex could get a better look at her neck.


    His eyes widened.


    A circle of black thorns was tattooed around the base of Claire''s throat. It stretched down toward her chest ¡ª but the tattoo was more than just ink. Blood trickled down her throat from where the drawn thorns bit into physical flesh and drew blood.


    Even as Alex watched, the tattoo tightened further around her neck. A faint grimace pulled at her features and she returned the wrappings to their normal place before pulling her shirt back on.


    "That''s why I didn''t say anything," Claire said. "The closer I get to revealing information, the tighter this becomes. Outworlders¡­ they''re all bound. The System won''t let them get a completely unfair advantage. Some of them have their power bases destroyed and torn back down to the start. Some of them want that."


    The only way she''d know that is if an Outworlder told her¡­ or if she was similarly bound. She must have somehow taken on the Nightmarch family''s restriction when she took their class.


    But if this is right¡­ that''s why outworlders aren''t just killing literally everyone and taking over the planet. Orchid is stronger than normal because she has knowledge and access to abilities, but she''s restricted somehow as well. Just like Finley, but in a different way. That''s really good to know.


    It means the Outworlders can be defeated. They''re just cheaters.


    I''d love to know exactly what that restriction is¡­ but Claire can''t speak more on it, because then she''d be revealing information on the Nightmarch family themselves.


    Honestly, what the hell is going on?


    "The class, then," Alex said. "You didn''t answer that one, but it doesn''t have anything to do with the Nightmarch family."


    "The Nightmarch family arrived on Ayrin with the System and made our lives hell. The System was already killing us, but they made it worse. There were only a few of them, but the strongest Dhampirs had already died. We couldn''t fight back. They killed everyone in their way and took every single resource before we could. They weren''t just thieves. They were cruel. They took what they didn''t even need, just to watch us suffer." sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I see why Finley thought so poorly of them," Alex said, his lips thinning.


    Claire nodded. "And so I found an alternate path to victory. I joined up with the Nightmarch ¡ª and so did a lot of other Dhampirs. Nightmarch killed almost every single one of us. They worked us to the bone, then put us down for the tiny scraps of energy we would provide. But I acted like I didn''t care. I became too useful. Nobody wants to do laundry or clean, and so they stopped caring about me. I was too pathetic. So, when they started to die, nobody suspected me."


    Alex''s eyes widened. "You killed a bunch of Outworlders? How the hell were you just Novice 3? Or was that a lie as well?"


    "No. I didn''t kill them. Not myself," Claire said, shaking her head firmly. "I was nowhere near strong enough. I just pushed in the right places."


    "You somehow tricked them into killing each other, then."


    "Some of them. A little relocation of their wealth from one bag into another, followed by innocent observations. Building tension between people that vile is easy. You just have to point them in the right direction."


    "And you got a class from that? How?"


    "The Heir," Claire replied. "She was the strongest. I woke her up so she would survive the monsters I lured to the camp while they were sleeping, but it was a tough fight ¡ª and it left me with an easy fight. I ripped her throat out and drained every drop of energy she had. And as it turns out, some classes are earned. They''re unique paths to power that ancient warriors discovered called Inheritances. And when I ripped every scrap of power out of the Heir, I took her Inheritance with it. She was the only monster I killed during the duration of the apocalypse on Ayrin."


    Alex took several moments to process Claire''s words. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and drummed his fingers against his arm as he considered her closely.


    "What happened after that? How are you bound to the Nightmarch''s restrictions now? Did the System really just bind you the moment you got it? That seems ridiculously unfair. You earned the Inheritance."


    "That''s what the Trial is for," Claire replied. Her words sounded choked. "The Heir only had access to the Inheritance, not the full powers of it. The only way to unlock its full potential is to pass the Trial, which descends from a very powerful member of the Nightmarch family."


    "Wait. Doesn''t that mean you''re going to be bound to the Nightmarch forever?"


    Claire smiled, but it was pained. The thorns around her neck had crawled up past her shirt and were now visible as they reached for her chin. They were strangling her, but she continued to speak. "No. They''re not strong enough for that. An Inheritance is just a path to power. It might have originated from Nightmarch and the Trial is built off his desires, but so long as I fulfill it to the letter of the deal, the class will be mine and their restrictions on me will vanish. I''m not a real member of their family."


    "And what happened after that?" Alex pressed. "How did you end up in the Mirrorlands? And even if you can''t say what you used the Nightmarch family for, how did you use any of their power to do anything for the Initializations?"


    "The Heir had a way to communicate with the rest of the family," Claire replied. "And by the time the 2ndInitialization rolled around, I knew my people weren''t strong enough to defend themselves from the monster hordes. I convinced the Nightmarch that they needed to send warriors for a major event they''d missed. It worked. They¡­ I can''t say what they did or how they did it. It''s too closely related to the family. But it was enough to survive the trials. And when they thought they were coming to the Heir''s quarters to get a reward, I had the other Dhampirs ambush and kill them."


    "Damn," Alex said. She''d literally power-leveled the remaining Dhampirs by feeding them members of a powerful Outworlder family. That was as impressive as it was brutal. "And you?"


    "I didn''t participate myself ¡ª I was busy convincing the Nightmarch that I was really the Heir. It wasn''t easy and there was only so far I could stretch it. They eventually figured out what was up. One of their warriors came through prepared. My group weakened him, but he managed to yank me into the Mirrorlands as he tried to run back to his family. It failed, and a monster ate him just moments after we landed down there."


    "Wait. What?" Alex blinked. "He yanked you into the Mirrorlands? Why was there a path to..."


    He trailed off. The Mirrorlands. Berith had called them the cracks between worlds. The Outworlder families were somehow using them to sneak people into worlds they didn''t belong in. Claire hadn''t expressly mentioned it, but he could tell by the pain on her features that she was getting close to her limit. Blood soaked into the top of her shirt as the thorns squeezed her neck even tighter, and she had to clench her teeth to keep her breathing steady.


    "Why couldn''t you have said this earlier?" Alex asked. "I get you''re restricted, but couldn''t you have said exactly what you''re saying now?"


    "You figured it out. The less information I reveal, the less damage I take. They can''t just completely police me. I''m only filling in a few cracks rather than giving you the whole thing."


    Damn.


    "That means you know more that you can''t say, don''t you?"


    Claire sent him a flat smile and said nothing.


    Damn again. She can''t have too much information given that she was only with them for a week, but it means she could know more that she can''t share. I''m still pissed she didn''t share anything about this earlier¡­ but if I were in her shoes, I wouldn''t have said anything if it risked failing this Trial and costing her this powerful class.


    Alex was silent for nearly a minute. There was a lot of information to process, but standing around wouldn''t solve anything.


    "Does the Nightmarch family know you lived?"


    "Probably. They know the Inheritance is out there somewhere. They''re probably looking for me. Hoping I''ll fail the Trial so they can steal the Inheritance back," Claire replied. She scratched at her neck as if she was trying to pull the thorns free. "I have no plans of letting that happen."


    Alex nodded. As good as she was at lying, it seemed like she was telling the truth. She could have just given him some bullshit answer that would have been more convincing than this explanation, but she was actually trying to answer the questions that she could.


    I don''t know if I can completely trust her¡­ but I don''t think she''s working against me. She''s had opportunities to kill me and she saved my life in the Mirrorlands.


    "You tell me, then," Alex said. "Can I trust you?"


    "I already said this. I like you. I''d have been dead if you didn''t show up in the Mirrorlands, and I haven''t had an opportunity to do anything like this before. I''m not unique among the Dhampirs. I don''t want to lose this," Claire replied, her voice still in the flat tone that she''d taken on ever since he''d pointed out the inconsistency in her story. "My only quarrel is with the Nightmarch family, and you''re not with them."


    "Then prove it," Alex said. "Give me something I can work with. There has to be something you know that could be useful to us right now and doesn''t make you fail your trial."


    "You''d be surprised," Claire replied. "But there is one thing. I was going to tell you once we were alone, but we haven''t exactly had a moment to do that."


    "And that is?"


    "The Town Token." Claire''s eyes sharpened. "When we find the token, Orchid can''t be allowed to take or sell it. You have to use it."

 Chapter 85 - 84: Tough

    "Use the Town Token?" Alex asked, tilting his head to the side. "It''s that important?"


    "More than I can put into words," Claire replied. "Literally. I can''t say anything else. I really was only on Ayrin for the first week of the Apocalypse, so I don''t know the full extent of what it does ¡ª nor could I tell you if I did ¡ª, but what I saw was more than enough. The Town Token can''t fall into an Outworlder''s hands. You need to use it."


    "Why me specifically?" Alex asked, arching an eyebrow. "You suddenly feeling altruistic?"


    "Because the Nightmarch know my leaderboard name. Using the Town Token will put an enormous target on us. We won''t survive. But nobody knows who you are. Not yet."


    "Ah. That''s a more pragmatic reason."


    "Quite," Claire agreed. She hesitated for a second. She swallowed, as if the words she was trying to manifest were getting lodged within her throat. Finally, she managed to force herself to speak. "I¡­ may also feel a little guilty for hiding so much information."


    Alex blinked. That was actually something of a surprise. Claire''s entire society was built around lying. She''d flat out told him as much. It wasn''t like she''d tried to hide it. The entire point of Court was to be a giant game of lying and backstabbing.


    I''m not happy about being lied to, but this is literally what she was raised doing. She feels guilty for that? Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Would you change anything if you could go back?"


    "No," Claire said without a moment of hesitation. "I have no way to know exactly how much I can reveal. I feel the Trial tightening the noose around my neck already. If I''d tried to say anything before you caught on yourself, I almost certainly would have failed. Your timing was good. I''ve¡­ found myself growing to dislike lying to you, but I cannot allow myself to fail this trial."


    That''s possibly the best answer she could have given me. She''s sticking to her guns. I may not be happy with getting lied to, but at the end of the day, she didn''t try to put a dagger into my back or sell me out. She has an agenda, and I can respect that even if I don''t like it.


    "Then that''s that," Alex said with a shrug.


    Claire blinked. She stared at him for a moment. "You mean you don''t care? I did not think¡ª"


    "No. I didn''t say that. I understand what you did. That doesn''t mean I don''t care," Alex said. "If I''m being honest, it pissed me off. Logically, you might have a sound reason for hiding information. But you got mad when I didn''t reveal my own information. That''s pretty hypocritical."


    To Alex''s surprise, Claire winced. He hadn''t expected her to really have much reaction to his words given how flat her tone had been.


    "Yes. I know." Claire averted her gaze. "It has been difficult. Adjusting to your mannerisms. My instincts have been honed over every year of my life to claw every scrap of power I can and hold it close to chest until the time is right. Normally, I would not have any problem with hidden information. It is natural. But with you¡­ it hurt. I did not like being kept in the dark. I was unused to a true partnership."


    "You still are. I don''t even know which you is real. Was the personality you had all the way up until now just fake? There just to get my guard down?"


    "No," Claire said after a second, her tone voice quieting. "Perhaps it was initially. I needed your help. But the longer I spent in that manner, the more I found myself growing attached to it. It is freeing to be able to simply¡­ be. Without worrying about a dagger in my back or slipping up and revealing information that I need to be hiding. I trust you."


    "And now? Why the switch in personalities?"


    "Because I have grown too comfortable. If we have this conversation while I am not guarding my every word the way I am right now, I will mistakenly reveal too much," Claire replied. "And then I will die and fail my Trial."


    Alex watched Claire for a few more seconds. Then he blew out a short breath. Claire couldn''t take anything back ¡ª and she''d already freely admitted that she wouldn''t, even if she could.


    He had no way to know for sure if she was telling the truth now. But, at the end of the day, nobody ever completely knew if somebody was telling them the truth or not. All he could do was go on the information he had and his gut.


    "No more lies," Alex said. "Not from me. And not from you. Anything you can share, you do. I''m not happy you lied. I haven''t completely forgiven you. That''s a hell of a lot of information you kept secret. Information that could have been vital, and you definitely could have given hints or breadcrumbs that worked around your Trial, just like you did now."


    "I know," Claire said simply. "I feared the risk was too great. I did not want to take it. Even now, I do not know what would have happened if I did what you suggest. Perhaps it is because I am selfish, but I do not want to be weak again. I will not allow it to happen."


    Alex extended a fist toward Claire. She looked at it in confusion.


    "What''s this?"


    "For one more try," Alex replied. "We''re in it pretty deep right now. Pulling a bunch of shit over the Everbloom family is already going to be difficult. I don''t want to do it alone. Frankly, I don''t think I can. I can''t bullshit anywhere near as hard as you can."


    "You are still willing to work with me?" Surprise flickered in Claire''s eyes.


    "I''m not exactly a paragon of justice and fairness myself," Alex said. "And you''re newer to being human than I am. I''m not saying I''m going to forget this whole thing, but holding a grudge isn''t going to do me any favors."


    Claire reached for his hand. Alex pulled it back, narrowing his eyes.


    "Fist bump," Alex said. "Don''t punch it this time around."


    "I remember," Claire said, knocking her knuckles against his as a small grin pulled at one corner of her lips. "I will do my best to avoid concealing anything from you that I do not have to."


    "I think that''s about as much as anyone can ever expect from anyone," Alex replied with a shrug.


    "Does this extend to personal life?" Claire asked, clearing her throat. "I understand the need to share information important to our survival, but there are certain personal aspects that I feel would be a bit¡ª"


    "Just the bits that keep us from dying and help us both get stronger, please," Alex said, raising his hands defensively before him.


    Claire let out a relieved breath. "Good. Then this conversation is done?"


    "For the time being."


    She relaxed. Something shifted in her stance that Alex couldn''t exactly place, but the steel left Claire''s eyes and her expression softened.


    "Should we head back to town, then?" Claire asked, her voice slipping back into its familiar, energetic lilt. "I know I''d be pretty hungry after a fight like that. Derek was really something else."


    Alex stared at her for a moment. The abrupt shift in the way she acted was¡­ disconcerting at best. That said, there was no reason for her to bother keeping up the energetic persona after revealing her colder side to Alex if it was fake. It was just extra effort for no benefit since he''d already seen her acting like a real Dhampir.


    The only purpose going back to acting casually would serve would be if it was a personal one and that Claire had been telling the truth about how she let herself act when her guard was down.


    Now that I think about it, she definitely acted similar to how she was a moment ago every time she started doing Court related stuff. Her story lines up. I suppose only time will tell if it lines up because it''s completely true or if it''s because she''s a great liar.


    Either way, she''s not a straight up enemy. She''s never tried to screw me over, and she hasn''t used the information she got from the Nightmarch family to claw ahead of me on the Initialization Trials.


    That''s enough for me to extend enough trust to someone who grew up in a society of master liars to give them a second chance. Hypocrite or not, she forgave me for keeping information to myself pretty quickly. The least I can do is see how things play out. Logically, she''s a very competent ally.


    And beyond that¡­ I really don''t want to lose another friend.


    "Food sounds like a good idea," Alex said. "But we shouldn''t just sit around after that. We can explore more of Valley Ford soon, but there''s one more thing I want to do before we get too busy here to allow for it."


    "What''s that?" Claire asked.


    Alex smiled. "We''re going to pay another visit to the Mirrorlands. I need some more monsters to properly evolve Glint ¡ª and I want to see just what you''re really capable of."

 Chapter 86 - 85: The ship

    Food, as it turned out, was actually surprisingly easy to get. The Ocean''s Tide had funded and supplied multiple different restaurants within Valley Ford.


    Alex and Claire chose the smallest of them, purely because it was the first one they found. It was a tiny, one story building with four tables in the front and a kitchen behind a tiny counter near the back.


    Meals within the restaurant ¡ª so long as they were kept to a reasonable size, according to the signs on the walls ¡ª were free.


    It seemed not everybody had been able to play by those rules. As Alex and Claire sat at a table while he ate a plate of mystery pan-fried fish, he found his gaze drifting to just below the signs.


    A piece of paper had been pinned into the wall by a dagger driven in all the way to its handle. Someone had drawn a sketch of a large, greasy looking man with a stubbly beard around his neck on the paper. The artist was clearly talented. Alex could almost make out the smug amusement within the man''s beady eyes.


    At the paper''s top, written in large, filled-in letters, was the word BANNED.


    I wonder if they had the food limit rule before that guy rolled up. Can''t blame a player for playing.


    Alex finished off the rest of his plate. The food had been surprisingly good for being free, though it might have just been that he was hungry. He and Claire both rose and headed out of the small restaurant, slipping past the other people eating. As they left, the stark difference between the people here and the ones that had been back at Towntown made itself even more apparent.


    Towntown had been full of survivors. They had been scared, trapped, and ill equipped, and it had shown.


    But the people in Valley Ford couldn''t have been farther from that. There was little fear in their stances. They spoke and talked with the casual ease of those who had come to terms with their lot in life.


    Calling them survivors almost felt like a misnomer. These people were prepared. Alex wasn''t sure exactly what to call them, but the shift in atmosphere was so stark that it was palpable. It had already been somewhat apparent when they''d been at the Ocean''s Tide, but it had become impossible to miss once they''d sat down to eat.


    I wonder how things are going in Towntown. I really hope Ben and some of the others survived. It would be beyond tragic if they made it all this way only to get killed by a meteor instead of an actual monster. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They stepped out of the restaurant and into the streets of Valley Ford. Sunlight filtered through the flowing streams of water churning far above them and sent beams of light swaying across the ground in an endless dance.


    "Is it time?" Claire asked. "Or is there anything else you need to do first?"


    "It''s time," Alex said with a small nod. There was no point delaying any longer, and he didn''t know how long it would take Orchid to figure out where that Town Token was. There was always a chance she found it earlier than expected. The faster they could pay a quick visit to the Mirrorlands, the better.


    Maybe I can even get my hands on a core from a Mirrorlands monster. I don''t know what that would sell for. I don''t think I''d want to show it to the Great Tide family anytime soon. I saw the Starfallen family''s name in the Mirrorlands. That means there''s a possibility they could be there too. And if they are, I don''t want to give away that I can access the area until I figure out who might take offense to that.


    He drew on a sliver of his power and activated Riftsense. Slivers of faint blue smokey energy gathered on the ground before him and formed into a line that led out of the city and into the desert beyond. It was ¡ª quite fortunately ¡ª visible only to Alex.


    "Here we go," Alex said, turning the ability off to avoid wasting energy. They had their direction. "Let''s get moving."


    ***


    The trip back out of Valley Ford lasted for just around fifteen minutes. It was in the exact opposite direction as the one they''d gone the previous time, and it took them straight toward the nearest of the mountains looming over the city.


    Alex periodically reactivated Riftsense to make sure they were on the right track, but his need for it soon ran out. He and Claire came to a stop at the very base of the mountains, in the shadow a flat sheer cliff in the towering stone.


    A crack ran up the side of the mountain, no more than a few feet wide at its largest point. It rose so high that Alex couldn''t even see where it stopped, and it was deep enough that the only thing he could make out within it was darkness.


    The two of them stared at the vertical crack.


    "You can''t be serious," Claire said.


    Alex activated Riftsense. The line led right up to the crack.


    "This hole was made for me," Alex muttered under his breath as he approached the crack and peered inside it.


    "What?" Claire asked.


    "Nothing." He took a step into the crack, turning his body sideways to avoid touching the rough stone. He edged into the darkness, squinting.


    His efforts were rewarded by a tiny flicker of dim purplish-pink energy. It was nestled deep within the makeshift cave, but it was unmistakable. A portal.


    "Is now a bad time to say I don''t like tight spaces?" Claire asked.


    "You''re welcome to stay back if you don''t want to come. I''m sure there are some monsters that you can fight out here that will eventually get you halfway through Initiate by the time I''m an Adept."


    Claire grumbled a curse under her breath. "You''re being petty now."


    "Yes," Alex replied, reaching out toward the portal and activating Riftwalk. Power buzzed within his fingers as he dug into the portal and started to pull on it. For a moment, he was worried that there wasn''t enough room within the cave for him to pull the portal into existence.


    His fears turned out to be fortunately unfounded. With a grunt, Alex ripped the portal open. It was definitely getting easier to control his powers ¡ª or perhaps he was just getting stronger.


    "Bleedin'' hell," Claire muttered before squeezing into the cave after him and grabbing his wrist. "Just get us in there already, would you?"


    He chuckled, then pressed into the portal, dragging Claire with him as they were ripped away from Planet 274-50.


    ***


    Familiar blue grass materialized beneath Alex''s feet as he emerged from the portal, energy sloughing off his body like dripping water. He managed to avoid tripping over himself and stepped to the side in time to keep from getting bowled over by Claire as she arrived beside him.


    He wordlessly held his wrist out to her. She drank from him, then released his hand and gave him an appreciative nod.


    "Thank you," Claire said, licking her lips and scanning the air for any signs of a Riftwarped monster taking form. "Portals are very unkind to me. I don''t know why they drain so much of my power. It''s not fair."


    "Maybe it''s because Riftwalking is part of my class, but I''m bringing you along with me," Alex replied, summoning all three of his monsters with a thought. They were in a new area. He didn''t know how powerful the monsters here would be.


    The Mirrorlands were silent. Crackling magic twisted through the air above, but no portals were taking form beside them. That didn''t mean an attack wasn''t coming ¡ª but the portal back to Earth hadn''t gotten a glossy sheen over it either.


    A small frown slipped over Alex''s features. "Is there nothing this time?"


    "Is it always guaranteed for a monster to notice our arrival?" Claire asked.


    "No," Alex replied. "It''s just a chance. I was just getting used to it, I guess."


    They waited for another minute, their attention completely focused on the immediate area around them.


    No monster arrived, and it didn''t look like one would be.


    "Huh," Claire said. "I guess we got lucky this time around. Damn. I was kind of hoping for a big fight that would push me the rest of the way through Initiate."


    Alex started to nod, but the words died on his lips as he lifted his eyes away from the immediate area around them and to the distance.


    They''d been so focused on preparing for a Riftwarped monster attack that neither of them had raised their eyes past the rolling hills of blue grass and up to the massive city looming just a few minutes'' walk away from them. Its buildings were twisted like breadsticks and structures were ripped apart at the seams, held together in the midst of their destruction by invisible forces.


    A massive tree of white bark loomed above the entire thing, suspended by massive roots that curled down around the city like a cage before burrowing into the ground. A single, massive face was embedded within the center of the tree bark; eyes closed in sleep.


    A city was nothing new, but the rivers of water that flowed up and twisted around the tree as they traveled into the sky, vanishing within the churning energy far above¡­ those were unmistakable.


    Even as twisted and warped as the city was, there was no mistaking it.


    This was Valley Ford ¡ª or, at least, a version of it.


    As far as Alex could tell, the entire city was there. It hadn''t been broken apart into chunks and mixed together with other things. It was just a version of the city that looked like it had been through a few world wars and a curse from a furious nature mage.


    But his eyes could only linger on the city for a few seconds before they were drawn up to a glistening silver construct embedded near the top of the tree.


    D¨¦j¨¤ vu prickled against Alex''s skin. It was an enormous silver ship ¡ª or possibly a squid.


    Silver tendrils wrapped around the tree. They cracked the white wood and burrowed deep into the trunk, causing rivers of blue sap to pour down the bark''s surface. Purple flesh pulsated between the gaps in the ship''s silver exterior, inflating and deflating like a huge alien lung.


    The ship''s pointed tip was pointed straight into the air, and a dull beam of blue light rose up from it and vanished into the sky. For a moment, Alex thought it was the exact same one that he''d seen before ¡ª but he quickly realized that wasn''t the case. This ship was far smaller, less than half the size of the previous one.


    His thoughts were confirmed a moment later when a single name shimmered in the sky at the request of his gaze.


    Disruptor [Great Tide Family]


    "What the fuck is that?" Claire breathed, her eyes going wide.

 Chapter 87 - 86: Is that...?

    Neither Alex nor Claire moved for nearly a minute as they stared at the massive ship above the city. A Disruptor, if its name was to be believed.


    "This can''t be a coincidence. The Great Tide is in the city back on Earth, and they''ve also got a squid thing out here," Claire said, dropping her voice to a hushed whisper as she squinted up at the Disruptor. "Have I ever told you that just about everything related to the Mirrorlands creeps me out?"


    "Probably," Alex muttered back. "What does a Disruptor do, though? The tree its attached to doesn''t really seem to be doing anything about it, and we''ve seen those things attack before."


    "Never one that big," Claire pointed out. "Maybe they''re like Dhampirs. Gets too difficult to move when they get old enough."


    "Possible," Alex allowed. He glanced around themselves to make sure nothing was sneaking up on them, then sent a mental command to all of his monsters to make sure they would keep watch. His gaze returned to the Disruptor. "It looks like its sending up some sort of signal, maybe?"


    Claire shrugged and shook her head, but not enough to pull her gaze away from the vision before them. "Maybe? I have no idea. There aren''t any City-Eater Centipedes in the area, though. Do you think that has something to do with it?"


    "We don''t know if monsters in the Mirrorlands are consistent between locations or not," Alex said with a shake of his head. "I don''t know if we can assume that there are City-Eaters in every single area¡­ but the lack of monsters in the sky could be something like what happened with Berith. Want to take a look?"


    "My curiosity would kill me if we didn''t. You mentioned seeing a big silver ship before when we were in the Mirrorlands. Is that¡ª"


    "Yeah," Alex said. "Same thing. Just bigger, and it belonged to the Starfallen family."


    "So that''s where the name came from. Let''s get closer and see if we can find any monsters in the city. If it''s completely empty¡­ I don''t know. It means there''s something insanely strong in the area. It might be smart for us to look elsewhere."


    "Agreed," Alex said. He wanted a challenge. He did not want to run into the equivalent of Berith again ¡ª especially if the new monster wasn''t chained down like Berith had been. The Mirrorlands weren''t like Earth.


    There didn''t seem to be any limit to the strength or type of monsters in the area¡­ but he was starting to put together some theories. It was still in the earliest stages, but the Mirrorlands might have lived up more to their name than Alex had initially thought.


    Meiderly called the Mirrorlands the wastebin of the universe, or something along those lines. I was thinking that everything here somehow fell in and got warped in the process¡­ but Valley Ford obviously didn''t fall through cracks in reality in the few minutes it took us to find the portal.


    I think the Mirrorlands are both. Shit falls down here, but it''s also a reflection of Earth ¡ª no. Not just Earth. The entire universe, I guess? But what does it mirror, and why is everything down here destroyed and warped?


    Maybe my theories are less a theory and more just a bunch of unanswered questions.


    "Let''s go," Alex said, starting toward the city. If he wanted to figure anything out, he was going to have to seek the answers out himself ¡ª and this was more than just passing curiosity. The Mirrorlands and their energy were deeply tied to his abilities.


    His monsters, his Qi, everything. The more he understood just what was going on in this strange dimension, the more he would be able to utilize the tools he had in the way they were really meant to be used. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ***


    They arrived within the warped Valley Ford after just around ten minutes of walking. Alex and Claire moved at a steady speed, staying as silent as possible. The crumbling walls of Valley Ford greeted them, huge chunks floating in the air above their heads as they passed between the huge roots burrowing into the ground around the city.


    Princess led the way, while Glint and Spark flanked Alex on either side. Every single member of their ragtag party scanned the surroundings for any signs of a threat. The city was quiet, but the Mirrorlands always tended to be, right up until ¡ª


    A green blur shot from an alleyway as they stepped past it, shooting straight for Alex''s neck. He spun, catching a glimpse of long, pointed fangs and burning red eyes an instant before Spark slammed into the striking monster with a loud crunch.


    The two monsters hit the ground in a roll. A huge, snakelike tail tried to coil around Spark, but Glint leapt into action and his claws carved clean through the attacking monster''s body even as its name started to take form in the air.


    Scales sheared apart and the monster''s head hit the ground in a wet thump. The rest of its body went limp instantly. Princess lumbered over to stand over the creature as its half-formed name vanished from the air.


    Spark floated away from the corpse, a few small scratches on his chitinous armor but otherwise unharmed.


    Alex realized that the attacking creature was either a snake or a very sad looking lizard. He couldn''t quite tell which. It had a roughly ten foot body ¡ª now nine, after Glint had played the role of a rather irate barber in the presence of a customer that had finally caused him to snap.


    The monster''s head was exactly like one of a large anaconda, but its body was covered with tiny, nearly baby-like hands.


    As he watched, a green Soul Flame flickered to life over the dead monster.


    Pattering Snake (Novice 6)


    "Weird," Claire muttered under her breath, letting her katana lower. "Not too strong, though."


    "It wasn''t, but it''s an ambush predator. That might have gone a lot worse if Spark didn''t stop it. Good job, buddy," Alex said, giving his Echo Wraith a nod. Spark didn''t respond, but the meaning was still there. He wasn''t going to treat his monsters like robots on the very thin chance that the did actually have some degree of intelligence.


    A trickle of energy entered him. It wasn''t an insignificant amount, but he was going to have to kill a whole lot of snakes if he wanted to advance at any good rate.


    "Let''s keep going," Alex said. "If there''s a monster here, then it means this probably isn''t the same situation as it was with Berith. The Disruptor is something else¡­ but we can deal with that when we get closer."


    Claire nodded in agreement, and the two of them continued on.


    They made their way carefully through the streets of the warped Valley Ford, taking their time as they worked around the very edge of the city. The strongest monsters always seemed to gather toward the center of the cities. Alex had no reason to believe Valley Ford would be different, and he wanted to get a good idea of what they were up against before they got too deep to get out.


    They encountered three more Pattering Snakes on the way. Each of the monsters jumped from the shadows in a blur ¡ª and each one met a very swift, almost disappointing end. They had all roughly been around the same strength.


    "I don''t think this was the peak of the food chain here," Claire said as Alex collected the latest Soul Flame. "There are too many of them."


    "I think they might be more akin to the Corpse Pokers near Towntown''s portal," Alex said. They started back off, veering away from the very edge of the city and pressing a little deeper into its depths.


    A faint scent reached Alex''s nostrils. It was far from pleasant, something between warm compost and fish that had been left out in the sun for a day. The smell was distasteful, but it wasn''t completely oppressive.


    He and Claire did what any sane person would have done.


    They headed straight toward it.


    Claire sent him a glance as they continued on, then spoke in a muted whisper. "The Corpse Pokers¡­ weren''t those around Novice 2? That means this area is a whole lot more powerful on average than the one we were in before."


    They turned a corner onto a large street that Alex vaguely remembered. His mouth snapped shut as he prepared to answer her, killing any response he may have had.


    A huge root traveled down from the massive tree overhead and burrowed straight into the ground in the middle of the street before them. It was easily twenty feet in diameter ¡ª and was completely hollow. A large chunk of it had been ripped away, leaving a jagged edged hole that led to a dry interior.


    Burning within it was a molten green portal, floating innocently as if in wait. Shimmers of sickly energy rippled through its surface. A tiny ripple of Riftwarped energy danced across its surface before twisting into the green mass and vanishing. Rotted vines hung from far above it and dangled around the portal like strands of wet hair.


    Alex and Claire stared at the root in disbelief for several long seconds. Portals weren''t exactly something new in the Mirrorlands, but this wasn''t just any portal. It was a strikingly familiar one.


    He''d had seen something just like it back on Earth, where he and Claire had first run into Diego. There was absolutely no mistaking the portal. It was just too easily recognizable, no matter how little Alex had expected to find one in the middle of the Mirrorlands.


    "Is that a dungeon portal?" Alex whispered, his eyes wide.

 Chapter 88 - 87: Zeal

    Alex and Claire stood before the twisting disk of fluorescent green energy, staring into its depths as they tried to make sense of what they were seeing. There was no doubt about it. This was definitely a dungeon portal.


    A dungeon in the Mirrorlands.


    "I didn''t realize that was possible," Claire muttered. "What would a dungeon be doing here?"


    "I wasn''t really expecting it¡­ but why wouldn''t there be a dungeon here?" Alex asked. He tapped the black bracelet on his wrist. "I mean, it''s not like anyone ever said the Mirrorlands were completely barren. There are monsters here. Items too. Why wouldn''t there be dungeons?"


    "Does that mean a dungeon somehow fell into the Mirrorlands? Is it reflected from some dungeon in the real world? Or can they somehow take form here entirely on their own?"


    Alex opened his mouth to respond, then hesitated. That was actually a really good question. He didn''t actually know how dungeons worked. There had to be some rhyme or reason to them. Either the System just plopped them down or something caused them to form.


    He found it somewhat unlikely that the System would be intentionally forming dungeons in the Mirrorlands. Unless Meiderly had lied to him, this was where everything that fell between the planes and off the worlds within the Infinium ended up landing.


    But this portal didn''t look like it had just popped up randomly. It wasn''t like it was just floating in a random pile of trash or in the middle of the air. This portal was nestled in the trunk of a massive, hollowed out root.


    Could this somehow be reflected over from the Valley Ford? Other parts of the city definitely got here somehow, even if they''re warped and twisted.


    But if that''s the case¡­ doesn''t this mean there''s a dungeon somewhere within Valley Ford?


    "You know, there''s only one way to find out what this is," Alex said. "I''ve never found a dungeon that I haven''t tried going inside."


    "How many dungeons have you seen again?"


    "I''m going to go ahead and pass on that one," Alex said with a chuckle. "Are you coming in with me or not? We can always make a run for it if the dungeon is impossible."


    "You already know that I am," Claire said. "I''m not letting you harvest all the rewards for yourself while I sit around outside with my thumb up my bleedin'' ass."


    "That sounds like it could be a problem. You should get that checked out," Alex said.


    Claire glared at him. "Just get a move on, will you?"


    He chuckled and grabbed her by the wrist, keeping a connection between them as they stepped into the portal as one.


    Rivers of chilly, electrified liquid seemed to slither across his skin and envelop him as he plunged into the green energy. His ears filled like water was rushing into them, and his insides flip-flopped.


    The world inverted and folded in on itself. It shrunk down into a single point of dull energy in a sea of black, and there it remained for a heartbeat as Alex plummeted through nothingness.


    Then an explosion of color clawed its way back to life, ripping away the veil of darkness. Solid ground materialized beneath his feet; a craggy, uneven platform. It was like someone had put the world into a trash compactor to form it into a platform.


    Pieces of masonry jutted up from the ground like jagged teeth. They melded together with fragments of metal that might have come from a car, a paved road, and dozens of other pieces that seemed to have been ripped up from the planet and squashed together.


    And all around the platform crackled an ocean of burgundy, arcs of violet lightning splitting through the air. The distant roar of a thunderstorm echoed in Alex''s ears, joined by the occasional, earsplitting crack as a bolt passed close to the platform he stood on.


    The platform was suspended in the turbulent void of the Mirrorlands, held in place only by massive white roots that wove through its entire being, occasionally breaking through the crust of compacted trash. They ran up to another platform in the distance and stretched onward, twisting and winding their way to a maze of platforms.


    Pink and purple portals split open and snapped shut all around them like the clacking beaks of hungry birds seeking a meal.


    Shimmering letters formed in the air before Alex as he finished taking in their surroundings.


    The Cracked Steps [Ygg Entrance]


    "Whoa," Claire breathed, craning her neck as she looked around. The platform around them was devoid of any life beyond their own. The only thing on the platform other than them was the portal at their backs. "What is this place?"


    "I take it the dungeon you went through back on Ayrin wasn''t anything like this?" Alex asked, watching the glowing words dissipate before peering up at the nearest platform above to see if he could make anything out.


    "Nothing," Claire said. "This is beautiful. Just¡­ in a terrifying way."


    "It is," Alex agreed. A small frown flickered across his lips. "Did you notice that it doesn''t have a difficulty anywhere? It just said Ygg Entrance. The difficulty information wasn''t there."


    "I saw," Claire confirmed. She edged closer to the root leading up to the next platform, and Alex followed after her.


    Wind howled through his hair the closer he grew to the edge of the craggy ground. Alex had never been particularly scared of heights, but it seemed the Mirrorlands were doing their absolute best to challenge that. His stomach clenched, even as adrenaline prickled in his veins.


    Alex glanced over the edge and into the sea of churning energy below.


    His eyes widened.


    "Holy shit," Alex breathed. "Look at that."


    Platforms were scattered everywhere. There must have been thousands of them, all connected by the roots ¡ª but not from the same tree. Some of the roots were as thick as an entire building, while others were barely wide enough to walk across. The platforms had been arranged in networks ¡ª or perhaps each set of platforms were connected to their own tree.


    But, unlike the one that Alex and Claire stood on, the platforms beneath them were not empty.


    One of the platforms about fifty feet away from them bore a massive statue of a warrior holding a huge, diamond halberd. The statue stood over a black iron chest, guarding it silently.


    Other platforms didn''t bear the same scene, but they all bore something. Chests, riches, and more than a few monsters that Alex was too far away to identify despite his best efforts. Evidently, the System had limits to how far it would let him learn the name of something.


    He wasn''t even entirely sure he was looking at monsters, but there was definitely motion, and Alex doubted that anything other than monsters would be sitting around in the Mirrorlands. Some were fighting each other, while others just sat and waited.


    "Look over there," Claire said. Alex stepped back from the edge of the platform and followed Claire''s gaze up to the sky above them.


    A purple portal hummed in the air, near the third platform in the system of roots that their platform was connected to.


    "What about it?" Alex asked.


    "I swear I just saw a flicker of the Disruptor through it," Claire replied. "The one outside."


    Alex blinked. "An exit?"


    "It could be, but the portal was in the middle of the air above the Disruptor. I don''t think we''d want to jump out over there," Claire said.


    "Weird," Alex said. He approached the root running through the platform and gingerly put a hand on its surface. There were no faces on this one, and it didn''t respond to his touch. He glanced back to Claire. "Guess we can take a look when we get up there, huh?"


    Claire nodded.


    The root at Alex''s hands was fortunately rough enough that it had more than enough spots to hold onto as he ascended it, climbing toward the second platform. The tips of his fingers tingled as wind howled around him, a constant reminder that losing his grip would spell his end.


    Claire watched him climb for several seconds, waiting until he was nearly at the top to approach another root connecting the two platforms. She clambered up it like a spider, barely even slowing from her normal walking speed, and the two of them ascended to the next platform at the same time.


    Alex shot to his feet and summoned his monsters all around him, preparing to fling himself out of the way of an attack ¡ª but no such thing came.


    Instead, he and Claire both froze.


    Standing before them on the platform was not a monster.


    It was an elderly man.


    A long, white beard ran down from his wrinkled face, tanned from years in the sun. His hair was well combed and his eyes were two glimmering emerald pools that sparkled with intelligence. The man''s clothes were aged to the point that any color had long since left, but Alex could make out flowing patterns and intricate stitching that had managed to hold up through what must have been years. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The man sat cross-legged on an old carpet, his palms turned up to the sky. A paintbrush rested at his side, but there was no sign of a canvas or paper.


    What the hell? I don''t see a special item on him¡­ so where''s his name and information? Does he have a ring concealing it or something?


    "Another person?" Claire asked, her eyes going wide in surprise. "What are you doing here?"


    "What does it look like I''m doing?" the man asked in a soft voice. Decades of experience clung to every single one of his words, as if every single one of them carried physical weight. "I am waiting."


    "For what?" Alex asked.


    "For you, of course." The man let out a quiet laugh. He stretched his arms over his head and let out a long yawn, then slowly rose to his feet. "I am waiting for those who walk the Cracked Steps. It has been some time since I have last seen a challenger."


    "A challenger?" Alex sent a mental command to his monsters, readying them. "We kind of just stumbled through a dungeon portal. Is¡­ this not a dungeon?"


    The old man''s laughter echoed across the platform like crashing waves. "I will be willing to answer questions should you take this step. I have waited far too long to dally on words when our might can do the talking. Let me witness your resolve."


    "Is this a one at a time thing?" Claire asked.


    "Oh, there''s no need for that," the elderly man replied. "And against two of you, I can have a little more fun. Are you prepared?"


    Alex and Claire exchanged a glance. This wasn''t exactly what Alex had been expecting, but a fight was a fight ¡ª and answers were worth more than gold when he had no idea what the hell was going on.


    "We''re ready," Claire said.


    "Delightful. Then allow me to introduce myself," the man said, flicking the brush in his hands. A shimmer of black ink trailed through the air in its wake. "I am Zeal, Disciple of the Empty Court. It will be my honor to enlighten you today."


    Alex blinked.


    Wait. The Empty Court? Isn''t that ¡ª


    "Soul Manifestation," Zeal intoned. He clasped his hands together around his brush and its tip shimmered. All the color on the platform twisted in on itself, collapsing until nothing but black and white remained. "A Dream of Light."

 Chapter 89 - 88: Domain

    Alex could have sworn he heard his heart thump in his ears. The world seemed to slow down for a flicker of an instant as all the color drained away from it and left the platform and everyone on it looking like they''d been sketched upon the page of a book.


    A wave of energy passed over him, threatening to crush his chest, but it passed as quickly as it had come. Claire didn''t seem to fare quite as well. She staggered and clutched her heart, her teeth grinding as she drew in a ragged wheeze.


    Oh, shit. This isn''t good.


    Zeal was at least at the Adept Stage. He had a domain ¡ª and that meant that he and Claire were in trouble.


    A smile split the old man''s face and he beckoned them onwards. Zeal didn''t seem even slightly threatened by their presence. He just looked excited to have a fight.


    I''ll oblige him, then.


    Alex sent Princess forward with a thought, not wasting a second in diving back and casting Mirror Image, causing two equally colorless clones of himself to shimmer into the air around him.


    He didn''t know what Zeal was capable of or what his domain could do. Before Alex could commit to an attack, he had to figure out what the elderly man''s magic actually did.


    Claire ripped herself out of her pain and darted back, raising her hands before her face defensively as she waited for him to make a move, clearly aiming for the same goal that Alex had.


    Charging ahead like bulls into a fight with an opponent like this was suicide.


    Alex had only seen a single domain in action, and that had been Berith''s, when the demon had deleted an unbelievably powerful monster from existence with little more than a word and a flick of his fingers.


    Go, Princess! Draw out an attack so we can see how to fight against this guy!


    The Blacktongue Dredge lurched forward and moved between Alex and Zeal. She lifted a hand and reached out for the old man ¡ª


    Zeal flicked his brush as if he were painting a stroke in the air.


    Princess'' body split in half.


    Gelatinous ooze spilled across the ground as the top of Princess'' form slipped forward and splattered to the white ground, staining it black.


    Alex blinked in surprise. Unease and awe welled within him. He''d seen Zeal move his brush, but he hadn''t seen an attack at all. There hadn''t been a shimmer of magic or a blade. There had simply been nothing.


    One moment, Princess had been whole. The second, she''d been sliced.


    Strands reached out between her two halves as she stitched herself back together. Zeal tilted his head to the side as the Blacktongue Dredge rose back up to her full height, her arms rippling on her back in displeasure.


    Approval lit in his eyes and he made no moves to press his advantage. The old man looked more than content to simply see what Alex was capable of.


    Princess lurched forward once more ¡ª and once more, Zeal flicked his brush through the air.


    The Dredge split apart at the head, a vertical line running straight down her middle. She shifted her mask to the side at the last second, pulling it away from the line of damage, but the two halves of her body collapsed to the ground, fighting to reform.


    Again, there had been no visible attack. The Dredge had simply been sliced apart at Zeal''s will.


    Shit. I think I''m figuring out how his magic works, but I need to make sure.


    Princess rose once more.


    "Go," Alex ordered.


    She lurched into motion.


    Again and again, Princess threw herself at Zeal. The old man seemed more than amiable to allow Alex the attempts to discern how the domain worked. He didn''t press back or attempt to attack him or Claire ¡ª but every cut Princess suffered drew more magic. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zeal handled the attacks with such casual ease that it looked like he was sparring against children. Every single motion he made was graceful and elegant, like the strokes of a dancer who had practiced their technique thousands upon thousands of times over.


    But Alex''s attempts weren''t for nothing. He watched Zeal''s brush closely, tracking every motion as best he could to make sure his theory was right.


    "Split apart," Alex whispered to Claire. "I''ll keep his attention as best I can. I think I can get us an opening."


    Claire gave him a sharp nod and darted off to the side. Princess reformed and lurched toward Zeal once more, an extra command loaded in her head.


    A smile crossed over the old man''s features. His brush danced through the air ¡ª and Princess threw herself to the side in a lurching roll the very instant he moved. One of her legs didn''t make the trip and splattered to the ground.


    Alex sent a mental command to the rest of his monsters as Princess rose back up to her full height, her leg re-attaching itself. It was time to change up his pattern.


    Glint and Princess dashed at Zeal as one. A flicker of concentration passed over the old man''s features and his brush danced from the Dredge to the Shardwalker. As soon as it was moving in the Glint''s direction, the monster hurled himself to the ground.


    Princess splattered apart, not fast enough to avoid the attack, but Glint was unharmed. He darted back to Alex as Princess started to reform.


    It was Alex''s turn to grin. His guess hadn''t been revolutionary, but it had been right. Zeal''s magic might have been invisible, but it still followed the direction his brush moved in. It was only as fast as he was.


    If I can predict what he''s doing, then we have a chance of getting close to him. There''s practically no way to pull that off without taking a bunch of extra wounds, but fortunately, I''ve got the bodies to spare.


    It''s time to make a real attack.


    Glint and Spark burst into motion together with Princess, taking cover behind the larger monster''s bulk as they flashed toward Zeal.


    "You said you were from the Empty Court," Alex called. "Is that¡ª"


    Zeal''s brush danced through the air. All of Alex''s monsters dodged out of the way, splitting in opposite directions to minimize the chances of them all getting taken out at once. Princess'' right half peeled away from her and a huge cut ripped across Spark''s shoulder, sending coursing blue energy leaking out, but all of his minions survived the attack.


    Yes! Go!


    Claire, who had looped around to Zeal''s back, exploded into motion in conjunction with Glint and Spark.


    They had an opening. Zeal couldn''t move his brush to attack every single one of them at¡ª


    Spark exploded, split apart by an invisible blade. Glint''s body split down the middle and shattered like a window of broken glass. Claire jerked back and hurled herself to the side. A deep wound carved down her shoulder and sent her blood spraying across the ground. She let out a hiss of pain and rolled to the side, shooting back to her feet and dodging to the side preemptively.


    Power flowed into Alex, its arrival nearly completely masked by the surprise that gripped him. He took a stunned step back.


    What the hell was that? There should have been no way for him to attack that many directions at the same time! He never did anything like that before!


    He sent a command to Princess, but the Dredge''s mask shattered before he could even finish instructing her. The monster collapsed into a puddle and drained away, sending even more magic into Alex.


    Zeal had killed every single one of his summons in a second.


    "You had the right idea," Zeal said with a chuckle. "But my domain would be a rather poor one if I could only attack a single thing at a time. That would hardly be worthy of calling a dream."


    Before Alex could respond, one of his Mirror Images shattered.


    Alex flinched back, then dove out of the way. He hit the ground in a roll, the craggy platform digging into his arms and side as he shot back to his feet. He couldn''t even tell if he''d avoided anything. Zeal''s magic was utterly without presence.


    "Bah," Zeal said. "That''s a very realistic replication of yourself, young man. But I think I''m done playing around."


    "So am I," Alex replied. He locked eyes with Claire, who stood on the other side of the platform. There was only one way they had a chance of beating an attack they couldn''t see or track. Zeal had just been playing with them, but he wasn''t out of cards yet.


    He still had one left to play.


    Surprise.


    Alex activated Encore.


    Glass shattered and electric energy roared. A pool of black bubbled where Princess had fallen, and every single one of Alex''s monsters ripped themselves back to life. He grabbed onto his magic and thrust it into Glint, mixing Qi and his power together as he activated Rift Flood.


    Glint''s body expanded as it doubled in size. His back hunched; shards of glass exploded out from within it as his jaw elongated. The teeth within his mouth pushed it open, growing so large that it could no longer close properly. Swirls of mist poured off his body, turned a dull grey by Zeal''s domain.


    The monsters all burst into motion, charging at Zeal without any regard to their survival.


    Alex and Claire joined them in the charge. They couldn''t afford to sit back and poke at him any longer. It was all or nothing.


    Spark shattered.


    Princess threw herself forward. Her mask exploded into fragments, but blobs of her form splattered into Zeal and drove him down under her weight. The elderly man was forced to take a step back under the onslaught.


    A loud, scraping shriek rang out from Glint. Glass ground against something¡­ but the Shardwalker didn''t falter.


    Alex''s strongest monster threw himself forward with a wordless hiss, his massive claws arcing through the air for Zeal. Alex thrust his palms forward, sending a river of glass exploding out from his own hands ¡ª and Claire drove her sword at his back.


    Zeal smiled.


    Ink exploded all around him. It bloomed like a pot had been spilled across the white paper of the world all around them ¡ª and Alex realized just how wrong he had been.


    A massive dragon coiled around Zeal, its body painted with what must have been a million different, intricate strokes. He could practically see the texture of the brush within the monster, but this was no mere drawing.


    Pressure rolled off the massive beast with enough force to make Alex''s eyes feel like fingers were trying to press into them. It made his throat clench and squeezed at his chest, but he pressed forward ¡ª and so did Glint.


    The Shardwalker''s claws screeched against the dragon''s skin, leaving deep cuts within its body, but failing to reach his true target. Alex pressed forward with a roar. His magic branched out from his palms and shattered against the drawn monster. It didn''t so much as cut into its scales. Claire''s sword rang off the dragon an instant later to no effect.


    Glint''s Qi-empowered attack had been the only one to anything.


    Shit. You have to be kidding me. How is this fair?


    "You have skill," Zeal said with a delighted laugh. "You were able to get this close without utilizing your own domains. I hold great respect for that ¡ª but you can go no farther without matching me in strength. Release your Soul Manifestations. I have only attacked with a single one of my dragon''s claws until now, but I will utilize my full strength if you do not respect our battle."


    "We''re not trying to be disrespectful here," Alex said, clenching his teeth. They were seriously outmatched. There was no other way to see it ¡ª but that didn''t mean he''d give up. There were still a few seconds left in Glint before Encore faded, and Glint had managed to injure the dragon. There was still a chance. He just had to find an opening. "I''d love to use my domain against you¡­ but neither of us have one."


    Zeal let out a bark of laughter, but his amusement fell away when he realized that Alex wasn''t smiling. "What?"


    "I''m only at the beginning of Initiate, and she''s still at the peak of Novice."


    The old man''s hands lowered slightly as his frown depend. "Are you telling me that¡ª"


    Glint exploded into motion. He flung himself over the dragon and reached for Zeal. A single one of his claws managed to snag the man''s robes, just barely brushing against his skin before the dragon snapped out in a blur.


    There was a crunch, and then Glint too was gone. Alex winced.


    Fuck.


    "You are lying to me," Zeal said, his expression darkening in anger. "I sense our path within you. That is why you were taken to my step. You are a fellow disciple of the Empty Court, and we do not permit the weak among our ranks. If your Mind Palace had been ill-formed, the pressure from my domain would have crushed you. Cowardice is not on our path."


    He senses ¡ª oh, you have to be kidding me.


    "Someone called Meiderly gave me a fragment of power from the Empty Court because we had an interesting talk," Alex said. "I¡ª"


    The rest of his explanation didn''t get a chance to make it from his lips. Zeal blurred, crossing the distance between them in a split instant as his hands slammed down on Alex''s shoulders and pinned him in place. The elderly man''s eyes were as wide as saucers.


    "Did you just say Meiderly?"

 Chapter 90 - 89: The Empty Court

    It struck Alex that he might have messed up. Meiderly had never said he was well regarded within the Empty Court. The eyeless man hadn''t really seemed like a particularly friendly individual. It was a bit too late to worry about that now. Meiderly''s name was the only thing that had given Zeal a moment of pause, and Alex needed every advantage he could get.


    "Yes. I met Meiderly, and he told me about the Empty Court," Alex said, readying his magic as he searched for an opening. Even though Zeal was holding him by the shoulders, the massive ink dragon was¡­ somewhere. It was invisible, so Alex had no idea where it lurked, but he wouldn''t be able to land a blow until he knew where.


    Zeal completely eclipsed him and Claire in strength. There was absolutely no way they could realistically win a fight against the man. It had taken everything Alex had to leave just a single small scratch on Zeal''s arm ¡ª and the old man hadn''t even noticed that.


    That only pushed Alex''s desire to find a way forward to grow even more. He refused to let himself fall without a fight, no matter who he was up against.


    Death might be nearly inevitable in the Mirrorlands, but I''ll be damned if I go down like a wuss. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But Zeal didn''t attack Alex. The old man''s gaze bore into his head as if he were trying to burn a hole straight through his skull.


    "Describe him," Zeal said. There was something more than an order in his voice, something that almost ¡ª but not quite ¡ª bordered on hope. "If you tell the truth, then tell me about him."


    "He didn''t have any eyes," Alex replied, thinking back to his meeting with the strange man. "And Meiderly wasn''t all that thrilled about meeting me. He was kind of a sarcastic dick for the majority of our conversation."


    "I''ll be," Zeal murmured, releasing Alex and taking a step back as he shook his head in disbelief. "There''s no mistaking it. You have met him¡­ and he liked you."


    "How can you tell that?" Claire asked.


    Alex shot a glare at her.


    Not the time, Claire. Whose side are you on?


    "He left the boy alive," Zeal replied, but it was clear that his mind was only partially there. His thoughts had drifted into the past. "Meiderly doesn''t leave anyone he dislikes alive ¡ª not after they''ve seen his face. I knew he still lived. Where did you meet him?"


    "He was my System guide."


    "A fragment of his soul? He must have owed a favor," Zeal murmured, a frown crossing over his lips. He ran a hand down his long beard. "For eons, we have heard nothing from Meiderly. Some of the Empty Court believed him to be dead. But this is proof. He still lives¡­ and he chose to make himself known to you. He saw something."


    I''m pretty sure that he just decided I was interesting because I managed to mistakenly break the System and miss my entire Class Tutorial and all the information I was supposed to have gotten.


    "It would be a shame if you went against all his efforts helping Alex out by trying to kill us now," Claire observed casually. "Especially considering your stage is way higher than ours. Kind of an unfair fight, really. Like kicking cute animals off the edge of a cliff."


    "Likening yourself to a cute animal is arrogant," Zeal said through a snort. He chewed on the insides of his cheeks. "But I did not expect you to be so¡­ fresh. There is no honor in defeating one that cannot even scratch you."


    Alex coughed. He couldn''t help himself.


    "Technically speaking, I did scratch you." His eyes flicked to the tiny cut on Zeal''s arm. The older man''s gaze followed his.


    Zeal blinked in surprise. He touched the tiny wound, then looked down at the speck of blood smeared across his fingertip. "So you did. I have spent so much time within the Cracked Steps that I did not realize just how great the suppression had become. My body has grown soft, but managing to land a blow on me at your stage¡­ that is impressive."


    Alex and Claire exchanged a glance. The way Zeal spoke about the Cracked Steps was really implying that this was more than just any mere dungeon.


    The old man''s hands blurred. Alex tensed, but he didn''t even have time to react as a clap rang out. Power rushed past his ears as color exploded out from Zeal''s palms and the world was returned to its proper shades.


    He blinked furiously to re-adjust himself to the vibrant swirls of energy that lit the Mirrorlands all around them. Alex fought down surprise that welled within him.


    He''s not going to fight us?


    "For what purpose did you come here?" Zeal asked, lowering himself back onto his carpet and returning to his seated position. "The Cracked Steps are too powerful for you at this stage. How did you enter?"


    "We thought this was just a normal dungeon," Claire said. "We just walked through a portal."


    "That does not make sense," Zeal said with a shake of his head. "The Cracked Steps span through every world, but you would not have been able to enter this location unless you had an artifact to pry open the pathway. You are claiming to have just found a portal to this realm lying in wait?"


    "Yes. That''s the truth," Alex said. "We just found a portal and walked through it."


    "That should not have been possible. The barrier between planes resists the presence of the Cracked Steps. Portals to this location cannot open under their own strength."


    "Why would we lie about that?" Claire asked. "It doesn''t really get us anything."


    "I am aware. But, regardless of the manner in which you arrived here, you will not be able to go any further. You cannot ascend the Cracked Steps without defeating the one you meet, and I will not allow my ascent to be halted."


    "What are the Cracked Steps, exactly?" Alex asked. "Is it not just some kind of big dungeon?"


    A laugh slipped from Zeal''s lips. "No. They are a pathway to the heavens. Or at least, they were. Now, they have fallen into the gaps in the universe and wind endlessly toward a goal that none have achieved. The Cracked Steps are a call to those who seek to refine their power through battle with like-minded individuals."


    "So it''s a dungeon that populates it with other people instead of monsters," Claire said.


    Zeal''s smile fell away. "That would be no different from any dungeon. They are all populated by those who resided on fallen worlds. The Steps are far more than a dungeon, but only one who walks them can truly comprehend their enormity. They are a path to enlightenment ¡ª or death. Whichever comes first."


    Dungeons are filled with things that died on other worlds? That''s¡­ kind of dark. I suppose it makes sense in a twisted way. The System recycles all the materials from worlds that somehow get destroyed and puts them toward other ones.


    "So that''s why you''re here?" Claire asked, clearly trying to fish for more information. "You''re trying to get past the Adept Stage?"


    Zeal let out a burst of laughter. "I am not an Adept. It has been a long time since I have been an Adept, but once you have walked the Cracked Steps for long enough, they enable you to focus your efforts on where you lack most. I have repressed my power to train it. An Adept would not have a domain as full as mine, but that should not be surprising. Outworlders very commonly follow this practice in order to visit young realms. How fresh are you?"


    Alex and Claire exchanged another glance. They''d been doing a lot of that as of late.


    "My world got pulled into the Apocalypse a few days ago," Alex said.


    Zeal''s amusement fell away in an instant. He stared at Alex for several long seconds. "Days?"


    "Yeah."


    "The Cracked Realm is present within your world just mere days after its Initialization?" Zeal demanded. "I see why Meiderly was interested in you. Something is deeply wrong with your planet for such a thing to be possible. The Steps should not have found a barrier in space weak enough to take form for months at the minimum."


    Okay. Technically, we came here through the Mirrorlands, but its sounding like you can get to these Steps from normal worlds, so it might not be a good idea to reveal that we found a way in through them.


    "Yeah, things have been a bit messed up. But¡­ could you elaborate on the Outworlders bit?" Claire asked casually. "Just what kind of restrictions does that put on you?"


    "I am not foolish enough to miss the nature of your question. This is unrelated to our conversation."


    "Don''t you feel a bit bad for trying to kill us? You didn''t even check to see if we had domains before you attacked. Is bullying children what you want to be known for?"


    Zeal squinted at her. "You ¡ª bah. The restrictions on Outworlders are not always the same, but their nature is. The System demands a fair fight. Worlds that are newly Initialized would be crushed by existing families within moments if there was not a power in place to restrain them. All that enter a fresh world must lower their strength. Those who are weak will destroy their Mind Palace and rip their levels apart to start anew with nothing but knowledge. The stronger will bind themselves and limit the strength they can access."


    "But doesn''t that still leave them with a massive advantage?" Claire pressed shamelessly. "Even if they bring themselves down to the level normal people start at, they know what they have to do, and have a ton of other advantages."


    "Of course. But for every advantage Outworlders bring, the System weights the favor farther for a world''s natives. That is why they are so careful. If they send powerful artifacts onto the world, the energy from those artifacts will draw an opposite reaction that grants a trial to Natives to grow even stronger. The more powerful Outworlders arrive on a planet, the more powerful that planet''s rewards for the Natives grow."


    "Wait," Alex said. "You mean that having a bunch of Outworlders show up on a world is a good thing for the Natives?"


    "It means the world has something that they very badly wish to possess," Zeal said with a nod. "Generally, families do not all send representatives to new worlds. The likelihood of that creating an immensely powerful cultivator that is unaligned with them is too high. But when there is something powerful enough to make the families ignore that risk¡­ they can become blind to the threat. The families will arrive at a new world en masse, and that world becomes a battleground for power throughout the universe around it."


    Alex swallowed. He didn''t think Zeal had any idea just how many questions he''d just answered.


    So Earth had something that all these Outworlder families want, and it''s causing the potential power I can earn as a native to massively increase¡­ but only if I can steal the thing that they''re all after.


    "Do you have any idea what kind of thing could cause that much interest?" Alex asked.


    A rumble shook the platform beneath his feet. Alex jumped, nearly losing his footing, and barely managed to stabilize himself before he could trip.


    Out of the corner of Alex''s eye, he saw a flicker of energy from the portal that Claire had spotted when they''d first arrived. She''d been right. It looked down upon the Disruptor from above.


    "What was that?" Claire asked, her eyes darting around.


    "A challenger approaches," Zeal replied. "And they have good timing. I do not blame you for seeking knowledge, but you will not survive if you remain in this location for any longer. Count yourself lucky that Meiderly''s power brought us together. Do not return to the Cracked Steps until you have gotten far more powerful."


    Another rumble tore through the platform, this one stronger than the last. Crackles of energy arced through the air overhead as a portal started to form above them. Waves of power rolled out from within it with enough force to threaten to suffocate Alex.


    Whatever was coming, it was powerful.


    "Thanks for the information!" Alex yelled as he and Claire raced for the roots and the platform below.


    "I suspect we will meet again. Seek the Empty Court ¡ª and remember one thing. Power comes not to the conquerors, but to those who have something to protect."


    An earsplitting shriek tore free from the massive portal. Enormous black claws pierced free from the nebulous energy, each one the length of a telephone pole.


    Alex and Claire practically flung themselves down the roots, landing on the bottom platform with two thuds. Waves of magic poured into the air behind them.


    Energy bit at Alex''s back as they sprinted for the portal, grabbing each other''s hands as they flung themselves into the twisting green disk. As they flew through the air toward it, Alex craned his neck back to take one last look at the Cracked Steps.


    Zeal stood proud upon his platform, his worn robes and long beard rippling around him as power poured off his body. He held his brush before him in a casual pose, as if sizing up a canvas to determine where to paint the first stroke.


    "Soul Manifestation," Zeal intoned. Each word drove into the world like a physical blow, and Alex realized just how much Zeal had been holding back against them. For an instant, the elderly man glanced over to Alex. A grin played across his lips. He swept his brush down.


    "A Dream of Light."


    The world vanished in an explosion of white.


    Alex and Claire hit the portal even as it turned pale, and then they were gone.


    But as the portal ferried them back to the Mirrorlands, Zeal''s words rang in Alex''s head. They had been more than just a mere philosophical statement. He was certain of it.


    Something to protect that the Outworlders want, huh?


    It sounds like I need to get my hands on that Town Token even more than I initially thought.

 Chapter 91 - 90: Threshold

    Alex and Claire hit the ground in the Mirrorlands in a tumble of limbs. They skidded a foot before coming to a stop in the shadow of the massive root bearing the portal that led to the Cracked Steps, entangled together.


    Claire let a muffled groan out into Alex''s shirt. "Fuck. My head."


    "What happened to using ''bleed'' for every curse?" Alex cast his gaze around to make sure nothing was creeping up on them while they laid on the ground. His heart pounded heavily in his chest, though he couldn''t quite tell what the cause of it was anymore. Too many things had happened in too short of a time.


    "Give me a moment to get my brains re-arranged and I''ll give you all the bleedings you want," Claire mumbled back, not even trying to lift her head from his chest. "Zeal''s domain just rattled my damn skull like a shitty toy."


    "Really? I didn''t realize he hit you," Alex said as he untangled his limbs from Claire''s. She laid on top of him like a wet rag. He sent her a concerned look and prodded her in the shoulder. "Are you okay?"


    "He didn''t hit me," Claire said, finally pushing herself up and squeezing her eyes shut in pain. "It was his domain''s pressure. Did you really not feel it? My internal organs feel like they each got beat to a pulp."


    Alex blinked. He glanced down at himself as if expecting to suddenly realize that he was in pain, but there was nothing there. He really hadn''t felt much of anything at all when Zeal had used his domain. There had been a moment of unease right as the man had activated his Soul Manifestation, but that was it.


    "No," Alex said. "I didn''t feel much of anything. Was it a delayed reaction or something? Why did it only hit now?"


    "Because I wasn''t going to show this much weakness in front of an opponent, idiot," Claire muttered through clenched teeth.


    So either this is another front with her trying to get me to trust her, or she''s showing weakness because she actually feels comfortable doing it in front of me. I''d like to think it''s the latter. Only time will tell. Claire lost a fair bit of my trust when she lied to me, but holding a grudge isn''t going to do shit for anyone.


    Alex rose to his feet and pulled Claire up alongside himself, slinging an arm beneath her shoulders to keep her upright. He brought her over to a bundle of roots running throughout a destroyed town building, taking shelter beneath it while she recovered.


    She gave him a weak nod of appreciation as they slumped down against the wall. A little rest had the potential to go quite a long way ¡ª and Alex needed his monsters back before they started hunting anything again.


    They sat in silence as the minutes dragged by. Several times, monsters made their way through the street. There weren''t any City-Eater Centipedes in this location, nor did there seem to be anything quite as large as them, but there were a fair number of monsters between the high Novice and mid Initiate Stages.


    None of them noticed Alex and Claire. For that matter, the monsters seemed rather¡­ distracted. None of them were really paying all that much attention to their surroundings. They just wandered through the streets aimlessly. That didn''t seem like a very good strategy to survive when one resided within the Mirrorlands.


    Alex didn''t question their good luck. While he kept watch, he let his mind drift to other things ¡ª and while there were a number of them to think about, he found his thoughts turning to Rift Flood and Qi.


    Both the ability and Qi had the ability to change his monsters'' forms, but it didn''t seem like they worked the same.


    When he''d used Qi to summon Glint, the Shardwalker had come out flickering in and out of reality, and the monster gained the ability to rip a portal open and jump through it. When he used the normal Rift Flood on Glint, the monster just grew larger and stronger ¡ª and when he used the Qi empowered Rift Flood, Glint transformed into an even more warped monstrosity.


    When I used the Qi empowered Rift Flood on Princess, she also became huge. I''m pretty sure the same general effects hold true on all of my monsters. So there''s actually a pretty significant difference between summoning a monster with Qi or summoning them and then using Qi to empower Rift Flood on them.


    Qi directly improves the magic of whatever its used on. When I use it on summoning a monster, it improves their magical abilities. When I use it on Rift Flood, it makes the physical empowerment much stronger.


    A small smile pulled at his lips. It might have been a fairly simple deduction, but it gave him an enormous amount of versatility to work with. Even if he only had enough Qi to use the buff once per fight, he could get a lot of mileage out of the same energy by optimizing it for every battle.


    Qi really is incredible. If its already capable of this much¡­ I really want to know what my domain and Soul Manifestation will be. I have to upgrade my Mind Palace and get to Adept as soon as possible.


    Alex let his head rest against the stone behind him as he cast his gaze around the root-covered clearing around them. His powers were one thing, but Zeal had given him a lot to think about.


    I do wonder why his domain didn''t affect me like it did Claire. Was it because my Mind Palace is put together better? Or something else entirely?


    The answer didn''t make itself known. Unless they found someone else with a domain to test against, Alex doubted it would. It would just have to wait. Fortunately, there was more than enough to occupy him.


    He''d never thought that the presence of Outworlders would actually improve normal people''s chances to get powerful, but he supposed that lined up with everything else the System did perfectly. When there were powerful opponents, there were big sticks to hit them with.


    Alex just had to find the stick before the Outworlders did. Something told him the System wasn''t going to make it easy for the Outworlders. It wouldn''t make much sense to have a way to fight back if the Outworlders had an easy way to just gather it all up for themselves.


    I wish I got more time to talk to Zeal. I really do need to find the Empty Court again. They seem like pretty stand-up people if Zeal is anything to go by. But getting that Town Token comes first.


    ***


    The rest of the hour passed quickly and without note. Claire shook off the effects of Zeal''s domain and Alex''s monsters regenerated.


    They''d only been in the Mirrorlands for a short while, so they proceeded to use the next few hours to methodically work their way deeper into the city while hunting every single monster in their path.


    There were a number of fairly strong enemies, some of them getting up to Initiate 4, but none posed a significant threat against the two of them, nor did any catch Alex''s eye as an interesting combination. That was fine ¡ª they were still worth a decent amount of energy.


    He couldn''t help but be slightly annoyed that none of the fights they ran into were strong enough to cause Claire to use any abilities that she hadn''t revealed previously. She mostly fought with her sword, empowering her legs to increase her speed whenever the need called for it.


    Alex couldn''t even be annoyed about it. She couldn''t say anything about what her class did ¡ª that would risk her failing her Trial. Using its abilities purely just to show Alex what they could do would probably cause her to fail as well.


    And thus, just under ten hours later and after a few more breaks in-between fighting, the two of them made their way back toward the portal they''d entered the Mirrorlands through. They''d gathered a lot of magical energy and resources. Staying any longer and not leveling up would just be pushing their luck. The deeper one got into the inversed Valley Ford, the stronger the monsters were. Anything stronger than around the middle of the Initiate Stage was still too great a threat for them to intentionally seek out.


    "Do you think you''ll hit Initiate after this?" Alex asked Claire, feeding Glint Soul Flames as they walked.


    "I''d better," Claire said. "I''ve got a lot of energy stored up. It should be enough to fix up my Mind Palace the rest of the way and make it to Initiate, maybe even Initiate 2 or 3. We''ll see, I suppose."


    "Nice. I''m going to put enough energy into my levels to get one more ability, then focus the rest on my Mind Palace," Alex said, fishing out another Soul Flame from his mirror and handing it to Glint. "I think¡ª"


    Golden letters sliced through the air before him before he could finish his sentence. He ground to a stop as they appeared.


    Your Bonded Creature is 100% above the threshold to advance to Initiate 1. Would you like to evolve this Shardwalker? [Y/N] S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Alex?" Claire asked. "You okay?"


    A grin split Alex''s lips. "More than. We might have to take a quick detour before I open the portal and take us out of here. Glint just got enough energy for what should be a very interesting evolution."

 Chapter 92 - 91: Glintmaxxed

    Alex and Claire took cover in the ruins of a building nestled in the shadow of the huge roots twisting through the sky above the warped version of Valley Ford. They did a quick sweep of the main room to ensure that there weren''t any monsters lurking in wait before Alex sat down. He summoned Spark and Princess to help Claire keep watch ¡ª and to keep watch over Claire ¡ª while he slipped into meditation.


    He probably could have evolved Glint in plain view, but he had no idea how much sound or noise the process would generate ¡ª and he didn''t want to bring every single monster in the area down on top of their heads.


    Alex''s Mind Palace took shape all around him, dark water spreading across the ground as his marble basin rose up in the center of his soul. A large ball of swirling blue mist twisted above the marble bowl, thousands of misty motes of energy floating in wait for him to condense it into raw power.


    Three marble pillars loomed far above, spaced in a triangle centered around the basin. Each of them had an indent within their base sized perfectly for a Soul Gem. He had one of those ¡ª the Nightmare Aspect Gem ¡ª sitting on the top of the stairs leading up to the rim of the massive basin, but he still had no idea how they worked.


    Fortunately, he had a way to solve that problem. The Outworlders posed a threat, but they were also a solution. He finally had a way to get at least a few answers about the System. It wouldn''t be free, but he had 80 Credits to work with.


    I don''t want the Great Tide family to know just how clueless I am. They still think I''m some other Outworlder, and so does Orchid. But Finley is a totally different story. He can''t tell anybody about who I am and needs me to spend money so he can pay off his debts to the System. We''ll have to pay him a visit shortly after getting back¡­ right after I figure out just how much a Credit is actually worth so he can''t scam me into overpaying for information.


    Alex pulled Glint''s Spatial Mirror free from the deck at his side. He studied the glass card for a second. It hadn''t been that long ago that he''d first summoned Glint after being pushed into the Mirrorlands.


    Time had felt so compressed these past few days. So many different things had happened. He wasn''t the same person that Teddy had shoved into the cracks between worlds anymore. The world had changed ¡ª and now it was Glint''s turn.


    He ran a finger over the surface of the smooth mirror and words twisted to life within it.


    Your Bonded Creature is 100% above the threshold to advance to Initiate 1. Would you like to evolve this Shardwalker? [Y/N]


    "Yes," Alex said. It felt a bit strange speaking to the air, but it got the job done. The words in the mirror rippled and faded away. His fingertips prickled as energy gathered within the Spatial Mirror.


    Intense heat erupted within the glass shard. Alex let out a curse and dropped it, yanking his hand back even as the pads of his fingers sizzled. The mirror erupted with light a moment before it could hit the ground of his Mind Palace.


    Glint burst out from within the mirror, ripping through reality in a shower of shimmering glass shards. Viscous white energy twisted off his body in ropey strands and he doubled over, his clawed hands raking through the dark waters of the lake at their feet as a low hiss crawled from his mouth.


    Light lit within the Shardwalker''s body, pushing its way out through his skin and forcing Alex to squint. The light was so intense that it completely swallowed the details of Glint''s form, leaving behind only his general outline and shape.


    Waves of pressure drove into Alex''s stomach like physical blows. He grit his teeth as they pushed him back. Ripples turned to waves across the surface of the dark lake. Alex clenched his jaw and held a hand up in front of his face. The power gathering in Glint was so intense that it made his teeth rattle in his skull.


    And then Glint started to change.


    The jagged spikes extending from his back cracked and shattered, sending the vibrant song of breaking glass carving through Alex''s soul. Glint''s torso lengthened until he stood at nearly seven feet tall. His gangly limbs remained at exactly the same length ¡ª and with his new height, they were almost the proper size for his form.


    Ripples passed beneath the white light enveloping Glint''s body. The long, jagged claws on his fingertips grew thinner and the claws jutting out of his feet vanished entirely. Alex squinted even harder through the light, trying to make out what was happening.


    A shimmer of silver caught his eyes. The light started to fade away and Alex''s breath caught in his chest as details of his Shardwalker began to emerge.


    This wasn''t a change anything like the previous upgrades Glint had gotten.


    A glistening mask made of a solid piece of mirror covered the top half of Glint''s face. It was perfectly smooth and glossy, contorting to his features like a wet cloth. It covered his eyes completely, coming to a stop just above his mouth.


    The skin on Glint''s face had grown even more gaunt beneath the mask. His fangs had shrunk and thinned into rows of short, razor sharp needles.


    His changes didn''t stop there. Where his back had been previously covered by jutting glass fragments, there was now a rippling cloak composed of overlaid glass fragments. They caught the light, sending it refracting across the surface of the lake in a shimmering dance.


    Glint shook himself off as the light faded. The cloak let off a faint song as it moved, parting from his back and rising up to stretch out behind him. It was connected to his back just behind his right shoulder ¡ª and Alex realized that it wasn''t a cloak at all.


    It was a massive glass wing.


    There was no sign of a second wing. Glint wrapped his body in the wing once again, concealing much of his form beneath it. The Shardwalker stepped to the side in a graceful motion like that of a dancer, then tilted his head curiously to the side in wait of a command.


    Your Shardwalker has evolved into a Glasmir and advanced to Initiate 1.


    Alex realized his mouth was hanging open and forced it to close again. Awe gripped his mind as he gazed upon Glint''s new form.


    The monster had become eerily elegant, a corpse dressed as a god.


    Whoa. I didn''t think that Glint could get scarier¡­ but I don''t think I could have been more wrong. He''s so close to almost looking like a human now, but at the same time, I don''t think he could possibly be farther from it.


    "Walk over here," Alex said, pointing to a spot on the ground beside him.


    Glint moved to obey. He practically seemed to flow into motion, no one movement distinguishable from the rest. The Glasmir arrived at the spot he''d indicated and snapped to a halt, freezing in place in an instant now that the task was complete.


    Something about the way Glint moved was completely alien. He had the grace of the dancer but razor-sharp precision that only a highly advanced robot could have achieved. The mask covering his eyes didn''t help to reduce the unsettling aura enveloping the monster.


    How did Glint know where I was pointing with that silver mask covering his eyes? Can he see through it? And more importantly¡­


    "Are you sentient now?" Alex asked. "Are you able to respond to me?" S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Glint didn''t so much as twitch. He stood as still as a statue in wait for Alex''s next command.


    Looks like he''s still the same Glint on the inside. No thoughts¡­ not yet, at least. At least I don''t have to worry about that, but if this was just his first evolution, what happens when I get him to Adept?


    "I suppose we''re going to need to see what you''re capable of doing now, huh?" Alex asked Glint.


    The Glasmir, unsurprisingly, didn''t respond. Glint just remained frozen in place in wait for a command.


    Alex reached to his deck, where Glint''s card had re-appeared. Glint''s status had updated within it, listing his new evolved name and his rank as Initiate. With a thought, Alex summoned his newly evolved monster back into the card.


    Glint disintegrated into a stream of energy that flowed back into the Spatial Mirror. Alex returned it to his side.


    He let his Mind Palace fall away from around him and returned to the real world. His eyes opened as he found himself back in the building in the Mirrorlands. Claire leaned against the wall beside him, a hand on the hilt of her sword as she kept watch.


    "Done already?" She asked in surprise.


    "I wasn''t powering myself up yet. That would take too long," Alex replied as he rose to his feet. "We can do that once we get back to the real Valley Ford. Spending 4 hours sitting around in the Mirrorlands is basically just asking for something to attack. I was just getting Glint evolved."


    "And that worked, I take it?"


    "It certainly did something," Alex said with a shake of his head. "He''s starting to get a little uncanny. I''m equal parts scared and excited to see what he''s capable of in a fight now. Let''s head back to the portal and we''ll see if it catches anything''s attention when we open it up."


    "Hold on. Can''t you just show me what he looks like?"


    "You''ll get to see what he''s capable of when we find a fight. If I have to wait to see what your class can actually do, then you get to wait a few extra minutes."


    Alex didn''t even try to hide the smug grin on his face as they headed out toward the portal leading back to Earth.


    Nobody had ever said he wasn''t petty, but he was just as in the dark to Glint''s new abilities as Claire was. He was actively hoping that something would try to stop them when he opened the portal.


    I can''t wait to see just what Glint is capable of now.

 Chapter 93 - 92: Glasmir...maxxing?

    Alex got his wish.


    He and Claire arrived at the portal back to Valley Ford a short walk through the Mirrorlands later. Just like the first time they''d gone through the outskirts of the city, there were almost no monsters present and their trip went entirely without interruption.


    And no sooner than Alex pried the portal open did a black sheen flash across its surface. It looked like their trip back to Earth wasn''t going to be quite as smooth as the one over to the Mirrorlands.


    Princess and Spark were already present by Alex''s side, but he summoned Glint with a thought as he scanned their surroundings in search for the Riftwarped Monster that opening the portal had called.


    Glass rang and shattered as Glint''s razor thin claws ripped through the air. He emerged from within the cracks in reality in a smooth, seamless motion. The monster was a Shardwalker no longer.


    Claire let out a startled curse. "What the bleedin'' hell happened? That''s meant to be Glint?"


    "He evolved. Glint is a Glasmir now," Alex replied, spotting a dull pink line splitting through the air on the ground a dozen feet away from them. "And no, I don''t know what that actually means. We''re about to find out."


    "He looks downright evil," Claire said with a shudder. "You''re completely certain that he''s on our side? The previous Glint was kind of cute, in an ugly gopher kind of way. Now he looks like something that you''d see behind you when you''re walking home at night."


    "Dhampirs think about things like that?" Alex blinked in surprise. "I kind of figured you guys were the things in the night."


    "There''s always something bigger."


    Energy crackled as the pink portal yawned open. Murky energy swirled within its depths, and Alex sent all of his monsters their commands for the fight. He wanted to see what the newly evolved Glint was capable of, but he wasn''t about to commit to anything until he saw what they were up against.


    There was a creaking groan, like the sound of an ancient tree ripping itself up from the ground. A knotted grey root emerged from the portal and drove into the ground, cracking the cobbled stone. Another root followed after it, and the portal bulged as a bark-covered monster pushed its way into the Mirrorlands.


    It was something in between a tree and a man, standing just over ten feet tall. Its thick trunk had long, barren branches with almost fingerlike endings jutting out of its body like arms. Two vertical cracks that Alex suspected to be its eyes burned at the top of the trunk with purple-pink rift energy.


    Below them was a large, horizontal rip through the center of the tree''s body. A circle of jagged teeth ringed the inside of the hole. He had absolutely no idea what use a tree had for teeth, but it seemed nobody had told the monster that.


    Riftwarped Treant (Initiate 6)


    A creaking groan emerged from the monster''s mouth. The many roots twisting at its base like the tentacles of an octopus shot forward and dug into the ground as the Treant launched itself toward Alex and Claire.


    Princess threw herself forward and slammed into the Treant. A loud crash echoed through the Mirorrlands as the large monsters drove into each other. The Treant''s fingers raked through Princess'' body, passing easily through her viscous form.


    The Dredge did nothing to hinder the other monster from attacking her. Instead, she pressed closer, wrapping herself around the tree and binding down as many limbs as she could ¡ª but it was a losing battle.


    There were too many branches to constrain, and the rapid attacks were tearing through Princess'' body as fast as she could rebuild herself. The Dredge was great at tanking large, powerful attacks that didn''t destroy her mask, but a ton of fast ones were a great way to waste her energy.


    Alex was pretty sure Princess could have handled the Treant herself if he used Rift Flood on her ¡ª but Princess wasn''t the monster he really wanted to see the capabilities of right now. The Treant was perfect to test just how much stronger Glint had gotten.


    He sent a mental command to both of his other monsters. Princess shoved the Treant back, patches of black goop splattering across the ground as she ripped the other monster''s limbs free of herself, then lurched backward.


    The Treant drove its roots into the ground to maintain its balance. Roots slammed into the ground and ripped large chunks of it free as the monster charged toward them.


    Princess and Spark both distanced themselves, setting up alongside Alex. This was Glint''s show. The other monsters could wait at the sidelines in case the Treant turned out more powerful than he expected.


    "Go," Alex said.


    Glint flowed forward. He slipped past roots as they shot up from around the Treant, and the wing on his back snapped out as the other monster extended its spindly branches to reach for him.


    There was a shearing thunk. Glint moved past the Treant as if there had been nothing in his path. The tree monster''s arm thudded to the ground as Glint turned back toward it, his wing wrapping back around himself.


    A grating shriek of fury slipped from the Riftwarped Treant. Twisting purplish-red streams of magic roiled off its bark and small portals snapped open throughout the air. Its roots shot into them.


    More portals opened around Glint. The roots shot out, reaching to entangle him from every direction in a blindingly fast attack.


    Before Alex could even send a modified command to his monster, the Glasmir moved on his own volition. The wing on Glint''s back snapped out once again with a shrill, ringing note. Segments of mirrored glass slid against each other and re-connected.


    Alex''s eyes widened.


    Glint''s wing was changing. It turned long and thin, becoming a bladed whip attached to his shoulder.


    And even as it unfurled, the whip streaked through the air in a blur. Light from the Treant''s magic reflected off the rushing mirrors and danced across the ground. The other monster had absolutely nowhere to run. All of its limbs were already caught shooting through portals in an attempt to grab Glint.


    The only thing it could do was try to reach Glint before the whip reached it.


    And try it did.


    Roots sliced out from portals and toward Glint one after the other. They slammed into the ground with enough force to shake it slightly. The Glasmir let each one slip by him like it was nothing more than a passing gust of wind.


    Glint moved like a reflection passing through a wavy lake. By the time an attack was moving toward him, he was already somewhere else.


    Within a second, every single one of the Treat''s roots had missed and buried themselves in the ground behind Glint, who had emerged from the tangle without so much as a scratch on his slender body ¡ª and then it was his turn.


    There was a loud crack as his whip connected with the Treant''s body. The long, silver blade slithered back to Glint, snapping back into place on his shoulder and forming back into a wing. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A large chunk of the monster''s trunk split and fell away. It let out a roar of fury. Glint slipped into motion once more and the two monsters launched themselves at each other.


    They collided with a crash. The air rang and the ground shook as the monsters spun around each other. Alex could barely even track the fight with his eyes. It wasn''t even because they were fast ¡ª it was something about the way Glint moved and the mirrored glass that made up the wing-whip.


    The light flashing off Glint made tracking his motions nauseating. Alex could barely track him for more than a few moments before he found his eyes instinctively shifting off.


    "He''s like an ambush predator creating his own distractions," Claire muttered. "It''s a type of camouflage. That''s fascinating."


    It was more than fascinating. It was effective.


    Even though Glint was an Initiate 1 matched up against an Initiate 6, the Treant was losing ground. Now that he was close range, he kept his wing as a flowing silver river at his back, protecting himself from attacks while he used his razor sharp claws offensively.


    The Treant''s body creaked as its mouth opened wide. Rift Energy burned within the tree''s depths as it charged an attack. Glint vaulted back an instant before jagged roots exploded out from the creature''s mouth, carving through the air where he''d been like a flood of worms.


    The roots raced across the ground, forcing Glint to retreat in a blur as they reached for him. He tried to get around the flow of magic, the Treant poured magic into the attack like there was no tomorrow. More and more roots emerged until a sea of them covered the ground around it and chased after Glint.


    It didn''t matter how fast Glint was if he couldn''t actually get close enough to the Treant to finish it off. Glint had put up an incredible showing thus far, but this was his limit against a Riftwarped monster 5 levels above him.


    At least ¡ª it was his limit as he was now.


    Let''s see what you can do when you''re jumped up with a little extra energy.


    Alex extended his magic toward the Glasmir.


    Then he activated Rift Flood.

 Chapter 94 - 93: Back to Valley Ford

    A connection snapped to life between Alex and Glint and he sent power coursing down it. Roots shot out for Glint, the sea of writhing wood around the Treant growing larger by the second.


    The mirrors covering Glint''s body rippled like sunlight reflecting off the surface of a gentle lake as Alex''s power flooded into him. Glint leapt out of the way of the roots and glass erupted from the back of his wing, more than doubling its length to the point where it almost looked like a long, flowing cloak.


    Silvered glass protrusions grew over Glint''s shoulders and knees. They were perfectly smooth and glossy, like pieces of armor that had been polished to perfection. The Glasmir almost resembled the corpse of some long-dead hero.


    He stood still for the briefest instant as the magic finished running the course of its changes on his body.


    Roots rose up in a wave and crashed down toward him.


    Glint exploded into motion. His enlarged wing screamed through the air, letting out a high-pitched whistle as it sliced through the roots before him as it unfurled into a what almost resembled a gossamer whip.


    It was impossible to tell where any of the individual segments of the weapon started or ended. The whip was a river of reflective metal, impossible to properly lay eye on for more than an instant.


    Glint snapped the whip and it sliced forward, twisting and churning as it swam through the air like an ocean current. The attack wouldn''t have gotten anywhere near the Treant in its previous form. Glint and the Treant were nearly twenty feet apart from each other.


    But in the new form, the whip sliced through several roots and bit deep into the tree monster''s side. It let out a grating scream. The creature pitched to the side and the flow of magical roots from its mouth faltered.


    Glint sprung forward. He slipped past the roots that reached up for him and the whip retraced, snapping back into its wing form with a loud crack ¡ª but he wasn''t done. No sooner than the whip had retracted did his wing shift forms once again, this time forming into a massive axe-blade.


    He arrived before the Treant and twisted his entire body as he swung the newly formed blade. The huge axe sliced through the air and slammed into the Treant''s side with a loud crash ¡ª and then it continued through, ripping through wood like it was paper.


    Splinters of wood flew up all around Glint as he spun like a ballerina. His axe had cut clean through the center of the Treant; its momentum so strong that the Glasmir had been forced to continue moving to avoid ripping its own arm off.


    The sea of roots froze like they had all been trapped in ice. For a moment, the Mirrorlands seemed to stand still.


    Then the roots crumbled away, transforming into motes of brownish-red mist and flowing into the air. Glint''s wing snapped back to its normal form. He turned back toward Alex and Claire, head tilted to the side in wait of his next command.


    "Bleed me," Claire muttered under her breath. "Your Initiate 1 monster can beat an Initiate 6 basically entirely on its own?"


    A small river of energy trickled into Alex. The Treant had been worth far more power than the majority of the other monsters they''d fought, but the amount of energy he needed for every level grew the stronger he got. It was still quite a healthy amount of power. He would have been quite thrilled about it if he wasn''t so stunned by Glint''s performance.


    Goddamn. I was expecting Glint to be stronger, but this is something else entirely. Overloading his magic was absolutely the right idea. Now that I think about it, the equivalent energy in Glint is probably something around Initiate 3 or 4 even though he''s only shown as Initiate 1.


    What would he be capable of if I was to use Qi while summoning him or together with Rift Flood?


    Alex shook his head in disbelief. "That was a lot more than what I was expecting. He''s becoming a bit of a menace, isn''t he?"


    "Menace isn''t the word I''d use," Claire said, squinting at Glint before blowing out a huff of air. "Why don''t your evolutions make your monsters cuter? That''s just¡­ unsettling. I don''t like looking at him."


    "I suppose this answers a question. Dhampirs are just as scared of other things that go bump in the night as people are of them," Alex said with a chuckle. "And don''t be mean to Glint. He''s got feelings."


    "He does?"


    Alex glanced back at his monster and scratched at the back of his head. "Well¡­ no. I don''t think so. But he might! You never know. He''s a perfectly normal and healthy looking Glasmir. I won''t stand for any criticisms of things he can''t change."


    "What are you, his mom?" Claire asked through a snort. "I think Glint is more than powerful enough to inform anyone when they''re doing something that he dislikes."


    "Do you want him to go around telling people what he doesn''t like?"


    Claire''s amusement fell away. She looked back over to the Glasmir. It was somehow even more impossible to tell what Glint was thinking now than it had been before. The glossy silver mask covering the top half of his face gave absolutely nothing to read ¡ª which meant everything was left to the imagination.


    "You know what?" Claire asked. "Maybe you have a point. I''m sure he''s perfect just the way he is. Just¡­ keep pointing him at the people we don''t like, would you?"


    Alex chuckled. He walked over to the dead Treant, where a greenish-black Soul Flame sputtered above where it had fallen. He grabbed the flame and placed it within his mirror, then pulled the Harvester that Finley had given him out of his pocket.


    The small orb was empty and devoid of a monster core now that he''d sold the previous one to the Great Tide Family. It was in need of a new core ¡ª and Alex had the perfect target for it.


    He flicked the ball at the dead Treant. It struck with a violent shearing whirr. The smell of burnt wood filled the air as the marble split apart and it lifted into the air, hovering in place. There was a flash of brilliant purple light and energy carved through the center of the Treant.


    The marble snapped back together, purple energy humming gently within it. It fell to the ground and Alex knelt, picking it up and tucking it into a pocket.


    "You going to sell that to the Great Tide again?" Claire asked. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alex scratched at the side of his neck. "Maybe. I''m honestly not sure how much a Riftwarped Core would go for ¡ª nor do I know if I want to reveal that we can access the Mirrorlands. I think we should try to use Orchid to fish for some information. I don''t suppose I can leave that to¡ª"


    Claire''s lips split apart in a grin. "Don''t worry. I''ve got it covered."


    "Great," Alex said. He glanced over to the portal that led back to Earth, then hesitated for a moment. He craned his neck to study the warped version of Valley Ford behind them. His eyes lifted to trace up the massive tree that stretched out above the city, and to the Disruptor that was lodged within it.


    This area of the Mirrorlands had been¡­ strange.


    That wasn''t saying much. Every single area of the Mirrorlands was strange. But something about this location felt different. The perfect recreation of the city, even though it had been destroyed and warped in typical Mirrorlands fashion, felt like it meant something more than just coincidence.


    "Something up?" Claire asked, noticing the expression on his face.


    "I was just trying to figure out what was going on with¡­ all of that." Alex gestured vaguely in the direction of the city. "This area just felt a little odd. There weren''t as many monsters as there were in other locations, and there weren''t any City-Eater Centipedes either. And then there was the Cracked Steps. Why could we see the Disruptor and the rest of the Mirrorlands through another portal? It didn''t seem like people normally enter the area through the Mirrorlands."


    "It''s too bad we couldn''t get a better look at it," Claire agreed with a frown. "I really want to know what a Disruptor is. Maybe that''s something else we can fish for information from Orchid about, but it might be a bit harder. We''ll have to figure out how important the Mirrorlands are first."


    "You don''t know what they are?" Alex asked. "I was kind of wondering if your¡­ uh, unique background let you figure any of that out."


    "The Nightmarch didn''t have any information about Disruptors that I saw," Claire said with a shake of her head. "Not that I''d be able to share it if they did. Not yet. I''ve got a lot that I want to talk about¡­ but until I complete my Trial, it''s impossible."


    "I know," Alex said. "But I''m going to hold you to that. Complete the trial soon, would you?"


    "Working on it," Claire replied wryly. "I''d tell you what I need to do, but¡­"


    "Yeah." Alex rolled his eyes. "Figured. Let''s just get back to Valley Ford, shall we? I''ve got some energy to cash in, and it''s just about time to figure out just what we can do with our Credits."


    Claire nodded, and the two of them stepped through the portal back to Earth as one.

 Chapter 95 - 94: Invictus

    The trip back to Valley Ford was a quiet one. A significant portion of Alex had been completely expecting Derek to be waiting for them when they emerged from the portal. The man had only fallen asleep after being defeated, after all. Assuming nothing had killed him, there was a good chance that the man would just come looking for him a second time.


    But he was nowhere to be seen. They were able to make their way back into the city without running into a single person that gave them more than a single glance. While they had stuck out a little in Towntown, in Valley Ford, the two of them fit right in. For that matter, they looked rather under-equipped in comparison to all the people walking around in full suits of armor and lugging around massive weapons.


    There''s no way the System gave everyone all this stuff. The Great Tide family is making a killing from their sales ¡ª either that or there''s just some random Smith that has enough materials here to work with.


    Now there''s a thought. I wonder if people can get Classes that aren''t focused on fighting. Could somebody get a Smithing Class? I would assume someone has to unless the System is literally just making every single piece of magical equipment in circulation ¡ª and that really wouldn''t make much sense. Someone, somewhere, has to be making stuff.


    "Let''s go check out the Great Tide''s store again," Alex said as they headed down the street. "See what they have for sale with Credits so we know the general scale of what they''re worth. Then we can head back to Towntown and pay Finley a visit."


    "So long as the prices back there aren''t too expensive," Claire said. "We don''t know what the fees for the portals will be¡­ but even if they''re small, imagine how much money the Great Tide family is going to make off them. Once more towns build up across the world, teleporting will be the fastest way to travel between them. Having portals is going to be like sitting on a gem mine."


    Alex was midway through a nod when a scream split the air. He and Claire spun toward its source ¡ª along with everybody else in the square around them. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "There''s a horde!" a man screamed, skidding to a stop and fighting to speak past desperate breaths. "The city is going to be attacked! Prepare yourselves!"


    Then he took off running again, his calls echoing through the streets as he raced to spread the message throughout the rest of the city.


    There was a brief moment of silence as everyone processed his words. Then they burst into motion as one. People ran in every direction ¡ª some racing for the walls to see what was approaching, others making for cover to wait out the event.


    Alex and Claire didn''t even have to say a word. They both joined the crowd of people racing toward the edge of the city to see what was going on. The System hadn''t announced any sort of event, so Alex had absolutely no idea what to expect.


    The throng of people pressed over to the walls. Guards already stood atop them, but none of them looked very nervous. They did nothing to stop the people rushing up the stairwells to the top of the walls ringing the huge city.


    "Don''t push!" one of the guards barked. "Remain orderly. Melee fighters, if you wish to prepare for a fight, please make your way to the exits of the city. We do not anticipate our defenses being breached, but preparation never hurts. Please note that any damage done to Valley Ford''s interior will be charged to your accounts."


    Alex bit back a laugh. Charging people that were preparing to defend your city was ludicrous, but it made sense in a twisted way. There would be a lot of people that wanted the chance to get the rewards from fighting off a monster horde.


    Unless it was so big that it threatened the city itself, this was just an opportunity.


    People milled all about Alex, all trying to push to the front of the wall to get a look at what was coming. He and Claire squeezed their way through the crowd and managed to push up to the front, stopping at the edge of the wall to peer down over the desert stretching out around the city.


    It didn''t take long to figure out what the crier had been warning everyone about. A large cloud of dust rose in the distance, heading toward the city at a rapid pace. Alex could just barely make out hundreds of figures within the twisting dust.


    Are those a bunch of ¡ª


    "It''s a big ass herd of bulls!" a large, barrel-chested man beside Alex said through a roll of booming laughter. "Would you look at that!"


    "Can anyone make out how strong they are?" someone else asked.


    "From the size of that cloud, there have to be at least a hundred or so. No more than that, though," a woman observed. The adventurers stared at the stampede in a mixture of anticipation and excitement.


    The guards, however, couldn''t have looked more uninterested. Alex spotted one of them covering a yawn as he leaned on his halberd.


    Are they that confident in the people here? No. That wouldn''t make sense. Getting a whole town to Earth had to have been incredibly expensive. They wouldn''t bet something like that on a risk as huge as trusting random people to defend them.


    They''ve got to have another form of security. But what is it?


    Alex twisted around to look back at the town behind him. He couldn''t see anything through the thick crowd around him and Claire on the walls, but he was certain there had to be something. Maybe the family had a powerful warrior that would defend them, or there were traps laid around the city.


    "They''re getting closer," the barrel-chested man said. "I can''t see their damn levels through that dust cloud, though."


    "Let''s get to the ground. We aren''t going to get shit standing around up here," a man said, and several others voiced their agreement. A portion of the crowd peeled away and hurried down the stairs, heading for the nearest city exit.


    Alex was of half a mind to join them. There was no need to turn down free energy when it delivered itself right to his doorstep.


    But, before he could mention his thoughts to Claire, he caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye. He craned his neck back and raised a hand to block out the sun as he squinted into the sky.


    Then his eyes went wide.


    "What the hell is that?"


    Claire turned to follow his gaze, and her mouth dropped open.


    A river had peeled away from the ocean of water that churned above Valley Ford. It twisted through the air like a snake, and standing upon its head was a lone man with his hands crossed behind his back in parade rest. He wore beautiful blue robes trimmed with golden streaks. Long gray hair flowed behind him in the wind.


    The snake of water bore him through the air and stopped in the sky above the wall, allowing him to look down upon the approaching horde. His presence bore down on Alex''s back. Invisible pressure rolled off him, pressing on Alex even though the old man was easily a hundred feet in the air above him.


    Alex gritted his teeth. Claire muttered a curse and staggered. All around them, adventurers dropped to one knee. Almost all of the crowd had been forced down from his sheer presence alone. Other than them and the guards, who were all unaffected, only one or two others managed to remain standing.


    What is this sensation?


    The old man clapped his hands together, and the sound echoed through the air like rolling thunder.


    "Be at ease. It is a little too early for you all to be engaging with roaming hordes. The casualties would be too great. We value each and every one of your lives far too much to let you perish today. After all, if you die, who will line our coffers?" the man let out a jolly laugh, but his expression quickly turned serious. "I jest, of course. The Great Tide family greatly appreciates your dedication to defending our city ¡ª but today, it is I who will defend you."


    "What is this pressure?" Claire asked through clenched teeth. "It''s not like what Zeal was using. How strong is that guy?"


    Alex just shook his head. He had absolutely no idea.


    "Bear witness to the strength of the Great Tide family," one of the guards along the wall thundered. "Invictus, the Ruler of Valley Ford, has arrived to grant us victory!"


    "Do not put such praise upon me," Invictus said with a dry laugh. "Valley Ford defends itself. I am simply the director of its might."


    Invictus looked down at the horde, which was only a few hundred feet away from the city''s walls. A confident smile crawled across his weathered features and he swept his hands down.


    A ripple passed through the water swirling above the city behind him. Alex''s mouth dropped open as the huge ocean shifted. It rose up, thousands of tons of force suspended by sheer nothingness, and then crashed down with a roar.


    The unfathomable might of the water slammed down upon the charging horde with an earthshaking crash. Alex''s stomach leapt into his throat as the wall bucked beneath him. The magic had struck with such force that it had caused an earthquake big enough to hit the entire city.


    People cried out all around him, but he and Claire both managed to remain standing, their eyes locked on the scene before them in disbelief.


    Invictus lifted his hands. Where his features had previously been confident, there was now strain. A droplet of sweat rolled down the side of his temple.


    Water rose up from the ground like rain falling in reverse, gathering back into a huge river. Of the monster horde, there was no trace. Every single attacking creature had been flattened in a single strike.


    For a moment, the huge river of water hung in place. Then it twisted back on itself, flowing back to gather above the city.


    Alex could barely believe his eyes. The display of might Invictus had just put on was incredible. A thought poked at the back of his head and a small frown flickered across his lips.


    That was almost too incredible. Am I just a conspiracy theorist? Or is a horde showing up and getting crushed before anyone even gets a chance to see how strong it is a little convenient for the Great Tide''s appearance?


    Either way¡­ fuck. No wonder Claire was so determined that I have to use the Town Token. Even if this was a show by the Great Tide just to flex their power, it was incredible.


    Invictus turned away from the remains of the horde. "I apologize for the panic. Everything is handled now. You may all return to your normal plans. And as an apology for the panic, we will have a discount for the next twelve hours! You may all enjoy twenty percent off all consumable goods."


    The elderly man glanced down at the wall of the city. Then he did a double take ¡ª and, in that moment, Alex realized it might not have been a good idea to remain standing when everyone around him and Claire had fallen to their knees.


    Invictus was staring straight at them.

 Chapter 96 - 95: The same idea

    Invictus was surprised.


    In a sea of kneeling Nativeworlders, their shoddy Mind Palaces unable to withstand the force of his connection with Valley Ford''s defense array, there were two that still stood. A boy who didn''t even look like he''d properly registered that the array had activated and a girl whose palace seemed to be slightly worse than his ¡ª but still far superior to that of the rabble around them.


    They both bore status obscuring equipment. He could have blown through the magical protection in an instant to reveal them, but he stayed his hand. At this stage of a newly inducted world, it wasn''t impossible for a native to get a Mind Palace this powerful¡­ but it was unlikely.


    There was a nonzero possibility that he was looking at Otherworders.


    Invictus only hesitated for an instant. He had been alive for too long to spare any more time than that, but it took him a moment to dig through his mind and try and remember if there were any unaccounted for Outworlders that should have still been present in Valley Ford. There were a few that had passed through the city, but an Assembly had been called almost an hour ago.


    An Assembly I very much need to be at. If I don''t get there soon, the other families will rip me apart and I''ll lose out on a huge number of Credits. But I can''t just leave two Outworlders sitting around while I leave. The risk is too great. I shut down the portals the moment we realized there was a Town Token in the area. There shouldn''t have been time for another family to send anyone through, which means if they are from a family, their arrival would have have to be by coincidence. But not many families would have sent people into the Great Tide''s area without any reason¡­


    Could they be Crestless Outworlders? sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Invictus dismissed the thought almost instantly.


    No. A Crestless wouldn''t be foolish enough to reveal themselves like this. Then¡­ who are they? I need to find out. There are too many things in motion to allow for a loose cog to bring all of our work crashing down around us.


    If they were Outworlders, he couldn''t afford to leave them wandering around the city while he was gone. And if they weren''t¡­ planet 274-50 was creating threats to compete with the families far faster than he had expected.


    No matter what they were, they had to be dealt with one way or another.


    He extended a hand toward them and a tendril of water pulled away from the rivers flowing through the sky to join the ocean far above. In a blur, the magic twisted down and formed into a rippling, translucent disk before his feet.


    Invictus stepped onto the watery platform and it lowered until it rested just a few feet above the top of the wall. The crowd parted around them as people dragged themselves out of the way, sending a mixture of awed, jealous, and fearful looks in his direction.


    He ignored them all. There were only two people whose reaction he was interested in right now. Finding out if someone was an Outworlder when they didn''t want to be known could be¡­ problematic.


    Everything would have been simpler if he had a few moments to speak to his subordinates. They had records of who had entered and left the city; records of everyone who had attended the Ocean''s Tide store and what they had sold and purchased.


    Fortunately, there were other ways to go about determining the identity of an Outworlder.


    "Welcome to Valley Ford," Invictus boomed, his words echoing through the air to grace the ears of everyone on the wall though they were only meant for the two standing before him. "I hope you can all place your trust in us. The world is changing, but the Great Tide Family endeavors to ensure that life is as safe and comfortable as possible for all those who have earned the privilege to reside within our walls."


    The crowd erupted with murmured appreciation and hurried nods. Invictus was certain he''d have gotten a similar response if he informed everyone that he''d had a particularly large bowel movement that morning.


    He could taste fear in the air. His demonstration had worked perfectly. The Nativeworlders had been given a taste of the power of Valley Ford. A fair number of them would remain in the city for as long as they could, accepting the Great Tide''s shelter ¡ª and staying out of their way.


    Not all of them, of course. Many would continue on as they had. Invictus wasn''t particularly bothered by that. There would always be road bumps. The more intelligent Nativeworlders would realize that sitting around and hiding within a city forever would only hinder them. And among the people that seemed entirely uninterested in promises of safety were the two that had garnered his interest.


    "Can we go now?" the boy asked in a low tone, scratching the back of his neck. His words would have been swallowed by the rumble of the crowd if Invictus hadn''t focused his Master Stage senses directly on him and his companion. "I was hoping to get a good fight in, but it looks like that''s dealt with, so I don''t just want to stand around here forever."


    "Wait until he''s done with his speech," the girl muttered in response. Her voice was ever so slightly louder than his, but both of them spoke quietly enough that it seemed they did not think Invictus could hear their words. "It''s not like we''ll have to wait in line to sell anything with the others. We can just go right up to the next floor and sell to the clerk up there."


    Invictus blinked. That did imply that they were Outworlders. If they knew about Credits, it was highly likely¡­ but it still wasn''t an absolute answer. Neither was getting to the upper floors of the Ocean''s Tide. It should have been limited to exclusively Outworlders, but if they were natives working with another family, it was possible they might have been able to deceive someone.


    Invictus made it a point to only trust work that he had verified himself, and that hadn''t failed him yet. He wasn''t about to change his strategies today.


    I need to determine their purpose.


    "Off with you all. Don''t let your days waste," Invictus boomed, flicking his hands to dismiss the crowd even as his watery platform carried him forward. People streamed away at his command, rushing to take advantage of the twenty percent discount he''d placed on products that had been marked up by a few hundred percent before anyone had even laid eyes on them.


    A grin threatened to pull across his lips. Even through his curiosity toward the potential Outworlders, there were few things he enjoyed more than a good deal ¡ª especially when he came out on top.


    After all, when you control the supply, then the price is exactly what you want it to be.


    The two points of interest made to join the rest of the crowd, but Invictus had no plans to let them wander off. They might have been Outworlders. They might have been natives with a good source of information, or perhaps they were just lucky. It didn''t matter. Anyone, even members of another family, could be useful.


    After all, there were no treaties on a newly initialized planet.


    Invictus stepped off the watery platform, cutting off his new guests a moment before they could slip past him.


    "A moment of your time, please," Invictus said, crossing his arms behind his back as a polite smile crossed his features. "I would like to have a word."


    ***


    Alex held a straight face even as a grimace tried to pull across his lips. Invictus was not someone whose attention he''d been hoping to garner. It hadn''t even crossed his mind that he should have faked getting hit by the pressure along with the rest of the crowd.


    Shit. This is less than ideal. It''s not like we can easily distance ourselves from him now, but I doubt he''d want to make a big scene in front of everyone.


    The rest of the crowd continued to filter away around them. Alex could tell that a lot of people wanted to stay to see what was going on, but the guards on the wall drove away the last of the rubberneckers, leaving the group isolated on the top of the wall.


    It''s not like we had much chance to properly blend in after the first time we went shopping here, but this certainly isn''t going to help.


    Claire gave Invictus a winning grin. "We wouldn''t mind the delay so long as it gives us more of a discount."


    Invictus snorted. "I''m sure we can arrange something. You''re selling, yes? We can give you some extra Shells¡ª"


    "Credits." Claire''s voice lost a note of its cheer. "We prefer real currencies."


    "You are Outworlders," Invictus said. His expression tightened. "What are you doing? You shouldn''t be here."


    "Why not? Your people were more than happy to take a Core that we worked hard to get," Claire said, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "So you''re happy to take advantage of our efforts, but not to let us get a look at what you''re capable of? That hardly seems fair."


    "This is the Great Tide''s city," Invictus said, matching her tone. "What family are you from?"


    "One that would prefer not to reveal more than they have to." Claire tapped a finger against her outer thigh. "The scales are evened here. There aren''t any treaties, but there aren''t enemies either. Not unless you go looking for them. We aren''t here to cause trouble but go digging and that''s what you''ll find."


    Invictus titled his head to the side. "An interesting observation. Not one an ally would typically make. Care to tell me why it is that you''re lurking amidst the crowds instead of attending the Assembly?"


    Assembly? What, is everyone supposed to be gathered up in a big hall and sat in bleachers listening to someone give a vaguely inspirational speech?


    "We were waylaid," Claire said with a half-shrug. She was really good at sounding like she knew what she was talking about while simultaneously having absolutely no idea. Either that or she actually knew what the Assembly was from her time with the Nightmarch family and just hadn''t been able to tell Alex yet.


    Stupid Trial.


    "Waylaid," Invictus repeated. He didn''t sound amused. "I''m certain you were, and you weren''t just observing our defenses. Perhaps you would like to accompany me there, then? I will arrange for safe passage, of course. It''s my duty as a Town Ruler to ensure all Outworlders within the protection of my walls are granted safe passage to a location from where they can attend the Assembly ¡ª especially given the circumstances for this one. That Town Token is drawing a lot of attention from this area of the Subsector. There may be no treaties on 274-50, but I think we all know that doesn''t hold true once the planet ages. Your actions today will affect tomorrow, yes?"


    Alex made sure to keep himself from glancing at Claire. She seemed to have Invictus quite convinced she knew what she was talking about, and he was more concerned with figuring out exactly what it was that Invictus was saying.


    This Assembly was called for the Town Token somehow? Is it some sort of discussion between Outworlder families about it? How much are they cheating?


    If that''s what it is, there could be invaluable information there. If we can just sit in, we might overhear a ton of the information I''m missing about Outworlders. But if we make one misstep, our cover gets blown. Shit. This isn''t good, but I don''t think we have any good way to refuse.


    Claire seemed to have the same idea.


    "We''d be rude to refuse," she said. "Please. Lead the way."

 Chapter 97 - 96: Vile

    Invictus took Alex and Claire onto his water platform, which bore them all into the air and across Valley Ford over to a large, white-tiled building covered with glistening blue mosaics. The Town Ruler led them into a small room near the entrance of the house.


    It was plain gray stone, with a circle of glossy green stones inlaid in what almost resembled a runic pattern in the floor. The stones glistened in the light from a lantern that flickered with pale blue flame and hung suspended from a chain in the center of the room.


    Invictus reached into his pocket and rifled around it for something. Alex took the moment to steal a glance with Claire. She gave him the smallest of shoulder-shrugs. Invictus was powerful enough to have killed them where they''d been if he''d wanted to ¡ª and if the System actually allowed for that.


    Alex focused on his breathing to make sure it remained steady. He wanted to spin and glance around wildly, readying himself for the knife that felt like it lurked in every shadow. Summoning one of his monsters would have been nice as well, but he couldn''t afford to do any of that.


    Walking around with someone powerful enough to kill an entire horde of monsters was nothing short of terrifying. If Invictus realized that he and Claire weren''t actually Outworlders¡­ well, Alex was pretty sure the families weren''t the most forgiving sort.


    Right now, the best defense they had was sheer, dumb confidence. It was clear that the Outworlders worked together to at least some degree. They wouldn''t be having big fancy meetings of some sort if they didn''t. That meant that his and Claire''s best advantage right now was a mixture of confidence and making sure they didn''t draw too much attention.


    Well, that and the restrictions on Outworlders.


    Alex still wasn''t sure as to the extent of those limits. Finley and other merchants couldn''t attack other things at all. Invictus obviously wasn''t a merchant, but he had no doubt that someone powerful enough to wipe out a monster horde in a single attack wasn''t just walking around unrestrained by the System.


    If that was possible, then no Native would ever have had a chance to fight back against the Outworlders. Something had to be staying Invictus'' hand. But, whatever the reason, it didn''t look like they were in imminent danger. There was no way to slip away from him now, so the best they could do was turn the situation to their advantage.


    "Ah," Invictus said, pulling a small pouch out and brushing it off. He undid the drawstrings and pulled out a pinch of ground up blue powder. "My apologies for the delay. I will open the soul-link now."


    I''m not sure I love the sound of that.


    Invictus snapped his fingers. The friction ignited the powder in his fingers, sending it up in a tiny ball of flames. Greenish-blue tongues of fire licked out from his palm with a crackle. He flicked it onto the ground and it splattered across the surface of the circle like water.


    The flames raced across the glistening stones and sank into their surface. A dull hum filled the room, joined by a distant ringing noise as light ignited within the tiled pattern on the ground.


    Alex squinted as the magic intensified and wind rolled out from the circle in a swirling gale, driving into his chest and trying to force its way down his lungs.


    A shimmer passed through the circle and there was a loud pop. The hair on Alex''s arms jerked upright as an electrical charge raced through the room. At the same time, a buzzing blue mirage formed in the center of the room, just beneath the lantern.


    It was something in between a portal and a projection. Vague forms made of condensing blue mist sat in what seemed to be a small auditorium, shifting and gesturing as muted conversation, too distant to make any of the words out, tickled the edges of Alex''s hearing. The edges of the projection rippled with energy that was reminiscent of the Mirrorlands portals.


    Invictus gave them a pointed glance. He made no moves, but Claire didn''t seem to mind. She grabbed Alex''s wrist and strode forward without hesitation. They entered the mist ¡ª and the world twisted.


    It flipped on its head and Alex''s stomach dropped out through his feet as color inverted itself. A howl tore past his ears and freezing cold fingers enveloped his body, shutting out his sight entirely.


    There was a sharp twang like the snap of a guitar string snapping. All the breath was knocked from his lungs as his eyes snapped back open and he inhaled sharply.


    They weren''t in Valley Ford anymore.


    He sat in a chair within an open-topped auditorium. The night sky rose above, lit by massive glistening silver stars that seemed so close that it almost felt like he could have touched them.


    Hundreds of stone seats just like the one he sat in were padded with plush cushions and arranged in a large, circular pattern. Each row of chairs was higher than the previous, making an inverted cone shape. At their center, in lowest point of the large room, was a silver-tiled platform.


    A few dozen of the chairs in the room seemed full. Not a single name appeared, though. Everyone must have had a concealing item or this location was otherwise defended from prying eyes. People were yelling and shouting about something ¡ª but before Alex could even try to get a look at what was going on or even properly situate himself, Claire''s grip tightened on his wrist and he was yanked out of the chair he sat in and to his feet.


    "Come on," Claire hissed as she pulled him away from the chairs they''d arrived at. She pulled a few scraps of a torn shirt out from her pockets and hurriedly wrapped them around her face. "We can''t stick around until Invictus shows up. We need to get lost in the crowd first."


    They wove past several rows chairs and headed down toward a group of people near the platform.


    "What exactly is going on?" Alex hissed. "Do you know what this¡ª"


    "Yes," Claire said in a low whisper. "And no. I can''t say. Damn it, Alex. I want to, but I can''t. My information won''t be that useful. Everything will be pretty obvious soon, but I haven''t even been to one of these before. Not worth damaging my chances on the trial over." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He threw a glance over his shoulder in the direction of the chairs they''d arrived in. There was a fuzzy outline of a silhouette starting to form in the spot next to where they''d arrived. It would only be a few moments before Invictus arrived, but they were already gone. They slipped into the crowd and snagged chairs near the center platform, using a group of arguing Outworlders as cover.


    "You only managed to send one person onto 274-50. The Firesong family shouldn''t have even bothered showing up to this," one man was saying as he thrust his finger into the armored chest of another. "Really, the only thing you''re going to be able to do is sit back and watch. You might as well tap out or join in with another family to get some of the crumbs when all is said and done."


    "We only need one person to deal with a family like you. The Crimson family hasn''t managed to have any real significant winnings on any planets for over two hundred years," the first man said through a bark of rough laughter. "I''m not intimidated by your threats, Brandon. Now, if you want to put some action behind your words, the arena is open. I''d be thrilled to accept your challenge."


    The first man ¡ª whose name seemed to be Brandon ¡ª faltered. He let out a few words that Alex couldn''t quite make out but was fairly certain to be curses, then slunk away and flopped into a chair.


    "Isn''t Brandon kind of a¡­ normal name?" Alex whispered to Claire. "I was expecting something more."


    "Probably gets translated along with the rest of his language," she replied in the same tone. Her eyes were fixed on the empty platform below them.


    Alex nodded. He resisted the urge to look over his back to see if Invictus was behind them and focused his attention on trying to figure out what was going on. They''d clearly showed up halfway through some sort of meeting, but every conversation was about a Town Token.


    There was a lot more attention on the item than Alex had expected. Every single person in the room wanted it, but he didn''t get to listen in for long.


    "The Great Tide is here!" a woman yelled. Yells rose up from all the others in the room as they erupted in complaints.


    "Turn the damn portals back on!" a man yelled.


    "We''ll pay you ten thousand credits for the Token!" another called.


    "Oh, be calm," Invictus snapped, his voice ringing through the room like thunder. He leapt into the air, sailing over the chairs and alighting on the platform.


    Everyone abruptly went quiet. It was so sudden that it almost made Alex flinch. He could have heard a pin drop from across the auditorium. Alex slunk down in his chair, hiding behind the group before him as Invictus'' gaze swept over the room.


    "I''m just a little late," Invictus said. "We don''t have to become uncouth about things."


    "You shut your damn Hub City''s portals down." A woman emerged from the crowd and leapt down onto the stage, landing across from Invictus before straightening to reveal she stood nearly a head taller than him.


    Long black hair ran down her back and ended in what almost seemed to be wisps of shadow rather than flesh. Her skin was a tanned brown and her features soft ¡ª which couldn''t have been farther from the icy cold winter that was her voice. Two daggers hung at her sides, held against the gray leather armor that covered her lithe form.


    "They were damaged, Leah," Invictus said. He scanned the room, but it didn''t look like he found what he was looking for. His expression didn''t even flicker. The man was definitely a professional. "You know as well as the rest of us how problematic new integrations can be. Especially when 14 different families all arrive on a single planet. The System is not pleased with us."


    "It''s a wonder that all the lies you spit haven''t rotted out your tongue," Leah said. "The Token is near your city."


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about," Invictus said, holding his hands up. "We have no clue where the Token is. We''re a Merchant family, Leah. Not everyone is like the Gentle Shadow Family, with all your fancy machinations and plans. All we like is money. If I knew where the Token was, I''d be selling that information."


    "Then why did you shut down your portals?" Brandon, the member of the Crimson family that had taken a seat a few rows in front of Alex and Claire, said. "If you want us to believe you, then grant my family passage."


    "Fuck them. Grant the Firesong passage," the other man from earlier said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "I won''t believe anything else."


    "I''ll be more than thrilled to welcome any of you to Valley Ford as soon as the portals come back up, but there''s just nothing I can do about it yet." Invictus held his hands up in a placating manner. "We''ve always dealt in good faith, but we simply can''t do anything about this¡­ unless someone is willing to supply the materials to accelerate our repair of the waystation? The portals are unstable and can''t be used while it''s damaged."


    Alex glanced at Claire. He was starting to piece together what was happening. The Outworlder families didn''t know where the Town Token was yet, and Invictus had managed to cut off their access to the area of Valley Ford. They suspected the Town Token was somewhere near him, but they couldn''t get there to actually confirm for themselves.


    Controlling portals and travel between cities is ridiculously powerful. If these people are all Outworlders, they all have to be pretty damn strong ¡ª and they''re still beholden to Invictus being a prick. So far, it doesn''t even look like he''s stronger than any of them. They kind of act like they''re all roughly equals. It''s pretty clear they all know each other already. Invictus just has the cards. I wish I had more context, but I can''t ask anything without completely blowing our cover.


    "Liar," Leah spat, stalking toward Invictus like she was about to rip his throat out. She stopped an inch away from him, her lips so close to his that she could have kissed him ¡ª or ripped his throat out ¡ª with little more than a twitch.


    "Let''s not sling accusations around like that baselessly," Invictus said. He didn''t even acknowledge Leah''s proximity. There wasn''t a flicker of worry in his expression. He was either very confident in his defenses or he was a very good bluffer. "You''ve always been a bit¡­ acidic, Leah. Our families have a working relationship. Let''s not taint¡ª"


    "She''s right," a tall man clad in beautiful silver armor said, rising from his seat. His voice was somehow simultaneously as smooth as a still lake and as deadly as a striking adder. It sent uneasy chills down the back of Alex''s spine.


    A stout woman rose beside him, a large hammer in one hand and a tower shield in the other. She was clad from head to toe in matching silver armor, to the point where the only exposed parts of her actual body Alex could see were her rugged face and a few hints of wispy blonde hair beneath her raised helm.


    Almost instantly, a thought lodged itself in his mind.


    I don''t like him.


    "You''re from the Broken Sword, Drake," Invictus snapped, waving a hand dismissively. "Why would someone listen to a mercenary? Leah could have paid¡ª"


    "I have proof," Drake said. He strode forward to stand in the center of the silver platform and crossed his arms behind his back as he turned in a circle to look over the audience. The man''s features were thin and angled, with raised cheekbones that were oddly reminiscent of a snake. "But I will not reveal it until we remove the stains marring our ranks."


    Drake''s gaze turned until it was pointed right in Alex''s direciton. His stomach dropped, but he turned to realize that there was a man rising behind him. A heavy cloak obscured his entire form, but he carried a massive scythe at his side.


    Wait. Isn''t that ¡ª


    "Please," the man said, his tone flat as he rose from his chair. "I''ve been called far worse than a stain. Your family has no more power here than a Crestless. If you wish to call me to Challenge, then I will be more than willing to accept."


    He stepped forward and the world seemed to collapse before him. The man shifted, and his cloak fluttered to the ground where he''d been standing as he abruptly appeared on the platform across from Drake.


    His white pants were baggy and plain, tied taut just above his bare, gray-skinned feet. His chest was similarly colored and bare ¡ª but Alex was far more concerned with the enormous, melon-sized hole in its center.


    You can''t be serious.


    "Absolution," Drake said, his lip curling in distaste. "Your presence is distasteful as usual."


    "Accept the challenge and I will rectify the sour taste in your mouth, Hound," Absolution said, bringing the scythe up to rest it on his shoulder. "We will not need long. You may have a keen nose, but that will not keep me from cutting it off."


    "You''re scum, Absolution, but you aren''t my concern right now. I will accept your attempted insult as a compliment to my abilities. I am the Hound. My purpose is to hunt ¡ª and I smell rot in our midst."


    A few murmurs of confusion rose up through the crowd, and the unease in Alex''s stomach doubled.


    "No Outworlder would ever bear the corruption of the Mirrorlands out of its wretched domain. We''ve all seen what it can do, yes?"


    The blood rushed out of Alex''s face as voices of agreement rose up from the crowd. Absolution''s head tilted to the side. Nobody else seemed to know what Drake was talking about, but Alex did.


    And an instant later, so did Absolution. The man''s gaze snapped to follow Drake''s, landing on Alex. Something within his pitch black eyes shifted like the tides of a stormy ocean; hungry, deadly.


    "My problem is the infiltrator that was sitting in front of you, Absolution. Someone seeks to play us all for fools." Drake raised his blade. "There is a Nativeworlder bearing the vile energy of the Mirrorlands in a Harvester at his hip."

 Chapter 98 - 97: Bold

    Every single person in the room turned toward Alex and Claire at Drake''s words. Dozens of powerful Outworlders all turned their full attention toward them, bristling with malice.


    "The one Stargazer spoke of," Absolution breathed, and somehow, his words cut through the noise to arrive at Alex''s ears as if he had whispered them from an inch away. "Bold."


    "Shit," Claire muttered, so quiet that only Alex could hear her.


    Alex felt like that was a bit of an understatement. There were more than a few choice words he would have liked to use right about now, but there was no time for any of them. The room burst into clamor as he and Claire both shot to their feet.


    This is some bullshit. How do they have some asshole that can detect Mirrorlands energy?


    He spun in search of an exit, but they were standing in the middle of an auditorium.


    "Claire," Alex hissed, his eyes darting around as he flexed his fingers at his sides and prepared to summon his monsters the moment someone approached. "How do we leave?"


    "I don''t know," Claire hissed back, the features he could make out over the makeshift face wrapping she had on deceptively calm. "Look for a way out. I''ll distract them."


    But there was nowhere to run. There was no exit circle. No glowing portal. No way out. Outworlders formed a circle around them, gazes boring into them like blades. Outworlders shouted things out, and Alex could have sworn he caught a glimpse of Invictus with a cold smile on his features before the crowd closed around them.


    A sickening thought struck Alex.


    That bastard must have realized we weren''t Outworlders at all. He brought us here to take attention off the fact that he''s blocking people from getting the Town Token. How did he know we weren''t Outworlders? Could he sense the damn Harvester as well?


    "This is a bit hasty, don''t you think?" Claire called, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Accusing someone of being a Native just because we have something we bought off an idiot is a bit of a stretch."


    "Come now," Drake said through a burst of laughter. "You can''t expect anyone to¡ª"


    "The Broken Blades are one of the 14, though they''re consistently ranked toward the bottom because their strongest members keep fucking killing each other over petty disputes." Claire''s features tightened imperceptibly. Her back stiffened and her hands clenched at her sides, nails digging into her palm hard enough to draw blood. She was in pain. A lot of it ¡ª and still, she continued. "I am of the Nightmarch Family, not some worthless Nativeworlder. Are you trying to start a war with us? We''ve never shied away from them before, mercenary."


    "What are you doing with a core from the Mirrorlands, then?" Drake demanded. "Why would you bring such a thing here?"


    "I was unaware that power was banned," Claire drawled, her voice dripping with ire. "Perhaps you should have left your sword at the door as well, coward. When riches are delivered to our hands, we take them."


    Tension dripped in the air. Nobody spoke for a long moment.


    "She knows a lot for a Nativeworlder," a woman finally said. "Are you sure about this, Drake?"


    "Where''s Sazaar? He''s the Nightmarch representative," another woman called.


    Oh, shit. Isn''t Claire on the run from the Nightmarch?


    "I''m here. Get out of my way, you lot of pigs," a smarmy voice replied from somewhere within the crowd. A short, balding man shoved his way through the people gathered around Alex and Claire. He drew to a stop before them and brushed off his wrinkled clothes as he squinted at her for several long seconds. Then he let out a bark of laughter. "Drake, you''re a frothing idiot. She bears our Path. The girl is a Nightmarch."


    Alex resisted the urge to blink in surprise. Sazaar hadn''t recognized Claire. Now that he thought about it, that actually made a lot of sense. She''d come from an entirely different planet, who knows how far away. If the families were big enough to be showing up at different planets, then their branches probably weren''t constantly communicating every single detail of what happened. It would take time for anyone to figure out exactly what Claire looked like, so she actually had a window of time where she was unlikely to have most people contest her on being part of the family.


    "What?" Drake exclaimed. "But¡ª"


    "What''s new," Brandon said through a snort. "The Hound being over-eager again. Maybe you should go back to the kennel. Could you imagine a Native somehow infiltrating an Assembly? Ridiculous. I don''t give a shit about people walking around with Riftwarped energy as long as it''s contained. It''s not like they''re spilling it across the floor. Now can we get back to the actual problem? There''s a portal that needs to be opened."


    "Hold on, now," Invictus said, a flicker of worry passing over his features before he smothered it. He knew control of the meeting was slipping away from him, but there wasn''t much he could do to stop it. "We don''t know for sure that they''re both Nightmarch. The boy could¡ª"


    "He bears the Riftwarped energy because he is the only one I trust to withstand it," Claire said, her tone leaving absolutely no room for discussion. "You''re wasting everyone''s time, Invictus ¡ª could that be because you thought you could pin everyone''s attention on us while you put a bounty on the location of the Town Token and put your family and all the adventurers in your city to work finding it?"


    "What?" Invictus stammered, his eyes widening. "I don''t know what you''re talking about!"


    "Perhaps you should clarify," Leah said, sliding effortlessly through the crowd and arriving before Claire. "Do you know something?"


    "Hold on. We can''t trust¡ª"


    The rest of Invictus'' sentence ground to a halt as Leah slipped forward, arriving before him in a split instant and pressing her finger to his lips.


    "Hush." Her words dripped like venom. "Not a word, Invictus. The girl is speaking ¡ª and I am liable to issue you a Challenge should you speak again before she is finished. You have already rejected one during our last Assembly. You will not be able to reject a second."


    Invictus paled and his mouth snapped shut. Claire had shifted the tide of the conversation. There were still a number of disgusted looks sent in their direction, but nobody was regarding them like they were intruders anymore ¡ª that is, nobody other than Absolution.


    The gray-skinned man hadn''t budged from his spot on the platform. His gaze bore into Alex, unblinking.


    Fuck. He''s not fooled at all, is he? We''re far from out of the woods.


    "Keep talking, Nightmarch," Brandon said. "What do you know about the Town Token?"


    "We came from Valley Ford. The Town Token is there. Invictus already has a path to it," Claire said with a shrug. "The portals work just fine. He shut them down to keep you all out."


    Angry clamors burst from the crowd as Invictus'' mouth dropped open in disbelief.


    "What? No! That''s a blatant lie!" Invictus exclaimed.


    "And why should we believe you?" someone in the crowd asked. "How do we know you aren''t just trying to cover your own hide? I say you''re suspicious."


    Alex caught Leah shooting Drake a sharp look out of the corner of his eyes. A moment later, Drake cleared his throat.


    "As much as I hate to say it, she''s right," the man ground out. "It appears that I was overzealous. That information is correct. It''s the same thing I was able to work out of my source."


    "What source?" Brandon asked. "How do you know anything?"


    "Because, unlike the rest of you, the Broken Blade spreads our resources to ensure our information isn''t limited to a tiny area of the Subsector. We''re mercenaries, remember?" Sarcasm dripped from Drake''s voice. "And one of our groups was successful in finding a lead. Multiple, actually. We''ll be more than happy to sell that information to the highest bidder."


    "What''s the damn information?" Leah ground out. "You''re getting on my nerves. If you want me to push Credits up your ass, you better make it worth my time. Who''s your source?"


    "A girl from the Everbloom family," Drake replied with a smirk. "My men captured her at some heavy losses. It took some considerable¡­ convincing to get any information from her. She is being problematic about the Token''s location, but I am certain we will pry it from her soon enough."


    The room fell still for several long seconds. An uneasy air settled into the room. It seemed like Drake had somehow made a faux pas, but something told Alex that being rude wasn''t going to get the man killed.


    His heart sank. He was pretty sure he knew who Drake was talking about. Orchid had gotten captured. It wasn''t like he and Claire were exactly friends with her, but she was a fantastic source of information, and she''d been nice enough.


    Losing her now was bad. They needed her to get them to the Town Token and for information about the other families.


    Fuck. Everything is going wrong. We''re barely hanging on by a thread here.


    For the first time since Drake had attempted to out Alex and Claire, Absolution''s gaze broke away from them. Anger burned within his dark eyes as they affixed on Drake''s face.


    Why''s Absolution pissed about this? Does he have something to do wit ¡ª


    Brandon crossed his arms in front of his chest and interrupted Alex''s thoughts. "You attacked another Outworlder? This early? Even if treaties don''t hold true, there are some things that just aren''t meant to be done. We''ll have it tough enough with the Nativeworlders once they get a chance to scale. We could have settled things in the Assembly."


    "Bah," Drake said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "The Everbloom barely number among the 14 at this point. They only had a single representative on this world. Do you really think they''re worth anything?"


    "Give the girl to me," Leah said. "The Gentle Shadow have ways of making people talk."


    "Let''s talk price," Drake replied with a practiced flash of a smile that was all teeth and no eyes.


    Invictus opened his mouth to protest, but a dozen furious glares immediately turned in his direction. He winced and shrank back, letting his mouth close again. He''d been completely outmaneuvered by his own distraction.


    Voices rose up as the Outworlders started to yell over each other.


    "What do we do?" Alex whispered to Claire, keeping his features as calm as possible. "We need Orchid¡ª"


    "I know." Blood dripped from Claire''s palms onto the floor. "I''m thinking."


    The clamor grew louder ¡ª and then it was snuffed out like a candle as Absolution drove the butt of his scythe down onto the ground. Every eye in the room snapped to look in his direction.


    "You attempt to sell one of mine," Absolution said. "She is not for purchase."


    Drake tilted his head to the side. "What are you saying, Crestless? Are you delusional? What claim do you have to the Everbloom?"


    "She is in my employ," Absolution said quietly, but his words carried through the hall nonetheless. "She is mine."


    Angry yells broke out again. The Outworlders seemed to like doing a lot of that. The room rapidly descended into an enormous argument as the shouts grew louder. Invictus tried to convince everyone that there was no Town Token near him while Drake worked to up the bid on Orchid''s life and information. The other families picked sides and joined each other in the descent to madness ¡ª but Alex noted that none of them threw a punch or any other form of attack. The argument was purely verbal.


    Alex and Claire were rapidly forgotten. Claire gave Alex a sharp nod and they made to slink away in search of an escape. The attention would turn back to them soon enough, and their story wasn''t going to hold up under too much scrutiny.


    But, before they could, the space before Alex suddenly seemed to realize that it was meant to have Absolution within it.


    The man took form from nothing, abruptly appearing in their path. Alex nearly leapt out of his own skin. His features were beyond unsettling up close.


    He could have passed as human, but there was a very distinct portion of his appearance that was anything but. The man''s mouth was unnaturally long, and his eyes were devoid of an iris. His ears had slight points and there were grooves running along his neck that almost resembled gills.


    Absolution''s hand drove down on Alex and Claire''s shoulders, grinding them both to a halt as he leaned forward, placing his head between theirs.


    "I know what you are," Absolution whispered. "One word from me will turn this entire room against you. You will not survive. The only thing the Families care about more than claiming power is ensuring others do not get it for themselves. They will unite against a Nativeworlder at the drop of a pin."


    Fuck. I knew he wasn''t fooled. He was staring at me way too intently.


    "Doing that won''t help Orchid," Alex said.


    Claire sent him a sharp look. He''d basically just confirmed Absolution''s words by opting not to deny them, but the unsettling man had already seen through their ruse. There was no point doubling down. It almost seemed as if he had information that everyone else didn''t.


    Claire had already done her part in convincing everyone else in the room that they were Outworlders. Now it was Alex''s turn.


    "No," Absolution agreed. His expression was as dark as a stormy night. "It will not."


    "We want her alive too. We''re working with her."


    Absolution''s eyebrow arched. "Working with her? Odd indeed. I am going to kill you."


    It was a matter of fact statement, spoken with no more emotion than as if he was placing an order at a restaurant.


    "You¡ª" Claire started, but Absolution spoke again before she could finish.


    "But I want Orchid alive more than I want you dead," Absolution said. "We are united against an enemy. I will open a path to Orchid. You will save her."


    "Won''t that turn every single one of the people here against all of us?" Alex asked. "A stealthy option might be the better¡ª"


    "They are already enemies. Nothing has changed," Absolution said. "Your deceit will be seen through soon enough. If you are still here, they will Challenge you. Then you will die."


    "He''s right," Claire said, dropping her pretenses. "Are you sure you can get us out of here and to Orchid?"


    "Yes. But there will be many that follow."


    If we get to Orchid, I could pull us into the Mirrorlands. They can''t follow me there¡­ I think.


    "If I can get to Orchid and find a way out of here, we''ll be able to save her as long as Drake''s people aren''t too strong," Alex said.


    "They will be heavily restricted. They have left the Disruptor''s zone. Do not fail. Orchid is mine. I will not allow her to experience the true-death while she still owes me a life-debt. I will open the way. Be prepared," Absolution said. He straightened and strode toward Drake and Mirian.


    Disruptor''s Zone? The thing we saw in the Mirrorlands? What does that have to do with¡ª


    "Drake!" Absolution boomed, driving the butt of his staff down as he arrived on the silver platform. "I Challenge you."


    The room fell silent as everyone turned to Absolution.


    "I was wondering how long that would take," Drake said with a dark laugh. "I call upon my First. Mirian, deal with the scum."


    Outworlders backed away from the platform, the argument temporarily suspended as they all watched with rapt interest. More than a few of them looked excited. None even looked worried about the delay on getting the Town Token. They were so confident that one of them would be the ones that got it that, so long as they were all here and Orchid was restrained, none of them were concerned about losing it.


    Alex''s jaw clenched.


    They''re so damn arrogant. It''s like they don''t see us normal people as a threat at all.


    The armored woman strode to stand before Absolution. She bared her teeth in a cocky snarl. "I accept your challenge in place of Drake. You''re too prideful. Did you forget how badly you were restrained for arriving on 274-50 as early as you did? It''s about time someone puts you in your place."


    "Perhaps," Absolution said, taking three steps back in synchrony with Mirian. He released his scythe, leaving it floating in the air at his side, and clenched both of his hands into fists. "But it will not be you."


    "A Soul Manifestation pose isn''t going to do anything when you''re still an Initiate. Allow me." Mirian smirked, then threw her arms back into the air. "Soul Manifestation. Armor of the Colossus."


    Energy roared all around Mirian. Her body expanded three times over, armor layering over itself and burning with golden light. The hammer and shield in her hand grew as well, igniting with brilliant gold flame.


    "A poor Manifestation," Absolution said. "You only change the area directly around yourself. It seems you failed to properly solidify your Mind Palace.


    Fury crossed over Mirian''s features. She slammed her helmet down over her face. "I''m going to crush you like a bug, Absolution."


    "No. You are going to die."


    "Kill him!" Drake snapped. "Enough talk!"


    "Oh, not quite," Absolution replied. His lips pulled back in a thin smile and he pressed his knuckles together before the hole in his chest. "Partial Soul Manifestation. Devouring Abyss." S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And then three things happened in unison.


    Drake''s eyes went wide in horror.


    A thrumming pulse of invisible power rolled out from Absolution and across the stage.


    And, within the hole in Absolution''s chest, a malevolent red eye twisted into existence.

 Chapter 99 - 98: Absolution

    Magic gathered around the eye in Absolution''s chest. Arcs of sickly red and black energy wove through its iris and burst from its surface like eruptions on the surface of the sun.


    "Is something wrong?" Absolution asked, grabbing his scythe and shifting into a fighting stance. "You seem scared, half-core."


    Even though Mirian''s face was concealed by her helm, her feet scuffed across the ground as she moved a step back. She was definitely worried.


    "I''m not scared of someone like you," Mirian spat. She glanced down at her feet, then took a step forward as if to prove her own words to herself. "Cheap tricks aren''t going to win anything for you."


    A part of Alex wondered how correct Mirian was. He couldn''t sense Absolution''s energy in the same way that he''d felt Zeal''s. He was definitely weaker than the old man ¡ª but he also couldn''t sense Mirian, so she wasn''t anywhere near his level either.


    "Enough chatter," Drake called. "End him, Mirian. We don''t need any theatre on this one. Nobody here wants to see Absolution take any more breaths than he has to. Put the Crestless bastard down."


    Mirian charged forward with a roar. Her heavy footfalls rang against the ground like thunderous applause, each one striking the stage with enough force to shake it. She reared back and swung the massive hammer in her hands at Absolution''s head, aiming to kill him on the spot.


    The gray-skinned man vanished, and the hammer passed through the air where he''d been standing harmlessly. He reformed a few feet to the side. His scythe hooked out for Mirian''s arm and rang off her armor with a melodious clang.


    She let out a furious snarl and spun with the force of her previous blow, twisting in a full circle. The end of her hammer ignited in molten flame and it crashed back down for Absolution like a meteor. This strike moved with easily two times the speed of the last one.


    Once more, Absolution blinked out of the way. His scythe shot out and connected with Mirian''s armor a second time, and a second time it did nothing but ring harmlessly.


    Mirian swung her hammer a third time. She hadn''t lost so much as an iota of momentum from the previous two attacks, and her speed had progressed to the point where Alex could barely even follow her movements.


    She swung the hammer again and again. Every strike came faster than the last ¡ª if they could even be considered different attacks. It was more like one flowing attack that would have no end until her hammer connected with Absolution.


    Tongues of flame danced through the air as they were caught into a hurricane, twisting around Mirian''s entire body and casting their golden-orange light across the stage. She wasn''t even leaving a second for Absolution to get a real counter-attack in. All he could do was dodge.


    She''s got him on the backfoot. I don''t know what their ranks are, but it really looks like Absolution is at a pretty big disadvantage here. How is he supposed to get us a way to Orchid if he can''t get a moment to fight back against Mirian?


    "Ten Credits on Mirian crushing the Crestless idiot''s skull like a grape," a man in the crowd called.


    "I''ll take you up on that," a woman replied. "Absoltuion has been a thorn for years. If some worthless half-core could kill him, then they already would have. Do you have any idea how many people the Firesong family has lost against him, much less the other families?"


    "I''ll raise that bet to 20 Credits. He''s more restricted now than ever," another woman''s voice joined the argument. "Absolution is getting arrogant. He thinks he can play by the rules he likes and skirt the ones he doesn''t. Drake doesn''t train slouches. He''s done for."


    "Taken," a second man called. "I''m looking forward to getting your money."


    A dozen other voices rose up into the air, calling out bids of their own.


    "Fifty Credits on Absolution defeating Mirian!" Alex called, trying to disguise just how stiff his body was as he watched the gray-skinned man narrowly dodge yet another molten strike. It really did look like Mirian had him down to rights.


    "You''re on," a large, barrel-chested man said with a booming laugh.


    Claire shot Alex a look.


    "What?" Alex whispered. "It''s not like we''ll be paying them back anyway."


    An explosive crash roared through the room as Mirian''s hammer finally collided with something. Everyone spun back to the stage as a geyser of flame erupted from the ground where her hammer had struck.


    Fragments of stone and melted rock flew up all around her. A dim blue dome flickered to life around the stage as the pieces flew free. They struck the dome''s surface and froze in place, sending ripples across the energy making up its surface. The debris clattered down all around Mirian like rain.


    "There," Mirian said, pulling her hammer free from the ground without so much as a grunt of effort. "Good riddance." S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Everyone stared at her.


    Not because of the cocky words, but because Absolution was standing directly behind her, leaning on his scythe.


    "What are you talking about?" Drake asked. "You missed, you daft woman."


    "What? No I didn''t.," Mirian said. She craned her neck back to look up at the buzzing dome above her. "Put this thing down. The Challenge is over. Absolution is dead. His body is right here. Little burnt and squashed up, but its here."


    She nudged an empty spot on the ground with her foot.


    Alex''s skin prickled. Even though he was temporarily allied with Absolution, something felt deeply wrong. Anticipation and unease built in his chest like the tide receding in preparation of a tidal wave.


    What kind of magic does Absolution have?


    "He''s behind you!" Drake roared. "Turn around!"


    Mirian glanced over her shoulder, then back to Drake. "Are you rocked in the head? There''s nothing there."


    Absolution smiled. He tapped his scythe against the ground. Coils of black energy gathered around Mirian. Lines as dark as the night materialized all over her armor. They burned with power, connecting to form a complex pattern that definitely would have had a meaning if Alex could understand it.


    Mirian didn''t seem to notice the lines. She turned back and forth, alternating between squinting up at the dome and looking around herself.


    "Why won''t anyone let me out of here?" Mirian demanded. "The fight is over! Are you all insane?"


    "He''s right there!" Drake roared, thrusting a finger to point behind Mirian as Absolution walked up behind her.


    Mirian spun. Her eyes focused right on the spot where Absolution stood ¡ª and went right past him. She couldn''t see him at all.


    "It''s pointless," Absolution said. "I have already carved the scripture across her. Such is the drawback of so much armor. It is impossible to determine when you have been scratched by the tip of a passing weapon."


    He managed to draw that complex thing with his Scythe while Mirian was trying to smash his brains out? There''s no way.


    "Release your Manifestation!" Drake roared. "Now!"


    "Too late," Absolution said. The gills on his neck flared, and the dark smoke pouring off Mirian streamed into them. He drew in a deep breath, then let out a shuddering sigh. "The lamb has already been led to slaughter."


    Man, Absolution really likes his slightly edgy and ominous one-liners, doesn''t he?


    Absolution''s eyes shifted to Alex for the briefest of instants. For a moment, Alex thought the man had somehow heard his thoughts. Then he realized that there was a message in the gaze. It was a warning.


    It''s time. He''s going to do something to let us get to Orchid.


    Alex and Claire both quietly exchanged a nod and readied themselves. They had no idea what Absolution was up to, so the best they could do was to be prepared to take advantage of it before anyone else could.


    Drake opened his mouth to yell something else, but Absolution was already moving.


    His scythe flicked up in what could almost have been described as a lazy arc. It slammed into Mirian''s back, just like a dozen strikes before it had, but this one was different. Instead of ringing off the armor, it carried right on.


    That wasn''t to say the armor was pierced. Absolution hadn''t cut it at all. His scythe had passed right through the metal as if nothing was there, leaving it whole as it found its true target and lodged directly in Mirian''s heart.


    "The sacrificial blade always finds the heart of the lamb," Absolution whispered, his words cutting across the suddenly silent room. "Once death has set its sights on the sacrifice, nothing can stand in its path. Let that be a reminder to you all. Fat pigs with your mouths stuffed full of slop. May you all bathe in the rot."


    Then he ripped his scythe free.


    A gout of blood followed in its wake. Mirian collapsed, plummeting the ground as her body shrank, returning to its normal size. Alex didn''t even need to check to tell that the woman was dead ¡ª but it didn''t seem like Absolution was done.


    Before she''d even landed, Absolution thrust a palm forward. Black poured from between his lips and sank into Mirian''s body. Her flesh and armor bubbled, then warped. Two pillars rose up from her, formed of a conglomeration of flesh and metal.


    Black energy snapped into life between them, and a spinning portal yawned open. Absolution staggered, leaning heavily on his staff as a wave of exhaustion seemed to slam into him.


    God, that''s disgusting.


    The glistening blue dome around the stage collapsed. The fight was officially over.


    Claire and Alex exploded into motion. It wasn''t hard to tell what Absolution''s way out for them was. Alex had absolutely no idea how the gray-skinned man planned to survive the rest of the Offworlders, but that was his problems.


    Surprised yells rang out all around him as he shoved through the crowd.


    "Don''t let them get past you!" Drake yelled as they burst free and ran for the portal. "They''re working with Absolution!"


    But they were already on the stage by the time the words left his lips.


    Offworlders surged forward, but they were too late to do anything but watch Alex and Claire clasp hands and fling themselves into the portal.


    "Follow them!" Leah yelled.


    And instant later, all the sound from the Assembly was swallowed by the darkness.


    Alex hurtled through the void toward ¡ª presumably ¡ª where Orchid was held. He just hoped that Drake didn''t have any way to warn his people that they were coming. They weren''t going to have much time to act. The other Offworlders were going to be right on their asses. They''d have to grab Orchid and escape to the Mirrorlands as quickly as possible.


    Then the world was gone, and there was no more time for thought.

 Chapter 100 - 99: Tagalong

    Solid ground materialized beneath Alex in a bloom of grey.


    Stone. A cave of some sort, strewn with looming shadows crawling across rubble cast by orange torchlight.


    His stomach lurched up into his throat even as he hit the ground in a roll and thrust himself up to his feet.


    Claire rose beside him. They stood in a small room, across from two stunned men decked out in silvered armor. Behind them was a passageway with sunlight spilling in ¡ª they weren''t far from the surface.


    Neither of them wore bands to conceal their identities. Golden letters had already spawned in the air above them to identify their names and classes.


    Shale - Weaponmeister (Initiate 4)


    Winky - Shadowblade (Initiate 4)


    Oh, come on. I think the System felt like I was challenging it a bit too much by actively looking for more difficult fights. Two Initiate 4 Otherworlders. This isn''t the same thing as fighting a monster of the same stage. These guys are going to be a problem when we only have a few damn moments to fight before the rest of the Outworlders show up at our asses.


    Then again, I suppose I should be a bit relieved. As far as Otherworlders go, Initiate 4 doesn''t seem too bad. We have a good chance. We''d have a great one if we weren''t about to get run down by a horde of pissed off pay-to-win assholes, but I''ll take what I get.


    Behind the men was Orchid. Absolution had actually managed to pull it off. He''d gotten them a way out from under all the Outworlders noses ¡ª literally. They just had to find a way to snatch Orchid and run off with her before their pursuers caught up with them in a few seconds.


    Unfortunately, Orchid wasn''t in good shape. Bruises covered her arms and she hung suspended from the ceiling like a furious pinata. Someone had gagged her with a dirty cloth.


    A thick chain wrapped around her bruised wrists and connected to a stone in the ceiling. The chain continued along the rest of her body, binding her entire form like a constricting snake. Shimmers of faint blue energy twisted through the links of the chain.


    Orchid swung and struggled fruitlessly, trying to reach the wooden staff that leaned against the wall a few feet to her side. Her injuries clearly hadn''t made it to her spirit, but the motions weren''t doing much more than providing the armored men guarding her with amusement and the slightest of distractions ¡ª at least, right up until Alex and Claire arrived.


    Then that distraction bought the two of them the half-second they needed to finish rising to their feet. It gave Alex the moment he needed to call out to his monsters.


    Shale, a wiry man with several swords strapped to his sides and a tuft of hair at the very top of an otherwise bald head, was still midway through cursing in surprise when the sound of shattering glass filled the air.


    Glint flashed forward in a blur, cloak already transforming into a segmented whip. It carved through the air for Shale''s neck. There was a flash of gray and a loud, ringing clang echoed through the air.


    Torchlight reflected off Glint''s gaunt body as his whip retracted and returned to the form of a cloak at his side.


    Several swords had slid free of the sheathes at Shale''s sides and floated around the man as if held by invisible warriors. The brief moment of surprise had worn off quickly and both of the guards were clearly professionals.


    Winky, the larger of the two guards, drew a longsword that he had strapped to his back. "Who are you?"


    "Forget speaking, just kill them," Shale snapped. "They''re intruders."


    The swords around him flitted forward. They moved in a formation to strike from four different angles at once, blurring until they were nothing but gray streaks slicing through the air. It was an attack that almost certainly would have drawn blood on Alex if the two men hadn''t paused to speak.


    But they had paused to speak ¡ª and that had given the rest of his summons a moment to finish pulling themselves free from his Soul Mirrors.


    A black puddle welled up on the ground before Alex before exploding outward in a spray of sludge. Princess erupted from the ground and expanded her body, the squirming arms extending from her back wrapping around Alex and Claire.


    The swords slammed into her body, burying themselves deep into her with loud squelching thuds. One of them jerked to a halt just an inch away from Alex''s face, but none grew close enough to cut them.


    Winky''s sword shimmered. Then it vanished. He dashed around Princess, ducking under one of her large arms as she swept her hand at him, and lunged for Alex.


    Spark erupted into existence with a crackle and a flash. The Echo Wraith drove into the man''s side and they both tumbled across the ground with a slew of curses and crackling arcs of electric energy.


    Winky grabbed Spark and hurled the monster across the room with a roar. Spark sailed through the air and slammed into the stone wall with a loud crunch. The floating armor plates around his blue core shuddered.


    The Echo Wraith floated down to the ground, shaking himself off and refocusing on Winky as the man rose.


    "Fucking summoners," Shale snarled, flicking a hand back like a conductor. The swords ripped out of Princess'' body. "I''ve killed one of the adds. Finish that one off, then¡ª"


    Princess lunged toward Shale. The thin man''s eyes went wide and he hurled himself out of the way, hitting the ground in a roll and springing to safety just an instant before Princess'' hand slammed down on the ground where he''d been standing.


    "Go!" Alex hissed to Claire. "I''ll distract them! We need to get Orchid and find a portal to the Mirrorlands!"


    "What the fuck? The blob is still alive?" Shale thrust a finger toward Alex. The floating swords shot toward him again, spinning together like a drill.


    Princess lunged in front of the attack and Alex drew on his own magic, casting Funhouse in the air between himself and his Dredge. Reality cracked and white cracks raced out as fragments of the world crumbled in on themselves.


    Shale''s swords pierced clean through Princess'' body and continued on into the path of the spell. They warped and twisted before being spat out straight into the ground, where they drove home with four loud thunks.


    "The girl is going for the prisoner!" Winky yelled, twisting away from Alex and rearing back. He made a motion as if he was hurling something ¡ª and Alex was pretty damn sure it was the invisible sword that was still in the man''s hand.


    "Duck!" Alex yelled.


    Claire threw herself into a roll.


    There was a thud in the stone behind her. She shot back to her feet and arrived at Orchid''s side, black veins streaking down her arm even as she grabbed the chains holding the other woman. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She let out a roar and gave them a sharp yank. The chains strained, but they didn''t break. Glint arrived beside her and reared back, his deadly claws glistening in the firelight.


    "I don''t think so!" Shale''s swords yanked themselves free of the ground. They shimmered, and shadows of the weapons appeared beside them, turning four to eight. Then they all shot forward.


    Spark thrust himself forward into the path of the blades. They drove into him, reaving through his armored body but failing to penetrate out the back.


    He exploded with a flash, transforming into energy.


    Glint''s hand carved down.


    Orchid dropped. Claire caught her and spun, sprinting for the exit of the cave.


    "Stop!" Shale yelled as his swords shot back to fly at his sides and he made to give chase.


    "Fuck you!" Alex yelled back, falling in alongside Claire and running for the exit. A portal still crackled in the air where they''d arrived ¡ª it didn''t look like Absolution had managed to close it, and there was something trying to come through. "Glint, Princess, distract them as long as you can!"


    His monsters exploded into motion. Alex didn''t wait to see how the fight would go ¡ª he knew they''d lose, but if they could buy him a few minutes, he could rip a portal to the Mirrorlands and get all of them out of here. His feet pounded against the ground as he and Claire ran, bursting free of the cave and out into a sea of rolling hills.


    Valley Ford and the mountains surrounding it rose in the distance. They were somewhere an hour or two of travel away from the city.


    Alex activated Riftsense as they ran, sending his senses sprawling out. A pathway illuminated itself on the ground as a line of misty energy appeared to point him toward the nearest connection to the Mirrorlands.


    "This way!" Alex yelled, racing up a hill in pursuit of the line with Claire at his side.


    "Bleed me, you''re heavy," Claire hissed to Orchid as they kept running. "Lose some weight. How does a twig like you weigh so much?"


    Orchid let out a response that was both muffled by the gag in her mouth and assaulted by being bounced on Claire''s shoulder like a sack of discount potatoes.


    They crested the hill ¡ª and Alex ground to a stop, heart pounding in his chest, mouth falling askew in disbelief.


    Oh, you have to be kidding me.


    Standing in the very center of the line they were heading down was a large man covered with dry blood and sprouting half a dozen weapons from his body.


    "Alex!" Derek exclaimed. "Is now a good time?"


    Alex paused to try and take a breath to find the right words to answer that question.


    A rush of energy drove into him.


    Glint had died.


    "No!" Alex snapped, bursting back into motion. He didn''t have time to wonder how the hell Derek had managed to show up here so quickly. The easygoing man wasn''t the type to attack him without provocation. Probably. "Now is a horrible time. Someone else is trying to kill us."


    "Oh. Do I wait my turn, or¡­"


    Alex and Claire had already run past him. Derek turned, then sprinted after them.


    "Hey!" Derek yelled as he ran, keeping pace with them effortlessly. "I don''t want to be rude! I haven''t been in this situation before! What''s the proper etiquette?"


    "Hold this," Claire snapped, thrusting Orchid into Derek''s arms.


    He grabbed the bound mage effortlessly and hoisted her above his head, holding the poor woman straight above him as he ran ¡ª somehow still moving just as fast as Alex and Claire were.


    Claire accelerated, moving faster now that she no longer had a payload. Derek matched her, and Alex poured all the strength he had into keeping up. They weren''t far from the portal now. He could see the end of the line near the base of a hill before them.


    "Have you been dying recently?" Alex asked as they ran. He didn''t have the mental capacity to worry about what was going on anymore. His only goal was getting them to the Mirrorlands before ¡ª


    Another rush of energy drove into him. He nearly missed a step but managed to right himself at the last moment.


    Princess was dead.


    "Yes," Derek replied. "I was choking on an orange for a few lives. I wanted to see if I could eat it whole. So, about the etiquette ¡ª"


    "You carry the princess and make sure she doesn''t get hurt," Alex snapped. They skidded to a stop before the portal.


    "This is a princess?" Derek stared up at Orchid with widening eyes. "I knew she was beautiful, but I''ve seen a lot of beautiful people. You never know which ones are lurking royalty. They could be anywhere. I guess this takes priority over killing someone, though."


    Alex tuned Derek out. He drove his hands into the weakened space in reality, gritting his teeth as he pulled at it with all his might. Purple rift magic cracked and hissed as a portal stretched open.


    "Faster, if you can," Claire said tersely. "The clowns are on our ass, Alex ¡ª and they''ve got a small horde with them. Ten Outworlders. Most of them cloaked."


    "This isn''t helping," Alex replied through gritted teeth, but he doubled down on his power. They couldn''t win a fight against every single Outworlder family.


    His arms trembled. The portal bent and groaned. It desperately resisted him, clinging to every second that it could. Alex continued to push. Nothing else mattered. He couldn''t afford to let himself get distracted. An instant of hesitation would cost double its time in lost ground.


    Then, with a roar, he thrust his palms out.


    The portal snapped open.


    A sword screamed through the air toward Alex.


    Claire thrust him out of the way and it slammed into her arm. Blood splattered across the grass and she spun, staggering from the force of the blow. She cried out in pain.


    "Don''t move a damned inch!" Shale roared, sprinting down the hill behind them with Winky hot on his feet.


    "Go!" Claire screamed, planting a foot on Derek''s backside and kicking him into the portal. She grabbed onto the shaft of the axe protruding from his back with one hand before he could completely vanish into its depths.


    Alex grabbed onto her other hand a moment before she was yanked into the churning purple energy. He was lifted off his feet and yanked into the portal to the Mirrorlands ¡ª but not before he felt a hand clamp down on his ankle.


    Someone else had tagged along for the ride.

 Chapter 101 - 100: Getting started

    The sickly purple-red smokelit sky of the Mirrorlands yawned open above Alex. Tendrils of crawling grey lightning extended through it, fingers pushing through the jammy clouds and illuminating them even further from within.


    Then the world flipped over. Black sand replaced the sky, and then he was falling. He hit the unsteady ground with a grunt, but the hand clamped onto his ankle prevented him from rolling. The air was knocked from his lungs and he landed face-first into the gritty beach.


    He yanked his leg free, his fingers digging into the shifting ground beneath him in attempt to find purchase as he threw himself away from their unwanted tagalong. Alex managed to find his feet.


    The warped version of Valley Ford was off in the distance, separated from them by a field of rolling black sand dunes.


    Shale rose across from him, and Winky stood beside him. The latter of the two must have had time to grab onto the first one''s leg, and they''d both pulled themselves along on the trip to the Mirrorlands.


    Their faces twisted in disbelief and horror as they realized where they had arrived. Shale spun back toward the portal, which still buzzed behind them, and threw himself at it without an instant of hesitation.


    His shoulder slammed into a glossy black sheen covering its surface with a loud thud. He staggered back with a slew of curses, then spun back to Alex. The fear covering his features warped into fury.


    A sheen over the portal ¡ª there''s a Riftwarped monster coming. Where is it?


    "You little shit," Shale snarled, his swords lifting into the air around him. "What have you done?"


    "Whoa," Derek said, lowering Orchid and craning his neck back to stare into the sky. His mouth pulled open in unmasked awe. "This place is beautiful."


    "That''s a word for it," Claire muttered, drawing and readying her katana before her.


    "When did another one of you show up?" Winky demanded. He readied his hands as if he was holding the hilt of some weapon. Even though Alex couldn''t see it, he''d seen the man turn a sword invisible already, so it would have been foolish to assume the man wasn''t armed. "How many of you are there? What family are you from?"


    "It doesn''t matter what family they''re from. Kill the others, take the boy alive. He opened a portal to the literal fucking void. We need him to get us back out, because gods know Drake won''t come here on his own," Shale growled. He raised his hand and the swords twitched ¡ª and then he froze. His eyes went wide in realization. Amusement bloomed across his features and raucous laughter erupted from his chest. "Wait. Winky, we''re not on 274-50 anymore."


    Winky blinked. Then a cold smile pulled his lips apart. "You''re right. The Disruptor is right over there. No barrier between planes to separate it from us anymore. Do we push the Restrictions back?"


    In response, Shale clapped his hands together. He pressed his palms against each other and blew out a sharp breath ¡ª and a wave of pressure erupted around him, rolling out across the ground and blowing sand into the air in a small cloud.


    The golden letters above Shale''s head changed, and the ones above Winky shifted soon after.


    Shale - Weaponmeister (Initiate 6)


    Winky - Shadowblade (Initiate 5)


    Despite the worsening situation, Alex couldn''t keep himself from speaking. "Seriously? You went up one level? You were sneering about that? I can do that while I sleep. Literally."


    "We''re not that close to the Disruptor," Winky snapped, pointing at Alex with whatever invisible weapon he had in his hands. "I don''t want to hear shit from an Initiate 1. What are you even trying to do? Play knight and save the pretty girl? Was one not enough?"


    Orchid snarled something into her gag. Even though her words were completely muffled, it was somehow abundantly clear that she''d said, "Fuck you."


    "Speaking of Orchid, why is she not doing anything?" Alex hissed. "Help us bail your ass out, would you?"


    Orchid glared at him.


    Oh, damnit. She''s still gagged. Can''t respond.


    "Enough of this idiocy," Shale said. The eight swords floating around him hummed, and then Shale himself lifted into the air. Power twisted around his body and flowed into the weapons, connecting them to him with tendrils of white magic. The edges of the weapons lit with molten energy, hissing and crackling.


    And still, there was no sign of the Riftwarped monster that had sealed the portal. There were so many things to keep track of that Alex felt like he was going to die from the stress of trying to predict where the monster would pop out before Shale could even try to stab him.


    "Kill them!" Shale roared.


    He swept his hand down.


    His swords flashed forward, streaks of grey and white.


    The ground exploded ¡ª but not from his attack. A massive worm burst from the sand beneath Shale''s feet and swallowed him whole. Rippling purple skin covered with segmented scales flashed through the air like a passing train as the monster, easily four times as thick as a human, rose up into the air without so much as shaking the sand around it.


    Riftwarped Sandmouth (Initiate 6)


    The worm arced through the air and twisted, preparing to plummet back down into the sand and vanish as gracefully as it had arrived.


    It unfortunately never got the chance.


    There was a flash of light from within the monsters mouth followed by a loud crack. The worm twisted and thrashed midair. It fell back to the ground, crashing to the sand with a loud thud instead of slipping back under the dunes.


    The monster thrashed desperately. Scales bulged around its head, growing to the beat of loud cracks. Then they shattered and Shale stepped free of it, dripping with green ichor and covered with large scratches. Fury gripped his features ¡ª and he was so focused on his anger that he didn''t even see the sheen covering the portal fade. A few moments later, it snapped shut.


    Alex''s heart started to beat faster, and he couldn''t keep a thin smile from crossing his features.


    He killed a Riftwarped Rank 6 that easily? I guess he was inside it, so that helps, but shit. Pretty badass way to pull that off. We might be fucked, but this is going to be fun.


    Shale didn''t waste any more words. He flicked his hand. The swords blurred forward in streaks of light, heading straight for Claire. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sand exploded beneath the Dhampir''s feet as she burst into motion. Wings snapped out from her back and she launched herself into the air, rearing back before whipping her katana through the air and flinging it like a spear.


    The weapon flew with surprising accuracy for Shale''s throat.


    He clapped his hands together, catching the blade by its flat inches before it could connect with him. His lips pulled back in a smile and he ran a hand along its surface. White magic twisted along the weapon and it lifted into the air, joining the others floating around him.


    "Oh, that''s just unfair," Alex muttered as Claire landed on the sand.


    "Life isn''t fair," Shale replied through a sneer. "That phrase is from 274-50. Heard a native say it when he was robbing a child, and I have to say, I quite liked it."


    "Excuse me?" Derek asked.


    Everyone ignored him.


    "I''ll deal with the boy," Winky said. "You can kill the other two. Shouldn''t we keep the prisoner alive?"


    "At this point, I don''t care," Shale replied. Then he swept his hand forward and the swords flashed toward Claire again.


    Alex didn''t have any more time to watch the fight. Winky charged toward him with a roar, rearing back in a two-handed swing with his invisible weapon.


    Extending a hand, Alex cast Funhouse in the air between them.


    Winky let out a slew of garbled curses as he passed through its zone. His body twisted and elongated before snapping back to its normal proportions before Funhouse spat him out straight into the air.


    His momentum carried him about an inch straight into the sky before he plummeted back down, falling right back into Funhouse''s domain before being spit out ¡ª unfortunately ¡ª right on the other side of it and right in front of Alex.


    Winky staggered as a wave of disorientation passed over him.


    "What the f¡ª"


    Alex used Spark''s power to bind a shadow where he stood and then lunged forward. He thrust his hand into Winky''s chest, right above where the man''s heart was, a blade of mirrored glass jutting out from his palm.


    But his hand didn''t even get close to the armor. About a foot away from Winky, the glass shattered against something invisible. Alex''s palm met it a moment later, and an invisible spike drove straight through the center of his palm.


    Black goop splattered across Alex''s arm and chest. Energy drained from him as Princess'' power activated and he snarled in anger.


    Winky swept his hands through the air and Alex ducked. Wind howled over his head as the invisible weapon passed over him. He dodged back, putting distance between himself and the Outworlder.


    "You like that?" Winky asked through a cold grin. "Lots you can do when people don''t realize what''s around them. It''s easy to get their focus on one invisible threat and get them with another one entirely."


    "You shouldn''t go around telling people your strategy," Alex said. "It ruins the thrill of figuring it out yourself."


    "Save that for Drake. He''s going to want to have a long talk with you after you take us out of here," Winky replied, lurching forward.


    Alex swapped spots with his shadow. Winky''s hands passed through nothing but darkness.


    "Excuse me," Derek called again, but everyone was still a little too preoccupied to answer him. Alex heard the sounds of battle rising up from Claire and Derek behind him, but even with Princess'' magic shielding him, he had to focus the entirety of himself on the Outworlder before him.


    Winky reached to his side and pulled several things from his waist ¡ª all of them invisible. Then, grinning, he started to throw them.


    Alex tried to dodge, but there was only so much one could dodge when they couldn''t tell what it was that they were dodging.


    A sharp point slammed into his shoulder, ripping through it and sending a spray of black sludge across the ground. Another one caught him in the leg.


    He managed to close the distance between himself and Winky again, but his glass shards shattered against whatever it was the man was using as an invisible shield around himself. This wasn''t just a fight against an Initiate 5. They had all the experience ¡ª and just as importantly, equipment ¡ª of an Outworlder family.


    "Would you just stop already?" Winky snarled as Alex ducked away from him once more, the wounds that Winky had left already largely sealed at the cost of a large chunk of his magic. "What kind of class do you even have? Take your cloak off."


    Alex didn''t get a chance to reply. Claire slammed down beside him and black sand pelted his legs.


    "Disorient him for me. I need him weakened," Claire hissed. Her body was covered with long, painful looking cuts and she favored one leg heavily, but she was still alive. Despite the deep wounds, almost no blood had left her body. She was keeping it inside herself with her blood control ability ¡ª but that wouldn''t be able to last forever.


    Then she was off again, bounding away as a sword slammed into the ground where she''d been a moment before.


    Winky flung something at Alex again, forcing him to dive to the side.


    Get some of his blood, huh? I need to find a way through the invisible spikey armor around him. Looks like it''s just about time to call the gang back for a few seconds.


    "Give up," Winky said, pulling several more invisible throwing weapons from his seemingly endless supply. "You''re just wasting time."


    "Actually, I''m just getting started."


    Alex drew on every scrap of Riftwarped Qi he had churning within himself.


    Then he activated Encore.

 Chapter 102 - 101: Eyes

    Alex wasn''t prepared for the enormous amount of power that vacated his body like it had become a flat puddle abruptly exposed to the full strength of the desert sun. His heart clenched, sputtered; lungs constricted. Every single vessel in his body felt like it shriveled in the lack of the magic that poured out from him and into the Mirrorlands.


    There had only been a single thought on his mind when he''d activated Encore. Claire needed Winky off balance. He didn''t know why, but She wouldn''t have asked for it if it didn''t make a significant difference in the fight ¡ª so that was what she was going to get.


    That one thought etched itself into Alex''s brain, frozen in place with the rest of the body as Riftwarped Qi and magic poured out from him in an unrestrained deluge. It was the only thing that he could remember for a split second.


    And in that second, the air shattered.


    Thin claws raked through the air and Glint''s lithe form stepped out from a fractured portal. The Glasmir''s claws glowed with purple-red Riftwarped energy and faint ripples passed through his reflective cloak. Clouds of it marred the silvery mask covering the top half of his face, crackling with cracks of gray lightning like a contained storm.


    Black sludge bubbled up from the ground beside him, but what rose up from it was not the Princess that Alex remembered. Instead of a humanoid form came a long, centipede-like creature. Black sludge wept from its body, allowing only flickers of glowing violet carapace plates to shine through before being covered once more. Princess'' mask was positioned where the Centipede''s mandibles and mouth should have been.


    Long, gangly legs jutted out from Princess'' new body and clicked against the ground, Riftwarped Qi crackling along their lengths.


    Beside her, a crackle of blue lightning heralded Spark''s arrival. And ¡ª like Princess ¡ª Spark arrived different. The first part of the Echo Wraith to appear was a large, buzzing ball of blue lightning. Black plates of armor snapped into being all around it in rapid succession. Riftwarped Qi imbued them, staining the air in their proximity a dull pink.


    Spindly strands of energy snapped out from the ball, connecting to each plate. The plates spun around the ball like a slow-moving tornado, picking up speed as a storm crackled to life all around the blue orb in Spark''s center. Crackling purple eyes appeared within the cloudy magic that made up the Echo Wraith''s amorphous body.


    Winky''s lips parted in disbelief. For a brief instant, he stared, trying and failing to comprehend what he was looking at.


    "Impossible! Your monsters died!" Winky protested. "You couldn''t have them back already! I saw them¡ª"


    The monsters attacked.


    Glint''s cloak transformed into a snakelike blade that was whistling through the air like a sliver of light before Winky''s words had even finished leaving his lips.


    The Outworlder raised his hands defensively before himself. The Glasmir''s blade slammed against his invisible weapon, ringing out in a clear note. Winky staggered a step back from the force of the blow.


    A flicker of surprise clouded his features.


    Then Spark was upon him. The chunks of armor hurtling through the air around the crackling storm snapped together in rapid succession, sending loud cracks ringing out through the Mirrorlands as they formed into a hand that was easily six feet long, held together by veins of Riftwarped Qi.


    The Outworlder''s eyes widened.


    Then the hand clenched into a fist.


    Winky raised his hands defensively. Power gathered around him, and a ripple passed through the invisible defenses that surrounded him. The spiked orb that protected the Outworlder rippled like oil had been spilled in the air, becoming vaguely opaque as he poured magic into it.


    The massive glowing gauntlet slammed down directly on top of him.


    There was an electrically charged boom. The ground around Winky exploded, sending fragments of dirt and stone spraying in every direction.


    And, with a loud crunch, the opaque barrier surrounding the Outworlder gave way.


    Princess shot toward Winky like a runaway freight train before he could even try to recover from the previous blow. Dozens of glowing legs reached up to cover her mask an instant before she drove straight into the damaged barrier surrounding him.


    Magical spikes ripped through her sludgy body, sending it splattering across the ground, but Princess didn''t so much as slow. She plowed straight through the magic, ignoring the huge furrows that tore through her body, and collided with Winky''s stomach.


    He doubled over in a pained wheeze as Princess flew straight up into the air, legs swimming through it like water and leaving trails of Riftwarped Magic sparkling in their wake. She slammed Winky straight into his own defenses, flattening his face against them a moment before she drove clean through the magic and ferried him into the air.


    Winky twisted and brought an invisible blade down on Princess'' body with a roar. It severed the back half of the centipede in a single strike, sending it plummeting to the ground, but Princess barely even seemed to notice.


    Princess turned back toward the ground and started to accelerate. Her legs wrapped around Winky''s body, locking down upon it like burning prison bars and pinning him directly between herself and the approaching dirt.


    The Outworlder''s eyes went wide and he struggled furiously to free himself. He managed to rip one of her legs off, but it was too late to break free. He let out a roar of fury an instant before they slammed down with such force that the ground beneath Alex bucked.


    And then it was Glint''s turn once more. With the few seconds of existence Encore had granted to him, the Glasmir flowed forward. His cloak wrapped down around his arm and he flicked it back before sending it racing forward like a whip.


    Winky, who was just starting to claw back to his feet and swaying unsteadily, registered the blow coming too late.


    He crossed his arms before his face. Alex was almost certain that he''d formed some form of invisible shield, but it didn''t matter. Glint hadn''t aimed for the Outworlder''s neck. After all, his vitals were the locations that he was mostly likely to protect.


    Glint''s orders weren''t to kill Winky.


    They were to weaken him.


    And thus, his whip slashed across Winky''s leg. It bit through the man''s clothes and cut deep into his skin, spilling crimson across the ground. Winky snarled and staggered, his balance giving out.


    "Now!" Alex roared, spinning to Claire.


    Then he froze.


    Claire''s fight was not going well.


    Shale stood across from her, swords spinning around him and a cocky smirk on his lips. Claire was in bad shape. Her body was cut to ribbons and her clothes were soaked through with blood. She''d managed to keep herself from bleeding out with her abilities, but she was clearly on her last legs. Shale was too powerful for her to deal with on her own.


    Shit. I really hope that she''s got something good stored up, or we might be fucked.


    "Excuse me?" Derek called. "I¡ª"


    "Would you shut up already?" Shale snarled. "I''ll deal with you when the time comes, Nativeworlder scum. I am busy."


    "Claire!" Alex yelled. "Now!"


    Claire''s eyes snapped to him, then shifted to Winky. A cold grin split her features and she blurred.


    The Outworlder tried to bring his invisible weapon to bear, but he was still heavily disoriented and injured from the full onslaught of everything Alex could bring to bear. He stumbled and missed Claire as she coiled around him like a snake and bit down on the side of his neck.


    Winky cried out in pain and shoved Claire back. Her fangs ripped free from his neck in a spray of blood and he swung his hand through the air.


    Claire skipped back and the ground before her feet parted as Winky''s invisible weapon bit into it. She stumbled to a stop beside Alex, nearly tripping over her own feet. He caught her by the shoulders before she could fall.


    The Dhampir didn''t say a word. She closed her eyes and leaned against him, her features creasing in concentration. Alex didn''t know what, but she was trying to do something.


    "You bitch," Winky snarled as he clasped the wound on his neck. "What are you doing, Shale? Why did you let her get away from you?" S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You are not scared of a Nativeworlder," Shale said, derision dripping from his tone.


    "Excuse me?" Derek asked once more. Orchid squirmed on his shoulder, but he still didn''t put her down. "It''s not very polite to tell someone to shut up. I''m trying to be nice here. I was actually in queue to have a fight with Alex before you came, so if you would wait your turn¡ª"


    "Stuff it," Shale growled. The swords around him started to spin. "I''ll kill you first if you don''t shut your damn mouth, you big stupid oaf."


    "I''m so fed up with this shit. I''m ending this." Winky strode forward, thrusting his hands out. His shoulders shuddered as something heavy ¡ª and invisible ¡ª materialized in each of his hands.


    Claire''s eyes snapped open, and Alex''s breath froze in his lungs of its own volition.


    Hers were the eyes of a monster. They''d turned as black as a starless night.


    She pushed away from Alex and stared straight at Winky as he advanced toward them, shifting from a brisk walk to a charge.


    Then Claire lifted a hand toward him and clenched it into a fist.


    "You have no eyes."


    "What are you¡ª" The rest of Winky''s sentence was lost in an agonized scream.


    Both of his eyes burst in a spray of fluid, leaving behind nothing but weeping sockets. He staggered, and the indents of two huge axes appeared on the sand beside him as he stumbled over his own feet and crashed to the ground in a spray of sand. The Outworlder clawed at his face desperately as he continued to scream.


    What the fuck?


    Claire wiped the blood from her lips and spat on the ground.


    Shale swept his hands down and his swords howled through the air like arrows. Alex snapped back into the present. He lunged forward, dragging Claire out of the way of several blades and closing the distance between them and Winky.


    Then, with a snarl, he thrust his palm forward and drew on the scraps of his magic. A spine of glass burst from his palm and drove straight through one of Winky''s hands, continued into an empty eye socket, and ran through his skull to pin it into the sand beneath.


    Winky jerked. His back arched; he stopped struggling. Energy flowed into Alex in a refreshing stream. He had absolutely no idea what the hell Claire had just done, but he didn''t care.


    Shale''s features were considerably less confident than they had been a moment ago. Alex could practically see him trying to remember if Claire had managed to bite him at any point. The man''s features grew stormy and his swords swirled around him defensively.


    "Scum," the man snarled. "If you think you can get away with stealing from the Broken Sword, you are sorely mistaken. You will suffer for taking our property."


    "I''m starting to lose my patience here," Derek said.


    "Sorry, Derek," Alex said absently, not letting his eyes leave Shale. The man could attack at any time, and he had nearly no magic left to work with. "I''ll happily have another match with you after we deal with this prick."


    "I don''t have much left," Claire whispered to Alex, her lips barely moving as she spoke to avoid letting Shale pick her words up.


    "You didn''t happen to get a chance to bite him, did you?"


    Claire''s lips twitched in a pained smile. "No. And even if I did, I don''t have the energy to do much more. I''m using everything I''ve got to avoid dying on the spot."


    Shale ran his hands along the surface of a sword. It shimmered, then started to vibrate in the air like a buzz saw. If anything, that just felt like overkill. He was already in considerably better shape than Alex and Claire.


    "I would take my time with the lot of you, but I still need you alive," Shale growled to Alex, cracking his neck. His eyes landed on Claire. "But you, monster girl ¡ª you are going to suffer."


    A howl of fury ripped through the Mirrorlands. It was like the rage of a thousand tortured sinners had slipped free of hell at once. Everyone ¡ª even Shale ¡ª flinched and spun in search of the monster.


    There was a squelch, followed by the loud whump-whump of a massive axe spinning through the air. Shale''s swords crossed before him in a flash and the axe rang off them with a resounding clang, flying to land on the ground beside him.


    Derek let out a rattling breath and lowered his hand, his lips pulled back and teeth bared in a snarl. His right eye twitched. He lowered Orchid to the ground, setting her down gently before taking a step forward.


    "Sorry, miss. I''ve got to put you down for a moment," Derek growled, ripping a broadsword out of his back in a spray of blood. He pointed the blade at the Outworlder. "You are insufferable."


    Shale flicked his hand.


    One of the blades flying behind him flashed. It slammed into Derek''s neck, burying itself up to the hilt.


    Derek didn''t even flinch. He grabbed the hilt of the blade and pulled it free. He flicked the blood from it, his breathing growing heavier.


    Shale blinked in surprise. "What in the¡ª"


    "I hate people like you," Derek said. His voice had changed, grown lower and throatier in pitch. "Is it so hard to be polite? To wait your turn, or to at least answer my god damn questions?"


    Shale flicked another sword at Derek.


    It ran clean through his eye and jerked his head back. Derek kept speaking, not even bothering to right the position of his head or pull the blade free of its new sheath.


    "I''ve had it to my limit with this," Derek said. "People have always been pricks, but ever since the apocalypse, I''ve run into so fucking many of them. It''s like you''ve all forgotten manners."


    "What kind of freak are you?" Shale demanded. "How are you alive?"


    "No, no, no." Derek shook his head. Veins bulged in his neck and he shifted his stance, lowering himself to the ground and digging his hands into the black sand. "You don''t get to start asking questions now. It''s too late for that."


    "You think I''m scared of you?" Shale asked through a scoff. "Changing your attitude and crouching like a dog isn''t going to do anything but humiliate you."


    "You''re just like all the other anomalies I ran into." A point pressed against the skin on Derek''s back, then carved free of his body to reveal a sword protruding from the center of his spine. Several other blades followed after it in a line. "I couldn''t teach them manners. I wonder if you''ll be any different."


    Dull red lit behind Derek''s eyes.


    The confidence on Shale''s face evaporated.


    Alex''s skin prickled.


    Orchid squirmed desperately on the ground, managing to catch her cloth gag on a sharp rock. She ripped it free and drew in a ragged breath.


    "What are you doing? Run!" Orchid screamed. "He''s an Incarnation!"

 Chapter 103 - 102: Incarnation

    Orchid''s warning came too late for anyone to react. Derek exploded forward, kicking up black sand behind him as he loped across the Mirrorlands desert, one of Shale''s swords still lodged in his face and the other clutched in one of his hands.


    Shale thrust his hands forward. Every sword around him trembled, then leapt into motion. They split through the air with a howl and slammed into Derek one after the other, each collision making him stumble.


    A blade carved his arm off. Another one lodged itself in his knee, while a third slammed into his shoulder and spun him around.


    Before Derek''s arm could even hit the ground, strands of red sinew burst from his shoulder and latched onto his falling arm. They yanked it through the air and re-attached the limb with a wet squelch.


    He stumbled through the hail of strikes, then continued his charge. He''d been slowed, but he hadn''t so much as missed a single step. Shale took a step back and yanked his hand back to him.


    Only a single one of the swords ¡ª the blade that had cut his arm off ¡ª responded. It flew back to fly despondently alongside Shale. The rest of them didn''t even twitch.


    Shale''s features went pale and he opened his mouth, but Derek didn''t give him the chance to speak. Even though he hadn''t stopped moving after getting stabbed, he was far faster than he had been at the start of fight. Some of Shale''s attacks had killed him.


    Derek closed the distance between himself and the Outworlder in instants. He drove straight into the other man with a roar. Shale ran him through the heart with his final remaining sword.


    The blow did nothing more to stop Derek than swatting a bear would have.


    Shale leapt back as the other man swung his own sword at him, narrowly avoiding the strike. He tried to reach out for his swords again, but Derek didn''t give him the opportunity to do anything.


    His fist crashed into Shale''s stomach. The Outworlder doubled over with a wheeze, only to catch a knee straight to his nose. It shattered with a loud crunch, sending blood splattering over Derek''s already-soaked body.


    Derek could have run Shale through then and there, but he didn''t. Instead, he brought the hilt of a sword down on the other man''s skull. Shale staggered back with a gasp of pain.


    "What do you say?" Derek roared, whipping his elbow up into Shale''s chin and knocking the man''s head back with a crack. Blood sprayed through the air in its wake. Derek threw his sword to the side and drove his fist back into the Outworlder''s stomach. It connected in a meaty thump before the other man could even respond.


    Shale fell back, landing on the sandy beach. Derek stomped on his stomach and Shale folded up around his foot, eyes bulging so far out of his head that they threatened to pop out. Derek grabbed the man by the hair and hoisted him up before himself like he was holding a doll rather than a human.


    "I asked you a question!" Derek screamed. He gave Shale a furious shake. "What do you say when someone was waiting their turn and you butt in front of them in line?"


    Shale''s lips trembled as he tried to form a word. That evidently took too long, because Derek slammed his forehead into Shale''s. The Outworlder screamed in pain.


    Alex and the others could do nothing but stare in disbelief. This was such a far cry from the peaceful, placid Derek that he''d met just a short while before that he could hardly believe they were the same person.


    "Answer the question!" Derek screamed.


    "I don''t know!" Shale rasped, his voice nasally and choked from the blood dripping down his throat. "I don''t know!"


    Derek let out a roar. The muscles in his back rippled as he twisted his entire body and drove Shale''s face into the sand. Then he lifted the man''s head and slammed it back down twice more.


    He hoisted Shale once again.


    A final flicker of defiance and anger twisted the Outworlder''s face. His hands twitched at his sides and clapped together before himself as if he were trying to shake his own hand.


    "Soul Manifestation. Silver rain."


    Alex stiffened.


    Nothing happened.


    "The Disruptor isn''t that strong yet," Orchid''s voice rang out, cold amusement dripping from her voice like poisoned honey. Her earlier warning about Derek being an Incarnation ¡ª whatever that meant ¡ª seemed to have evaporated from even her own mind.


    Derek slammed Shale''s face into the ground once more, hammering it into the sand with several punches to the back of his head. Then he grabbed him by the hair and hoisted him back up. Bloodsoaked sand peeled away from Shale''s face in sheets.


    Derek and brought his mouth close to the other man''s ear.


    "What do you say?" Derek whispered.


    "Sorry," Shale half choked, half-sobbed. His features were barely even recognizable anymore. His nose was twisted at an angle and blood marred his heavily bruised, sand-covered face. There wasn''t a scrap of the former pride that had gripped him.


    The anger evaporated from Derek''s features in a split instant. A huge grin split his lips.


    "Oh, well why didn''t you say so? Your apology is accepted. I did get here first, but I know it can be exciting to have a fun fight, so I don''t mind letting you go first."


    Derek plucked Shale up from the ground in a princess carry. He strode right up to Alex and Claire, then dumped the man unceremoniously on the sand before them before brushing his hand off.


    "Please, continue. I wouldn''t want to get in your way."


    "Incarnations," Orchid muttered under her breath, and Alex had absolutely no idea if she was disgusted, awed, horrified, or some combination of the three.


    Shale''s lips worked and he gasped, spitting up sand and trying to gather enough air to say something.


    Alex pointed his palm at the man''s skull. A glass spike pierced out and thunked straight into Shale''s eye. The man jerked, then slumped back, dead. Power trickled into Alex from the kill ¡ª a fair amount considering how strong the Outworlder had been and how little he''d participated in the fight against him.


    There was a long moment of silence.


    "Huh," Derek said. "If he was so weak, he really should have waited his turn. It''s a bit embarrassing to get killed that easily after being such a brat about going first."


    Derek knelt and wiped the blood covering his knuckles off on the sand beside Shale. The blades protruding from his back slid back beneath his skin with a wet squelch, and he shook himself off before walking back over to Orchid and crouching beside her. With a grunt, he scooped her bound form off the ground and slung her over a shoulder.


    "What are you doing?" Orchid demanded, squirming fruitlessly.


    "I put you on the ground," Derek said. "That was rude. I don''t want to get your clothes dirty."


    "My clothes are the least screwed thing about me right now. They could use a little dirtying," Orchid snapped. She hesitated for a moment. "Thank you for carrying me, though. I appreciate it. I owe you a debt."


    "It''s no problem," Derek said with an easygoing shrug that bounced Orchid on his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "My good friend asked me to help you out, so how could I say no?"


    Alex blinked.


    Not that I''m complaining, but when did we become good friends?


    "I don''t mean to be rude, but I think I might be a bit drained of energy at the moment," Alex said. He couldn''t deny that there was a rather uncomfortably large portion of himself ¡ª a rather insane one ¡ª that really wanted to see what he was capable of against Derek when they were both going all out. Unfortunately, now was definitely not the time for that. He was completely drained of energy. "If we fight now, every single one of us are going to be stuck here."


    "Oh, it''s fine," Derek said with a smile. His eyes lowered to Shale''s corpse and his features darkened. "You know, I was thinking about it a bit. Especially after this asshole. Everyone I''ve met since the world ended has been a giant dick. You know, you''re the first one to actually fight me like a gentleman. Can you believe that?"


    Yes.


    "Seriously?" Alex asked, injecting disbelief into his tone and trying to keep himself from laughing. He couldn''t tell if Derek was insane or not, but he supposed anyone who was going to survive the apocalypse had to be at least a little bit off their rocker.


    "Seriously." Derek gave him a straight-faced nod. "I know. It''s a shocker. But I was thinking ¡ª the System said I have to kill other Anomalies to get stronger. I want to get stronger so I can fight more and beat some manners into this crummy world¡­ but I don''t really want to kill you anymore. It''s way too hard to find someone worth spending time with. It would be a real bummer, you know?"


    Orchid looked from Alex to Derek. She squirmed once, trying to free herself from her bindings, then gave up and slumped over the large man''s shoulders with a sigh, resigned to her fate.


    "I couldn''t agree more," Alex said. The vestiges of the adrenaline that had been pumping through him started to wear off and he gave Derek a grin. "I''d still like to spar with you, though. We had a great last fight."


    That awoke Orchid from her resignation almost instantly. "That''s right! You fought the Incarnation before! How did you¡ª"


    "He won," Derek said. "It was a very good fight." S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Orchid''s gaze shifted back to Alex. She swallowed heavily. "I¡­ I see."


    "Derek, do you think you could set Orchid down?" Claire asked, leaning heavily against Alex for support. "We should really untie her already."


    Derek blinked, then hurried to comply. He grabbed one of Shale''s swords and jabbed it into the chains, trying and failing to cut them free.


    "They''re Suppressors," Orchid said, her face pressed into the sandy ground. "There should be a key on Shale."


    Alex spotted a keyring on the man''s belt after a moment of searching. He pulled it off and tossed it to Derek, who set about freeing Orchid. The chains fell away from her and she let out a huge sigh of relief, rubbing her wrists as she sat up.


    She pushed herself to her feet, then studied Alex for a long moment before lowering herself in a bow.


    "Thank you. I did not expect the Starfallen family to go through so much effort to save me, especially when you are attempting to conceal your presence."


    I''m honestly kind of surprised Orchid still thinks we''re with the Starfallen family, but I bet she must think that we''re just pretending to be Nativeworlders to conceal ourselves from the other families. It''s the literal exact opposite of what we''re actually doing, but things are so twisted that we might actually be able to stick to that story.


    "We had a little help from Absolution," Alex said. The more truth there was in a lie, the easier it was to pull the fake bits through as well. "There was an Assembly where we found out that the Broken Sword decided to overstep their bounds. He drew attention to himself while we got you."


    Orchid blinked in surprise. "I was worth that much?"


    "I take deals I make seriously," Alex said. "And I believe there was a Town Token that you agreed to help us get."


    A small smile pulled at Orchid''s lips. She wiped some of the blood from her face and gave him a nod. "I did do that. Still, I did not expect to be saved. I will not forget this. If you can get us back to 274-50, then we can get to work immediately. I''ve made progress on locating it and I believe I''ve narrowed down the potential area. Getting the token will be even easier now that we have an Incarnation on our side."


    The hell is an Incarnation? The System hasn''t mentioned anything about that, but she called Derek one during the fight. I''d love to ask, but I don''t think I could pull that one off without revealing how little I know. I''ll have to talk with Claire about it later when she isn''t here.


    Derek didn''t seem to know what Orchid was talking about either. He just scratched at the side of his neck, then adjusted the position of a dagger jutting out of his chest.


    "I don''t really like picking sides," Derek said through a frown. "Makes it less fun, and there were some things I have to deal with. Still have other anomalies to hunt. You know how it is."


    Orchid paused, then mirrored his expression. "Wait. You mean you aren''t working together?"


    "He just happened to swing by trying to kill me at a good time," Alex provided. "That''s it."


    "Smelled you," Derek said, tapping his nose sagely as if that was meant to answer anything.


    "If you weren''t allied with us, then why did you help?"


    "Alex asked me to." Derek answered like the response was the most obvious thing in the world. "You don''t have to throw your life in with someone to be polite."


    "Right," Orchid said slowly. "You''re interesting, Nativeworlder. Has anyone ever told you that? Are you sure you don''t want to throw in with us? I can guarantee power and¡ª"


    "No thank you. Maybe another time," Derek said with a small shake of his head. "I don''t mind helping out every once and a while, but I don''t want to get kenneled. I''ll get stronger with or without anyone''s help, so I''m just going to go where my nose takes me. Maybe it''ll be here. Maybe somewhere else. Who knows."


    I love this guy. He doesn''t give a shit about anything other than being polite and ambling about killing people.


    "I think the first thing we''re going to be doing is resting for a little while," Claire said tersely. "I''m not in the best shape to do much of anything else right now."


    "Feel free to sleep. That goes for everyone. I will not allow anything to take any of you while you rest," Derek promised. "As pretty as this place is, I''d like to get out as soon as possible."


    "Just so you know, I can''t get you back to earth quite yet," Alex warned. "There are a bunch of people that are going to try to kill us when we return, so we''ve got to prepare a bit before returning."


    "That''s fine." Derek shrugged. "I can be patient. I don''t mind going on vacation for a little while. Do you want to sleep now?"


    I''d be willing to bet nobody has ever called a visit to the Mirrorlands a vacation before.


    "I think relocating first would be a better idea," Alex said with a shake of his head. He nudged Shale''s corpse. He didn''t mention that relocating would also buy time for his monsters to respawn. "This body is going to draw monsters. In the Mirrorlands, that could be a big problem, especially as we are now. Let''s get somewhere safer, but resting for a bit is a good idea. With Orchid here, nobody can get the Town Token before we do ¡ª and I want to level up before we deal with the poor sods waiting for us back on 274-50. We set the terms of the fight, not them."


    Orchid examined Alex with newfound respect. "You mean you''ve been holding onto your energy instead of using it to ease your restrictions? That''s¡­ bold."


    Alex just smiled in response.


    If you think that''s bold, then we''ll see what you think when you realize that I''m not even a Starfallen at all¡­ but right now, with the amount of energy I''ve gotten since the last time I''ve advanced, I think I''ve got quite a few goodies waiting for me to cash in.

 Chapter 104 - 103: Forerunner

    Fortunately, Alex and Claire were the only ones of the group that had spent any amount of time within the Mirrorlands. Neither Derek nor Orchid had the slightest clue about what locations would be safe, so they could do nothing but crane their necks and stare in awe as the group walked.


    That made it pretty easy for Alex to kill just around an hour wandering aimlessly. He carried Claire on his back in a piggyback so she could focus on her magic and keeping her badly damaged body in one piece until her passive healing repaired enough to let her rest. His magic-empowered body barely noted the extra weight.


    They left the black sand beaches and headed parallel to Valley Ford, sticking to any cover they could. Even though much of the Mirrorlands in this location was largely flatlands, there were still occasional jutting boulders or stray white-wood trees that littered the landscape amidst a few rolling hills and distant mountains.


    Alex''s thoughts drifted as they walked. Today hadn''t gone at all how he''d thought it would. He''d been planning to be back in Towntown by now, selling things to Finley. Now, that definitely wasn''t happening. He was going to need to find a different way to get access to a portal, because Valley Ford sure as hell wasn''t going to be letting him and Claire use theirs.


    His gaze lingered on the Disruptor in the distance. Even though they were quite far from the Riftwarped version of Valley Ford, the silvery ship was still easily visible perched upon the massive tree in the distance.


    Crackles of power twisted around the Great Tide''s machine, portals yawning open and pulling shut lethargically.


    Interestingly enough, he''d learned quite a bit today, and all entirely on accident. The fight against the Broken Blade members had been surprisingly enlightening. It hadn''t cleared up every single bit of his confusion, but it had shown starlight in what had been a cloudy night.


    The Disruptors had been sent by the Outworlder families to somehow allow them to use more of their power. The closer one was to a Disruptor, the less the System constrained them ¡ª which logically meant the Disruptor''s purpose was actually quite straightforward.


    Its name gave it away. It disrupted the System in an area, allowing Outworlders to slip free of their bindings. The longer the machine ran, the more the invaders would be able to wrest back of their original strength.


    Alex still had no idea just what the extent of the bindings was. It definitely lowered the max level of everyone, binding skills and their Soul Manifestations, but from the other things he''d heard about restrictions, he strongly suspected there was more to it than that.


    It was tempting but he couldn''t just go asking Orchid about it. She was too useful on their side. He didn''t need her turning on them ¡ª at least, not before they got the Town Token.


    But, as his thoughts drifted to the Outworlder woman, he couldn''t help but notice that she looked every bit as awed as Derek as they wandered beneath the molten skies of the Mirrorlands. Her lips were parted and her eyes flicked all around, trying to take in their surroundings all at once.


    Has she never been to the Mirrorlands? I thought this would have been something that the Outworlders could pull off, considering they''ve got giant ships here. Maybe that''s something Claire can broach with her. I''m sure she''s already working on finding an angle of approach¡­ at least, if she''s still fully conscious. She took a really bad beating while keeping Shale distracted.


    Alex''s lips thinned at that thought. They were getting strong, but it wasn''t enough. They needed to get stronger. In the span of one falling tower of cards, the number and strength of their enemies had exploded exponentially.


    Restrictions or not, if we''re going to fight against the Outworlders, I have to keep pushing. They''ve got the advantage of complete knowledge, but their potential is restrained while ours is limitless so long as we have challenge.


    We''ve taken the right steps so far, but things have to accelerate.


    That might have been an endless quest, but there was one thing in particular that Alex''s mind was set on. He''d seen the power that Berith could bring to bear ¡ª and what Zeal had been capable of as well.


    Alex needed to evolve his Soul Manifestation to get a domain.


    Meiderly had said he''d unlock that at the 3rd rank, but Absolution had used something called a Partial Soul Manifestation. That had to mean there was a way to access it before reaching the Adept Stage, and Alex was determined to figure out how.


    The hour slipped by, and he felt magic drain out of him, returning to his monsters as they reformed within his Spatial Mirrors.


    They were in the shadow of a looming boulder with a perfectly flat face that jutted up into the sky like a tooth in a sea of waving gray hills, all cast under the shadow of a mountain range.


    Crackling magic swirled at the mountain peaks where they met the twisting energy that swam across the sky of the Mirrorlands, sending off streamers of distant, howling energy. He could see distant forms moving on the mountains but wasn''t close enough to make out anything concrete.


    "What are those?" Derek asked, squinting at the mountain. "Do you think they''re friendly?"


    "No," Alex said. He made his way over to the base of the boulder and glanced around. There weren''t any obvious signs of a monster lying in wait. They weren''t too close to a city, which the Mirrorlanders seemed to prefer gathering at, but he wasn''t going to assume that made them safe. "Nothing in the Mirrorlands is friendly. This seems as good of a spot to rest as any."


    "There aren''t any trees," Orchid said with a small frown.


    "We don''t want to be near those. They try to kill you." Alex lowered Claire so she sat against the rock, then sat down beside her. He summoned Glint with a thought. The Glasmir shattered a hole through reality and stepped through the falling pieces to stand over him and Claire.


    "I should have guessed," Orchid said, lips pursed. "But I do not have my staff."


    "I don''t think breaking a branch off one of the trees is a great way to get a new one. They probably won''t like that, and we really aren''t in shape to fight anything we don''t have to right now."


    "Could I not steal a branch and run away?" S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "A lot of them are pretty slow, but that''ll probably end up summoning a guardian of some sort."


    "You know a lot about the Mirrorlands."


    That was a statement, not a question. Alex tilted his head to the side, but it wasn''t exactly like he could deny Orchid''s observation. He''d literally ripped a portal open to them just a short while ago.


    "I know some," Alex allowed. If Orchid was surprised by that revelation, then traveling through the Mirrorlands definitely wasn''t complete commonplace for Outworlders.


    He wished that Claire was awake so she could help him navigate the conversation, but she was still too focused on keeping herself from dying.


    "You''re bold, but I suppose I shouldn''t expect anything else from your family," Orchid said, slumping back against the stone beside Alex and gingerly touching her face. The bruises had already started to fade, but it was clearly still raw. She nodded to the spatial ring on his finger ¡ª the one he''d gotten from the Great Tide family during his first visit to their store. "I don''t suppose you happen to have a staff in there?"


    "Afraid not."


    "Not even a stick?"


    "Nothing. Why?"


    "That''s just cruel." Orchid squinted at Alex out of the corners of her eyes. When he didn''t respond, she heaved a sigh. "I''m a Mancer. Do you know what I''m capable of doing without my staff?"


    Oh, come on. I mean, I did tell Orchid I didn''t want her doing anything when we got the Town Token so Claire and I could get all the experience and growth, but I wasn''t being this literal.


    "Nothing?" Alex guessed.


    "I''m not that pathetic," Orchid said despondently. "But not far from it. I can''t do much without a staff. Most of my power is stored in it. Making a new one will be a massive pain, but I don''t think I''m getting my old one back."


    "Something will crop up soon enough," Alex said noncommittally. If anything, this actually made things a bit easier for him and Claire, though missing Orchid''s firepower when they went up against any more people from the families would be a big problem. "How long does it take? Are you going to still be weakened by the time we return to 274-50?"


    "Depends how long that takes, but it won''t matter. With us out of the limelight, the families are going to be looking for the Town Token, not wasting time trying to kill me or who they believe to be random Nativeworlders. They''re not idiots. The Town Token is far more valuable."


    Meaning we probably aren''t going to have a horde waiting for us at the portal when we return. That''s good¡­ but only if we can get to the Town Token before they do.


    "Logically," Alex said with a knowing nod. "Well, take a moment to rest and meditate. Glint, keep an eye out on things for us, would you?"


    His Glasmir didn''t respond, but Alex knew that his command had been heard. And with that, he closed his eyes and sank into himself, plunging into the depths of his Mind Palace.


    A black lake bloomed; three marble pillars rose to loom over him as a massive white marble basin took form in the center of his soul. A staircase lifted up from the darkness, sending black water sloughing down its steps as it ground to a halt at the edge of the basin.


    A massive ball of swirling blue mist churned above the basin, waiting to be condensed and used. The amount of power stored within it made Alex''s skin prickle. He could taste electricity on his tongue ¡ª which was a rather odd sensation, as he never would have thought such a thing could be tasted.


    Wind brushed through his hair and curled around his clothes as he ascended the stairs leading to the edge of the basin. At their top was the fist-sized Nightmare Aspect Gem, glistening gently in wait. He still didn''t know what it would do, but he wasn''t going to stick it into the matching holes in the pillars until he did.


    Fortunately, he had more than enough to do right now. In addition to all the magical energy he had waiting for him, he also hadn''t had a chance to cash in the rewards from killing the Field Boss back in Towntown.


    Alex reached out to the glistening black gemstone glowing with light upon the top of the marble basin''s mantle. Black lines twisted out from it as soon as his finger touched with the stone.


    Field Boss Slain.


    Rewards Earned.


    Accept Rewards [1/1]?


    "Yes," Alex said, excitement bubbling up in his chest.


    Golden light carved through the air before him.


    Title Fragment Acquired.


    Forerunner: Granted to the one who claims the first kill on a Field Boss in a newly Initialized world.


    Holy shit. The first one? This is definitely going to be a really useful title. I didn''t realize we were that fast, but I guess the Field Boss did basically show up directly on top of us.


    If it''s based off that, it''ll definitely be something that helps me fight powerful monsters¡­ and I''ve still got the Lone title fragment from clearing the Razor Forest out on my own, not to mention the Top Ranker fragment.


    Should I combine any of them? Or wait to get another title first?

 Chapter 105 - 104: The Title

    Alex studied the golden words that made up his status screen floating before him, sharp and bright against the darkness of his Mind Palace. He''d managed to amass three Title Fragments. Lone, Top Ranker, and Forerunner.


    He tapped a finger against his leg. There was some primal monkey part of his brain that wanted to smack things together until they worked ¡ª but a slightly smarter ¡ª if considerably smaller ¡ª part of his brain that had a much better plan.


    I really want to use Lone, but I don''t think either of the two titles I have right now is the best combination for it. It definitely has an enormous amount of potential. Any Title with Lone in the name is probably going to end up being something that can scale really hard. It should be put together with a fragment that is really likely to give me a huge edge.


    Putting it together with Top Ranker would be a waste. I don''t want just a flat boost to Lone, I want it to hyperspecialize. Using together with Forerunner could work a bit better¡­ but the Forerunner achievement came from being the first person on Earth to kill a Field Boss.


    There''s no way for me to know if it''s going to give me a combat boost or not. If they were the only two options I had, I''d probably combine them. It definitely wouldn''t be a bad combination. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But if I combined Top Ranker with Forerunner¡­ then I just magnify the results of whatever it gives me. It would also let me save Lone for another Title Fragment that fits it better while still getting something good now.


    He made his mind up. And, as soon as he did, black letters scrawled across the surface of the marble basin in the corner of his eye.


    Would you like to combine any of your Title Fragments?


    "Yes."


    Black lines traced down from the gem at the top of the basin. Darkness bloomed across its surface like ink rising to the surface of water as words took form upon the marble.


    Lone


    Top Ranker


    Forerunner


    Alex selected his choices. The backs of his palms tingled and his fingertips buzzed like he''d stuck them into a live electrical socket. Two motes of light slipped out from the stone and twisted up to float before him.


    He reached out to the motes and felt power press back against his hands as he placed his palms upon them. The force was faint but constant. Just like the last time he''d combined two Title Fragments, it seemed that they were not particularly eager about being pushed together.


    And that was their biggest mistake. If they''d wanted to remain separate, then they should have chosen any other form of resistance. There were few men that could resist the urge to smack the positive ends of two magnets together ¡ª and that was exactly what the titles felt like.


    Alex drove his palms together, drawing on all the extra power that the System had infused his body with since the start of the Apocalypse. That was quite a considerable amount, and he felt it almost immediately.


    The last time he''d tried to combine titles, it had been quite difficult. The energy had put up a serious fight and he''d had to fight furiously for every inch he could claim.


    But this time around, the process was smooth. His hands pressed together steadily, relentlessly, and the Title Fragments'' attempts to resist him evaporated in the wind. Wind blew his hair back and ripples passed over of the surface of the lake. The misty blue energy swirling above the basin churned and undulated as waves of energy emanated out from Alex.


    His palms connected with a clap. The motes of energy collided and exploded in a brilliant flash of light. Power surged and drove into his hands like tiny blades of glass, drawing a surprised curse from his lips as he was momentarily blinded.


    Holy shit. I didn''t expect them to combine so easily!


    Alex blinked the stars away from his eyes. A single black line sat upon the basin before him.


    A new Title.


    Ascending Forerunner: Attune with the fluctuations of power on your plane caused by the awakening of powerful monsters. While this Title is equipped, you will be able to sense the location of monsters at the rank of [Region Boss] or higher as they awaken.


    Wait. What? That can''t be right.


    Alex stared at the words for a long second, trying to see if he was misreading something. They looked so inconspicuous, betraying the immense potential the Title was promising him. If he understood what the Title was saying, then it meant he''d know where every single Region Boss was.


    Nothing in the skill said anything about range. It didn''t imply it would get stronger with him either, which meant it was a flat benefit. Even more than that ¡ª the Title would let him do more than just tell where the bosses were.


    The description said he''d sense their location as they awakened.


    Not after they awakened.


    As.


    It let him know when they woke up.


    Alex''s heart started to beat faster and, for a moment, his mouth almost started to water as he contemplated what a skill of this strength actually meant. The most obvious benefits were already immense.


    He''d be able to show up to every Region Boss fight that he wanted to. Nobody could hide their locations from him. The Title would warn him when he had to go over and ensure he always had a chance to wrest experience and rewards from it.


    When he got strong enough, he could literally hunt Region Bosses. They wouldn''t have any way to hide. Even the most secret, well concealed monsters would be laid bare before him.


    But there was more to the Title than that.


    It wasn''t like he could kill every single boss ¡ª but he wouldn''t need to. Information about the monsters would be beyond valuable.


    Thus far, it didn''t seem anyone had figured out there was a Region Boss in Towntown. That meant the Outworlders didn''t know where every monster had popped up¡­ but they''d absolutely be willing to pay immense amounts of money to find out.


    I could charge ridiculous prices for the monsters'' locations if they''re too out of the way for me to deal with myself.


    Wait, fuck that. I could recruit people to my side and use the bosses as a way to catch them up and compete with the Outworlder families.


    Alex swallowed heavily. He held tightly onto the edge of the basin to keep himself from falling off in his excitement. It would have been deeply ironic to manage to die inside his own Mind Palace.


    The Ascending Forerunner Title was basically a key to a city of gold, so long as he had the strength to take it. There were so many possibilities to strength that came from the Title that he was certain he couldn''t think of all of them in a reasonable amount of time.


    Even as that thought passed through his mind, his eyes still lingering on the words upon the basin, his eyes widened slightly.


    Alex hurriedly reread the start of the skill.


    It didn''t specify anything about Planet 274-50.


    He had no idea if Region Bosses existed in the Mirrorlands, but he didn''t know why they didn''t. There had to be at least one or two of them somewhere. And if that was the case, there was nothing to imply the Title wouldn''t work just as well in the Mirrorlands as it would on what had once been Earth.


    Alex looked up to the twisting ball of magically charged blue mist above him. He swallowed heavily, summoning his status screen just to confirm that the title was actually there. Then he dismissed it once more.


    As badly as he wanted to return to the Mirrorlands right now and test the Title out to see how it worked, he was far from done in his Mind Palace. He had a huge amount of magical energy stored up. Enough to give his Mind Palace a significant boost and get him a few levels while he was at it.


    He had three Units of energy left over to work with from the last time he''d advanced in levels. Leveling twice would get him enough to advance Monster Medley and Requiem to the King ¡ª and that wasn''t all.


    Alex hadn''t forgotten Absolution''s display back in the Assembly. He''d watched the man practically dismantle his Outworlder opponent, ripping through her domain even though he was supposedly weaker than her with his Partial Domain.


    There was precious little information for him to call on, but it didn''t take a genius to realize that if a full Domain came at the third stage, Adept, then a Partial Domain could be made before then.


    And if that was the case, then he was determined to get his hands on it.

 Chapter 106 - 105: Gap

    Plink.


    Alex sat in meditation at the lip of his basin, his legs dangling over the edge as he focused on the swirling blue mist far above. Droplet after droplet condensed from the cloud of magic and rained down into the bowl.


    Plink.


    Even though he was deep within his own thoughts and focused completely on his goal, the sound of the falling liquid echoed through his soul and reached even the deepest crevices of his mind.


    There was something oddly opening about meditation. He''d never really had a chance to give it a proper try before the apocalypse, and even now he''d only done it a few times ¡ª and yet, Alex was starting to find that he rather enjoyed the sensation.


    It wasn''t just sitting around doing nothing, nor was it suddenly some immense sense of inner peace.


    Meditation was simply silent.


    Another droplet hit the water gathering at the bottom of the basin. Alex idly noted that this one was more of a plip than a plink.


    He wouldn''t have minded sitting there for a few more hours, just listening to the water fall. Meditation was one of those things that didn''t sound particularly enjoyable until he was already halfway through it.


    But, no matter how enjoyable occasional meditation could be, he was pretty sure he''d run out of patience if he did it without purpose. The silence wasn''t quite as fun if he wasn''t getting stronger from it.


    The droplets continued to fall. Time slipped by Alex and he immersed himself in his power until the sound finally stopped and his soul fell completely quiet.


    He opened his eyes.


    Then he blinked.


    His basin was just over three-quarters full.


    Given how much energy he''d gotten since the last time he''d leveled up, that was far from an insignificant amount. There was an immense amount of power stored within the marble bowl and waiting for him to call upon it.


    He obliged.


    As always, Alex started by advancing his Mind Palace. He extended a hand down toward the crystal blue water and a tendril reached up toward him, coiling past his arm and rising up to his lips.


    He drank deeply. Ice coursed through his veins and flowed through his entire body, driving into his muscles like a thousand different minuscule needles.


    The surface of the lake below rippled. Pressure built around Alex with enough force to make his teeth start to chatter. That was new.


    Waves rolled away from the basin, vanishing into the darkness. Each one came stronger than the last.


    Far in the distance, heavy metal rattled.


    Berith.


    It had been a while since he''d thought about the demon that had given him access to Riftwalk. The monster still lurked deep within his soul ¡ª and the more power Alex gathered, the closer to the surface of the lake Berith came.


    White flashed beneath the dark waters, the links of a massive chain clanked as they slithered under its surface like a writhing snake. There was a deep, brassy thud. The chains abruptly jerked taut.


    Power burned in Alex''s chest and worked up his throat. Something shifted deep in the darkness, beneath even the chains, and new waves broke against the uniform ones, sending the surface of the lake into chaos.


    There was something beneath even the chains, buried so far underwater that he could barely make out its marble surface. It was far too deep for him to make out details, but Alex could have sworn that it was a door.


    He forced his gaze back over to the water in his basin. He''d already consumed half of the magic he''d gathered up and was starting to eat into the other half. If he continued drinking, he wouldn''t have enough magic left to level up.


    Alex released the magic reluctantly. Relief washed over him as the icy spikes removed themselves from within his body and the flow of magic halted. Strength still churned within him like a raging ocean, but it slowly started to settle down as his body adapted to it.


    The ripples in the lake faded until its surface was still once more. No trace of Berith''s chains or the door remained in the darkness. It was flat and black once more, an impenetrable mirror that showed nothing but the muted reflection of his Mind Palace.


    That door¡­ how much power does it need to completely emerge? I used so much magic. I can feel that my Mind Palace is stronger, but this is the first time that there wasn''t an apparent change. Maybe I missed it?


    Alex carefully made his way down the stairs and waked in a circle around the basin. He couldn''t see anything different. Whatever that door was, it had consumed almost all of his magic ¡ª and nothing unimportant was going to be that power-hungry.


    He made his way up the stairs, thoughts churning.


    Could the door be related to getting my domain? But it''s shown itself before I''m an Adept. There''s no way that there isn''t going to be a single change to my Mind Palace throughout all of Initiate Stage.


    Finley did say this was the time when I would imbue the pillars with aspects ¡ª but that isn''t all there is to it. He also said I''d be able to put my palace together. That implies I should have some actual stuff to put together, but as things look right now, the door is going to consume as much power as the entirety of the Novice stage if not more.


    That doesn''t seem to match up with what Finley said. There''s no way everyone is spending this much power on a Stage that''s meant to be about combining pieces¡­


    So what''s going on?


    Is this something that Berith has caused, or another thing entirely?


    The answer didn''t come to him. Alex drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. That was fine. He''d still gotten stronger from imbuing his Mind Palace with magic. Spending more now was tempting, but not tempting enough to pass up on a level up.


    I''ll have to store a bunch of energy up and see if I can push the rest of the way the next time I meditate. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But, for now¡­


    He extended his hand to the tendril of water that still rose from the center of his basin. As soon as it made contact, power drove into his palm.


    The rest of the basin exploded upward like a massive wave, crashing into his palm and flowing into his body. He drew in a sharp breath. By the time he let it out, the feeling had passed. Golden words bloomed through the air before him.


    Your Stage has advanced to Initiate 2.


    Your Stage has advanced to Initiate 3.


    You have amassed 5 units of soul energy.


    Please select an Auxiliary Skill to upgrade.


    The three smaller blue gems on the on the mantle of his basin glistened as they lit with bright energy from within, and black letters appeared on the marble once more while the three blue gemstones upon its surface glistened with energy.


    [Requiem to the King] (Novice 2)


    [Monster Medley] (Novice 4)


    [Riftwalk] (Novice 8)


    Wow. Leveling really does get a lot harder the stronger you become. Still, getting 2 levels after all the energy I just dumped into my Mind Palace is pretty nice. I''ve got a total of 5 Units to work with.


    That''s 3 levels away from upgrading Riftwalk ¡ª but I wasn''t planning on advancing that one next anyway. Right now, the choice is between Monster Medley and Requiem to the King.


    About time I got an easy decision. Medley is a good skill, but my summons have gotten a bunch of advancements recently. Requiem to the King is my trump card. I can''t leave it lagging behind.


    Alex grinned and made his selection without a moment of hesitation, selecting Requiem to the King.


    Black lines flowed down the mantle from Requiem to the King''s gem. They formed into boxes and words etched themselves into the marble within them.


    (2 Units) Exhume: Rip the energy from recently slain foes to bring a summoned monster back to life. The amount of energy required for this ability to activate scales with the target monster''s strength.


    (2 Units) Lasting Notes: Your monsters are reinforced by Rift energy upon their summoning, making them resistant to most afflictions.


    (2 Units) Dissonant Departure: When a summoned monster dies, they destabilize the area around them with Rift energy and cause an explosion that scales with their remaining magical power.


    "Goddamn," Alex muttered under his breath. The silence of his Mind Place was such that he could hear his heart beating in his ears. He wanted to hit himself over the head for not upgrading Requiem to the King earlier.


    Logically, the ability was only useful once his monsters were actually strong enough to capitalize on ¡ª but that time had more than come, and these abilities were incredible. He could see each of them being a really solid choice.


    Fuck, these are awesome.


    He couldn''t have all of them, though. A choice had to be made.


    Lasting Notes was the least flashy of the three, but he didn''t know exactly what ''afflictions'' were. Something told him that the System wasn''t going to see getting cut as an affliction. It was probably quite a useful ability in the right situation, but it wasn''t exactly groundbreaking. There was also the slight but important drawback that was the nature of the ability. It revealed his monsters had Rift energy immediately, which was less than ideal when dealing with Outworlders.


    That left Dissonant Departure and Exhume. The former of the two was basically a kamikaze button.


    It was a great way to make sure that his summons did as much damage as possible to whatever they were fighting. His combat style often ended with at least one of his monsters dying, so it would get a lot of use.


    Alex''s attention caught on the last part of the skill. The damage scaled with their remaining magical energy. The stronger they were when they died, the more damage it would do. That was great in a situation where he was intentionally killing a monster, but that meant the ability would be less effective in the majority of normal scenarios.


    There was also a chance it would interfere with the amount of power he''d get to use himself when his monsters died.


    I don''t want to build a skill that doesn''t synergize well with the rest of my kit. Having a ''you''re coming with me'' ability is always great, but I think scaling with remaining energy knocks this down a peg. I also don''t want to risk making Requiem to the King worse.


    And that left Exhume. An ability that let him straight up bring one of his dead monsters back. It was easily the one he was most excited about, and a second read-over only served to increase his delight.


    Unlike Encore, which brought all his monsters back for a very short period of time, Exhume let him keep the monster that came back. That meant, theoretically, he''d be able to continuously bring his monsters back from the dead so long as he had magical energy and a steady stream of enemies to kill.


    It would give him a way to fight in sustained battles for much longer. If he continued focused on making each of his monsters as powerful as possible, he could already see how immensely useful this skill would be now, not to mention the future.


    This is so unbalanced. I could fight an entire army on my own so long as my monsters can keep killing enemies. Sure, the monsters have to be strong enough to fight the enemies in the first place, but this is just too great to pass by.


    Alex dug through his thoughts to see if he could find any obvious issues with the skill that would make it worse than it seemed, but he found none.


    Exhume was perfect.


    Alex made his choice on the spot. The skill carved itself into his status. His heart beat with excitement as he turned back to look over his Mindspace.


    His energy had been used. His Mind Palace was stronger, and he had another skill that was just begging for him to try it out and he had a mind to oblige it.


    On top of that¡­ If I can get my hands on this Town Token, I should get access to portals. That would mean I''d be able to utilize the new Title I just got and teleport around to the Region Bosses that it reveals to me.


    A laugh bubbled up in Alex''s chest.


    He was starting to understand just what Zeal had meant when they''d spoken about the risks Outworlders took when too many of them showed up on the same planet. The System was pouring opportunity into the world to give everyone a chance to fight back. Alex planned to take every single scrap of that strength he could get.


    The gap between him and the Outworlders was burning away.


    I can''t wait to see how much stronger I''ve gotten.

 Chapter 107 - 106: Heist

    Alex''s eyes opened and he found himself sitting in the Mirrorlands once more. Glint stood over him, the Glasmir''s solid silver mask rippling with light reflected from the twisting clouds of purple and red energy overhead.


    He rose to his feet, grimacing as he found a small crick in his back that had likely been caused by the less than optimal position he''d chosen to sit in. Alex stretched his arms over his head and shifted from foot to foot.


    The camp was quiet, sheltered by the shadow of the large boulder they''d taken up temporary residence beside. Claire sat to his side, her eyes closed in meditation. The wounds covering her body had completely sealed up, but her new set of clothes had been completely ripped to shreds ¡ª though the most important bits had fortunately been spared.


    Orchid and Derek were beside her. The former sat with her legs crossed and her hands upon her knees, apparently in deep meditation.


    Derek was sprawled out across the ground, limbs pointing in every which direction, tongue rolling out of his mouth and doing a remarkable impression of roadkill.


    It seemed everyone had opted to let Glint keep watch while they caught up on sleep or missing power. That was definitely a smart move by all of them. The Mirrorlands might have been their savior from the Outworlder families for the time being, but it was also the trap waiting to slam shut on their necks.


    Every scrap of power they could wrest before facing the Mirrorlands could end up being instrumental.


    At the thought of power, a small frown tugged at Alex''s lips. He''d equipped his new Ascending Forerunner Title, but he didn''t feel any different. Disappointment prodded at the edges of his thoughts.


    Does it not work on the Mirrorlands? That doesn''t make sense. It didn''t have anything in the description about a range or a limitation to where it works. There''s no way there aren''t any monsters that are stronger than a Region Boss in the Mirrorlands. I''d be willing to bet the giant City-Eater Centipedes are just as strong as some of the most powerful bosses on 274-50.


    Alex''s confusion and frustration didn''t get to muster for long. No sooner than the thoughts had passed through his head did he feel what could only be described as a gentle tug on his mind.


    It was so gentle that he barely even clocked it, little more than the faintest breeze on the inside of the own skull. He blinked, the sensation having come and gone so quickly that he couldn''t actually tell if it had even happened ¡ª


    Another gentle tug drifted past his mind. This one came from the opposite direction. Alex turned to look toward it, hoping he''d catch the sensation and hold onto it, but it was gone before he could even blink.


    A third flicker of power took its place, only to vanish immediately afterward. And that was it. Over and over, minuscule brushes of energy danced around him. They were so faint that he had to stop and wonder several times if they were actually happening or if he was just making things up in his mind.


    Even when he was completely certain that the sensations did actually exist and he wasn''t just delusional, they were still so gentle that could have completely ignored them should he have had the desire to.


    Alex stood, baffled, as he tried to figure out what was going on. Disappointment continued to build in the back of his mind. This wasn''t what the Title had told him it would do.


    Did I get scammed? Or is this the extent of the reveals that I''m going to get? If that''s the case, this ability is fucking useless! Having a flicker of an instant to tell me the general direction that a monster exists is hardly going to He read back over the description, then glanced around as if expecting a giant message from the System telling him to smile for a camera.


    He found nothing but his resting companions and Glint''s empty expression.


    The urge to start walking in circles and muttering to himself was strong. Every thought was easier when one was in idle motion. Unfortunately, that was also a great way to draw unneeded attention to themselves.


    Random fights with monsters wasn''t what any of them needed right now ¡ª especially while half of them were still mid-meditation.


    Alex was forced to cross his arms in front of his chest and lean against the cold stone boulder, his lips pursed and fingers tapping against his sides as he dug through his thoughts in search of a solution.


    He couldn''t see any obvious loophole in the Title. That didn''t mean there wasn''t one, of course. He wasn''t a genius¡­ but it didn''t really seem like the System to slip some incredibly bullshit terms and conditions into a Title for no reason. It could have just given him something else. Fiddling with it would have been pointless unless the System had a personal vendetta against him.


    I''m pretty sure I didn''t offend the System, so that doesn''t seem likely. I don''t even think its intelligent enough to get offended. Should probably look into that at some point. The fallout of the System actually being sentient and having feelings would be¡­ interesting, to say the least.


    Alex''s lips turned down in an annoyed frown.


    But not nearly as interesting as having my damn Title scammed out of me. I can''t believe that would happen. It seems too rude. There has to be another way this¡ª


    Another distant brush of energy caressed Alex''s mind and sent his train of thought careening off the tracks. An idea lit like a spark in a dry storeroom and he blinked in surprise.


    Wait.


    He froze, waiting for the gentle brush of wind against his mind. It came just as he expected. Alex latched onto it, thrusting his focus in its direction. The side of his skull prickled and his head throbbed like he''d just eaten a massive bite of ice cream.


    A buzzing energy ignited within his head. The tiny force ballooned out into a powerful pull, strong enough to make him take an involuntary step in its direction before he stopped himself.


    Alex''s eyes widened.


    He could feel¡­ something. It was hard to say exactly what, but there was a presence grinding against him like a millstone. Its source was off to their left, past the mountain ranges and looming in the distance.


    Alex couldn''t have placed exactly how far it was with miles, but he knew instinctively that if he had a map and had enough time to study it, he''d have been able to point out the exact location of the monster that he was feeling ¡ª but in a lack of that, he could still feel the exact spot where his target resided. If he''d wanted to, he could have strolled right up to the monster''s doorstep.


    Excitement ballooned in Alex''s chest, but it was tempered by realization. He let his mind release the connection to the monster and it evaporated instantly, leaving him with nothing but the gentle brushes of wind-like energy against the outer reaches of his mind.


    He swallowed heavily.


    It wasn''t that his Title didn''t work. It wasn''t that there were no Region Boss level monsters in the Mirrorlands.


    The reason he hadn''t been able to pick anything up initially had been because there were too many of them.


    Every single direction held so many immensely powerful monsters that his Title was completely overwhelmed. It couldn''t so much as feed him one thread of new information before another one in the exact opposite direction canceled it out.


    Holy shit.


    I knew the Mirrorlands were insane, but this is something else. There''s no way there are this many ridiculously powerful monsters on Earth, right? Even the Field Boss Claire and I fought was a pretty tough challenge. If there are this many monsters far stronger than them in the Mirrorlands¡­


    He couldn''t even finish the thought. Alex couldn''t tell if he was excited, terrified, or some mixture of both.


    "How''d it go?"


    Alex turned as Claire rose to stand behind him, brushing her backside off with a dirtied hand. Even though the wounds covering her had sealed shut, she was still covered with grime from the fight.


    "Perfectly," Alex said.


    "Really? You were staring off into the sky like you watched someone punt your gopher into the atmosphere."


    Alex bit back a laugh. "I just realized that the Mirrorlands were a whole lot scarier than I initially thought. Actually ¡ª correction. I knew they were scary, but now I''ve slightly quantified it on accident."


    "You have?" Claire blinked. "How?"


    "Not here. Not now." Alex sent a pointed glance at their other companions. Orchid''s features were peaceful and Derek definitely looked passed out cold, mouth open to catch flies and tongue lolling out like that of a dog.


    Derek definitely looked asleep, but Alex wasn''t going to risk it. There was no way to tell if the others were actually awake and paying attention or not. He wasn''t about to go spilling secrets when they were around.


    Claire nodded. "If it''s important, then probably a good idea. Sounds like getting stronger went well, then."


    "It went very well. I''ve got exactly what I wanted," Alex confirmed with a nod. "And I''m fully rested up as well. I''m good to go. What about you?"


    A smile pulled across Claire''s lips. She extended a hand, keeping it between herself and the others so that only Alex could see it. A crackle of black energy twisted across her fingertips before vanishing into her palm.


    His eyes widened.


    Qi?


    "Initiate 1?"


    "Just barely," Claire confirmed.


    Damn it. I want to know what her Qi is, but even if she can reveal that without failing her class trial, we shouldn''t do it while others have a chance of overhearing. I have no clue how important Qi types may be.


    "I''ll look forward to seeing what you''re capable of, then," Alex said, sitting down in the shade of the boulder to wait.


    Time wasn''t on their side, but it wasn''t exactly working against them either. The Outworlder families didn''t know where the Town Token was. Orchid had the best lead on it, so giving her and Derek a little longer to recover before they set back out was better than rushing ahead and losing a fight so badly that they had to take a second break.


    And so time ticked by. For a few minutes, neither of them said anything.


    "Say," Alex broke the silence but kept his words to a whisper. "I had a question. Do you happen to know anything about how Disruptors work?"


    Claire sent him a glance out of the corners of her eyes before answering in the same hushed tone. "Not more than you. Why?"


    "I''m just thinking a bit. They weaken the area around them to let us use more power," Alex said, tossing the us in there for Orchid in case she was listening in. "But that effect carries over to the real world. It''s just lessened by the distance between planes."


    "Logically," Claire agreed. "There''d be no point doing it if it only effected the Mirrorlands."


    Alex nodded along. "Right. There''s a connection between the planes. That''s obvious in the presence of Valley Ford and all the other cities that exist in both 274-50 and the Mirrorlands. But not everything gets copied over. What do you reckon determines if something gets copied?"


    Claire pursed her lips. "That''s an interesting thought. I''m not sure. I''d guess random, but I don''t think that''s how the world works. Random is too convenient."


    "I don''t think it''s random," Alex said. "There''s definitely a pattern to it. Valley Ford copied over nearly perfectly. I''d guess it was the Disruptor causing it, but there was no Disruptor in Towntown. That said, the city in the Mirrorlands overlaid over Towntown was different."


    "That''s true." Claire was silent for a few moments in thought. "Magical energy definitely passes between the planes. It has to, or the Disruptors wouldn''t work. Their purpose is to weaken the restrictions on Outworlders, not to bridge the connection between the Mirrorlands and 274-50."


    "That''s what I was thinking as well," Alex said slowly. "So¡­ magical energy. Do you think it''s a reasonable guess to assume that the more magically potent an area is, the more it gets mirrored over?"


    "A bit of a leap, but it seems like a decent guess. I wouldn''t go betting on it. Why would there have been a city corresponding to Towntown if that was the case?"


    "Well, it was still a town according to the System. That has to carry some magical significance."


    "That''s a good point, actually," Claire allowed. "Okay. I get the feeling you''re going somewhere with this."


    Alex nodded. "I am. If a city has enough magical presence to get mirrored here¡­ do you think an item that has the potential to create a city could cause the same thing?"


    Claire''s eyes widened. "You want to find the Town Token''s location in the Mirrorlands rather than on 274-50?"


    "I''m going to take you coming to the same idea that I did as a sign that I''m not completely off my rocker," Alex said through a growing grin. "If I could find a way to rip open a portal right to the token, we could steal it right out from under the familes'' noses."


    "You can do that?" S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alex and Claire both spun to find Orchid leaning back on her hands, staring at them with wide eyes. Their conversation must have gotten loud enough for her to hear it. But, as Claire turned back to Alex and her gaze was hidden from the other woman''s, she winked.


    She wanted Orchid to hear us?


    "Yes," Alex said. There was no point denying it now, and Orchid''s tone wasn''t accusatory.


    It was excited.


    "Gods above and below," Orchid breathed, scrambling to her feet. "That''s brilliant. I didn''t even think that was possible. I suppose I shouldn''t underestimate the Starfallen family. You must have paid a deep price to properly prepare an item to access this place. Using the Mirrorlands like this is so ludicrous that nobody would ever consider it."


    Whelp. Looks like my theory was right. All I''ll have to do is find a way to get through to 274-50 when we find the Town Token¡­ but it looks like we''ve got a plan.


    Derek sputtered at all the noise. His eyes cracked open. He rubbed at his nose, yawning. "What''s the racket about?"


    "It''s time to head out." Alex grinned and offered a hand to the large man. "We''ve got a heist scheduled."

 Chapter 108 - 107: The Dungeon

    Orchid took the spot at the front of the group and led them through the Mirrorlands in search of the Town Token. Even though their current position didn''t perfectly match up with where they would have stood in 274-50, Valley Ford and the mountain ranges served as a reference for where they were.


    At least, Orchid seemed to think so. She walked with purpose, parallel to the mountain range looming in the distance, her gaze only drifting when she went to check their position. They left the sandy plains around Valley Ford and continued onto rolling clay hills, keeping low to the ground to avoid accidentally drawing the attention of anything that might have been looking for a snack.


    There were fortunately few monsters that roamed the plains of the Mirrorlands. The farther away from a city they got, the less monsters there seemed to be. A massive creature occasionally flew overhead or a tremor shook the ground as something passed below, but their ragtag team was left unbothered on their walk.


    Alex was surprised to find that the Mirrorlands were strangely serene when they weren''t trying to kill him. The twisting clouds of energy far above made the ground look like a multi-colored seabed reflecting a prism''s range of light. It was like he''d gotten trapped in the middle of a surreal painting.


    Something about this place was just¡­ comfortable. The sky was beautiful. The temperature was just right. A gentle wind cooled his skin and bore the scents of foliage that had never existed and a thousand different homes, ripped apart and reassembled.


    Even the smattering of twisting trees, their bark bulging with faces whose silent features twisted in eternal agony, seemed right at home. This was just how things were.


    I don''t remember liking the Mirrorlands this much the first time I showed up here.


    That was a disturbing thought. It pulled Alex right back into the present mid-step. He could still remember his heart pounding when Teddy had shoved him through the black obelisk. The warped buildings that had once been his college town.


    And yet, as fresh as those memories were, something about them felt distant. Almost as if they''d happened to someone else. A small frown tugged at the corners of Alex''s lips.


    When did I start getting comfortable in the Mirrorlands? I''ve known they were a fantastic place to train and grow stronger for a while, but this is different. For some reason, this place almost feels like¡­


    Home.


    "Ma''am?" Derek asked, his voice cutting through Alex''s thoughts and pulling his attention over to the large weapon-ridden man.


    "Who?" Orchid asked, glancing back at him when nobody responded after a second. She pointed at herself. "Me?"


    "Yes," Derek said. "Princess had a few too many syllables, and I was getting tired saying it every time. I hope you don''t mind."


    Orchid''s cheeks reddened and she quickly turned away. "We are allies for the time being. Orchid is fine."


    Alex and Claire exchanged a glance. The Dhampir raised an eyebrow and Alex barely managed to keep himself from laughing.


    Damn. Derek has game.


    "Orchid, then," Derek said. He didn''t seem to have noticed Orchid''s reaction. "While I was fighting the rude guy, you said something about me. That I was an Incarnation."


    Orchid nodded, though she didn''t stop walking. Her gaze was affixed on a group of hills in the distance.


    "What about it?"


    "I''ve never heard that word before, and the System hasn''t mentioned anything about it either," Derek said. "What is an Incarnation?"


    Alex''s eyes widened. He nearly threw his arms around Derek, even in spite of the fact that touching him would probably have resulted in getting cut to ribbons by all the weapons sticking out of his body.


    Yes! He asked Orchid about Incarnations without me even asking him to! Derek, you''re a genius!


    Orchid glanced over to Alex. He kept his face impassive and gave her a slight shrug, as if to say he didn''t care what she did. If she was looking at him, she was probably checking for approval to reveal information to a Nativeworlder.


    Please. You''ve got my permission to reveal every single Outworlder secret that you''ve got. I can promise that I, your favorite Starfallen family member, will never get mad at you for being so generous. Can''t speak for the rest of the family, though. I fear we''ve gotten just a bit estranged.


    They may have no idea who I am.


    Alex''s lack of an answer seemed to be enough for Orchid.


    "An Incarnation is an aberration," Orchid said. "A person whose soul is incorrectly formed, or one who has developed an abnormality."


    "You think my soul is messed up?" A note of hurt entered Derek''s voice.


    "It''s not an insult, but I wouldn''t expect a Nativeworlder to know that." Orchid spoke in a matter-of-fact tone. There wasn''t any insult harbored in her voice. She just didn''t expect people who were native to 274-50 to understand anything. And, to Alex''s mild annoyance, she was entirely justified in the thought. Orchid continued, entirely unaware that there were 3 people learning from her rather than just one. "Souls are incredibly adaptable. When they get more power, they adapt and grow. That''s how we get stronger."


    "But there''s something wrong with mine?" Derek asked. "I don''t feel like there''s anything wrong with me."


    There are enough things wrong with you to fill a psychology textbook twice over.


    "You''re too hung up on something being wrong. As I said, souls are adaptable. When one is malformed, it evolves to thrive in its new form. That''s an Incarnation. Their souls are different. Some things work better. Others work worse. The extent to which that holds true depends on the Incarnation."


    "I''m not sure I understand," Derek said through a frown. "What does that actually mean?"


    "It means you''re dangerous," Orchid said. "Incarnations are unique. Their souls don''t work in the same way that everyone else''s do. Their physiques or abilities can change and evolve. Think of it like this. Incarnations'' souls can change their class instead of the other way around. Instead of the System stating what powers you can get, your soul twists what the System gives you into what it wants. It means you can gain abilities and powers outside the standard boundaries of the System."


    "Doesn''t everyone get to choose what powers they get, though? Are a bunch of people walking around with the same abilities?" Derek asked.


    Orchid shook her head. "No. Classes tend to get quite unique the more powerful the people get. The more powerful a normal person gets, the more their class becomes theirs rather than something the system assigned to them. But Incarnations are completely unique. A lot of people believe that ancient Incarnations were somehow responsible for the genesis of the System as a whole, but that was so long ago that any information about it is lost to the ages."


    "So¡­ why were you scared of me?" Derek asked. "You''re saying I''m just unique now, but you spoke like I was a monster before."


    "Because when I say Incarnations are unique, I meant it. The more in tune they are with their soul, the more dangerous they become. Your class is berserker adjacent, right?"


    Derek nodded.


    "I''ve seen an Incarnation berserker kill an entire horde of monsters with nothing but his bare hands in seconds, only to turn around and rip his own team to shreds a moment later because his soul drove him mad with hunger. He ripped his own wife apart," Orchid said in a grim tone. "Having a powerful soul is not always a blessing. The aberration that makes you unique can warp your personality and mind, driving you insane ¡ª and when the rest of us are weakened by System restrictions, there was a very real chance you killed everyone here."


    "Oh." Derek was silent for several long seconds. "I don''t feel insane."


    "Not every Incarnation is insane. You seem to be mostly in control of your mental faculties, but I had no way to know that. I just felt your soul ignite with power and realized what you were. You''ll be highly sought after by the families when they realize what you are. Incarnations are always in high demand. It doesn''t matter how insane or dangerous you are when you''re paid well and pointed in the direction of an enemy."


    "I''m not so much a fan of that. I don''t like working for people."


    "That''s what everyone says until someone gives you an offer you can''t refuse. You''ve only seen a tiny glimpse of what the universe really holds," Orchid said. She trailed off and shook her head. "I still remember when the System arrived on my planet¡­ and when I left it. Everything you know just crumbles to dust."


    Derek grunted. Neither he nor Orchid spoke again, and they all continued their walk through the Mirrorlands in silence. Minutes turned to hours, and still they all remained silent.


    Alex mulled over Orchid''s words. The explanation had been enlightening in ways that he hadn''t expected. He still didn''t have a perfect understanding of what an Incarnation was, but his thoughts were largely caught over one line.


    Orchid had said Incarnations had souls that modified the class they got.


    When I first got my class, something called a Singularity Core changed the ability I got. It happened again to give me Encore when I leveled up Requiem to the King. That definitely counts as changing my class.


    Could I be an Incarnation as well?


    But she didn''t say anything about me being an Incarnation, and she could sense Derek. What does that mean?


    Orchid abruptly came to a halt at the top of a hill.


    "Gods above and below," she breathed.


    Alex followed her gaze ¡ª and his eyes went wide.


    The hill below them dropped off at a steep angle, leading down to a large cave. Twisting streams of red and purple energy crawled across the surface of the cave like sluggish electricity, twisting and warping as they circled around a green portal.


    "A dungeon!" Derek exclaimed.


    "Not just a dungeon," Orchid said, disbelief dripping from her words. "There should have been dozens of them around here, all formed around the excess energy seeping out of the Town Token. I''ve been wondering where they were ¡ª but I just figured it out."


    "Figured what out?" Alex asked. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The other dungeons weren''t magically weighted enough to get re-created in the Mirrorlands. Their influence over the planes overlaid in their area wasn''t enough. All but this one¡­ which means we''ve found what we''re looking for. This is the dungeon that the Town Token is in."

 Chapter 109 - 108: An Idea

    The green portal crackled before them, the cave it resided within pulsating with Riftwarped energy that matched the color of the churning sky. Orchid had been true to her word. They''d located the Town Token''s dungeon ¡ª but they''d done it in the Mirrorlands instead of Planet 274-50.


    Alex tried not to look too smug as they all stared at the portal, but it was pretty hard. His theory had been right. The thing that determined if the Mirrorlands copied over something from the other planes was how much magical power it had.


    Bah. I can''t be too happy because I bet Outworlders already know this. We need to be careful around Orchid. If she figures out that we''re not actually part of the Starfallen family, we''re going to have trouble.


    Granted, she doesn''t have her staff anymore so she''s not as dangerous as she could have been, but I''d really prefer to keep her on our side for now. She''s got so much useful information. The more we can learn from her, the better.


    "And we can go back home after we get this token thing?" Derek asked.


    "Yes," Alex said.


    "Can''t we just find a way back now and then do the dungeon from the Earth side?"


    Orchid was shaking her head before Alex could answer. "No. We don''t know how far along the other families are. They could be near or already in the dungeon. If we popped out of a portal right in front of them, they''d have a huge advantage and we''d be likely to get killed on the spot."


    "Ah. Right. Here it is, then."


    "Sorry for forcing you to come along," Alex said. "I know you didn''t sign up for this."


    "Oh, it''s okay," Derek replied with a cheerful shrug. "I really don''t mind. It can be fun to tag along. I did owe you for not killing me, after all."


    "Do you find it at all odd that I''m slightly surprised that you like killing people at all?" Claire asked. "You''re so¡­ polite. When I think of the type of person that enjoys murder, you aren''t what comes to mind."


    "I don''t like murder," Derek said defensively. "I just enjoy life, no matter what it is. I didn''t want to kill anybody before the apocalypse. Well, I did consider attacking people every once and a while, but I''m pretty sure everyone has the same thought at least once. But I''m an Anomaly. That means¡ª"


    "Seriously?" Orchid asked, peeling her gaze away from the portal. "You are?"


    "You knew I was an Incarnation and not an Anomaly?"


    "Anomalies are just people that were doing something they weren''t meant to when the world initializes. The only ones that can sense them are other Anomalies or people with skills specifically to hunt Anomalies," Orchid said with a shake of her head.


    "Don''t tell me that being an Anomaly is bad?"


    "The System doesn''t like them, but it has nothing to do with who you are. Let me guess. You were fiddling with an area of warped energy when the System initialized on 274-50."


    "I tried to stop a bowl of food from falling into one of the giant black pillar things," Derek admitted sheepishly. "I was unsuccessful."


    "That would do it. The System has to Initialize over stages to avoid ripping a new planet apart and killing everyone on it on accident. There are zones of uncontrolled energy during the Initialization ¡ª ones that even the System can''t do anything about. If your soul gets impacted by them while the System is preparing to give you a class¡­ there you go. Anomaly."


    "And the System doesn''t like Anomalies?"


    "Well, maybe like is the wrong word. The System doesn''t have emotions as best as most people can tell," Orchid replied. "But it gives anomalies the task of killing each other to keep their numbers low. It''s another part of the System equalizing challenge and opportunity. Anomalies tend to be more powerful than normal classes due to additional energy infusing their soul, so the System makes it more dangerous to be an Anomaly. Pretty simple."


    "I see," Derek said. He scratched at his chin. "I guess that''s why the System told me to kill other Anomalies. But as I was telling Claire, I kill Anomalies because they''re trying to kill me. It''s not murder if we both agree to fight, is it?"


    "I suppose not," Claire allowed. "What would you have done if someone said they didn''t want to fight?"


    "You know, nobody has ever actually said that yet. I''d probably find someone else. No point fighting someone that doesn''t want to fight, but I''d imagine a different Anomaly will end up killing them at some point."


    "That they will," Orchid said. "Anomalies are sworn to a life of constant fighting¡­ but that''s not really any different from the rest of us. You''ve just got more people aiming for your head. Now, the town token¡ª"


    "Yeah." Alex nodded, looking back to the portal waiting before them. "I think it''s time. Is everyone ready?"


    "I still have no staff," Orchid grumbled. "I''m not going to be very useful and I don''t know how much more powerful a dungeon in the Mirrorlands will be than one on 274-50. Do you have experience with this already?"


    "Yes," Alex lied. "You can just stand back. Your job is just to guide us to the Token. You don''t have to do anything else."


    We''ve got a functionally immortal tank with us already. So long as we''re capable of dealing with the dungeon on our own, I don''t want to split the experience and rewards any further.


    "I''ll happily take you up on that."


    They all made their way down the steep side of the hill and up to the churning green portal awaiting them.


    "Ready?" Alex asked, taking Claire''s hand. She did the same to Orchid, who grabbed Derek.


    "More than. I can''t wait to see what a dungeon in a place like this is like," Derek said with a grin. "Thanks again for the invite. Question. The monsters here aren''t intelligent, are they? Do I have to ask if they want to fight? Because the ones back on Earth never answer me."


    You can''t be serious. Derek has been asking every single monster you fight if he can kill it? S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I''d imagine everything here is going to be more than happy to fight you." Alex replied.


    Derek''s grin grew wider. "Perfect."


    And with that, they stepped into the portal as one.


    The world collapsed and reformed in a split instant. Alex''s stomach lurched up into his throat and colors exploded in every direction, repainting over the Mirrorlands. Cracked white stone raced beneath his feet, rising up to form chest-high walls.


    Distant thunder crackled and his lungs constricted as the smell of old moss, dust, and rot assaulted him.


    The four of them stood on a towering fortress wall. Thick purple mist chock-full with magic all around them. It swallowed up the ground and rose up in walls all around the castle as if the whole thing had been built within a cloud.


    A massive, weathered castle rose up in the center of the cloud and cast its shadow over the wall. It was one of the largest buildings that Alex had ever seen. Towers pierced through the churning clouds overhead and broken stained glass windows glistened with reflected light. More rose partially before ending in rubble, ripped apart by some ancient war. Wisps of twisting magic occasionally coiled past the structure, crackling wherever they touched the old stone.


    Alex could do nothing but stare for a long second.


    In its prime, the castle must have been incredible. Even now, with huge cracks running through its stone and rotted vines twisting through its entirety like a parasite, it ripped the words from Alex''s mind before they could form on his lips.


    Across from them was an open doorway. It looked like a door had once adorned it, but now all that remained were ancient, broken hinges and a dark room beyond, illuminated dimly by a dying green torch. A familiar buzz of energy at Alex''s back drew his gaze. The portal they''d come through floated behind them in wait of their return.


    He blinked as words shimmered through the air before him.


    Shadowloft Keep (Adept)


    "Whoa," Derek said, looking around in awe. "This dungeon is immense. It''s nothing like the ones I''ve seen back on Earth."


    "It''s certainly imposing," Orchid agreed, her hands flexing at her sides. She was definitely feeling the loss of her staff more than she''d let on. "The Town Token should be in the final room. It''ll be guarded by the boss. Let''s go."


    "Why?" Derek asked.


    They all looked to him.


    "What do you mean, why?" Orchid asked.


    "Why would the boss guard it?"


    "Oh. That''s what happens if your planet falls," Orchid said. "You become one with the System. It doesn''t waste resources. Every living being on a fallen planet becomes warped and changed, then used to generate challenge."


    "You mean every monster in a dungeon used to be someone?" Derek asked.


    "Or something," Orchid replied. She paused for a moment. "A few of them still are someone. If you''re strong enough, you can maintain your soul through the change. I''ve seen it happen. Some monsters retain sentience and break free of their dungeons in a new world. It''s rare, but it can happen. But don''t worry about that right now. We might be ahead of the other Outworlders, but that doesn''t mean we can dally. This dungeon will definitely be harder than the one they have to go through, and this is a race."


    Derek looked like he wanted to pry Orchid with more questions ¡ª and if Alex was honest with himself, he did too. There was just so much to learn from her. Unfortunately, that would just have to wait until after they got their hands on the Town Token.


    "She''s right," Alex said. "Let''s go."


    "I''ll take the lead," Derek said. He moved past everyone and started into the dark room. Alex summoned all of his monsters, practically doubling the size of their group, and they all followed after the berserker.


    Generally, Alex would have put Princess in the lead ¡ª but Derek actively grew stronger by getting killed, so it probably wasn''t a bad idea to get him buffed up a few times before they made it to the boss of the dungeon.


    Their footsteps echoed through the dimly lit darkness. The weak torchlight fought desperately, but it was a losing battle. Something about the darkness in the room made even the light from the Mirrorlands behind them unable to push its way in. There were so many shadows around them that it might as well have been night.


    He could barely even see the end of the room beyond a dim light about fifteen feet away that marked another open doorway that led to an area with more light. Alex and his monsters all scanned the area for anything lying in wait as they advanced. It was practically worthless. It was just too ¡ª


    Something scuffed in the dark. There was a rush of wind and a wet thud. Princess lurched to move in front of Claire. She shuddered. For an instant, Alex spotted massive gray claws carving through her body, each of them as long as a leg.


    Princess splattered to the ground and the monster that had attacked her vanished back into the darkness in a blur.


    Orchid let out a slew of curses that the System couldn''t quite translate and dove to the ground. There was a woosh of wind and a flicker of claws as they passed by where she''d been. Then the monster was gone once more.


    "Get to the wall!" Claire hissed. "Don''t leave yourself open!"


    They all rushed to follow her suggestion, pressing their backs to the stone. Princess pulled herself back together and rose before Alex while his other two monsters flanked her, scanning the darkness in search of their neigh-invisible attacker.


    Alex''s blood thumped in his ears and his heart pounded with both adrenaline and fear. The monster they were up against was blindingly fast. He could only catch brief glimpses of it between attacks.


    It also clearly knew how to bide its time. Seconds dragged by in silence. Alex shifted his weight from foot to foot.


    "Does anyone have light magic?" Alex asked.


    "I would if I had my staff," Orchid muttered. "We could run for the door."


    "And leave our backs open?" The derision in Claire''s voice was enough that she didn''t have to say more about what she thought of that plan. "We need to catch it when it attacks."


    "How?" Derek asked. "I haven''t even seen it for more than half a second!"


    And therein laid the question. The tension in the room tightened as they all waited with bated breath, squinting into the all-consuming darkness in wait for the monster.


    But it was patient. Nearly a minute dragged by. No further attacks came. The only thing Alex could hear was the sound of their breathing, and the only thing he could see were the edges of the faint torchlight just a few inches away from his feet.


    There was only so long they could stay on guard before their attention started to fray.


    Do I just send Princess and Spark out to force the monster to show itself?


    "I''ve got an idea," Claire whispered. "But we''ll have to be fast. We need¡ª"


    There was a loud woosh.


    The torch snuffed out, and the entire room plunged into pitch blackness. Only a single mote of light remained from the doorway in the distance.


    Then a shadow passed over that as well. The world became nothing but an endless night ¡ª and only a single thought passed through Alex''s mind as his sight was completely confiscated from him.


    Oh, shit. This might be a bit more exciting than I''d expected.

 Chapter 110 - 109: Crown

    Orchid''s curse echoed through the pitch black darkness of the castle room. Feet scuffed against the ground and Alex''s blood pounded in his ears, threatening to drown out the sounds of the nameless monster waiting for its opportunity to strike.


    "I cannot see anything," Derek declared helpfully. "I am going to start swinging and hope I hit something. I would recommend staying farther than an axe''s range of me."


    "Nobody can see where you are," Orchid snapped. "Don''t start swinging unless you see something! Just distract the damn thing. I can deal with darkness, even without my staff."


    "My eyes are not working at the moment," Derek said. "What if I feel it instead?"


    Alex''s teeth clenched. No matter how hard he strained his ears, he couldn''t hear anything. He sent mental commands to all of his own monsters, pulling them closer and readying them for an attack.


    Even the light from within Spark wasn''t enough to pierce through the dark. He was just a glowing blue mote in the shadows. This darkness wasn''t natural. It was far too oppressive, like they''d been dropped into a sea of ink.


    He had no clue if any of his monsters could see anything, but he couldn''t take the risk of extending them and leaving himself and the others open. They had to wait for an opportunity to strike. It was like the Shade that he''d fought with Claire ¡ª but this time around, they didn''t have any matches.


    "How are you going to feel it when you can''t see where you''re going?" Orchid demanded. "Just stop talking for a moment so I can concentrate! This is very difficult without a staff."


    "Hold on. I''ve got an idea," Derek said. A foot scuffed against the ground and Alex felt Derek move past him. "Aha! I found it! Softer than I thought."


    "That''s me, you idiot," Orchid snapped. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh," Derek said. "Whoops."


    A snick echoed through the darkness. Something wet splattered against Alex''s face. Princess lurched over him, using her body like a shield, but the attack was already done ¡ª and it hadn''t been targeted at him.


    Something heavy thumped to the ground.


    A flash of orange light ripped through the darkness.


    Orchid lifted her hands, an orb of molten lava twisting above her palms. The magical darkness pulled back from it like it had been burned. There was a hiss of pain as she revealed a hunched monster dressed in ragged clothes.


    It was a foot shorter than Alex, with fingers that extended into claws the length of short swords. Several warped, shrunken heads jutted out from its body around its neck area, and its legs were nearly twice as long as its torso. They bent backward at the knees in the wrong direction, leaving the monster in an odd position between crouching and standing.


    Night Ripper (Initiate 8)


    Blood dripped from the Night Ripper''s claws and splattered against the ground. The monster let out another hiss of pain and lurched back, diving into the shadows ¡ª and leaving Derek''s headless corpse on the ground before it.


    Orchid''s eyes widened, and Alex was surprised to find genuine distress in them. He hadn''t expected her to care much at all about Derek. The other Outworlders hadn''t given him the sense that they gave a shit about anyone living on their native world.


    "Go," Alex ordered, pointing in the direction the Night Ripper had retreated. Orchid''s magic hadn''t managed to completely illuminate the whole room, but the number of places left to hide had drastically decreased.


    Spark and Glint led the charge, bounding across the ground. Glint''s wing snapped out, transforming into a shimmering bladed whip that sliced through the air with a shrill hum. There was a wet thud, followed by several hisses of pain.


    The gangly monster launched itself out from the darkness. It lunged at Glint, claws extended ¡ª and Spark slammed into it like a freight train.


    His Echo Wraith''s fists slammed down as one into one of the Night Ripper''s heads, caving it in. He swapped places with a shadow as the monster tried to counterattack, and its strike passed through nothing but rippling darkness.


    Then Princess was upon it. She threw a huge hand forward.


    The Night Ripper''s long legs extended like those of a frog. It leapt into the air, springing for Alex, and Claire jumped to meet it. She flashed through the air, black veins twisting down her right arm. She swung her katana at its neck in a blur.


    A loud clang echoed out as her blade struck the monster''s claws, screeching against them but failing to cut through anything vital. She dropped to the ground behind the monster, which landed directly beside Derek''s corpse and the still shocked Orchid.


    Without a noise, the Night Ripper leapt at Orchid, having recognized her as the source of the offending light.


    There was a wet thunk.


    The monster slammed to a halt in the air, limbs jerking forward and flopping still at its sides. A huge axe head protruded from the center of its chest. It let out a weak hiss and twitched once before falling limp.


    Derek ¡ª still devoid of anything above his severed neck¡ª let the axe lower.


    Energy trickled into Alex. It wasn''t a small amount by any means. The Night Ripper had been fairly highly ranked in comparison to them, but they''d had a large group. More importantly, a Soul Flame flickered to life above its corpse.


    Alex scooped it up and deposited it into a Spatial Mirror.


    Derek''s hand felt across the ground until one of his fingers located an ear. He snagged onto it, bringing the head back over to its proper position. It squelched as he plopped it back on and twisted it once for good measure.


    "Found it," Derek said, rising to his feet and wiping some of the blood from his throat.


    Orchid stared at him in disbelief.


    "I ¡ª what? You''re alive? Your head¡ª"


    "It''s okay. I got it back," Derek said, giving Orchid a thumbs up. "Nothing to worry about."


    Alex felt a moment of pity for her. She''d seen Derek get run through the heart, but there was a pretty significant conceptual difference between that and watching someone''s head get cut off, only for them to brush it off like nothing had happened.


    "That was well executed," Claire said as more light returned to the room. The weak torches sputtered back to life, illuminating cracked old stones around them. It was just a normal room now. The Night Ripper must have had an ability that made it so dark.


    Orchid clenched her fist and the orb of magma sputtered away. She hesitated for a moment before shaking her head and holding a hand out to Derek. That made Alex''s eyebrows twitch upward.


    And now she''s helping him up? An Outworlder? She really doesn''t fit in that well with the crowd we just saw in the Assembly ¡ª though, then again, they were the same ones that tried to kidnap her. Suppose there''s no lost love there. I really need to figure out what the dynamics are between the Outworlders.


    "Do you really have no weaknesses?" Orchid asked.


    "Naps, mostly," Derek replied through a small yawn. He accepted her hand and Orchid stumbled as she was nearly pulled off her own feet. Derek clambered up, still holding Orchid''s hand but getting functionally no use from it, and gave it a firm handshake. "I get tired at the worst times."


    She stared at him as he released her. Alex was pretty sure Orchid had no idea how true Derek''s words were.


    The immortality ends when he falls asleep. Still, he makes an incredible tank. Almost makes me wonder if all that noise he made a moment ago was an intentional bait to get the Night Ripper to attack him.


    "We should keep moving," Claire said. "Time crunch, remember?"


    The others all nodded. They gathered themselves and, after one final look through the now-normal room around them, they continued deeper into the castle.


    No more than a few minutes later of pressing through the darkness did Claire abruptly grab Derek by the shoulder with one hand and hold her other up in a sharp motion.


    "Wait," Claire hissed.


    They all froze, eyes darting around in search of what she had seen. All Alex could spot was the dark corridor that they were currently halfway through. The dark wasn''t so strong that anything could have hid within it ¡ª at least, as far as he could tell.


    "What''s wrong?" he asked in a low whisper.


    "That," Claire replied, nodding to a cobbled tile in front of them.


    They all stared at it.


    "You don''t like the design?" Derek asked.


    "No. It''s a trap."


    "It looks like a tile," Derek said.


    It really does, but I think I''m going to go with Claire on this one. It definitely looks like she knows something.


    "Can we get around it?" Orchid asked, looking just as confused as the rest of them.


    "I''m working on it," Claire replied. Her brow furrowed and she stared up at the ceiling in thought, tapping a finger against her thigh. "It might take me a bit. I can''t figure out how everything is connected, but there''s definitely¡ª"


    Click.


    Everyone spun to stare at Derek, who had leaned against the wall to rest. The stone against his elbow had indented half an inch.


    Before any of them could react, a spear burst out from the wall in front of Derek. He swore and jumped forward, narrowly dodging it ¡ª and landing straight on the tile that Claire had indicated a moment ago.


    It slid down.


    A thin slot split open in the ceiling and an axe swung free, slamming straight into Derek''s shoulder. He let out a curse and stumbled several steps into the hallway. Each step was rewarded with another click, and everyone else could do nothing but watch in awe and horror as Derek tripped-staggered down the rest of the hall.


    Arrows flew. Spears burst forth and gouts of flame shot out from concealed holes. Derek didn''t manage to dodge a single one of the traps. He bumbled his way through every single one of them, practically rolling by the end of it, and thudded to a stop against the far door.


    "Ouch," Derek said.


    "Are you okay?" Orchid called.


    What do you think?


    "I have some extra holes. They''re ¡ª oh, wait. They''re gone." Derek slowly rose to his feet. He nudged the ground where he''d just stood, but the stone was still indented. "Hallway seems safe, though."


    Claire stared at him. Then she ran a hand through her hair and shook her head. "Let''s go. Only step on the lowered tiles in case Derek somehow managed not to trigger something."


    ***


    They continued to press across walkways and through rooms, making their way through the dungeon before reaching the central building of the ancient castle and beginning their descent through it.


    Monsters lurked around every corner. They were everywhere, and they all seemed like they would have enjoyed cheap horror games. There were more Night Rippers, a spiderlike creature called a Dropfang that clung to the tall ceilings with eerily human hands, and even a species called a Floormouth that blended in with the ground perfectly until they were all standing on top of it.


    Fortunately, Derek accidentally stepped on one of its eyes and the monstrosity started thrashing around in agony, giving them a chance to attack it before it could get its surprise attack off.


    Alex couldn''t help but feel like hiding on the floor was a poor evolutionary strategy if ones'' eyes weren''t tough enough to get stepped on, but perhaps that was why they only met one of those.


    The odd group forged into the dungeon, defeating every monster in their path. Orchid stayed largely out of the way as per their agreement, but Derek lent a helping hand whenever anything got too close to him. Their efforts rewarded Alex with a steady stream of magical energy, largely on account of the high Initiate Stages that their opponents were.


    It came at little surprise to anyone that the dungeon got considerably harder the further they went. The monsters lurking in wait rose to get as strong as Initiate 9, and each fight came harder than the last. They had to pause multiple times to gather their energy, let Alex''s monsters revive, and recover from their wounds, but still they pressed on.


    And, after what felt like a day of grueling battle but was really more like twelve hours, the four of them arrived at a high-ceilinged circular room with an enormous pair of wooden double doors at its end.


    The doors were trimmed with old, tarnished silver. Scratch marks marred their surface and the age had worn the wood away. Scrapes along the floor marked the pathways of the doors where they opened.


    "This has to be the throne room," Claire said.


    "The boss will be here," Orchid said without a speck of doubt in her voice. "Ready?"


    "No point hesitating now," Claire said. "Let''s go."


    Princess and Derek both moved forward as one. They grabbed the huge handles on the doors and strained. The others all tensed, readying themselves as the doors ground open, scraping against the stone with a dull roar to reveal a lengthy room beyond them.


    It was indeed a throne room. Weathered tapestries covered the walls and the ceiling was vaulted, an enormous chandelier dangled in its center. A faded red rug ran all the way down the room, leading up to a huge stone chair at its end.


    And within the chair sat a skeleton clad in heavy black plate armor. What had once been glossy obsidian was marred and greened. A broken sword, still nearly as tall as Alex, rested against the throne, a shimmering shard of black crystal embedded at the bottom of its pommel.


    Alex exchanged a glance with the others. They all shared a nod and, as one, they stepped into the throne room.


    Two dim green lights lit within the skeleton''s eye sockets like burning torches. Its body shuddered and its head raised to look straight in their direction.


    "Another comes in search of the heavy crown," the skeleton said, its words echoing through the room in a weary whisper.


    Alex''s eyes went wide.


    What the fuck? It speaks?


    Bone ground against metal as the skeleton rose from the throne. Molten red words ignited over its head.


    The Night King (Adept 1)


    "As all who came before you, it shall be carved into your bones." The Night King wrapped a hand around the huge, broken sword leaning against its throne and lifted it into the air before it. It lowered the blade until its pointed tip was pointed at Alex and the others. "The burden of rule is death."

 Chapter 111 - 110: Charge

    An echoing bang rang out as the massive throne room doors slammed shut. It was rather clich¨¦, but that did nothing to stop Alex from stumbling at the wind from the force of their closure. Goosebumps ran across his skin.


    There was only one way forward now.


    "This is where your help comes to an end," Alex said, pushing his surprise at the sight of a speaking boss monster down. He couldn''t afford to get distracted now. Even if the System hadn''t identified the Night King as an Adept 1, there was an invisible pressure that gathered around the monster like a cloak and set his senses on edge. "Stay back."


    "You won''t have to ask me twice," Orchid said warily.


    "Question," Derek said. "Am I allowed to try to kill you? Because that sounded like a challenge, but I just wanted to make sure it wasn''t a miscommunication. You can never be too careful."


    "Come," the Night King commanded. "Be ferried upon the edge of my blade unto the next life."


    "That''s definitely an invitation," Alex said, sending a slew of mental commands to his monsters. "Go at him without reserve, Derek. Anyone spouting off one liners like that is probably desperate to die. He''s had to have been sitting here bored out of his mind for ages if he''s come up a fancy speech like that."


    "Yes!" Derek crowed.


    "Bleeding hell. What is it with monsters that have no fucking blood?" Claire demanded as she readied her blade. "And Derek, just wait for us to back you¡ª"


    Her sentence was lost as a delighted howl filled the air. Derek bounded forward, each of his steps covering a dozen feet at once. He ripped his axe free of his chest and bounded into the air to bring the weapon down right on the Night King''s head.


    The Night King reared back, its entire body twisting as it shifted its position. Its heavy sword reared back in a slow, almost ponderous movement that somehow still only took a moment.


    Then the skeleton swung its sword. The massive blade screamed through the air, somehow seeming to move both fast and slow at the same time, and slammed into Derek like a bat striking a squeaky ball.


    Derek launched backward like he''d been shot from a cannon. He sailed through the air and slammed into the doors behind them with an echoing bang before pitching forward. The axe tumbled alongside him and clanged to the ground just as his body splattered beside it, pulverized.


    Pops and squelches echoed out as Derek pushed himself up from the ground a second later, letting out a groan and grabbing his axe.


    "I''ve made a discovery. His sword isn''t very sharp, guys," Derek provided helpfully. "It won''t cut us!"


    I don''t think that''s going to matter for anyone other than you, Derek.


    "Plan?" Alex asked, glancing at Claire out of the corner of an eye.


    "It''s a goddamn skeleton," Claire snapped. "I want to bite something! I''ll look for an opening. You¡­ do your thing, I guess. I''ll let you know if I think of something smarter, but I don''t know what that thing is capable of yet."


    The skeleton took a ponderous step forward. A loud screeching scrape rang through the room as it dragged the huge blade along the floor behind it, sending up a shower of sparks. It advanced toward them, burning green eyes affixed and unblinking.


    "Princess," Alex ordered.


    Then he drew on his Qi and cast Rift Flood. They couldn''t afford to play around with a monster like this. Adept 1 was so far above their league that a single mistake could end up spelling the end for them.


    His Dredge shuddered. Her body bubbled and bulged as purple veins lit with energy within it. She enlarged; the spindly legs protruding from her back split apart and multiplied until a sea of grasping centipede legs swayed upon her.


    Princess loped forward, using her huge arms in conjunction with her legs to propel herself forward like a charging gorilla.


    The Night King swung its sword.


    It slammed into Princess, carving clean through her body and shattering the grasping limbs on her back. Even as she was split, her hand continued toward the other monster''s face.


    At the last moment, the skeleton shifted to the side. It ducked out of the way of the strike, letting it pass by it harmlessly. Princess'' two sludgy halves splattered against the ground behind the King.


    It took a step forward past Princess to continue its advance toward Alex and the others.


    Princess'' other hand shot out, grabbing the Night King by the leg. Strands of black sludge connected her two halves back together and she heaved, trying to yank the monster off its feet.


    The skeleton didn''t even budge. It turned back and brought its sword down, slamming it straight through Princess'' back and into the stone beneath her. Alex winced as black sludge splattered across the ground.


    It''s really fucking strong. Anything other than princess would have gotten instantly killed by a single blow, much less two.


    "I got this!" Derek yelled.


    He charged forward.


    A moment later, he was sailing through the air again. The doors banged, and he splatted to the floor a moment later. Alex suppressed a sigh. Derek was great, but strategy was far from one of his strong suits.


    He adjusted his orders to his other monsters as the Night King pulled its blade out of Princess. She remained unmoving and the monster turned away, satisfied she was dead.


    As soon as it put a few feet of distance between them, all of Alex''s summons burst into motion.


    Princess exploded up from the ground and drove into the Night King''s back, wrapping around the monster with her entire body. Glint and Spark raced forward, and Alex activated Rift Flood on the Glasmir.


    The mirrors covering Glint''s body shimmered. Glass protrusions burst out of his wing, elongating it into a flowing cloak. Glossy glass armor tipped with spikes shot out from his knees and shoulders mid-run.


    Glint''s cloak snapped out, transforming into a snaking whip that raced through the air for the Night King''s neck. The attack sliced through the air in a blur, only giving the other monster an instant to react. It ripped a hand free of Princess, unable to free the rest of its body, and lifted it before its face defensively. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Glass scraped against armor with a loud shriek. Glint''s attack cut deep into the Night King''s arm, but it failed to completely penetrate the black metal covering it.


    Spark arrived before the monster, leaving a shadow to escape with before unleashing a hail of blows into the larger monster''s chestplate. Each one sent a crackle of electricity arcing up ¡ª but the Night King barely even seemed to notice.


    It slammed a hand down on Princess'' head and shattered her mask. Her body sloughed away and splattered down all around the skeleton. In the same motion, the monster twisted and brought its sword crashing down for Spark.


    The Echo Wraith swapped spots with its shadow an instant before the huge weapon carved through the air where it had been.


    Instead of waiting to raise its sword again, the Night King stepped forward. Its hand shot out to grab Glint. The Glasmir blurred to the side, narrowly avoiding the other monster''s grip, and slashed at its arm with his claws.


    They screeched against metal, leaving deep furrows within it, and the Night King shifted to the side. Bone creaked and it whipped its sword around, sending the blade blurring through the air.


    Glint leapt back. The massive weapon howled past his chest, narrowly missing, and he landed safely out of range.


    Adrenaline pumped through Alex and a droplet of sweat rolled down his neck. He was sending commands to his monsters nearly as fast as he could think, but this wasn''t enough. Princess had already gone down ¡ª she hadn''t been quick enough to avoid the skeleton''s sword. He needed to get a better opening.


    Drawing on his magic, Alex poured energy into preparing Funhouse. The best way to land a good blow on the huge boss monster would be to get it off balance. It was just large enough to be barely at the limits of his power if he made the spell as powerful as possible.


    There was only one problem.


    That meant getting up close.


    "Cover me as best you can!" Alex yelled, his heart pounding in his ears as he sprinted forward.


    "I got you!" Derek called, sprinting alongside him and overtaking him in just a few steps.


    The Night King swung his sword.


    "Don''t got you!" Derek''s voice howled past Alex as the large man rocketed back for the third time.


    Claire blurred past Alex as the skeleton raised its sword again. Black wings protruded from her back and her veins had turned the same color. She brought her katana down on one of the scratches that Glint had left in the Night King. Her sword bit deep into the monster''s arm ¡ª and lodged in place.


    She gave it a jerk, but the sword was stuck fast.


    The Night King''s other hand shot for Claire in a blur.


    Alex closed the last of the distance between himself and the boss, getting into range. He thrust his hands forward and unleashed Funhouse.


    Reality around the skeleton shattered. Fragments split the air and its entire body shifted as it was suddenly redirected to the left. Instead of grabbing Claire, was spat out to Alex''s right ¡ª which was not where he''d been hoping it would go.


    He lifted his arms before himself an instant before the back of the Night King''s hand slammed into his chest.


    The world snapped. One moment, he was in front of the skeleton. The next, his back slammed into a wall; the breath exploded from his lungs. Pain shot through his arms and he dropped to the ground face-first. A pained wheeze slipped from between his lips.


    Loud ringing shook his skull. The world spun around him. He could feel the cold stone pressed against his cheek and something warm trickling down the side of his face. His arms didn''t respond properly to his commands ¡ª but the pain vanished as quickly as it had come.


    Black sludge crawled across the ground before him as his body pulled itself back together. Magic drained from him at the automatic use of Princess'' powers. He shoved his hands against the ground and rose again, his teeth gritted.


    His team hadn''t wasted the moment he''d bought them.


    Glint''s wing-blade carved through the air with a shrill scream for the second time. It slammed into the King''s hand, right next to where Claire''s sword still remained ¡ª and sliced clean through it.


    The arm crashed to the ground with a resounding bang, denting the floor from the weight of the armor covering it.


    A wave of shadow exploded out from the Night King. Spark threw himself forward at Alex''s mental command, putting himself between the magic and Claire an instant before it collided with her.


    His body shattered, ripped to shreds in a split instant, but he absorbed the brunt of the attack for her. She was still thrown back and sent tumbling across the ground until she slammed to a stop against a wall.


    Glint brought his cloak up a moment before the magic hit him, but he was hurled to the opposite side of the throne room.


    "Shit," Claire groaned, staggering to her feet. "Thanks for the save."


    Alex didn''t get a chance to reply.


    Green energy flashed within the King''s eyes. It lifted its sword with its remaining hand, then stabbed it straight down into the ground before it.


    Verdant energy exploded out from within the weapon, lighting the gem at its hilt up like a star. Dark smoke poured out from within the sword and washed across the surface of the throne room like black mist.


    "End your slumber. I command you." The Night King boomed, its words echoing through the halls. "I command you, rise!"


    Magic thrummed. Smokey black hands shot up from the ground, their forms solidifying, and dug into the ground. Dozens of shadow soldiers rose up within the mist. Their eyes burned with molten green light.


    The Night King grabbed the hilt of its broken blade and ripped it free from the ground ¡ª but it was broken no longer. It was now nearly twice as long as it had been before, the missing piece completed by twisting darkness.


    "Purge them," the King commanded.


    Oh, shit.


    The soldiers charged.

 Chapter 112 - 111: An opening

    The Night King''s warriors may have been made out of shadows, but the weapons that materialized within their hands were solid, glistening obsidian. Distant light caught off their pitch black swords and long, barbed spears. They came from every direction like a tsunami of crashing ink. Their charge was completely devoid of sound. It was a wall of darkness that held death within its rushing waves.


    Derek charged into their ranks with a roar, swinging his axe like a madman. The weapon ripped through the dark soldiers even as their own pierced into his own body. His blood splattered across the ground and he was quickly surrounded by a horde of the monsters, blocked from the others'' view.


    Alex called Glint back to him with a thought, turning left and right as he tried to figure out where the monsters would come from first. It was impossible to tell. They were surrounded. Claire dashed along the ranks of the soldiers, barely keeping ahead of them as she tried to cut them down one at a time.


    It was pointless. For every monster she killed, another one rose in its place. The Night King seemed to have an endless source of monsters to call upon ¡ª and worse, it wasn''t content to just sit back and watch its men fight them.


    The black-armored skeleton lumbered forward, its shattered sword repaired by the shadows that animated the army around them, and headed straight for Alex, its molten green eyes locked on his.


    Eerie silence consumed the room. None of the shadow soldiers cried out as they were cut or died. The only sound was the scuff of human feet against the ground and the thud of weapons as they slammed home, occasionally joined by the ring of metal on metal and the heavy footfalls of the Night King.


    A soldier lunged for Alex. He dodged back, leaving a shadow behind him, but Glint was faster. The Glasmir was like a shimmer of moonlight. His glistening silver cloak followed behind him in a blur as he spun around Alex, carving through the ranks of the soldiers before any of them could get within range.


    Their attempts to stab him met nothing but failure. He was too fast, his rippling sword-whip too sharp. The Night King''s summons were no match for Glint. Unfortunately, the Night King himself was an entirely different matter.


    Glint couldn''t take out the skeleton on his own.


    Alex''s mind spun at a mile a minute as he tried to think of a way they could turn the tides of the battle in their favor. There didn''t seem to be any limit to the Night King''s powers ¡ª and if there was, he suspected they would run out of energy long before it did.


    The monster was at the Adept stage. He had no idea how good the foundations of its Mind Palace were ¡ª if monsters even had Mind Palaces ¡ª so it was hard to guess how large the gap between their strength really was. It would have been stupid to bet on having more magical energy than it did.


    I don''t think it''s got a domain, though. It definitely would have used it before it lost its arm if it did.


    More monsters died all around Alex. Shadows splattered and spun across the throne room, forming into new soldiers even as the other ones were cut down. Everyone was fighting as hard as they could.


    Claire was still at a huge disadvantage since she had no blood to work with. Orchid had no staff and stood with her back to the wall, flinging small balls of magma at any monsters that grew close to her. Derek was buried under a pile of shadows, but the muted roars and the thuds of a swinging axe coming from his direction showed he had still far from fallen.


    All of them were occupied. Nobody was available to turn and try to stop the Night King''s advance ¡ª which meant it was left to Alex.


    Fortunately, Alex was never alone.


    Energy prickled against his skin. It spun in the air all around him like tiny, invisible specks of falling ash. With every soldier that Glint cut down, he could feel more of it gather. He could almost smell old earth and dying flowers in the distance.


    Almost instinctively, he could tell the nature of the growing magic around him.


    It was death. Every single life that had been snuffed out at Glint''s hands left a tiny fragment of what it had been behind, lingering in wait for him to harvest it. The pieces were tiny, but their number was great.


    Alex suspected that the amount of power each of the shadowy monsters was far lower than it would have been from a truly living being. Calling the Night King''s army alive would have been a stretch ¡ª but they were certainly something more than dead, and that was enough.


    He called on the magic and it responded without reservation. Pallid gray tones painted over the world as Alex reached forward, beckoning to the nothingness like he was calling back a lost child.


    Power built within him. It gripped his throat like the skeletal hand of the reaper itself.


    He felt Exhume activate.


    The Night King thundered toward him, shifting from a stride to a jog. Each of its steps shook the ground as it accelerated, lifting its huge sword and preparing to bring it down horizontally across Alex''s chest to cut him in half.


    "Princess," Alex ordered. His words bore a physical weight to them, each one driving into the silence like a hammer strike. "Return to me."


    A puddle of darkness stretched out from his shadow.


    Alex held the Night King''s gaze.


    It swung its sword.


    Wind howled ¡ª and a huge arm made of black sludge shot up from the darkness, driving up into the flat of Night King''s blade and sending it whistling harmlessly over Alex''s head.


    Princess ripped herself free from the darkness and flung her considerable bulk into the skeleton while it was off balance, sending both of them crashing to the ground with a resounding bang.


    At the same time, Alex felt the power that come from Princess'' prior death leave him. Evidently, he couldn''t keep his monsters'' abilities when they''d been properly back to life.


    The Night King slammed its shoulder into Princess, flipping the Drudge and slamming her to the ground with such force that it shook like there had been an earthquake. Sludge splattered everywhere and she yanked her mask into her inky form, protecting it from the impact.


    Glint peeled away from the Night King''s shadows and turned, sprinting toward the skeleton as it rose.


    It swept its huge blade through the air and Glint nimbly danced out of the way. He darted forward again, but instead of trying to pull the strike back and readjust, the skeleton maintained its momentum. It spun in a full circle and brought the sword hurtling back toward Glint at a blinding speed.


    Princess lurched forward in attempt to knock the blow awry.


    She wasn''t fast enough. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Glass shattered. Glint exploded into motes of shimmering mirrors, his body ripped clean in half by the dark shadows at the edge of the boss monster''s sword. Energy raced into Alex and he felt the Glasmir''s abilities make themselves available to him.


    Princess slammed into the Night King''s back and sent them both crashing to the ground for a second time. She rained blows down on the large monster, each one sending a tremor through the room.


    The back of Alex''s neck prickled. He dodged to the side just as a spear punched through the air where his heart had been a moment before. Alex called on Glint''s powers ¡ª and a silver, bladed wing burst out from his right shoulder.


    It slashed through the shadow warrior before he''d even realized what had happened. The monster exploded into motes of black mist, and another one took its place. The soldier lunged and swung a sword at his neck. Alex instinctively brought the wing before himself.


    A loud clang echoed out as obsidian struck the wing''s mirrored surface and rebounded off harmlessly. Alex''s wing twitched and its serrated edge sliced clean through the monster''s neck, killing it on the spot.


    The new appendage responded to his thoughts almost as if he''d always had it. Unfortunately, he didn''t have any time to appreciate the newfound power that Glint had gifted him with.


    A whistle split through the air behind him.


    Alex threw himself to the side and brought his wing around, wrapping himself within it defensively, but the Night King was faster than he thought. Its huge sword slammed into the wing.


    The force of the blow shattered the glass that made up the mirrored wing and sent Alex hurtling back. He bounced on the ground, bowled straight through a shadow soldier, and slammed into the throne room''s wall.


    Alex wheezed as the air was knocked from his lungs in a rush. Stars danced before his eyes. He staggered to his feet, not letting himself stop moving, and stumbled out of the way of a spear strike.


    A rush of energy entered his body, and his teeth gritted.


    He hadn''t even seen what had happened, but Princess had died.


    The Night King strode toward him and readied its sword for another blow.


    Alex could feel more death energy lingering in the air. He could summon Princess, Spark, or Glint back right now if he wanted to¡­ but he needed more than just one monster back if he wanted to take out the powerful monster advancing toward him.


    He bared his teeth in a smile.


    "Claire!" Alex yelled. "I''m making an opening!"


    The Night King closed the gap. It swung its sword ¡ª and Alex swapped places with the shadow that he''d placed earlier.


    He reappeared behind the large skeleton, but it wasn''t tricked. It turned toward him almost immediately and burst back into motion. It charged, leveling its sword to run Alex through, but it would take at least a second to close the distance between them.


    And a second was more than enough for a single word.


    "Encore."

 Chapter 113 - 112: Goodnight King

    For the second time that fight, Princess came back to life. She leapt up from the shadows and did her best impression of Mario smashing a block, driving straight into the Night King''s chin from beneath the skeleton.


    Alex''s other monsters were right on Princess'' tail. Spark crackled with power and flew into the Night King, unleashing a hail of strikes at the monster''s head. It swept a hand for the Echo Wraith, only to connect with nothing but shadow as Spark swapped to safety.


    Glint''s shimmering blade sliced deep into the Night King''s side, leaving a long furrow through the black armor and eliciting a roar of fury from the skeleton. Alex wasn''t actually sure how a skeleton made noises in the first place ¡ª it wasn''t like they still had a functioning voice box ¡ª but something told him the Night King probably wasn''t going to be particularly eager to answer his questions.


    Princess splattered as the Night king brought the hilt of its sword down on top of her, practically flattening the Drudge in a single blow. The skeleton turned toward Glint and lunged, but the Glasmir hopped out of range of the other monster''s large sword.


    Three shadow soldiers rushed toward Glint''s back, but Spark intercepted them. He grabbed one and flung it into the other. Both of them exploded into shards of darkness. The third soldier raced through the shadows and thrust a spear at the Echo Wraith''s burning blue core.


    Spark grabbed the weapon with his gauntlets, ripping it free before bringing a fist down on the soldier''s shadowy helmet and caving his head in. The Echo Wraith charged the Night King again as the skeleton lifted its huge sword to swing it down at Princess.


    Energy crackled as Spark slammed into the skeleton''s arm, knocking its blow awry and sending it crashing into the ground. Princess glommed onto the Night King with everything she had, centipede-arms encircling the other monster in a tight bear hug as her sludgy arms pulled the skeleton against her chest.


    A shadow passed through the sky. Claire dropped down from above, her katana glistening as she brought it down in a long arc for the boss'' head.


    Yes!


    The gemstone on the Night King''s sword ignited with brilliant green light. That same light lit within the skeleton''s eyes, and the blood rushed out of Alex''s face as goosebumps rushed over his skin.


    "Partial Soul Manifestation," the king rumbled. "Eternal Army."


    Fuck.


    Every single soldier in the room exploded into a stream of shadow. They flowed through the air like rushing rivers, all twisting into the Night King''s chest. A wave of pressure slammed into Alex in a physical blow and knocked the air from his lungs.


    Claire was launched back up into the ceiling. Her katana spun from her grip and her wings snapped out to keep her from plummeting back down to the ground at terminal velocity.


    The Night King''s missing arm lifted off the ground from where it had fallen near the start of the fight. Strands of shadow pulled it back onto the monster''s body, but it wasn''t done. Shadows twisted within the large monster, dim green eyes burning beneath its armor as if it were translucent.


    Alex could make out individual gazes lurking through its body, as if dozens of souls had all been trapped inside the Night King''s armor.


    With a roar, the skeleton hurled Princess free.


    She sailed through the air like a dropkicked toddler and splattered against the wall, her mask shattering from the force of the blow.


    I''m starting to think we should have gotten Orchid that staff of hers. Fighting with 3 people has already made what would have been impossible a lot more manageable. We''d be able to sweep through this if we had 4¡­ but as she is now, she''s basically a glorified nightlight with a mild toaster function.


    Glint darted forward and slashed at the Night King with his wing. Instead of trying to dodge, the skeleton''s gauntleted hand shot out. It grabbed onto the razor-sharp mirror and shattered it before whipping the Glasmir into the air and slamming him back down on the ground with a tinkling crunch.


    Two streams of energy rushed into Alex.


    Claire dropped from the ceiling.


    Tendrils of shadow exploded up from the Night King''s back. Green motes shifted within them as they reached up in a blur and slammed into Claire, wrapping around her body and encasing it a cocoon.


    No!


    Alex charged forward alongside Spark. The Echo Wraith arrived at the monster first. Encore''s time was already nearly up, so the best thing he could do was get one more brief instant of distraction in.


    The Night King barely even flinched. Its hand snapped out and a closed fist drove into Spark''s body, shattering every plate of chitinous armor that surrounded his core. Spark vanished in a crackle of light, his power entering Alex. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He imbued his shadow in the spot he stood with Spark''s magic, not even missing a step as he continued his charge.


    The Night King turned to Alex, already swinging its sword in his direction ¡ª not with the sharp edge of the blade, but the flat one.


    Oh, fuck.


    It was a huge chunk of shadow and metal whistling toward him like a wall of death. There was no room to dodge above or below the sword. The only way he could get out of the way would be to swap with his shadow, but that would lose all the momentum in the fight that all his monsters had just died for.


    "Got it!" Derek''s roar echoed through the throne room.


    The massive barbarian charged past Alex. He slammed into the flat of the blade. A resounding crash echoed out. Derek wasn''t nearly strong enough to completely stop the monster''s attack ¡ª but he was strong enough to slow it.


    Alex dashed past the sword and leapt into the air, a wing of glass snapping out from his back. It flashed, carving through the inky tendrils that had bound around Claire. They split apart, burning away and dropping the Dhampir to the ground as she gasped for air.


    The Night King didn''t let him land the blow for free. It thrust a hand forward, impaling Alex clean through the chest with one finger.


    Princess'' magic ignited within him. Sludge dripped from the hole in his chest, trying to seal it over, but there was still a certain mass of armor and bone directly where his heart should have been.


    Magic burned away as it tried and failed to fix him. His reserves dipped from dangerously low to nearly empty.


    "You are not worthy," the Night King rumbled.


    It batted Derek away, then brought its sword up for Alex.


    Alex bared his teeth in a grin.


    "Glint," he ordered, drawing on the death energy that still lingered in wait. "Return to me."


    Shattering glass rained down all around Alex, and the Glasmir dropped from a portal at his side. He landed on the Night King''s arm and leapt off it, flying straight into the monster''s helmeted head.


    Then, like a furious cat, Glint ripped into the monster''s face with everything''s he had.


    Claire picked herself up and darted around the skeleton. Her wings flapped and she bounded into the air, grabbing onto its arm and pulling herself up next to Alex. She planted a foot on his chest and launched him off the monster''s finger.


    He plummeted to the ground and landed with a grunt, the hole in his chest starting to repair itself now that there wasn''t anything in the way. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Claire''s katana. Alex rolled over, grabbing the weapon by the hilt and flinging it as hard as he could.


    "Claire!" Alex yelled.


    She twisted, still precarious perched on the Night King''s arm, and grabbed the sword just before it could fly past her.


    The boss monster ripped Glint away from its face and pelted the Glasmir into the ground. It lifted a foot and brought it down on his body. A crunch echoed out as Glint was ground to nothing but energy.


    And in the moment it took the Night King to kill Glint, Claire leapt forward. She thrust her sword forward. It drove straight into one of the skeleton''s glowing green eyes and continued all the way up to its hilt. Metal shattered as the blade broke against the inside of the skeleton''s skull.


    In a blur of motion, the Night King grabbed Claire and hurled her to the ground. She hit it with a crunch and a cry of pain. Alex staggered forward, the wound on his chest still pulling itself together and lethargy grabbing at his limbs.


    He couldn''t make it. He was too far away.


    The Night King lifted its foot into the air. For a moment, it hovered above Claire''s body. Then a crack echoed out. The shadows covering its body drained away and the light coming from the gemstone in the hilt of its sword dimmed.


    Its foot crashed down ¡ª not on Claire, but beside her. The skeleton staggered, grabbing the sword in its skull and ripping it free. Its blade was broken off at the hilt, only about a foot of it remaining attached. The Night King''s gaze lowered to Alex and Claire.


    "Perhaps¡­ you are worthy," the skeleton said. The sword slipped from its grip and slammed into the floor, digging into the stone and remaining upright. Then the light behind the monster''s eyes sputtered out.


    A wave of energy drove into Alex and stifled the breath in his lungs from its intensity.


    The huge monster pitched back, almost as if in slow motion, and hit the ground with a resounding crash. A wave of energy drove into Alex like a gut punch. It froze the breath in his throat and his entire body stiffened. The gemstone in the hilt of the king''s sword broke away from the weapon and clinked to the ground. It shimmered as dull golden energy lit it from within.


    Gentle words sliced through the air above the gem.


    Soul Gem [Ruler Aspect]


    And then the room was silent.


    The Night King was dead.


    All that remained was for them to collect the rewards and find out how they could rip a way back to 274-50 so Alex could claim the Town Token before the Outworlders.

 Chapter 114 - 113: Token

    Alex wiped his face with the back of a hand as he fought to catch his breath. The hole in his chest slowly pulled itself back together, strands of black goop stretching out and linking with each other before pulling themselves shut; a nest of writhing worms.


    He stood with a grimace and more than a little difficulty. His entire body felt like it had been wrung like a wet towel and his magical reserves weren''t doing much better. He was completely out of energy.


    Several loud pops rang out through the spacious throne room. Claire let out a groan from where she laid on the ground. "Bleed me. My fucking everything. It all hurts."


    "Pain is good. Just take a nap. It''ll heal you right up," Derek said. He shook himself off like a wet dog and sent blood splattering everywhere. Orchid, who had been unfortunate enough to have been walking up near him at the time, was graciously decorated.


    She sent him a death glare, then broke her gaze away to look back at the fallen Night King and the green gemstone lying at its feet.


    "That''s quite something," Orchid said, wiping some of the blood that Derek had just deposited onto her face away with the back of a sleeve. "An Aspect Gem in a place like this¡­ and one with a name that I''ve never seen. Now you''re making me wish I didn''t agree to stay out of the fight¡­ not that I could have done much without my staff."


    Alex studied the small green gemstone. The Ruler Aspect ¡ª that seemed quite apt for a skeleton king. It was the same kind of stone as the red Nightmare Aspect gem that was currently sitting inside his Mind Palace.


    I like the sound of a Ruler Aspect. The Night King was kind of a summoner. That probably means this gem should be pretty useful for me, right? I need to try and get Derek to ask Orchid about what Aspect Gems actually are.


    "It''s not bad," Alex said with a small shrug.


    Orchid squinted at him. "Not bad? Maybe for someone from the Starfallen family, but this would go for thousands of credits if you could even find someone willing to sell it. Is it uninteresting enough that you''re willing to part with it?"


    "No way." Claire shoved herself into a seated position so she could get a better look at the gem. She immediately winced and let out a curse. "Ugh. Shit. Shouldn''t have done that."


    "Take it easy for a little," Alex advised. "Let your body heal up. We''re not going anywhere too soon anyway. I''m going to have to find the Town Token before we can head out ¡ª and then I''ll have to find a way to actually reach it from the Mirrorlands. Something tells me that might take a while."


    "So this thing isn''t the Token?" Derek looked down at the Ruler Aspect gem.


    "It''s not particularly token-shaped," Alex observed. He reached down for the gemstone. As soon as his fingers brushed across its faceted green surface, a sharp cold pierced into them. There was an electric buzz ¡ª and the gem vanished.


    "I''ll take that as a no on your plans to sell it," Orchid said dryly. "Can''t say I''m surprised. Only an idiot would sell a gem like that."


    Whoops. Oh well. I was planning on taking it anyway. It just seems like it would fit me too well for me to pass up on it.


    "No point putting it to waste," Alex said with a one-shouldered shrug. "I''d normally offer a fairer way to get it for everyone but ¡ª well, you did agree that we would get all the loot in exchange for finding the Token, and that was before we rescued you."


    Orchid coughed into a fist. "You don''t have to remind me. I know what happened. I''m not saying anything. I barely contributed anything to this dungeon other than its general location."


    "That''s not true," Derek said. He put a hand on her shoulder and smeared some of the blood on his palms across her sleeve. "You were a great light. And I don''t mind about the gem. I''m just tagging along for fun. No need for payment."


    Orchid let out a heavy sigh. "Gods above and below, I really need a new staff. That''ll be my first order of business the moment we get out of here. Alex, are you certain that the trees would object to me taking a branch from them? A staff made out of Mirrorlands wood¡­ that would become very powerful. It could be even better than my last staff after some time."


    "It''s something we can look into after getting the Town Token," Alex said noncommittally.


    Orchid blinked. "Wait. Really?"


    "The trees aren''t really that huge of a threat as long as we''re rested up and not preparing for another major fight. We''d probably have to be pretty fast. The last time I fought them, they tried to hold me down while they summoned a slow-moving guardian. The fight wasn''t too bad. It''s definitely doable."


    "I ¡ª yeah. That''s good to know. I just didn''t think you would offer to help me after our deal was complete."


    Ah, shit. That''s not something that a person from the Starfallen family normally would have offered, is it? I forgot I was meant to be a raging prick with turbo-rich parents.


    Claire saved Alex from accidentally digging the hole deeper for himself by answering before he could.


    "We aren''t out of the Mirrorlands yet, and the other families might be waiting for us when we do take a portal out. This isn''t charity. We''re going to need you to be useful if we get ambushed."


    Orchid nodded, and to Alex''s surprise, she actually seemed relieved about that revelation. It was almost as if she felt safer knowing that their plans weren''t out of the kindness of their hearts.


    "That makes sense," Orchid said. "In that case, I certainly won''t complain. It seems the situation has rolled the dice in my favor this time around. About damn time. Thank you."


    "Don''t thank us until we actually get it," Alex said, resisting the urge to send Claire an appreciative nod. His gaze caught on the fallen Night King. A large Soul Flame burned above the corpse, black and white in color as if it were trapped within an old colorless television.


    Alex scooped it into a Spatial Mirror. The Night King''s soul was definitely going to be useful. Its use of shadows felt like it had a good chance of aligning with Spark ¡ª but he could deal with that after he had the Town Token in his hands.


    He glanced around the throne room and grimaced. There was no sign of the token in question, but that didn''t mean it wasn''t there. "For now, just look to see if you can find the Town Token anywhere. If it''s powerful enough, there might be a chance it got reflected over into the Mirorrlands and we won''t even need to bother with tearing open a portal back to 274-50 here."


    Everyone split up at his words. Well ¡ª almost everyone. Claire remained on the ground as her body knitted itself back together after the nasty blow she''d taken from the Night King. There were still cracks in the ground where she''d landed. Alex was pretty sure it was going to take at least an hour or two before she was able to move again properly, much less fully heal. Even though upgrading their Mind Palaces considerably increased the speed of their healing, Claire had a whole lot of it to do.


    Everyone else spread through the spacious room and made their way around it in search of the Town Token. They scoured the throne, searching for levers and hidden buttons. They checked the walls and cracks between the stones. They scanned over the doors in search for hidden patterns or passageways.


    And, even after Claire had healed up enough to join in and Alex''s monsters had regenerated, they had still found nothing. There was no Town Token in the Mirrorlands.


    "Well," Orchid said as they all regrouped in the center of the room around the throne, "Shit."


    "It''s fine," Alex said. "I figured this was the most likely possibility. It was worth trying just in case we got lucky, but I never planned on the Town Token just sitting around waiting for us in the Mirrorlands. It''s meant to be on 274-50 after all."


    "So you''ll just open a portal back to Earth from here?" Derek asked. "You know, I should have asked this earlier, but I was a bit distracted. If you can just open portals anywhere, why didn''t you do it when we were getting chased? That would have been a lot faster."


    "I can''t open portals anywhere. I can normally only open them in a location where a portal already exists."


    "So there''s a portal here?" Orchid asked.


    Alex cleared his throat. "No."


    Derek and Orchid stared at him.


    "Then¡­" Orchid trailed off, not wanting to accidentally insult a member of the Starfallen family whilst clearly wondering if she''d tossed her lot in with an imbecile.


    "Locations with high magical energy are unstable," Alex said. "Like with Disruptors. The planes are closer together in those spots ¡ª and I believe that should hold true for this dungeon. Its reflected over from 274-50, which means this area is connected to the proper plane. And if that connection is unstable and the proximity of the planes is low¡­ I believe I may be able to forcibly rip open a portal."


    "Oh. Why didn''t you say that from the start," Derek asked. "We should have opened with the easy way."


    "It isn''t the easy way. The other families might be waiting for us, and we needed to be ready for a fight before I tried punching through the barrier between planes," Alex said.


    And I''m also not completely convinced that Rift Walk is going to let me open a portal. I''m putting a lot of faith on my Qi. If it empowers the ability like it does for all the other ones¡­ I feel like it should.


    Only one way to find out.


    "Do it," Claire said, cracking her neck and giving him a nod. "We''re ready. Just¡­ maybe be ready to drop the portal if someone tries to squeeze through on their own."


    Alex thought back to the first time he''d tried to pass through a portal between Mirrorlands back to Earth. He''d nearly burnt his own hands off pushing his way into the portal. Sure, this wasn''t the same kind of portal, but he wasn''t particularly worried about someone forcing their way into the Mirrorlands without Rift Walk.


    "I don''t think we''ll have any trouble there unless someone is trying to cook themselves," Alex said. "But no point getting excited before I actually get a chance to test the theory. It''s only that. Better be ready for a fight just in case. You never know¡­ and opening a portal does occasionally draw some nasty attention." S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The others nodded their understanding and lowered into fighting stances as they readied their magic. Once they were prepared, Alex drew on his magic.


    His first order of business was activating Riftsense. He was unsurprised to find that there was no existing portal already waiting for him. That would have been too simple. Alex was unbothered. He reached past the churning reserve of power within himself and down into his chest, where the warmth of his Qi swirled in wait.


    Then Alex drew on the power. It poured through his limbs, traveling out into his palms and making his fingers tingle. Energy buzzed within him like a furious nest of bees ¡ª and Alex activated Rift Walk and let it free.


    Crackling purple and red energy ignited and danced across his fingertips. The air before his hands thickened like jell-o. He tried to catch onto it, but his fingers passed through the air without finding purchase.


    He was so close. Alex could almost feel the sensation of a portal but wasn''t quite there. He stepped to the side and tried again. The sensation was weaker this time, as if he''d gotten even farther from a hidden portal.


    Maybe there''s a spot where the separation between planes is even weaker?


    Alex''s gaze landed on the throne in the center of the room. He approached it, all too aware of the energy and Qi draining out of his body with every second he wasted, and reached out.


    Power crackled against the palms. The buzzing grew louder. His hands trembled against something directly in the air above the seat. He tightened his grip. Dim purple lines flickered out from around his hands as the air bent and warped.


    Then, with a snarl, Alex pulled. The air creaked and bent. Qi-filled rift energy poured out into the air and licked across the throne like tongues of purple-red flame.


    A loud tearing noise split through the air as a twisting portal yawned open. It burned with brilliant red energy like a weeping wound before dimming down to a dull white with crackles of rift lightning passing within it.


    And, through the portal, was a staticky outline of a throne identical to the one in the Mirrorlands. But, while Alex''s throne was empty, the one before him had a single object upon it. A hazy outline of a circular disk.


    And even through the portal, the System''s words shimmered, muted and hazy but still visible.


    Town Token (Legendary)


    "That''s it!" Orchid breathed. "The token!"


    A strained grin crossed Alex''s face. It took every scrap of power and determination he had to keep the portal from slamming shut. He never would have trusted it to ferry him all the way back to 274-50 ¡ª but he didn''t need it to do that.


    All it had to do was let his hand through for a brief moment.


    Moving as fast as he dared, Alex shoved his hand through the portal. Pain exploded through his arm as Rift energy tore into him. It felt like he was trying to shove his way through nearly dry cement.


    The portal shuddered. Its edges wavered and warped as it lost cohesion.


    "Alex," Claire warned. "The portal!"


    A snarl pushed free from his lips as he strained ¡ª and he felt his fingers close down around cold metal.


    He yanked his hand back.


    There was a loud snap. The portal slammed shut, just barely missing his hand as he stumbled back. His arm was badly burnt and scorched. Pain pulsed down his entire arm from the nerves that hadn''t been ravaged. And, clutched in his aching fingers, was a blackened token the size of his palm.


    Alex''s eyes went wide.


    The description of the token had changed.


    Riftwarped Town Token (Mythic)


    Oh, shit.

 Chapter 115 - 114: Lets see

    The entire throne room was silent for several moments as everyone stared at the updated description of the Town Token. Alex wasn''t completely sure as to how rarities according to the System worked, but he was pretty sure that Mythic ranked above Legendary.


    "Fuck," Orchid breathed. She raised a hand involuntarily toward the token before she caught herself and swallowed heavily. "What is that?"


    "You don''t know?" Derek asked. "Isn''t that what we wanted? It''s the Town Token."


    "I''ve never seen a Town Token like that," Orchid said. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alex hadn''t either ¡ª but that was largely because he''d never seen one before now in the first place. The token had a lot more weight to it than he''d expected, as if it were made out of tungsten. Its edges were slightly ridged and even though its surface had been blackened and scorched by Rift energy, he could make out a scarred engraving of a city upon its surface. The other side had the symbol of a crown upon it.


    "It looks like the rest of the families didn''t quite make it in time," Claire said, the corner of her lips quirking up in amusement. "We win."


    "They''re going to be pissed about that, I think," Derek said.


    "Not if we sell it to them," Orchid said. "Alliances between the families ¡ª especially ones that weren''t ever officially established ¡ª last about as long as a summer breeze. They''ll stab each other in the back here and now if it meant getting that token before anyone else can. Just watch. We''ve just become everyone''s best friend."


    Only if we sell this thing¡­ and sorry, Orchid, but I''m not selling it. If a normal Town Token was already really important, then I can''t even imagine how powerful this one will be. There''s no way I''m giving up an advantage like this to the Outworlders in exchange for some credits.


    "That can''t be right," Derek said with a frown. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and shook his head. "You can''t just become someone''s best friend. You have to earn that. It''s a very important position. The people that tried to kill us were quite rude. I don''t think they''d fit the role of a best friend in the slightest."


    Orchid studied Derek for a long second as if he were an interesting lab specimen. "I was using a turn of phrase. They won''t actually be our friends, but they won''t care that we killed some idiot mercenaries. All that matters is power."


    "Well now I want to help them even less. There''s nothing worse than a fake friend."


    "Morals are expensive," Orchid warned Derek. "I''ve got a lot of respect for anyone that can afford theirs for long. I''m not one of those people. The amount of money we''d get for selling something like this¡­ I don''t think you realize how much it would be."


    "I don''t care about money. I''m happy enough as things are right now. Money isn''t going to change that. What do you even need the money for? You''re also an Outworlder, aren''t you? You should be strong already. What else do you need?"


    Orchid''s hands tightened at her sides. "My family is in debt. I have to get resources on this world. A lot of them. Some for myself. Some for contractual obligations that I have to fulfill. If I can''t do that¡­ everyone from my family will be killed. I''m our last hope. My Matriarch pulled in every last favor we had to get me onto 274-50."


    "And you think that giving away an advantage like this is going to be the best move for you?" Alex arched an eyebrow as he took the reins of the conversation from Derek. The berserker had done a fantastic job unintentionally preparing the situation. "Haven''t you ever heard that the best way to make money is to be your own boss? Working for someone else is never going to free your family of debt. It''ll only postpone the deadline."


    For the briefest instant, a flicker of anger passed through Orchid''s features. Then she suppressed it and the emotion was gone. "That only applies if you survive long enough to take advantage of that opportunity ¡ª and I doubt you plan to throw the value of that token away by giving it to me for any amount of money that my family could muster up."


    "We wouldn''t," Claire said with a nod. "But I think you can tell where we''re going with this, Orchid. This is far too powerful to waste on the incompetent idiots in the other families. And, frankly, I''m not feeling charitable. We''re using this ourselves."


    You bet your ass we are. Could this Town Token let me establish a town in the Mirrorlands? I have no idea, but I''ll be damned if I give that up to some stuffy planet-stealing prick.


    Orchid''s shoulders slumped, but she didn''t look surprised in the slightest. "Yeah. I thought you might have said that. Damn it. I could see your family passing up on a normal Town Token ¡ª I''m sure you''ve got a ton of them ¡ª but I wasn''t expecting it to get warped like that. Luck is a curse. Did you know that would happen?"


    "Hadn''t the slightest idea," Alex said honestly.


    He decided not to mention the fact that they''d have done the exact same thing even if the Town Token had turned out exactly as it should have.


    "That doesn''t mean you have to come out of this with nothing," Claire said. "I''d argue we''ve probably paid you for your work by saving your life ¡ª but we can use someone like you. We can''t handle everything on our own and there''s little point in using a Town Token if there isn''t anyone to defend the town."


    Orchid''s gaze snapped over to Claire so quickly that Alex feared the sharpness of the motion would send her eyes flying out of her head. "What?"


    "You said you didn''t know how you''d ever get a chance to capitalize on an opportunity like this. The answer is to piggyback off an investor," Claire said with a practiced smile.


    "You want me to join up with you?"


    "You don''t have to answer now. Feel free to spend some time thinking about it until we find our way out of the Mirrorlands," Claire said with a one-shouldered shrug. "You shouldn''t have much issue with the other families now that the token is gone. They aren''t stupid and petty enough to go after you now that the opportunity has passed. After all, the System always provides new challenges and ways to grow stronger. Keeping a grudge will only hold you back and waste time¡­ unless you''ve still got something they want."


    "I don''t even have a staff anymore. Keeping on as I have been isn''t going to change anything," Orchid muttered. Her features set and her jaw tightened. For a moment, she debated internally with herself and said nothing. Then she gave them a firm nod. "I accept your offer. I know I''m not capable of much right now, but once I get my staff back, I will be. Thank you for your kindness."


    Alex would have given Claire a fist bump were they alone. She''d somehow managed to frame getting Orchid to back them up and feed them all the information they could possibly want on Outworlders as a favor.


    "Then we can work out the semantics once we get out of here," Claire said. "Until then, we should start moving. No reason to sit around when the other Outworlders are probably still searching for us."


    "Wise," Orchid said with a nod. "They''ll never let it slip between their fingers so easily. If we aren''t going to sell it at an Assembly or to the Great Tide, then we need to put as much distance between ourselves and Valley Ford as possible before establishing the town. Until then, the Token is just a death note in our pockets."


    "So we''re heading back to Earth, then?" Derek asked.


    "Soon," Alex promised. He looked down at his burnt hand and winced, shaking it off and wishing his body would heal itself a little faster. "We''ll travel through the Mirrorlands. Even with all the monsters, it''s safer than waiting for some idiot to try to stick a knife in our backs. We''ll slide out of the Mirrorlands once we''re starting to get hungry or thirsty. But, if you''re all fine with it, I want to take one more pause before we continue."


    "Why?" Orchid asked. "Shouldn''t we move as fast as possible?"


    "Haste is good, but don''t forget where we are. The Mirrorlands isn''t exactly safe."


    Orchid''s eyes lit up in understanding. "Ah. Was that your third Aspect Gem? I''m surprised you didn''t already have them set. I would have thought the Starfallen Family ¡ª no. It doesn''t matter."


    Soemthing important happens when you get all 3 of the gems set? That''s good to know. Derek, come on. This is your time. Ask her about it.


    Unfortunately, Alex''s telepathic attempts met with failure. Derek seemed lost in thought and didn''t say anything, leaving Alex stuck with the tail end of the conversation.


    "I''m just doing a little work on my Mind Palace," Alex said not providing any useful information to avoid accidentally incriminating himself. Someone from the Starfallen Family would know a whole lot more about literally everything that he did. The vaguer and more mysterious he was, the better.


    I really need to figure out what the Aspect Gems do. I''m not setting them until I know. Asking Orchid is too much of an obvious giveaway¡­ damn it. I need to get back to Finley. Yet another reason to use this token myself. It''ll give me a portal that I can use to get back to Towntown. We finally have Credits, but there''s no way I''m going back to Valley Ford to spend them.


    But while Alex had no plans of using the Aspect Gems until he knew what they''d do and he could ensure he used them properly, he had one significant thing he could do that bore quite a bit of potential.


    Spark had been lagging behind Princess and Glint in power for a bit. His ability to swap locations with his shadow was a fantastic trick and escape tool, but that was about where his normal kit ended in usefulness.


    But the Night King¡­ the monster had been an absolute menace, and Alex had never gotten his hands on an Adept ranked Soul Flame before. The Night King leaned heavily into shadow attributes, similar to an Echo Wraith, but was a skeleton while the wraith was closer to a ghost carrying around a bunch of armored plates.


    I have no idea just how well the two of them will combine¡­ but even if it doesn''t line up perfectly for every trait, I can''t just pass up on the chance that their shadow-related powers combine to make something even more powerful.


    Let''s see what you can do, Spark.

 Chapter 116 - 115: Door

    Deep in meditation, Alex pondered two Soul Flames. Floating above one of his hands was the mote of energy that represented Spark. Above the other was the black and white fire of the Night King. Pressure emanated off the two souls, pushing his palms apart and fighting desperately not to be combined.


    Alex still wasn''t sure how compatible the two of them were. Their shadow powers definitely aligned, but Spark was much more of a movement focused monster than the Night King was.


    Based on the way Harmonious Evoluion works, if I combine Spark and the Night King, the Echo Wraith''s mobility and the king''s tankiness will probably both get heavily damaged as they get averaged down to a lower level.


    In exchange, their shadow powers should complement each other pretty much perfectly. So that means mixing these two will probably get me a more magically focused version of Spark that''s less mobile than he is and easier to kill than the King was. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alex pondered the combination for several minutes. He was pretty sure that tradeoff was worth it. Spark wasn''t as mobile as Glint in the first place, and the Night King''s defenses hadn''t been its most important stat.


    When Princess reached Adept, Alex was confident she''d be even harder to kill than the Night King had been.


    And if that was the case¡­ combining the king and Spark was a worthwhile risk. He wouldn''t be giving up any stats that were so important that the monster would become completely useless.


    The combination has a chance of failing since they''ve got a lot of differences ¡ª but that''s a risk I''m willing to take. I believe in you, Spark. For entirely self-motivated and optimistic reasons.


    His decision was made.


    Though¡­ I wonder. Can I use Harmonious Evolution with Qi?


    He tried to reach for the ball of warm energy, but almost instantly, he could feel something was wrong. It was hard to put it to words, but he just instinctively felt that the ability did not mesh.


    Qi burned powerfully and quickly. If he injected it into the combination, all it would do was negatively impact the final result and destabilize the monsters he was putting together. It was definitely worth testing to make sure his fears were correct, but not on a combination as important as this one.


    Alex set his jaw and pressed his hands together. Pressure drove back against him as the Soul Flames redoubled their efforts to remain separate. He pushed harder.


    Slowly, his hands started to grow closer. The pressure continued to ramp as the flames bucked and crackled. They tried to slip past his fingers and dart back to their original positions. He didn''t let them.


    Crackles of Rift energy arced through the air as the two flames grew closer together. The smell of ozone prickled in Alex''s nostrils and arcs of lightning snapped and popped between the flames.


    They both started to glow with a brilliant white magic. The world started to fade and Alex squeezed his eyes shut to keep himself from getting blinded. He could still see the bright light even through his closed eyelids.


    His skin warmed as the air around him rose in temperature. Flashes of purple broke through the white piercing into his eyelids and a dull, buzzing roar filled his ears. Alex clenched his teeth and pushed himself even harder.


    With a roar, he brought his hands together.


    The Soul Flames collided with a brilliant crack and a roar of pressure. All the light vanished, sucked away from his soul, and he opened his eyes once more to find a churning orb of purplish-black energy whirling in the air before him.


    It was around ten feet in diameter. Energy poured out from it in waves of pressure, sending ripples across the surface of the dark lake at the base of his soul. Flashes of energy from within illuminated the shadow of a figure trapped within the energy.


    Alex could only catch glimpses of it. A gauntlet clad in purple crackling lightning. A spiked shoulder pad, a black helm with a T-shaped opening for the eyes and mouth. Loud grinding noises and metallic crunches echoed out from within the orb of magic.


    He could do nothing but watch on with trepidation, hands raised to protect his face from the rolling waves of power, as he waited to see the results of his combination. Alex grit his teeth, unable to still the pounding of his heart in his chest.


    This can''t be healthy for me. It''s like playing a slot machine every time I combine my monsters¡­ but damn if it isn''t fun.


    Finally, as if it could feel his thoughts, the waves of pressure started to lessen. The energy driving into Alex weakened and then vanished all together as the orb started to fade.


    Then, with a final pop, it vanished entirely.


    There was a splash as two sabatons landed on the watery surface of Alex''s soul, followed by another two as a pair of gauntlets drove down after them. The final motes of rift energy flowed away to reveal the rest of Spark''s new form.


    A hollow suit of black knight''s armor knelt before Alex. Pulsating strands of purple energy ran throughout it like veins, visible through gaps in the metal plates and pulsing where the monster''s eyes should have been.


    The armor was sleek and smooth, and though the figure it made was humanoid, Spark crouched down on all four limbs like a dog. Pools of shadow rippled where its limbs touched the ground, partially obscuring its form. It twitched, almost as if impatient, but waited for a command.


    Shimmering letters carved through the air above the monster''s hunched back.


    The Knight Wraith (Initiate 3)


    Alex''s spine prickled.


    Whoa. There''s something really creepy about a hollow suit of armor crouching like that.


    It took him a moment to realize what it was. The movements the suit made were wrong. Even though it was humanoid, no part of it moved in conjunction with the others. It was like a jittery mess of energy and metal.


    "The night ¡ª wait. Night. Knight? Is that a pun?" Alex squinted at the monster''s name. "Did you name yourself?"


    Spark didn''t respond.


    "Are you intelligent? Attempt to show me if you have any internal thought of your own." Alex had no plans of changing his habit of checking his monsters'' intelligence. But this test, just like all the previous ones, proved fruitless. The Knight Wraith did not respond to him. It just remained in place, twitching, awaiting a command.


    "Stand up," Alex said.


    Spark rose. Tendrils of shadow clung to his hands, stretching taut. At his full height, the knight stood at nearly 7 feet tall. It almost seemed as if the shadows connected to the monster were trying to pull him back down to the ground.


    "Go to a natural position," Alex ordered.


    The Knight Wraith sank back down and rested the knuckles of his gauntlets on the ground, letting shadow swallow them once more.


    Well, he''s certainly intimidating. I have no idea if the combination worked, though.


    "Show me what you can do," Alex said. "How have your abilities changed, Spark?"


    That was a slightly complex command, but before Alex could rectify it to something more specific, Spark moved. The shadows beneath him rose up and he shifted to the side, leaving a shadow where he''d been a moment before.


    Arcs of dim purple energy danced through its form, occasionally illuminating its eyes with a flash of magenta before they faded to black once more. A small frown of concentration pulled across Alex''s lips.


    Something was different about the shadow.


    Then the shadow twitched.


    Alex''s eyes went wide as it rose to its feet to stand before him, moving as easily as a normal figure would. Spark rose beside it, the strands of darkness that had pulled at his limbs now gone.


    "You can control your shadow?" Alex asked in awe. "Can it attack?"


    The shadow extended a hand toward Alex. He reached out. His fingers met cold metal, and a thrill of delight ran across Alex''s back.


    Spark could form a clone that could fight alongside him. That was an enormous improvement over the Echo Wraith''s previous ability, which had only left a stationary shadow behind. The only remaining question was if he could still ¡ª


    Color snaped into life where the shadow had been as Spark swapped places with it.


    Alex let out a delighted laugh. "Yes! Brilliant!"


    Even if nothing else had changed, he''d literally just doubled Spark''s combat power in his base form, but that wasn''t even addressing the enormous benefit that came from being able to move the shadow around freely instead of leaving it in one spot.


    And that means I should be able to get the same ability when he dies. This is perfect. It looks like Spark lost the ability to fly from the combination and he''s clearly not as fast as he used to be, but this is absolutely worth it.


    "You," Alex informed the hunched monstrosity of a knight, "are beautiful."


    His complements fell on deaf ears. Spark''s purple eyes flickered as he waited for a command.


    Alex grinned and waved his hand. Spark vanished into his Spatial Mirror, leaving him alone in his soul once more. His new combination had been a resounding success ¡ª and it had also clarified a few things on Monster Mash for him in the process.


    When he combined a very tanky monster with a normal one, their stats would average out. The same went for any stat ¡ª so it would have been a very bad idea to put a monster whose main trait was speed together with anything other than another very fast monster. If he did, it would lose what made it strong.


    But when he combined two monsters that were both very good at their main ability, such as shadow manipulation, the shadow manipulation would grow stronger while the other stats would average out ¡ª or in some cases, grow worse.


    Alex smiled to himself. He was starting to really understand how his class worked ¡ª and his monsters were steadily growing into a terrifying threat. Even though he''d been backed up by Claire and Derek, the three of them had managed to take out a Mirrorlands boss monster at Adept tier.


    With a thought, he summoned Princess. Speaking of getting stronger, he''d gathered quite a few souls during the dungeon they''d just run through. There was no point just holding onto them. He''d given Glint quite the power boost already, but Princess was up next.


    Alex fed every single one of the souls to the maw on Princess'' stomach. They vanished into her like she was a massive vacuum, and he''d completely run out of souls within just minutes.


    Princess going to be a real menace when she evolves.


    He dismissed her with a thought, then let out a satisfied sigh as he let his gaze travel over his soul. A churning mass of molten blue mist spun above his marble basin, waiting to be distilled into power. The dungeon had given him quite a bit of power, even for his current rank.


    I can''t wait to test out how much stronger we are when we get back to 274-50. We''re already more than caught up to the majority of the Outworlders. Once we get this town set up and I figure out how to use the Attribute Gems¡­


    Alex''s grin grew wider. He was quite looking forward to the future. There were going to be a lot of people gunning for his throat because of the Town Token, and he welcomed the challenge.


    But first ¡ª he had some energy to gather and cash in. He''d promised himself that he''d use the next bit of power he got to advance his Mind Palace.


    Time to see if I can pull up that door beneath the lake. It''s about time I figure out what it does.

 Chapter 117 - 116: New form

    Alex wasted no time in condensing the mist above his basin into blue rain. As soon as it had gathered in the bottom of his basin, he immediately drew it into himself and pumped the freezing power into his Mind Palace.


    Ripples passed through the dark water as energy infused his soul. The distant rattle of chains grew louder and the waves lapping against the base of his basin grew larger. Deep beneath the darkness, the door buried far in the darkness rose.


    Alex focused his entire being upon it, determined to pull it free from the waters. He had to know what it did. Everything he knew about Initiate stage said that the door''s presence made absolutely no sense.


    Admittedly, his knowledge on stages was quite limited ¡ª but Finley hadn''t had any reason to lie about something like this. Alex was fairly confident the merchant had been telling the truth.


    But if that was the case, then the purpose of Initiate would have been building up the Mind Palace and arranging it in some form of pattern. Alex didn''t fully understand that part yet, but Finley had mentioned it had something to do with Visualizations.


    But Alex hadn''t had the opportunity to even worry about a Visualization or any organization. His soul hadn''t given him anything to arrange. The only new piece he could see was the door that he was currently trying to rip free ¡ª and he highly doubted everyone put as much power into their Mind Palace as he did.


    If it hadn''t been for Meiderly''s advice, he''d have neglected the palace almost entirely. Most people would have done the same. That meant they''d have even less to work with on this stage than he did.


    But it wasn''t like someone could have less than zero. Alex had nothing but a door ¡ª so he was determined to get that at the very least.


    And so he poured power into himself. The dark water rippled like a stormy ocean. Frothy black waves slammed against the base of the basin and lapped at the stairs leading up to where he stood at its top.


    Crisp, freezing wind howled all around Alex, and still he flooded himself with energy. Rattling chains echoed far below like the roar of thunder ¡ª and deep within the water, a marble doorway ascended.


    Alex felt the power he''d gathered draining away. It was taking an enormous amount of energy to drag the door upward, but he was finally making progress. His fists clenched and he pushed himself harder, not letting any of the magic go to waste.


    The water above the doorway rippled. It approached the surface inch by inch, as if pulling itself away from the grip of the depths.


    And then, finally, its top breached. Dark water sloughed off the marble door as it rose above the surface of his lake. The last of Alex''s magic drained away just as the base of the doorway cleared the base of the lake.


    His hands fell to his sides and he dropped to his knees, drawing deep, ragged breaths as he fought to gather himself. The angry waves in his soul slowly settled down, reducing to ripples and slowly fading away to reveal still waters once more.


    And there the door stood. Alex carefully made his way down the stairs, stepping past the Nightmare and Ruler Aspect gems that sat at the top of his basin, and approached the newly minted doorway.


    It was plain, situated between two of the three marble pillars. The top of it was curved like an entrance to a castle corridor, the frame roughly half-a-foot wide and entirely unadorned. There was no handle or other apparent way to open it.


    The only form of decoration upon its surface were three lines that ran up from the bottom of the door. They gathered around a single clear gemstone lodged at eye level.


    "What are you?" Alex breathed, running a hand along the marble surface.


    The door did not respond. He gave it a small push, but it didn''t so much as budge. Alex walked around to its other side and tried pushing the other side of the door. That didn''t do anything either. If he was being honest, he would have been a bit disappointed if the secret to opening it had just been shoving it from behind.


    Alex walked back around to the door''s front. His foot tapped a steady beat against the still water, a frown crossing his lips as he thought. He could feel the new power pumping through his body and soul alike ¡ª he''d gotten even stronger from the magical infusion ¡ª but there was absolutely no indication as to what the doorway was meant to do.


    The only hint he''d gotten were the three lines.


    Three, huh?


    Alex glanced over to the pillars. There seemed to be a bit of a running theme here. Three pillars. Three lines ¡ª and three holes for Aspect Gems.


    Does the door only open once I''ve set all 3 of my gems? Or maybe I can open it when I just set one?


    I mean, I''ve already got two, but there''s no way I''m just sticking them in until I figure out what they do. What if I need to put in all 3 at once or they somehow get wasted? Definitely not risking that.


    Fortunately, Orchid is sticking around for at least a little longer. I''ll make sure to fish for information on the gems while we''re getting her that staff and looking for a place to set up the town. As soon as I know what they do and how they work, I''ll set them.


    Alex smiled to himself. Even if he couldn''t use the door yet, he was certain that it was tied to the gems. It would have been far too great of a coincidence for it not to be. And if that was the case¡­ he already had two of them. Even if he had to get a third before it would work, that wouldn''t be long in the making.


    He cast his gaze back into the water. Now that the door had risen, he was hopeful that there would be some sign of the next part of his Mind Palace that would make itself known.


    Thin his eyes widened.


    There, not all too far from the surface of the black lake, were dozens on dozens of murky shapes. Bricks floated, suspended in the water, waiting for a few more scraps of energy to summon them forth.


    A grin split Alex''s lips.


    That would be what I need to build my Mind Palace. A bit more than just arranging things¡­ but I''d rather start from the ground up anyway. It''s like a giant Lego set, huh? Looks like Finley wasn''t lying¡­ so this door was just somehow in the way of what I was meant to get.


    Fascinating.


    His desire to open the door only built even more, but there wouldn''t be any of that until he got information on the Aspect Gems.


    The tasks in his Mind Palace were done¡­ for now.


    It was time to return to the others.


    ***


    Alex''s eyes opened to find Derek holding the Night King''s huge, broken sword in the air above him like it was a flag waving in the wind.


    "Does anyone mind if I take this?" Derek asked. "It looks like it could be pretty fun to use."


    "Be careful with that," Orchid advised. "It''s heavy. You''re going to cut yourself if you don''t at least hold it with two hands." S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Your concern is deeply appreciated, but fear not, Princess," Derek said. "I am an expert."


    I''m starting to regret telling him that Orchid was a princess. That''s my monster''s name. I don''t want to have to wonder which one he''s talking about. There''s only room for one Princess.


    Alex was halfway through rising to his feet when Derek dropped the sword. It fell straight on his head, making a dull thud as its weight drove it down through his skull and into his chest.


    Derek''s body peeled apart around it. There were several clangs as it hit other weapons lodged in him and pushed them out of the way.


    Everyone stared at him.


    How heavy is that sword?


    About a second later, Derek''s body pulled back together around the sword. The huge weapon barely even fit inside him. He resembled a chipmunk with its cheeks stuffed full¡­ if his cheeks were his chest.


    "Oops," Derek said.


    "I think you''re more than welcome to the sword if you can actually carry it around. It''s way too heavy for me or Claire to use, and I don''t think Orchid is much a fan of melee weapons," Alex said dryly. "You might be getting stuck on a lot of doorways."


    "Oh, you''re awake!" Derek said. He turned toward Alex. And, as he did, a hazy ripple passed over the Night King''s sword. The huge weapon sank into his body and vanished as if it had never been there. "Thanks! You''re a real one."


    It does feel fair that Derek gets something after all the work he put in helping us through the dungeon. I don''t know if this would have been possible without him. It definitely would have been a whole lot slower at the minimum.


    "You all ready to go?" Claire asked. "I got my meditation in as well."


    "I''m ready," Alex said with a nod. He resisted the urge to ask Claire if she''d gotten any new abilities. She couldn''t even tell him her normal ones until she was forced to use the rest of them. "Orchid? You ready as well?"


    "I just had to wait for my power to return." The mage gave them a shrug. "I''m already at the limits of my power right now. Without a stronger Disruptor or the world loosening its restrictions, meditation isn''t going to do anything for me. Getting a new staff is the most important thing I can do¡­ so I''m prepared to leave whenever you are."


    "Then let''s go," Alex said. "We''ll backtrack out of the dungeon and put as much distance between ourselves and Valley Ford before dropping back into 274-50. Is that fine with you, Derek?"


    "Yup. Sure thing. Sounds fun. The Mirrorlands is great. It''s so pretty," Derek said with a dreamy smile. "I like looking at the clouds. Don''t care much about Valley Ford. I was only there hunting Anomalies, and I''m sure I''ll find more of those somewhere else. I just hope there are a few more fun fights. I''m bored."


    "Already?" Orchid asked, aghast. "What was this?"


    No, I''m completely with him. I can''t wait to test out Spark''s new form.


    "We''re in the Mirrorlands," Alex said with a chuckle. "You can''t step outside without finding something fun to fight. Fortunately, we''ve got a good one planned."


    "We do?" Claire asked.


    "Orchid needs a staff. And if there''s one thing I know about how things work here, it''s that we aren''t going to get something like that without a fight. So, shall we get going? This should be fun."

 Chapter 118 - 117: Opportunity

    Derek took the head of the group as they traced their steps back through the dungeon. Putting him at the front, as usual, turned out to be a good idea. No monsters showed themselves or attempted to attack them on the way out.


    The same couldn''t be said for traps.


    Alex would have sworn that they''d already triggered everything that could have been triggered. He was proven quite wrong.


    In the short time it took them to get out of the dungeon, Derek managed to get hit by four more axes and impaled by a spear. He got killed so many times that his powers kicked in and boosted his speed to a point where actually started getting fast enough to dodge the last few traps.


    Alex had no clue if Derek was just magnetically attracted to traps or if he''d been intentionally setting them off. Either way, due to his presence, nobody else got so much as scratched on the way out.


    They emerged from the dungeon and back into the Mirrorlands without any incident. Then they were off once more, setting course for one of the many twisting trees spattered across the multi-colored landscape of the Mirrorlands to get Orchid a branch for her staff.


    Alex and Claire both let themselves trail at the back of the group, lowering their voices to speak whilst Derek ¡ª unintentionally or not ¡ª distracted Orchid by regaling her with a tale of his favorite bed before the apocalypse.


    "I really need to figure out what Aspect Gems are," Alex whispered. "I''m convinced they''re really important."


    "I think we''d already gathered that much," Claire whispered back.


    Alex resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I meant more than that. Have you had a chance to put any energy into your Mind Palace after reaching Initiate?"


    "Quite a bit of it. I''m not dumb. I saw how huge the difference was between you and me. I''m not letting myself fall that far behind again. Why do you ask?"


    "What have you managed to get out of it? What things have come up in your soul?"


    "Plants, mostly. Some fences and brick walls. Honestly, it''s a bit of a bleedin'' mess. I''m really not a fan of it."


    "No door?"


    Claire tilted her head to the side in thought. "A door? No. I don''t recall anything like that. You put a lot of stress on that word."


    So my soul was different. She didn''t have the door that sucked up all my magical energy. It''s unique to me, then? Or is it something to do with being an Anomaly? I''ll have to ask Derek what he''s done in his soul to see if I can get a bit more information.


    "I''ve had a bit of a roadblock, and I think it''s connected to the Aspect Gems," Alex said. "Did you not have anything in your way when you reached Initiate and started infusing yourself with energy?"


    "Nothing." Claire shook her head. "It came quite easily. More than I''d like, honestly. I''ve been trying to sift things around and get them put into spots where they aren''t annoying. I really need to get a Visualization."


    A Visualization. Finley talked about those as well. They were patterns to arrange your Mind Palace to best distribute energy and grow more powerful, if I remember correctly. He had some shitty ones for sale, but if you''re going to follow some pre-made pattern, using a low-quality generic one is probably the worst thing you can do.


    "Do you happen to know where we could get good ones?"


    Claire waggled a hand in the air. "I know where I can get one. It won''t do you much good."


    A flicker of pain passed over her features. Her back stiffened and her next step fell heavier than the previous did. Her curse was tightening. She''d said more than it wanted her to, but that was to give Alex all the information he needed.


    Something about her class or the Trial it came with was related to a Visualization ¡ª or perhaps the Nightmarch family simply had a Visualization that would work really well for her particular abilities.


    Either way, she''s got it handled for now. If Visualizations can be unique, then it makes sense to assume that it isn''t just about getting the best sounding one. It''s about getting one that fits you the most. What works for Claire definitely isn''t going to work for me.


    I''ll have to keep an eye out for any information there¡­ but for now, what I need the most is to pry Orchid with questions on Aspect Gemstones without revealing that I''m not part of the Starfallen Family.


    "What about Aspect Gems?" Alex whispered. "Is there anything more you''ve got on them?"


    Claire shook her head, then glanced over to Orchid. "No. I take it you want to¡­"


    Alex nodded. "If you could. Do you think it would be a good idea to reveal that we aren''t actually ¡ª well, you know ¡ª to her? Keeping this shit up is a pain in the ass, and she''s pretty much stuck with us at this point.


    Claire shook her head firmly. "No. She''s tossed her lot in because of what she thinks we are, not who we actually are. Fear is an immensely powerful tool. It''s frustrating to keep this up but overshow your hand and you''ll have nothing left to play. We don''t know what Orchid''s motives are, but never forget the reason she''s not acting out against us is because she''s scared of our supposed family. That may change in the future, but throwing away that advantage now is dangerous."


    Alex nodded. "Yeah, you''re right. This is more your battlefield than mine, so I''ll let you lead. It just seems like it''ll be difficult to keep the act up constantly, especially once the town is set up."


    "Things will be different once the town is set up," Claire said absently. "We can worry about that when we get there. Right now, we don''t even know where we''re going to put it. It''s not like we can stick it right next to Valley Ford. Not if we want to keep the Offworlders from sieging it."


    "Yeah. It''ll have to be hidden." Alex''s lips twisted into a frown. Even if he''d remembered much geography, it wouldn''t do him a lot of good now that the world had changed. They were going to have to put a lot of distance between themselves and Valley Ford¡­ but he couldn''t cross that distance in the Mirrorlands.


    They''d run out of energy and food well before they covered significant ground. But, even if they didn''t, he had no clue which portals would lead back to Earth. They had to use the one they came in from.


    "I should forewarn you," Alex said, accelerating to catch back up with Derek and Orchid as he raised his voice. "When we return to 274-50, we''ll be using the same portal we used to get here."


    "You think those Offworlder blokes are still waiting for us?" Derek asked, cracking his neck ¡ª and causing a dagger lodged in it to squelch around in the process.


    "They won''t be there anymore," Orchid said with a shake of her head. "They''ll all be searching for the Town Token. I''d imagine they''re close to finding the dungeon now if they haven''t already¡­ so they''re going to be wondering where it is and who took it. None of them will suspect us. Attention shifts as quickly as a light breeze when there are bigger things at hand."


    Perfect. That just means we''ve got to avoid Valley Ford on our way to find a place to set up. We can worry about where after we get out of here.


    "Nice," Derek said. "So all we have to do is break a stick off a tree so Orchid can make her staff and we''re good to go?"


    "Pretty much. It might not be quite so simple."


    I certainly hope it isn''t too easy. I need a good test for Spark''s new form.


    ***


    About an hour later, they all came to a stop before a twisting tree with white bark. It loomed about twenty feet into the air, its warped branches devoid of leaves and clawing through the sky like grasping skeletal hands.


    Alex had seen a number of these trees before, and they never failed to set his hair on end. There was something deeply unsettling about the faces pressed against their bark from the insides, frozen just moments away from breaking free from within it.


    He glanced around to make sure there weren''t more trees somehow lurking around them in wait.


    All he found was rolling hills. There was no forest lying in wait. It was just a single tree.


    That did nothing to spur any of them forward. They all stood before the wretched, twisting thing and stared at it in silence.


    Even Derek made no moves forward.


    "Well," Alex said. "There''s your tree."


    "Right," Orchid said warily. "It''s a tree. Probably."


    They fell silent for another few moments. Orchid''s hands twitched at her sides. Alex couldn''t blame her. He''d never looked this closely at one of the odd trees, and now that he was, the last thing in the world he wanted to do was touch it.


    The forest was almost better because it was so obvious what would happen. This tree is alone. Is it the same kind of trap, or will something completely different happen?


    "That stick looks good." Derek pointed at a low hanging, gnarled branch. It was just out of arm''s length, near the bottom of the tree''s canopy. "Seems pretty dry, too."


    "Everything on this tree is dry," Orchid said, but she moved to get a better look at the branch she''d indicated.


    It did look like a good stick.


    "Just grab it fast," Claire suggested. "You don''t want to get stabbed by something while you''re fiddling around. Move quickly."


    "I can get it for you if you want," Derek offered.


    Orchid shook her head. "No. I have to do it. It''s part of the staff creation process. I have to harvest the materials myself. I''m just thinking my approach through. I''m going to get it now."


    They all nodded.


    Orchid flexed her fingers. Then she strode forward, jumping up and grabbing onto branch. She gave it a sharp tug.


    To Alex''s surprise, it snapped clean off.


    She fell down with her prize, landing on her feet and skip-staggering several steps back, clutching the wood to her chest. Her eyes darted around in search of a monster or an attack.


    Nothing happened.


    Orchid blinked. She looked down at the white wood in her hands, then up to the tree.


    "Huh," Derek said. "That was easy."


    A loud crack echoed through the Mirrorlands before Alex could even think about groaning.


    The center of the tree split wide open, peeling apart like the skin of a banana, and a gnarled wooden hand emerged from within it. A leg of matching material emerged after it, driving down into the ground with a heavy thud.


    A dry, cracked face followed after it.


    That was followed by another.


    And another.


    Distant, murmuring groans assaulted Alex''s ears as a monster pulled itself from the tree, ripping the bark apart as it emerged into the Mirrorlands. The creature was covered from head to toe with moaning faces, each of them twisting and groaning in apparent agony. Sap leaked from their eyes and mouths, trailing down the creature''s humanoid form and dripping from knotted claws.


    Gibbering Treant (Initiate 9)


    "Fuck me," Orchid said, cringing back in disgust.


    Fuck yes.


    "I''ve got this one." Alex extended a hand. "Spark. Come to me."


    His shadow twisted. A black hand shot out from within it, driving into the ground, and Spark pulled himself into existence. Shadows bound the hunched Knight Wraith''s limbs as it moved past Alex, lumbering to stand before him.


    "What is that?" Orchid breathed. "It almost looks like¡­"


    "The Night King," Derek muttered. His eyes widened. "Goddamn. That''s brutal. You stole his corpse?"


    "Repurposed," Alex corrected. "And not his corpse. His soul."


    "That''s definitely worse," Orchid said.


    "Is it?" Alex tilted his head to the side. "Oh well. He tried to kill us first, and some of those edgy one-liners he dropped makes this even more justified." S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Fair," Orchid said, backing up as the Gibbering Treant approached them. "I¡­ should probably give fair warning that I still can''t fight. I need to make this a staff. It''s still just a stick."


    Figured.


    Gibbering Treant lumbered toward Alex, the moans coming up from its body intensifying. Pain pierced into Alex''s ears and he grit his teeth.


    "Just stay back," Alex said with a grin. He thrust a hand toward the approaching treant. He''d been waiting for this. It was the perfect opportunity to see how far his former Echo Wraith had grown. "Spark ¡ª kill."

 Chapter 119 - 118: Ascent

    Spark straightened from his crouched position before Alex. The shadows attached to his arms stretched taut and his gauntleted hands flexed. Bubbles roiled across the dark beneath him. A perfect clone made of black energy rose from the ground, pulsing ripples of purple energy traveling through its eyes and running throughout its body like dim veins.


    The Gibbering Treant moaned from a dozen mouths in unison. Its arms jerked up, as if it were a marionette pulled by strings, and the sap weeping from the monster''s orifices rushed down its body like a yellowish-brown river.


    It crackled and hardened within moments, turning to two jagged blades in the monster''s palms. They glistened with a sickly energy and droplets of sap rolled down their length before dripping to the ground.


    Definitely don''t want that touching me. It couldn''t be more clearly poison unless it was literally screaming it into the wind.


    The treant''s wooden legs bunched. Then it exploded forward, springing straight for the group.


    A muffled whump echoed across the rolling hills. The clay beneath Spark''s feet was compacted in an instant as the Knight Wraith met the other monster''s charge, his shadow a foot behind him.


    Sap blades sliced through the air with a whistle. They carved straight for Spark''s throat, but they met nothing but inky darkness as the monster swapped locations with his clone without so much as a sound.


    He lunged forward, driving a fist for the treant''s side. The monster swept its other hand at him in retaliation. The blow forced Spark to abandon his prior attack and jump back, narrowly avoiding getting cut.


    The Treant spun away from the shadow and lurched at Spark ¡ª only to find its hands passing through air once more. Spark had swapped positions a second time. He arrived in the spot his clone had been in with a crackle of purple Rift energy.


    A tingle took root in the base of Alex''s neck, where his brain met his spine. He could feel the faintest draw of power. Not from him, per say, but from Spark''s energy pools. The previous teleportation had taken so little power that it might as well have not needed any at all.


    This one had used more. It wasn''t a significant amount yet, but it was more than nothing.


    Spark drove a fist into the treant''s side. Wood cracked and splintered. The monster staggered to the side with a cacophony of roars and the shadow darted behind him.


    With a dozen roars and a few moans, the warped monster swept its sword at Spark in a blur. He vanished; reappeared in place of his shadow behind the treant; brought his closed fists down on the monster''s head in a hammer strike.


    The treant stumbled forward. One of its heads silenced and sap poured from it like blood as it swung its swords all around itself in a mad craze, not leaving room for anyone to grow close to it.


    Even more energy tingled in Alex''s mind. The third teleportation used even more magic than the second one had.


    He must have a way to push that ten second limit between teleportation. Each consecutive teleportation before the cooldown is up costs more energy. Great ability for a pinch, but you''ll burn through all your magic really quickly.


    Alex''s assessment was correct, and Spark seemed to know it too. The Knight Wraith backed away from the treant as it lumbered after him, its blades cutting through the air just inches away from the wraith.


    He was buying time. And, as soon as ten seconds had passed, he blurred into motion again. Bark crunched. Splinters of white wood tumbled past metal wreathed in shadow and illuminated by purple energy.


    Spark struck from the shadows in a flurry of blows and then retreated again, buying time for his ten-second timer to end so he could strike again. Each blow he struck was precise and powerful.


    Unfortunately, the treant was a glutton for punishment. It pushed through every strike and continued to press toward Spark. It was losing the fight right now, but Alex could sense his summons'' magical energy depleting. If things continued as they were¡­ Spark would lose.


    It only took Alex a few more seconds to process why that was the case. A flicker of embarrassment passed through him for taking this long to realize the issue.


    He was using Spark the same way that he would have used Glint. A head-to-head fight like this was perfect for the Glasmir. He could dance circles around the treant and cut it to piece strike by strike until nothing was left but a pile of firewood.


    But Spark''s power wasn''t one meant for constant combat. It was perfect for hopping into a fight, ensuring a powerful blow connected with a target, and then slipping away.


    He was treating his monster like a warrior when it was really an assassin.


    If that''s the case, then Rift Flood should make that even more apparent.


    Alex drew on his own magic, though he opted to leave his Qi alone for the moment. He wasn''t just trying to defeat the treant. The biggest benefit he could get from this fight was learning exactly what the Knight Wraith was capable of.


    Calling on Qi would be overkill until otherwise proven. It wouldn''t show him anything.


    He extended his senses to the Knight Wraith, feeling the monster''s presence lurking at the edges of his mind, and unleashed Rift Flood. The connection between them buzzed to life with renewed intensity. Power flooded out of Alex and into the monster.


    Spark''s ignited a deep purple and energy coursed down his arms. The monster''s gauntleted hands tightened on the ground ¡ª then slipped into the darkness beneath him. When he rose again, there were two black daggers edged with buzzing purple energy buzzing within them.


    His stance shifted into something between a crouch and a proper standing position. He was so low to the ground that it felt like it should have been impossible for him to balance.


    The treant lumbered toward him.


    Spark and his shadow shot out in opposite directions, moving to flank their wooden opponent. They both accelerated to blurred streaks.


    Faces moaning and screaming with a mixture of agony and fury, the treant lurched for the real Spark and swung one of its blades. The weapon flashed through the air with such speed that it howled.


    Spark swapped with his shadow.


    The treant struck out with its other blade. Spark swapped a second time, but the treant knew where he was going. One of its knees shot up for his armored chest, only for spark to strike it with the back of a blade and knock the blow astray. The wooden monster stumbled past Spark before it had even realized what happened.


    At nearly the exact same moment, there was a loud thunk.


    When the treant turned, it had changed. A blade protruded from the center of its chest. It was lodged deep within the wood. Crackling purple energy wormed against the treant''s skin, hissing and crackling as it burned.


    Spark exploded into motion in unison with his shadow. The other monster swung its swords defensively. Metal rang on metal as Spark deflected the blow with a dagger and grabbed the stuck blade, ripping it free with a crunch.


    He swapped with his shadow and drove both of the blades into the treant''s back, darting to safety before the other monster could try to counter him.


    There was no denying that the treant was a tanky monster. It absorbed strike after strike, cut after cut, and continued to press on. Sap poured down its body in rivers and slicked the clay ground.


    Spark never so much as missed a step. He wove in and out of range, delivering measured strikes to the treant with his daggers. The fight was still clearly not in his favor, but Alex had confirmed that the Knight Wraith was indeed an assassin.


    Sending him up against a tank was never going to be the strategy, but he was still clawing his way to victory. The daggers let him deflect some of the treant''s blows so he didn''t have to waste energy constantly teleporting.


    A thought struck Alex and he reached into the deck at his side. He pulled Spark''s card out and glanced at it.


    Bonded Creature: Knight Wraith (Initiate 3)


    Combining Spark with the Night King had made his level raise, but not by a significant margin. Most of the power came from the increases and changes to his abilities rather than extra magical energy to work with.


    And still, an Initiate 3 was slowly but steadily cutting down an Initiate 9. The difference between the skills and abilities of the two monsters was enormous. It didn''t matter if the treant was tough to kill.


    It only had that ¡ª and presumably poison ¡ª to work with. And when it couldn''t land a blow on Spark, the fight was as good as done.


    The treant knew that too. It lurched toward Spark, trying to take advantage of a moment of opportunity as the knight swapped locations with his shadow, and flung one of its swords in the direction of his shadow, attempting to cut off Spark''s ability to teleport to safety.


    Spark blurred into the strike. He twisted past the strike, letting it cut past him harmlessly, and slammed both of his weapons into the center of the treant''s body.


    There was a loud snap. Spark jerked his weapons free, splitting the treant''s upper torso straight down the middle, and stepped back.


    The other monster pitched backward and crashed to the ground. It did not move again. Sap pooled around its wooden corpse and energy trickled into Alex. He strode forward and scooped the monster''s Soul Flame up without a word.


    "What?" Alex asked as he turned back to Orchid and Derek''s gazes. Claire was already more than used to how his powers worked and did nothing but give him a nod.


    "Nothing," Orchid said, shaking her head and holding her branch closer to her chest. "Thanks for the stick."


    "It is a good stick." Derek scratched the back of his neck and shrugged. "Good fight, too. Would have liked a crack at that thing. Looked fun. Can we touch more trees?"


    "Not right now," Alex replied, dismissing Spark with a thought so the monster could regenerate some energy. A smile pulled across his lips. "I think it''s time we head back to 274-50."


    ***


    Alex used Riftsense to help guide them back to the portal they''d come in through ¡ª though he did almost get sidetracked by different portal in the near vicinity. He didn''t know what would happen if he went through a portal and ended up on an entirely different planet to 274-50. Alex would pretty sure that would make him an Offworlder ¡ª and he had no desire to become one of those at this point in time.


    They managed to make it back without any issue and were soon all standing in a circle, staring at the portal they''d entered the Mirrorlands through. It wasn''t a moment too soon. Alex''s stomach was clenched in hunger and his throat was parched. He could have made it a fair bit longer if he''d had to, but it would have been rather uncomfortable.


    And so, after making sure that everyone was prepared, he ripped open the portal. The four of them then readied themselves and stepped through it. Even though Orchid was rather convinced that the Offworlders wouldn''t just be sitting around waiting for them to return, Alex had his doubts.


    He called upon his monsters the instant solid ground materialized beneath his feet.


    By the time his bearings had returned to him and his gaze had lifted to scan the surroundings, his monsters were already ripping themselves into reality all around him.


    "Well," Derek said as he looked around the empty hill. "They''re gone."


    Alex turned in a circle, scanning to see if he could spot anyone waiting in hiding, but the area around them did seem empty. They were far too close to Valley Ford to relax, but there was nobody readying an ambush.


    I suppose they didn''t think we''d actually be able to get back from the Mirrorlands. That or Orchid was right and they really didn''t want to waste time once one lead evaporated. I guess all the families went right back to competing with each other once we were off the board. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He opened his mouth to speak ¡ª and a powerful wave of energy grabbed his attention like it were jerking the reins of a horse. The breath caught in Alex''s chest and his back stiffened. An invisible energy tugged Alex to the north, away from Valley Ford and parallel to the massive mountains.


    A message shimmered through the air before him.


    [Ascending Forerunner]: A Region Boss is waking.

 Chapter 120 - 119: Goals

    The golden message announcing the Region Bosses'' awakening hadn''t even begun to fade when Claire put a hand on Alex''s shoulder.


    "Alex?" Claire asked. "You okay?"


    He blinked, realizing he''d been staring off in the direction of the boss. The Title hadn''t worked in the Mirrorlands because of how many Region Boss level monsters there had been. But now that he was on 274-50, the noise that had been clouding the ability was gone. It was fully functional.


    An invisible string of energy tugged at the side of his skull. It wasn''t distracting enough to be a real bother, but it was just noticeable enough to make sure he couldn''t forget about it on accident. The feeling became stronger the more he focused on it and weakened when he let his attention drift.


    "There''s a Region Boss," Alex said, nodding in the direction his title was pulling him to. "Over there."


    Orchid''s gaze snapped to where he''d pointed beside the mountains, then returned to him. Awe and more than a little envy passed over her features as she shook her head. "You took a Hunter sacrifice? The Starfallen family is something else. I don''t even want to think about how much that cost you. But how do you know it''s waking?"


    Sacrifice? What is she talking about? It sounds like she''s saying Outworlders can get something similar to my title as well, but maybe they can only locate the monsters and not if they''re waking up?


    "Can you not do that?" Claire asked innocently.


    "What, the Hunter sacrifice? Or being able to detect the state of bosses? Either way, the answer is no. My family hasn''t been that powerful in a long time. And even if we''d had anything left to spare, after what¡ª" She cut herself off. Her hands tightened around the gnarled piece of white wood they''d taken from the Mirrorlands tree. "Never mind. I didn''t even realize there was a sacrifice like that." S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hey, if it makes you feel better, neither did I.


    "Well, no matter the case, we need a direction," Claire said with a one-shouldered shrug. "We can''t just stick around Valley Ford. Using the Town Token so close to it would be a horrible idea, and I don''t get the suspicion they''ll be very willing to let us use their Starstone to teleport elsewhere. So if we''re traveling by foot, we might as well clean up a monster along the way."


    "Are we really in a position to fight a Region Boss right now?" Orchid asked with a small frown. "We don''t have that many people and there isn''t going to be a Disruptor in the area¡­ unless you''ve actually managed to arrange for one to be set in the bosses'' location?"


    Alex had to admit that it was a good question.


    I''m not actually sure how we''ll beat the Region Boss at this point. The mere arrival of the last Region Boss literally flattened Towntown. Claire and I managed to beat the Field Boss without too much trouble and we''re a lot stronger now than we were then¡­


    But a Region Boss is an entirely different beast. They were literally announced by the System. Even if this thing is on the weaker end of their spectrum, Finley was talking about us being in trouble if we aren''t Adept Tiers after the meteor with the Region Boss first landed.


    It''s probably logical to assume even the easiest Region Boss is something you''re meant to have a group of Adept tiers for¡­ but eh, fuck it.


    Never hurts to scope a situation out. You never know.


    "You never know." Claire gave Orchid a one-shouldered shrug as she unknowingly mirrored Alex''s exact thoughts. "You''d be surprised to find how things work out. This gives us a direction to go in¡­ unless you have a difference preference for the direction we head in?"


    "I''m not stupid enough to tell the Starfallen family what to do. I''m sure you''ve got something planned for this. My main plan was just selling the Town Token to pay off my Credit Debt to the System."


    There was an equal amount of reverence and fear in Orchid''s words when she mentioned the Starfallen Family. Claire''s words from a few seconds ago rang through Alex''s head, and he was forced to agree with them.


    Orchid wasn''t working together with them purely because she owed them a debt for saving her life or because she saw value in getting to benefit from their Riftwarped Town Token.


    She was here because she thought they were part of the Starfallen Family. And the moment she found out the truth that they were just Nativeworlders like Derek¡­


    Well, I plan to be a whole lot stronger than her by the time that point rolls around. From what I can tell, the time when Outworlders are the most unfairly powerful is right when a new world starts. They come in considerably stronger and with a whole lot more knowledge than everyone else.


    Then the System equalizes that with their restrictions and restricts the growth of Outworlders pretty heavily. I''d imagine that''ll stabilize once the average person on the world catches up so it doesn''t become unfair in the other direction¡­ but for the time being, I''m already nearly caught up to most Outworlders. If we can get all the extra information they have through Orchid, then their advantages go to zero. We''re on an even playing field.


    And if we''re on an even playing field, I''m not going to lose to a bunch of cheating cowards.


    "Let''s get to it, then," Alex said. "It''ll probably be a few days before we get there, so no point sitting around here and waiting for someone from Valley Ford to find us."


    "Best of luck," Derek said.


    Orchid glanced at him in surprise. "Luck? You''re not coming?"


    "Nope. A Region Boss sounds real fun, but I''ve been doing a whole lotta stuff recently. I want to take a nap. I''m not built for this constant fighting stuff. Thanks for the fun trip, Alex. And for the big sword. I can''t wait to hit something with it."


    "Sure thing," Alex replied, a pang of disappointment passing through him. He hadn''t forgotten Derek saying that he planned to leave after they got back to 274-50, but part of him had been hoping the strange berserker would stick around regardless.


    Dungeons were a whole lot more interesting when Derek was charging through and triggering every single trap for the rest of them ¡ª and he was a fantastic way to pry information out of Orchid without Alex or Claire looking too clueless in the process.


    "You''ll be welcome at our town¡­ whenever we set it up," Claire said. "Just make sure you don''t bring anyone else with you when you come looking. It''s going to be secret."


    "My lips are sealed," Derek promised. "I''ve got no desire to help all those arrogant, fight-interrupting pricks. And don''t worry. I''ll find it eventually. I''ve got a good nose."


    With that, he turned on his heel and ambled off in the opposite direction. Alex watched him for a moment before turning back together with Claire. Orchid was a second slower to peel her gaze away.


    "Everything okay?" Claire asked. "You look put out."


    "Huh?" Orchid blinked, then coughed and shook her head. "Of course. I was just thinking it was a shame to lose the strength of an Incarnation when we''re about to go challenge a Region Boss, but I suppose he''s only a Nativeworlder. I do get the sense he might be one of the few that get strong enough to leave 274-50, though. That powerset of his is quite impressive. It''s rather similar to..."


    She trailed off again and shook her head. Orchid seemed to be doing a lot of that as of late, but Alex didn''t press. It was pretty clear she was flipping between wanting to speak freely and remembering just what family Alex and Claire supposedly were a part of.


    The three of them quietly set off with Alex at the lead, leaving Valley Ford at their backs and heading toward the Region Boss.


    ***


    "What Aspect Gems do you have?" Claire asked.


    Orchid glanced back at Claire. A thin sheen of sweat covered her forehead and her hair was matted to her back ¡ª and somehow, she was in the best shape out of all of them.


    They''d been walking for over three days, following a river running from Valley Ford. That included two breaks to fish ¡ª which Claire was surprisingly good at using just her hands ¡ª rest, and bathe.


    The nights had been fine, but the sun was relentless. The refreshing effects from the cool river wore off in hours and there were too many monsters lurking within it for them to consider hopping in too often.


    There was nothing to do but trudge on.


    Claire had definitely gotten the worst of it. Her deathly pale skin was ill-suited for walking in such intense heat. The tattered clothes she wore, ripped to shreds from the fights they''d been through, did functionally nothing to keep her from inadvertently cosplaying a lobster.


    She hadn''t said a single thing about the worsening sunburns, but judging by how red they were, Alex couldn''t help but grimace every time he caught sight of them.


    Maybe this is why there''s that legend that vampires burn to death in the sun. It''s not some magical thing that destroys them. They''re just all pale as shit and don''t have so much as a thought of melanin inside them.


    "What was that?" Orchid asked, wiping her face with the back of a sleeve. She came to a stop near the crest of the hill they''d been climbing and leaned heavily on her stick.


    "Aspect Gems," Claire repeated. "I asked which ones you''ve got."


    "Oh. I''m not a repeat returner," Orchid said absently. "I''ve only ever been to Everbloom''s homeworld, and my Matriarch couldn''t afford the sacrifice cost to send someone with a domain into 274-50. The Starfallen obviously weren''t going to pay it either, so I''ve only got a single gem. Everbloom."


    That''s a lot to unpack. So not every Outworlder is a serial planet-plunderer. She also just confirmed that the Aspect Gems are 100% related to domains¡­ and that one of her gems is actually the name of her family? That should mean they have some sort of signature ability or similar domain, right?


    Does that imply that all Starfallen members would also have a Starfallen Aspect Gem?


    "That''s fine," Claire said. "They''re not particularly hard to find. Do you know if there are any particular ones you''re looking for?"


    "Something with lava and something with ice," Orchid replied without a second of hesitation. "But those monsters aren''t really common, and ones strong enough to have an Aspect Gem are even less so."


    "I see," Claire said. "Competing elements seems like an¡­ interesting choice."


    Orchid snorted. "Yeah. It didn''t go over well with my Matriarch either, but it''s what suits my Visualization. I''ll make it work. Don''t worry. Once my staff is fixed, I''ll prove myself more than capable. I only lost so easily to those Broken Blade bastards because they attacked me out of nowhere. They told me they were just gathering people for the Assembly, and I was stupid enough to believe them."


    Alex tried to look like he wasn''t paying too much attention when he was internally taking notes on every single word that came out of her mouth like they were holy scriptures.


    This is some great stuff. Claire is making it sound like a job interview to see what Orchid is capable of when it''s really just us fishing for information.


    "I''m sure," Claire said, with just enough doubt in her voice that it spurred Orchid to speak again.


    "I''ve only lost two fights since arriving here," Orchid said crossly. "One of them was a surprise attack, and the other was against Ab¡ª"


    She cut herself off, but it was too late.


    "Absolution?" Claire asked, tilting her head to the side.


    Orchid cringed. "I ¡ª I''m still fighting him! I just had to¡­ tactically retreat. I haven''t forgotten our deal. I just need to get stronger. I managed to get away by promising to help him with something that doesn''t matter in the grand scheme of things. I''ll deal with him, I promise."


    Wait, what? I thought she was allied with Absolution. Isn''t that the whole reason he helped us in the Assembly? So we could save her?


    "By promising what?" Claire pressed.


    "Absolution made me swear that I''d kill a Nativeworlder for him. When I do, I''ll have another chance at his throat," Orchid said. Her weary features lit up as an idea struck her. "Maybe you''ve heard of them. Would you happen to be aware of any Natives that have the power to enter the Mirrorlands in this sector?"


    Oh, goddamn it. Based on the timings, he''d had to have given Orchid that order before the Assembly had even happened.


    And unless there''s some freak coincidence¡­


    The person Absolution wants dead is me.

 Chapter 121 - 120: Angel

    Alex didn''t let his expression change at Orchid''s revelation, but it wasn''t easy. There was no reason for Absolution to be hunting him. Until the Assembly, they''d never even met.


    Absolution had already made it rather clear that he didn''t think much of Alex, but it made absolutely no sense why the man would be hunting him. He''d been the highest ranked person on the local leaderboard for the 2nd Initialization Event, but Alex hadn''t said a word to him.


    They''d never interacted before the Assembly ¡ª and Alex refused to believe this was purely because he was a Nativeworlder. There had to be other natives on the leaderboard. Too many of them had references to things unique to Earth in their names¡­ and even if they hadn''t, if Absolution knew who he was, it shouldn''t have been possible for the man to already know he was a Nativeworlder just from looking at him.


    "If you know anything about a Native that can enter the Mirrorlands, it would make my job a lot easier," Orchid said. "I know this is my responsibility, but¡ª"


    "I don''t," Alex said. "That isn''t part of my skillset. There are a number of creatures that can enter the Mirrorlands. Patrolling it in its entirety would be impossible."


    Orchid''s shoulders slumped. "I thought as much, but it was worth a try. Damn it. It''s fine. I''ll find the Nativeworlder and deliver him to Absolution, and then I''ll have my chance to remove him. I promise I won''t fail the Starfallen."


    "I''m sure you won''t," Alex said. He supposed the idea of him being the native she was looking for would be so ludicrous that the thought hadn''t even crossed her mind. Claire had been insanely effective at convincing her that the two of them were Starfallen members.


    The three of them continued their trek up the hill, devoid of energy to continue the conversation any longer. The sun continued to beat down on their backs as they continued along the hills, which had started to sprout thick green grass now that they''d left the desert surrounding Valley Ford.


    The only mercy they''d been granted was that no Outworlders had come after them. It seemed their return had gone completely without notice.


    For that matter, the majority of the trip had been quiet. They''d seen the occasional monster flying through the sky or passing along the hills in the distance, but most of them had been in the upper ranges of Novice or the lower ones of Initiate.


    That was good for the sake of making progress. It was less so for Alex''s rapidly growing boredom. There was nothing to do but walk. He wasn''t exactly exhausted ¡ª his System-empowered body was more than capable of walking for ridiculous stretches of time, but there was absolutely nothing happening.


    Aside from the occasional conversation Claire struck up, it was agonizingly boring. Orchid rarely spoke first and was largely focused on doing something with her new stick to prepare it to be a staff, and it was a small miracle that Claire was even able to say anything with the severity of her worsening sunburns.


    He continued to lead them in the direction of the Region Boss, putting one foot in front of the other. It was the only thing that kept him sane. They were getting closer to the monster every day. It wouldn''t be long before they were upon it.


    And, finally, something in the monotonous walk changed.


    The three of them crested a hill and arrived at the top of a large valley. A large chunk looked to have been taken out of the world years ago, as if it had been struck by a meteor, and what remained was a bowl-shaped indentation.


    And within the basin was a jungle.


    Thick trees loomed, packed in like the rush hour of a train, and gentle mist swirled at the edge of the treeline. The scent of fruit and rain lingered, even at the top of the valley, and the quiet roar of rushing water rose up from dozens of small rivers that ringed the valley, flowing down from the edges of the basin. Some of them emerged from halfway down the edges of the valley, stemming from what must have been underground lakes or passages.


    "Whoa," Claire breathed, raising a hand to block the sun from her eyes as she looked down into the valley. Light caught within the mist surrounding the trees and shimmered like a thousand dancing faries. "That''s¡­ something. Please tell me that''s the direction we''re going? I''d kill to get some cover from the sun."


    "It is," Alex said.


    "Thank any god that''s listening," Claire said, starting down the sloping hill into the valley below. Alex and Orchid followed after her ¡ª and Alex became increasingly jealous of Orchid''s staff, which was a very effective stabilizer when heading down a precarious surface.


    He nearly tripped over his feet three times on the way to the treeline. The slope got steeper the closer to the bottom of the basin they got, turning to something near a sheer cliff at the edges of the forest.


    The rushing rivers around them muted out the sounds of the forest for the most part, but he still caught the distant chirp of birds and the rustle of a stray breeze that dipped into the valley and brushed its fingers through the thick trees.


    It was peaceful. Beautiful, even. A place like this didn''t feel like ¡ª


    "Is that someone screaming?" Claire asked, pausing at the edge of the cliff, about fifteen feet above the forest ground. There was a ring about thirty or forty feet wide between the treeline and the base of the cliff, filled only by grass and small shrubbery dotted with multicolored fruits and flowers.


    Alex paused. He tilted his head to the side to listen, then shook his head. "The only thing I hear is the river."


    "No, I hear it," Orchid said. She crept over to the edge of the cliff and squinted down at the treeline. "And I swear it''s getting closer."


    ***


    Aaron''s day had started out pretty great.


    After the Apocalypse, that had become increasingly rare. He''d much preferred when his biggest worry was getting out of bed in time to get to work at his family''s restaurant.


    Mom always said that life''s the dealer and all we can do is smile and play the hands we get dealt. After all, we only lose when we stop playing the game, right?


    Aaron wasn''t so sure that rule still applied.


    His mom hadn''t gotten a chance to tell him what she''d have thought about the apocalypse. She''d died two years before it, from a stroke. His dad had sworn up and down that it had been caused by stress from debtors coming after their business, but she''d never once let on to the rest of them that she was stressed.


    Aaron was pretty sure she''d been the lucky one.


    A looter had shot his dad in the back of the head whilst robbing their restaurant for supplies two days after the System announced the apocalypse.


    Now all that was left was him and May.


    If his little sister hadn''t made it this far, Aaron was certain beyond a doubt that he''d have already given up. But there was nobody other than him left for her. And so, his mother''s words rung true.


    Not because they were.


    Because they had to be.


    So as far as May was concerned, the world wasn''t ending. This was just an opportunity to go on a fun little camping trip.


    There weren''t monsters lurking in every shadow waiting to kill them all. There was just a really big game of tag going on, and they had to make sure they never got caught.


    And the other people in the forest with them when the apocalypse had started in true ¡ª the ones that had died screaming and the ones that had banded together to defend their little camping ground ¡ª they were their new friends.


    He wasn''t sure that May believed any of the words that came out of his mouth. But she was alive. That was all that mattered.


    Life was strange, and the hand it had dealt this time around was a steaming pile of shit, but Aaron didn''t have much choice but to play his cards and smile. It would have to give him a new round soon enough.


    Day by day, life had gone on.


    And in ways, things had improved¡­ at least, for a short while.


    A group of strange aliens had shown up at their camp after the apocalypse had warped it into a giant forest, clad in armor straight from the Middle Ages. Some of them had horns. Some had scales and multi-colored skin, and some were covered in fur so thick he couldn''t make out heir faces.


    He''d thought they were demons.


    May had decided they were friends.


    And for some reason, they were.


    The strangers showed them how to defend themselves. They helped them fight off monsters when they attacked the cabins.


    It had taken a remarkably short time for the surviving humans in the campsite to realize they didn''t give a shit what the newcomers were. There was no time for fear or bigotry when death was knocking at the door.


    Allies were allies, and allies were always welcome.


    A blue-skinned demon had moved into the cabin with Aaron and May. She was about his age, and she got on with May perfectly. Her name was Abby. Well, it wasn''t, but that was the closest he could get to pronouncing it. He was still working on getting it right. Her laughter every time he got it wrong had been motivation to keep trying ¡ª one of the last good cards in a dwindling hand.


    In turn, she''d been showing him how to fight by demonstrating combat techniques against some of the weaker monsters near the edge of camp.


    And that had been where things had gone wrong.


    An Initiate 3 monster had leapt from the trees while she''d been showing him a move. A mutated praying mantis of some sort, its eyes glowing red and blood dripping from its undulating, hairy maw.


    It had caught her off guard.


    Aaron had watched her armor crumple.


    Her arm came off at the shoulder, falling to the ground with a spray of blood before he could even try to say a word of warning.


    Abby had yelled for him to run as she fell.


    She''d said that she had things handled as it impaled her leg with one of its claws. As raised the other for the kill.


    Aaron hurled a rock at its head.


    The monster''s gaze had snapped to him. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Only then had he taken Abby''s advice to run. It was the only option a Novice 4 had against a monster like this. And so he''d run ¡ª not for safety, but to take the monster away from the demon he''d only known for a few days.


    "Shit!" Aaron screamed, his heart pounding so hard in his chest that he could barely draw in a breath. Adrenaline wrapped his neck like a noose and his feet slammed into the soil, propelling him forward.


    A jagged claw slammed into the tree behind him with a loud crack, shattering the wood and spraying his back with debris.


    He didn''t dare to look back. The monster was right on top of him, and the split instant it took him to turn would be all the time it needed. Pain burned in his lungs and his body begged for him to give up. He refused it.


    There was only a single chance for survival. And no matter how small it was, he clung to it like a drowning man to a thin plank of driftwood.


    Aaron had to buy enough time for the others to find Abby. If they all came together, they could defeat this monstrosity. The chances of that happening in time were probably zero¡­ but he couldn''t afford to think about it.


    There was a chance. And if there was a chance, he had to keep running.


    The back of his neck prickled. Some primal instinct screamed in his ears and he threw himself forward. Red-hot pain burned against his back and he let out a cry as he hit the ground in a roll, tumbling across the dirt. Leaves and sticks crunched beneath him as he slid out of the treeline.


    A hiss rose from the forest behind him. Aaron rolled over, blood slicking his back as his breath came out in desperate gasps and held a hand up before his face to block out the burning sun.


    The monster emerged from the forest, chittering and clicking in excitement. Blood dripped from its claws. It advanced on him, mandibles opening in anticipation of a meal.


    Aaron desperately pulled on any strength he had left to muster, but his trembling legs were shot. They refused to find purchase on the ground beneath him.


    He could do nothing but watch as the mantis grew closer.


    "Fuck," Aaron breathed, his hands tightening in helpless weakness at his sides.


    I hope they don''t tell May what happened.


    The monster''s sycthelike arms rose.


    Aaron didn''t close his eyes. He stared up at the monster, defiance burning in his features. It was the only thing he could do. The only card he''d been left to play.


    The scythes fell.


    A crunch echoed out. It bounced off the trees behind him like a fading echo.


    Aaron stiffened, but no pain exploded through him.


    The monster had frozen in place.


    Then, slowly, its head rolled forward. It parted from the mantis'' shoulders and fell to the ground with a quiet thud. It rolled to a stop before Aaron''s feet. Green ichor dripped from the monster''s chest where five shimmering blades protruded from it like sprouting silver flowers.


    The blades slid out from the mantis. It crumpled, dead.


    And standing behind it was a nightmare.


    A gray body like that of a mummified dancer, clad in mirrored armor that merged with its flesh to form an abomination. The top half of its face was covered by a glossy mask, revealing only the razor-sharp silver teeth that lined the monster''s grinning mouth. From its back rose a spiny metal wing, glistening in the light brightly enough to burn Aaron''s eyes.


    Primal fear swirled in Aaron''s chest. This was no mere monster.


    It was an angel ¡ª one of the biblical sort.


    It was beautiful and horrible and inevitable.


    It was death.


    "Have you come for me?" Aaron breathed.


    "Not exactly," a voice said from behind him. "But you really shouldn''t turn your back on a monster like that."


    Aaron didn''t get a chance to turn toward it. The last of the strength in his body evaporated. His limbs went limp and he collapsed, unconscious before his head hit the ground.

 Chapter 122 - 121: Bad news

    Aaron didn''t get to evade the world for long. The blissful darkness was ripped away like a blanket and he felt his back stiffen as consciousness involuntarily returned to him. Wet grass pressed up against his cheek and he could still taste blood in his mouth.


    For one brief instant, the fog covering his mind prevented him from remembering what was going on.


    Then the world snapped, a rubber band returning to its natural state and bringing all his memories back with it. He drew in a stiff breath and jerked upright. Pain pierced into him from a long line across his back ¡ª where the monster had cut him.


    Wait. Why is there pain?


    Pain meant he was alive.


    Pain meant that the angel of death hadn''t killed him. And if he wasn''t dead, there was still a chance. The cards in his hand hadn''t all been dealt. And, so long as the game was still running, he still had cards to play.


    He shoved himself upright with a groan. Then he froze. Standing before him were two women and a guy somewhere around his age. There was no sign of the terrifying angel that had killed the mantis.


    "Yo," one of the girls said, raising a black-nailed hand in greeting. "You doing okay there, bud?"


    And, despite everything that had happened, everything that he had seen up until this point, the first thought that passed through Aaron''s mind was a simple one.


    Where''s she getting that much black makeup in the middle of an apocalypse?


    "It''s a Native. Why are wasting time here," the other woman asked. She held a white staff in her stand with the reverence of a priest clutching a child. There was more than a note of derision in her tone. Aaron''s befuddlement evaporated in an instant. He''d met people like her before. They were always the worst customers at the restaurant. The ones that thought they were somehow entitled to be assholes to the waitstaff because they had twenty bucks to spend on take-out. She thought less of him than a bug.


    "I don''t recall ever having to ask you about what I choose to do. Should I have sought permission first?" the guy asked sardonically.


    The girl with the staff paled and shook her head firmly. "No. Of course not. Ignore me."


    "Ignore her," the woman in makeup said, crouching beside Aaron. "I''m Claire. What''s your name? Did you get hit in the head? Can you speak?"


    "Yes," Aaron said. His mouth felt thick and gummy, and he stumbled over his words as they left his mouth. "Wait. No. Yes, I can speak. No, I didn''t get hit in the head. My name is Aaron. Did you see the¡­ monster? Where did it go? Is it hiding somewhere?"


    "The one that killed the bug?" She nodded to the guy beside her. "You don''t have to worry about that one. It belongs to Alex."


    "Belongs?" Aaron repeated, swallowing heavily. "You can control something like that?"


    "It''s part of my class," Alex said, which really didn''t explain much at all. He held a hand out to Aaron. "I don''t mean to rush you after that, but¡ª"


    "Shit!" Aaron exclaimed, bolting upright. He scrambled to his feet, ignoring the burning pain in his back. "Abby!"


    "Who?" Claire asked, holding a hand out to steady Aaron.


    He staggered past it in his haste to turn back to the forest. It wasn''t even like he could do anything to help her. Her arm had gotten cut off and her leg was impaled. There was nothing he could do to fix a wound like that, but he couldn''t just leave her there.


    I haven''t been out for long. It''s only been a few minutes at most. She could still be alive. If we get her back to the town and the others that came with her, maybe someone can heal her!


    "Someone from my camp," Aaron said urgently. "She got really badly wounded. She needs help before she bleeds out!"


    He scrambled into the forest without waiting for a response. It wasn''t exactly the most polite thing he could do, but he wasn''t about to waste time trying to explain what had happened when every single second could matter.


    Aaron shoved through thick foliage as fast as he could as he retraced his steps. He hadn''t exactly memorized the layout of the forest, but his flight from the mantis had left quite a trail of destruction in the greenery.


    To his surprise, he heard other footfalls around him. Alex and the others were easily keeping up with him, even though they''d had to have started several seconds after he had.


    "We aren''t doctors, but maybe we could take a look. I can work with blood a bit," Claire said as she slipped between two trees, barely even making a sound. "The System is pretty good at people stitched together so long as they aren''t completely eviscerated, though."


    That sounds like its coming from experience.


    "If you can do anything, I''ll owe you a second one," Aaron replied, his breath catching in his chest. His heart was already beating in overtime, having remembered that it had been slacking off for a bit too long.


    His heart rose up into his throat as they ran. It was already hard enough to breathe, but more than a small part of him didn''t want to see the scene he knew they were approaching. So much had already been lost since the apocalypse.


    Aaron wasn''t sure if he could lose something else.


    How do I explain to May that yet another person is gone? How many people are going to die before this is over?


    The treeline came to an end as they arrived in a clearing where the mantis had first made itself known.


    Aaron skidded to a halt. His eyes went wide.


    A large patch of blood darkened the dirt where Abby had laid, but she was not in it. The blue-skinned demon had, in spite of her immense wounds, moved. She leaned against a tree near the edge of the clearing, clutching her severed arm with one hand as she pressed it to the stump of her shoulder.


    It was clear that her body could barely support her own weight. Blood soaked into her pant leg where her thigh had been punctured. She swayed like a leaf in the wind. But, judging by the trail of blood across the ground, step by step, she''d been dragging herself in the direction that Aaron had gone.


    There was a brief instant as she stared at Aaron. Her lips parted in disbelief ¡ª even in the face of her wounds, her eyes were completely lucid.


    "Aaron?" Abby asked in awe. "Are you okay? What happened to the¡­"


    Then she spotted the strange group that had saved him. Her eyes went even wider and the sentence died on her lips. Her grip on her severed arm slipped. It remained by her side for a moment before falling away with a wet squelch and thumping to the ground.


    "Whoa," Claire said. "Be careful with that!"


    She blurred, and a small pang of pain pierced into Aaron''s skull as his brain tried to keep track of her. Claire arrived at Abby''s side in what must have been less than a second¡­ but moving like that should have been impossible.


    The girl grabbed the arm from the ground and brushed its bleeding stump off without so much as flinching at the gruesome scene. She held it out.


    Abby took it from her with a weak hand. "I¡­ what''s going on? Who are you?"


    "Passersby," Alex said.


    The third woman said nothing. She seemed more interested in the white staff she held than the scene playing out before her.


    "Are you going to stick that back on properly?" Claire asked, nodding to Abby''s severed arm. "You''ve got something hiding your status, but if you got injured that badly by the mantis, your healing factor isn''t going to be strong enough to fix a missing arm."


    "I¡­ I already tried," Abby stammered. "I''m too weak right now. It won''t stay."


    "Let me help," Claire said, grabbing the woman and pressing the arm to her shoulder. Her eyes narrowed in concentration and the tip of her tongue poked out between her lips. "Don''t mess with your magic, please. It''s interfering. Just relax."


    "You¡­ how did you get here? Why are you here?" Abby asked, staring at them in confusion.


    "Thank you," the woman with the staff spoke up, her eyes as sharp as daggers. "The phrase you are looking for is thank you."


    Abby swallowed. "Sorry. I¡­ I''m out of it. You saved Aaron, right? There''s no way he could have beaten that monster. It was way too powerful for this area. I owe you all a great deal of thanks. I''m sorry I don''t have any way to pay it back."


    "Stop moving," Claire said. "I''m pretty sure I can get your arm back on you if your body stops fighting me. And Orchid, stop being stiff. What''s gotten into you?"


    "She should be more than capable of healing from such a simple wound," Orchid replied sharply. "What manner of pathetic Outworlder can''t re-attach an arm?"


    What is she talking about?


    Abby let out a hiss of pain. Aaron took a step forward, then stopped himself. He didn''t have the slightest idea of what was happening. His head was still a blur of confused thoughts, but it was clear that Claire was trying to help. The best thing he could do is stay out of their way.


    "There," Claire said. "Don''t try to move it for a few hours, but that should hold."


    "I¡­ you actually fixed it?" Abby blinked in surprise. "That''s incredible. Are you a healer?"


    "No, but you might want to go find one if you can," Claire said. "Your body is bleeding nasty to work with. I don''t mean that as an insult. It put up a real fight against my power for no reason."


    "What are you even doing in a place like this?" Orchid asked, tilting her head to the side. "This area is too weak for an Outworlder to be wasting time here. Is there something you''re hiding ¡ª wait a minute."


    Orchid''s eyes narrowed.


    Shame covered Abby''s features and she averted her gaze.


    "There''s nothing here, I swear on my life. Please leave the people alone. They don''t know."


    "What''s going on?" Aaron asked. He didn''t like the look in Orchid''s eyes one bit. "What do we not know?"


    "You''re an Oathbreaker," Orchid said, her voice flat. "That''s why your healing properties are so weak. I''ve always wondered what manner of coward abandons their family."


    Abby''s shoulders hunched even further. Her good hand clenched at her side and she swallowed heavily. "There weren''t supposed to be any other Outworlders here. Please. Don''t tell anyone I''m here."


    "That''s enough," Alex snapped. "Orchid, you''re out of line."


    Orchid stiffened as if he''d physically struck her. Whoever Alex was, he almost seemed like he was the woman''s boss.


    Does Orchid somehow know Abby? Actually, I don''t care. The apocalypse isn''t an excuse to start acting like an asshole¡­ and what the hell is an Outworlder?


    "I''m sorry," Orchid said. "My emotions got the better of me. Only the lowest of the low allow their Mind Palaces to be shattered. Becoming an Oathbreaker and spitting on the sacrifices their family made to send her here... it is the vilest of actions that an Outworlder can take."


    "We had no choice," Abby whispered, her voice barely even audible. "This world is insane. It''s not like it was supposed to be. We had to run."


    "We?" Orchid asked, her eyes widening. "How many Oathbreakers are here?"


    Abby shrunk down even further.


    Aaron opened his mouth. Then Claire was beside him, her hand on his shoulder. He nearly yelped in surprise.


    "Give her a moment," Claire whispered with an easygoing smile. "Orchid is difficult, but we''re not here to cause you trouble. Alex and I are considerably less prickly than she is."


    "That isn''t hard," Aaron muttered under his breath. "Abby was just almost dead! Give her a break! Thanks for healing her, though."


    "No problem," Claire replied with a grin.


    "It''s a village of us," Abby said finally. "We joined up with some natives."


    "There''s an entire village of traitors?" Orchid shook her head in disbelief. "I ¡ª oh, fuck it. Relax. I''m not going to report you. I have better things to do. But you couldn''t have thought you could hide forever. We''re only a short distance from Valley Ford." S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Thank you. We didn''t. Just¡­ for a little," Abby whispered. "We just want to survive and stay away from the thick of things. Our group doesn''t have any desires for power. Our only desire is to live."


    "We won''t be saying anything," Alex promised. "But I fear I may come bearing bad news."


    "What? What is it?" Abby asked.


    "If you were hoping on staying out of the way, this might not be the best location." Alex scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "There''s a Region Boss in this area, and it''s waking up as we speak."


    Aaron didn''t have the slightest idea what that meant, but Abby clearly did.


    Her face went as pale as that of a ghost.


    "Oh, shit."

 Chapter 123 - 122: Prey

    Alex watched all the blood drain out of Abby''s face with more than a little confusion. The whole reason Outworlders had come to 274-50 was to claim resources and power. From what he''d managed to pick up from her conversation with Orchid, that was almost opposite to what she claimed to want.


    Was she forced to come to 274-50 for some reason? Showing up to the middle of an apocalypse with hopes of ''just living'' seems like a pretty weird strategy. That''s like going diving with freshly cut meat strapped to your body and being surprised when sharks show up.


    "What''s a Region Boss?" Aaron asked. "What is going on? I don''t understand. Do you know each other?"


    Alex glanced at him. The guy was a mystery entirely on his own. He seemed like he had a pretty decent head on his shoulders. Even though he''d been about to get his shit rocked by a relatively weak monster, he himself was literally only Novice 4.


    He doesn''t seem like an idiot¡­ and that monster was fighting this Outworlder in the clearing. If it had cut off her arm and stabbed her in the leg, then she should have been easy to finish off.


    Aaron could have slipped away if he was a coward. He must have chosen to try to lure it after him. Someone like that shouldn''t be this low level, right? Taking attention onto himself isn''t the move of a coward, and someone who isn''t a coward should at least be toward the high Novice ranks by now.


    "Did you not see any of the information during the Initializations?" Alex asked.


    "You mean the message the System sent before the world ended?"


    "That was the first one. There have been two more since then. The 3rd one is still technically underway, but you should have gotten a notification for it."


    Aaron shook his head. "I haven''t seen anything like that. Maybe the signal is bad down here? The forest is kind of in a basin."


    The thought of a System powerful enough to swallow a planet and slam it together with several others, but not quite strong enough to get the equivalent of a cellphone message out to everyone on the world was more than a little amusing.


    "The System doesn''t make mistakes like that," Orchid said. Her gaze slid to Abby. "But there are ways to restrict information. Someone intentionally kept you in the dark."


    "We weren''t trying to keep anyone in the dark!" Abby exclaimed. She winced, then swallowed. "We were just¡­ evading notice. There are a lot of ways to track somebody. We had to take certain steps to make sure it wouldn''t be worth it for the other Outworlders to track us. Those methods have side-effects, and if your connection to the System is still weak¡­ I swear it wasn''t on purpose!"


    "They were so new to the System that your cowardice accidentally blocked their access to the System?" Orchid let out an amused snort. "Typical."


    "What is going on?" Aaron demanded. "What are all of you talking about?"


    "Sorry," Alex said. "This is probably a lot to take in. Your friend ¡ª as well as Orchid ¡ª they''re both from different planets. Not the same one. They don''t know each other, but because they''re not born here, they''re called Outworlders. It looks like Abby and her friends have stepped on a few toes to get here, so they hid their presence from the other Outworlders and mistakenly interfered with your ability to get information from the System. That would probably explain why you''re so weak."


    Aaron stared at him. "And you? You seem pretty damn human to me. Are you also an alien? Is that how you''re so strong?"


    Alex sent a pointed glance at Orchid. He made sure she knew he was looking at her before he answered the question he''d been posed.


    "Nope. I''m from Earth. Grew up here."


    "So¡­ that angel of death you saved me with? I could be that strong too? Are you saying it''s because of Abby that we''re so weak?"


    "No," Orchid said. She gave Alex a slight nod to show she understood he was intentionally hiding his identity and wouldn''t give his lie away ¡ª which was especially amusing given that he was actually telling the truth. "You didn''t get information, but that''s it. Never blame someone else for being weak. Disadvantages do not break a man. They forge him. That''s on you."


    Aaron''s gaze fell and Abby''s eyes narrowed.


    "Taking things slow isn''t always a bad thing. Not everyone is talented or crazy enough to fling themselves into the thick of things head first. Training and preparing yourself can go a long way," she said defensively. "I swear on my life we weren''t trying to hinder anyone. That isn''t our goal."


    "I certainly hope you''re right," Alex said. "Because I''ve seen what a Region Boss does to a city with its mere arrival alone. There isn''t going to be much left of anything you''ve built if you can''t defend it."


    Abby''s good hand clenched at her side. "That would explain why the monsters were suddenly getting stronger. Damn it. I can''t believe we were so blind. So¡­ you''re here for the Region Boss, then."


    Alex nodded. There wasn''t any reason to lie. The more truth he gave, the easier it would be for them to sprinkle in the lies they needed.


    Claire seemed to agree. She gave him a slight nod of encouragement.


    "Then there will be a horde of Outworlders here soon," Abby said grimly. "We''ll have to run. Again."


    "I think you misunderstood him," Claire said. "There isn''t anyone else coming. It''s just us." S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What?" Abby stared at her, then turned her attention to Alex. "Three of you? For a Region Boss? And why are Outworlders working with a Nativeworlder?"


    "Why are you?" Claire countered.


    The blue-skinned demon grimaced and coughed into a fist. "Okay. I walked into that one."


    There was a crack in the distance. They all glanced into the forest where the sound had come from, but the trees were too thick to make anything else out.


    "Maybe we should continue this conversation in your village," Alex suggested. "I''d imagine it''s better defended than this."


    "Yeah," Abby said, blowing out a defeated breath and shaking her head. "I just don''t know if¡ª"


    A green blur leapt from the trees to their side. A second mantis monster. There was barely a second of warning as streaked across the ground. Alex couldn''t even tell who it was gunning for ¡ª nor did it matter.


    The air filled with a melodious ring of singing glass. A glistening shimmer danced across the clearing. There was a wet thud, followed by a second one moments later. The two halves of the mantis rolled across the ground.


    Blood splattered in their wake. Glint landed beside Alex with a pirouette, his wing trailing through the air behind him like a glittering streamer as it retracted back to his body.


    Abby and Aaron both flinched back, staring at the Glasmir with a mixture of horror and awe.


    "It''s real," Aaron breathed. "I was starting to wonder if I hallucinated it."


    "Where''d that thing come from?" Abby asked, swallowing heavily. "It''s¡­ yours?"


    "I''ve had him lurking around," Alex replied noncommittally. A trickle of energy slipped into his body and he gathered the dead monster''s Soul Flame, sticking it into a mirror to feed to one of his monsters later.


    The moment he''d killed the last mantis, he''d told Glint to hang around in the sidelines in wait for another attack. They were wandering around the middle of a forest that housed an awakening Region Boss, after all. Not having some defenses set up would have just been asking for trouble.


    "Are you really a Native?" Abby asked in disbelief. "How can you control such a powerful monster?"


    I wonder what she''d do if she found out I have two more¡­ but this is quite the interesting development. I was thinking we''d just scope the boss out and see what things looked like. We can''t take this fight lightly. No matter how much I''d love to try and solo it, that would just be objective suicide.


    This is the same thing that destroyed the Towntown area with its mere arrival. Even if it isn''t a Mirrorlands monster, the monster is going to be incredibly powerful. Orchid said that even groups of Outworlders usually worked together to defeat Region Bosses.


    That would normally make a fight like this completely impossible. My best hope would have been hiding somewhere nearby to try and steal the kill from whatever group eventually rolled around to beat this thing.


    But if there''s an entire town of Outworlders here ¡ª ones that are hated by other Outworlders ¡ª it doesn''t matter if they''re weak and on the run. Aren''t they exactly what I need to have a chance at defeating this thing? Prey with their backs to the wall have nothing to lose ¡ª and everything to gain.


    "I''ve been very motivated," Alex said with a small shrug. He could see gears turning in Aaron''s head. Something told Alex that the other boy wasn''t planning to sit around and remain weak for much longer, especially now that he''d seen the extent of the difference that strength could cause. "Now, we were talking about paying your town a visit?"


    "Of course," Abby said, inclining her head in surrender. "I don''t think we could afford to turn you away now, even if we wanted to. Follow me. The others aren''t going to be happy with this¡­ but please give me a moment to explain things before you kill them."


    "I''m not looking for a pointless fight," Alex said as they all fell in line behind the demoness. "It''s the Region Boss you should be worried about. Because, if you can''t figure your shit out quickly, not a single one of you are going to survive this."


    "I don''t think it matters how together we have anything if we''re up against a Region Boss," Abby muttered. "We''d need to grow a hundred times stronger in the span of days."


    Alex smiled. "You never know what might happen. The world works in mysterious ways."


    And so do the Mirrorlands.

 Chapter 124 - 123: Rin

    It turned out that they weren''t too far from the village. Alex''s group followed Aaron and Abby through the foliage, pushing through it to arrive in a large clearing after just about ten minutes of walking.


    A dozen cabin houses sat scattered throughout the clearing. Paths had been trampled into grass from use, marking roads between the buildings and gathering largely around the middle of the camp, where a large fire-pit had been dug. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Large piles of wood were distributed throughout the camp. Roughshod stakes had been carved from tree branches and jabbed deep into the ground at angles. The beginnings of a trench had been dug around the camp but it was still shallow and unlikely to stop much more than a charging hamster.


    A number of people roamed around the camp, dragging materials from one house to the other or working on the rather lackluster defenses surrounding the camp. The whole thing would have been considerably more impressive if there had just been¡­ more of it.


    It looked like the vast majority of the campsite''s defenses had been thrown together over the past day or two. It wasn''t a half-bad attempt, but given the strength of the monsters they were up against¡­ it was pathetic.


    If Alex hadn''t known better, he would have assumed this was some college club''s LARPing setup.


    "You''ll want to speak with Rin," Abby said, her voice stiff as they strode past the log cabins. "She''s just over here, in the main lodge. Please give me a moment to explain everything before anything happens."


    Alex nodded idly. He wasn''t exactly looking for a fight here. There was no reason to be anal about things. If anything, he was more preoccupied staring at the camp as he headed by.


    A few people glanced in their direction as they walked ¡ª some clearly Outworlders, while others seemingly earthlings. The Outworlders all had items to conceal their status, but not one of the people from Earth was above Novice 5.


    There wasn''t any tension between the two groups that made itself immediately apparent. A human stood, holding a large stick still while an Outworlder covered in thick brown fur hacked away at it, the loud thunk of his axe rising into his air in a steady rhythm.


    The Outworlders really integrated themselves in with the humans, huh? I can''t help but feel like I''m missing something. Why would they bother grouping up like this? I mean, sure, there''s safety in numbers¡­


    But why would Outworlders need to group up with people from Earth? Aaron was so held back by whatever it was the Outworlders did to hide that he didn''t even know about the Initializations.


    Is it possible they''re trying to use the weaker people here to somehow abuse a loophole in the System? As cover or bait or something? I don''t even know if the System has loopholes like that¡­ but there has to be something going on.


    Alex snuck a glance in Claire''s direction. Her expression was completely unreadable. It probably didn''t matter. Even if there was something in her features to read, there was a good chance it would be intentionally placed there.


    If anyone knew how to control their emotions, it was her. His best bet would just be to play things by ear and try to let Claire take charge until they could get a moment to speak in private.


    "Here we are," Abby said.


    She and Aaron slowed down and the group came to a halt the front of what must have been the main lodge of the campsite before the Apocalypse had struck. It was three stories tall and rather spread out, with probably eight or nine large rooms in total per floor.


    Large glass windows had shattered and been boarded over. A ring of sharpened wood surrounded the base of the lodge and Alex caught sight of several Outworlders perched on a walkway at the second floor holding bows.


    Abby walked up to the large door and pushed it open with a loud creak. She stuck her head inside. "Rin? Are you here? We need to speak."


    There were several long seconds of silence. Abby let out a disgruntled sigh.


    "Is something wrong?" Claire asked.


    "Rin''s hearing isn''t the best. She''s also rather keen on finding a dark corner and hiding in it until someone finds her. I ¡ª oh, it''ll be easier to explain when we find her. Aaron, would you help me find her? I don''t want to waste an hour doing this."


    Orchid''s eyes narrowed. Alex didn''t say anything, but he couldn''t help but feel a spike of suspicion as well. It was a bit suspicious that they both had to go find someone, but he just didn''t see any world where Abby or Aaron would try to fight them.


    They were just too weak.


    "Uh, yeah. Sure." Aaron''s voice was distant. He was clearly still lost in all the new information he''d just gotten, not to mention his close brush with death.


    Abby shot Alex a quick glance in search of approval.


    "Go for it," Alex said, shrugging a shoulder. If this was an ambush, at least it would make things interesting. Glint was ready for a fight and none of the people here knew about his other summons, not to mention any of Claire''s abilities. "Just don''t take too long. We''re on a time limit."


    "I know," Abby said tersely. She pressed a hand to her newly re-attached arm and her jaw clenched. "I''ll move as fast as I can. This should only take a minute or two. Nobody will bother you, don''t worry."


    With that, she darted into the house and Aaron followed after her.


    If everyone here is roughly around as strong Abby is¡­ then I don''t think anyone here could bother me, even if they wanted to. Getting your shit cooked by a mantis monster without even fighting back is pretty bad.


    Orchid said something about deserters getting punished for abandoning their families and being weakened. I should probably figure out just how significant that weakening was before I let myself really think about trying to fight the Region Boss together with these guys.


    "I can''t tell if I''m impressed or disturbed," Orchid said a moment after Abby and Aaron had left. She leaned against the white stick she''d taken from the Mirrorlands. "Seeing Outworlders intentionally choose to live with Natives like this¡­"


    "You think they''re hiding something?" Alex asked.


    "Yeah." Orchid let out a snort. "Themselves."


    "By using the humans as a shield?" Claire asked.


    "I''ve never heard of anything like that. It must be a technique I''m unaware of," Orchid said apologetically. "If anything, the thing they''re hiding is the Natives with them. If they have an item strong enough to disrupt tracking and repress the System from people who don''t have a strong connection to it yet¡­ well, this camp might be well and truly invisible for the moment. I doubt it''ll last."


    I wonder what kind of item can do that. Sounds like something that we should try to get our hands on to make sure the other Outworlders aren''t constantly on our asses. Even if Orchid thinks they aren''t going to care about us right now, I get the feeling I''m going to manage to piss them off again soon enough.


    "It''s bad luck for them that the Region Boss decided on this of all locations to wake up," Claire said.


    "Somehow, I doubt it had anything to do with luck," Orchid said. "I''d be willing to bet that defensive item they''ve got hiding them is probably what drew the boss here in the first place. Power begets power¡­ and challenge. You can''t walk around with an item like that without expecting the System to make you work for it. That'' s just typical for Oathbreakers, though. They stole work that is still being paid for in blood, entirely unprepared to take that burden on themselves.


    "This is starting to go from information to a vendetta," Claire said, glancing at Orchid out of the corners of her eyes. "Do you have personal experience with Oathbreakers?"


    "I¡ª"


    "Whoa!" A bright voice cut through the air before Orchid could respond to Claire''s question.


    They all turned as a young girl, probably in her very early teens at the oldest, peered out at them from behind a nearby cabin. She had long black hair pulled into a ponytail and tanned skin with features that looked strikingly similar to Aaron''s.


    She noticed them all staring in her direction. But, instead of flinching or hiding away, she popped out from her hiding spot and strode right over to them. Her gaze was affixed upon Glint, wonder sparkling in her eyes.


    "Hello there," Claire said, crouching to be at eye level with the girl. "You''re¡­ Aaron''s sister, I take it?"


    "Yeah," the girl said with a nod, but she didn''t so much as glance at Claire. She pointed at Glint. "Did you train a monster?"


    "Something like that," Alex said, mildly taken aback by her complete lack of fear.


    "Can I touch him? I''ll be gentle."


    Alex blinked. Now he was really taken aback. "I¡­ Glint is sharp. That might not be the wisest idea."


    "Oh," the girl said. A flicker of disappointment passed through her features before vanishing as quickly as it had arrived. "What if I wore some heavy gloves?"


    "He''s really sharp."


    "That''s fine, then," the girl said. "Sorry for the bother. In that case¡­ do you think you could maybe make your monster hide?


    Alex tilted his head to the side. The girl certainly didn''t seem particularly scared of Glint. He wasn''t sure why she would want to make him hide.


    Maybe she''s just got a really good brave face?


    "He''s here to help protect people," Alex said. "He isn''t going to hurt you unless you accidentally cut yourself touching him."


    "I know that. You came back with Aaron and Abby." The girl grinned, revealing a gap where a front tooth had once been. "You''re his friends, right?"


    "We''re something like that," Claire said, putting a hand on the girl''s shoulder.


    "Then you should hide the monster. Aaron can be a bit dense sometimes."


    Alex stared at her in confusion. "Why?"


    "He doesn''t want me to see any monsters," Abby said. "Aaron gets really stressed whenever I get too close to anything dangerous. He doesn''t want me to know that dad is dead and the world ended, so you shouldn''t let him see me near a monster."


    Alex''s mouth worked for a moment as he tried to process the girl''s words. They were spoken in a grimly stark matter-of-fact tone. It was a grim world where a little girl was admitting something like that without so much as a blink.


    "Have¡­ you considered telling him you know what''s going on?" Alex asked. "That seems like it would make things easier."


    "It would make him sad, so I''ll pass. Put your monster away please."


    "Have you considered not standing near said monster?" Claire asked, the corners of her lips pulling up in amusement.


    "No. I want to see my brother, so I''m staying here."


    Alex let out a snort. He sent a mental command to Glint, who slunk off to stand in the shadow of the inn. The Glasmir was still close enough to be well within reach if someone attacked them.


    "Thank you," the girl said.


    The door to the lodge creaked open and Abby stuck her head out. "I found ¡ª oh, May! What are you doing here?"


    "I saw you and Aaron come back. Why didn''t you come say there were friends visiting?"


    "I''m sorry. We were a bit busy," Abby said apologetically. Her eyes flicked to Alex and the others. "I''m sorry to rush you, but I''ve found Rin. She''s awake, so we really need to hurry. We only have a few minutes."


    "Why?" Orchid asked. "The Region Boss isn''t going to show up today."


    "I know. This is about Rin, not the boss."


    "She won''t spare more than a few minutes to speak with us?" Orchid arched an eyebrow.


    "Not won''t. Can''t," Abby said. "Rin is really old. She can only stay awake for a short while. Any more and she wastes too much energy."


    The hair on the back of Alex''s neck stood on end. Abby''s words were eerily close to ones he''d heard before.


    "Wait," Claire said, her gaze snapping to meet Abby''s. "She has to sleep to avoid wasting energy?"


    "Yeah," Abby said with a nod. "It''s because she isn''t human. Rin is a Dhampir."

 Chapter 125 - 124: Wipe

    "That can''t be possible," Claire said, her eyes going wide in disbelief. For the first time since Alex had met her, she looked completely off guard. Something about it felt deeply wrong. The hair on the back of his neck rose and a chill gripped his spine.


    Anything that took Claire by this much surprise was not going to be good news, though Alex did take a moment to really analyze her expression. This was Claire, after all. It was no longer possible to take everything she did at face value.


    But even with that said, she Alex was pretty confident that this reaction was completely genuine.


    It does feel a bit odd that she doesn''t sound happy about another Dhampir being here. If anything, she seems¡­ worried?


    "No, she''s definitely a Dhampir," Abby said. "Why? Is something wrong? I kind of figured¡ª"


    "No, nothing at all." Claire''s expression shifted in a split instant and she gave Abby a wide smile. "I was just surprised. That''s all. I didn''t think I''d run into one of my own kind over here. What a coincidence."


    "So you are a Dhampir. I saw the pointy teeth, but..."


    "You didn''t want to make assumptions," Claire finished. "Probably wise. There are a lot of things with pointy teeth. Fortunately, having pointy teeth automatically makes us friends. Please introduce us. I can''t wait."


    That was weak. Unless she''s intentionally sandbagging, she''s off her game. But what''s a Dhampir even doing here in the first place? I suppose it would be a bit arrogant to assume they''re completely unique to Claire''s planet since a bunch of Outworlders are basically just humans¡­ but still.


    This seems like a bit too much of a surprise to be a coincidence.


    Claire wasn''t the only one that looked out of sorts.


    Aaron glanced from May to the Dhampir uneasily. He shifted from foot to foot, opening and closing his mouth several times. It struck Alex that he was probably trying to think of an explanation as to what the hell a Dhampir was ¡ª one that fit into the rather unconvincing story that he''d woven for his sister.


    "Dhampir means they both like cosplaying as vampires," Alex provided. "Claire really likes Halloween. They''ve got a club and everything."


    May arched an eyebrow ¡ª and Alex suppressed a laugh.


    May was looking at him in the way a little boy looked at his mother after catching her hand under his pillow, fishing for teeth meant for the tooth fairy.


    "I see," May said. She did not sound convinced in the slightest.


    That seemed to be enough for Arron, though. He blew out a small breath as Aaron shot him a grateful look.


    "We should get moving," Abby said tersely. She held her recently-reattached shoulder with an arm and threw a glance over her shoulder, into the house. "Rin can''t stay awake for long. If you want to speak with her, then we''ll have to keep things prudent."


    I almost wonder if that''s what Claire wants.


    "Let''s get going, then," Claire said with an impatient gesture, completely ruining Alex''s theory. "We wouldn''t want to keep her waiting."


    Aaron stepped out of the way and looked to his sister. "May, why don''t we go get some food while¡ª"


    "No. I wanna see Rin."


    "They''ll be talking about boring stuff," Aaron tried.


    May ran inside the house. Aaron looked after her, then ran a hand through his hair and let out a groan.


    Alex clapped him on the shoulder as he and Claire followed the girl into the house. "Don''t worry about it too much. The world''s changed, man. Trying to keep her sheltered won''t work forever."


    "It doesn''t have to work forever," Aaron replied. His hands clenched at his sides and he stepped into the house alongside Abby after them. "I just want to keep her away from all this shit for just a little longer. She''s too young."


    "You''re not doing her any favors," Claire said, keeping her voice low as they walked through the darkness in pursuit of May''s steps. "Every minute is precious¡­ and you aren''t strong enough to protect her."


    Even in the dim lighting, Alex saw Aaron flinch. He cast his gaze to the side as shame colored his cheeks. "I know."


    "Being weak isn''t something to be embarrassed about," Claire said. "But staying weak is."


    "Well said." A new voice drifted through the lodge, as old and weathered as a forgotten scrap of paper at the bottom of a pile in an abandoned government building. It took Alex a moment to even realize that the voice belonged to a woman.


    Whoever was speaking wasn''t just old. They were ancient.


    A faint whuff broke through the darkness, and a flicker of light twisted up to illuminate the sparse room around them. Sitting in a rickety wooden chair that barely had any right to remain upright was a surprisingly young-looking woman.


    Young was, of course, relative. Alex would have guessed her to look like a prune in the form of a human from the sound of her voice. But, what he found was someone somewhere around their mid-sixties. She had grayish-white hair and stern, sharp features. Fangs protruded from her upper lip, which was curled up in slight amusement.


    Words shimmered through the air above Rin now that she was fully illuminated. For once, it seemed that someone didn''t have an item to conceal their identity.


    Rin - Dhampir Broodmother (Novice 1)


    Novice 1? That must be because of what Claire was speaking about. No matter how strong Rin might be, if she tries to exert energy fighting, she''ll end up killing herself. But if she''s really weak¡­ why would a bunch of Outworlders be ferrying her around? Anybody going around invading planets isn''t going to be doing it out of the goodness of their heart.


    "Rin," Abby said, bowing her head in respect.


    "Abby. Thank you for bringing our guests. It''s a pleasure to meet you all," Rin said, giving them the slightest inclination of her head in greeting. Her eyes ¡ª yellowed and with vertical pupils like a cat''s ¡ª lingered on Claire. "Well, isn''t this interesting."


    "Broodmother," Claire said. Her voice was difficult to read, but the word didn''t sound like a name so much as a title.


    "Oh, posh. A Broodmother needs a brood," Rin said with a dry, scratchy laugh. "I''m just an old woman."


    Somehow, Alex didn''t believe that for a moment.


    "Why are you here?" Claire asked.


    "Because I didn''t fancy dying for a bunch of stuffy invaders who think they can charge into our world and do as they please," Rin replied. Her smile fell away. "Just like all the other good people in this encampment. We''re not interested in the games of your families, Outworlders."


    Well, so much for my plans of trying to pretend to just be a normal earthling¡­ even if that literally is exactly what I am.


    "You''re an Outworlder yourself," Orchid pointed out. "That seems a bit hypocritical."


    Rin''s finger twitched. "Your kind stole my planet from me. I came here, not as a conqueror, but as a refugee. Nobody here is looking to destroy or control. We simply want to live."


    "How did you even get here?" Claire asked.


    "There aren''t that many new planets opening every day, you know. It''s quite the event." Rin let out a dry laugh. "And there are families that need fodder. People to go first and make the way. My entire brood was dead. Killed. So I volunteered ¡ª and betrayed them at the first opportunity. Idiots thought the pull of power could keep me at their beck and call. I''ve lived long enough. I have no desire to live forever. There was nothing they could offer me. But you, girl ¡ª I think you question is better directed at yourself. Why are you here? Did the Nightmarch pay you to find me?"


    She''s not speaking like a Novice 1. Can the System even properly assess her strength if she hasn''t actually leveled up within it?


    "I''d sooner cut out my own tongue than work for them," Claire said. "We do not come representing any Outworlder family interests. Not in the way that you''ve come to know them. We''re here for one reason and one reason alone."


    "And what would that be?" Rin asked.


    "There''s a Region Boss awakening in this area," Alex said. "We''re here to kill it. That''s all."


    "Oh, is that all?" Rin''s lips quirked in amusement. "How kind of you. And I am certain you wish for nothing in return for your services?"


    "That depends," Alex said. "Do you care how many of your people die when the Region Boss arrives? Because I''ve seen what you''ve got to offer ¡ª and I can tell you right now that it isn''t going to be enough. Abby nearly got killed by an Initiate 3." sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It caught me off guard," Abby said defensively, her cheeks coloring in shame.


    "The forest¡­ there have been reports of stronger monsters," Rin said, a frown flickering across her lips. "Tell me more."


    "I''ve seen a Region Boss land near a town before. It didn''t even emerge from its meteor, but its mere arrival was enough to reduce the entire place to ruins. It was heralded by empowered monsters and a Field Boss ¡ª one considerably stronger than anything else in the region."


    It was impossible to tell if Rin was concerned about his words or if she was just digging for information. Alex didn''t even bother trying to read her. Given her age, she had to have so much experience with the Dhampir game of Court that he would have had better luck just asking her what she was thinking.


    And ¡ª if he was honest with himself ¡ª he didn''t really care what Rin thought. The Region Boss was coming whether she wanted it to or not. This wasn''t something that could be politicked away.


    "And what do you want in exchange for killing it?"


    "Want? Nothing. Killing the monster will be reward enough. We didn''t come here looking for you," Alex said. "Surely one of your number is aware of what a Region Boss is. You''re Outworlders!"


    "Not every family is as powerful as yours. Many can''t afford to send powerful members to new worlds. The cost can be¡­ astronomical. It''s much more efficient to send newer ones," Orchid said. "And Oathbreakers aren''t going to be the top of their families anyway. They''re usually the expendable troops at the bottom that are too scared to do what it takes to grow powerful."


    "It is not our duty to die for our oppressors," Rin said coolly. "If anything, they deserve to be betrayed for being so foolish as to believe that we would throw our lives away for the benefit of a family that we are not part of."


    Shit. These aren''t seasoned Outworlders that have gone from planet to planet in search of power and resources. It''s a bunch of people that got swallowed by Outworlder families invading their worlds and then put to work on a new one.


    No wonder they''re trying to build a new life for themselves. They''re not trying to steal our planet. They just want to survive¡­ and now the System is about to completely wipe every single person in this village off the face of 274-50.

 Chapter 126 - 125: Goal

    "So tell me," Rin said. Her withered voice coiled through the dimly lit room like a snake. Even though she hadn''t so much as budged from her old chair, there was something about her that exuded strength. "What is it that you want?"


    "If you really do just want a place to call your own, you can''t keep running," Alex said. "This isn''t even about Outworlders. This world is dangerous ¡ª and this valley is about to become doubly so. It doesn''t matter what you used to be. There''s a powerful monster coming our way. It''s going to destroy this village. That''s why we''re here. To destroy it."


    "Someone as young as you?" Doubt entered Rin''s voice. "If this monster is as powerful as you claim, then three people will not be nearly enough to take it down."


    She''s probably right there.


    "We are more than we appear," Claire said with a shrug. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rin''s gaze flicked to her. "Oh, of that, I am more than aware. But I am more concerned with the safety of my new people than I am of you. We have a community. This is my new Brood. I will not let the Outworlders take their lives and homes again. And I do not trust you."


    "They saved my life," Aaron said. "Abby too. They didn''t have to do that. I don''t think they''re lying."


    "They¡­ don''t seem like the other Outworlders I''ve met," Abby said. "What would they get out of saving my life? Claire put my arm back and helped me save it. Even if I''d lived, I would have been permanently injured. That''s not the act of the families we know."


    "Which means it is a diversion," Rin said. "What is your real goal? Do you really expect me to believe that you''ve come here to protect us from inevitable death purely from the kindness of your hearts? That you expect nothing but a heartfelt thanks in return?"


    I''d be annoyed at her being suspicious if she wasn''t some ancient grandma whose entire life was built on being suspicious. Kind of hard to fault her for that now ¡ª but this is still a pain in my ass. How do you convince someone this suspicious that you aren''t here to screw them over?


    Fortunately, Claire took the question for him.


    "No. We don''t want your thanks, and we aren''t doing this because we''re kind," Claire said. "We''re here because, unlike you, we are not content to hide and cower. Freedom comes through strength. We saw that on Ayrin, Broodmother. We were weak. How many of our people still live?"


    "Far too few," Rin said. Her features tightened. "You lecture me when you have sold yourself to an Outworlder family? You side with those who destroyed us."


    "You don''t have the slightest idea of what I''ve done," Claire said. "There was nothing we could do when Nightmarch attacked Ayrin¡­ but now you have a chance to act. We have warning. There''s no excuses this time around. I don''t care if you trust us or not. We aren''t here for you. We''re here for power. Whether your people die or not is up to you. Fight if you choose to fight. Run if you choose to run. We''re offering help because your presence would make the fight slightly easier, not because we need you."


    Orchid''s head tilted to the side. She didn''t miss the fact that Claire was admitting to be from the same planet as Rin ¡ª and that their planet had been taken over by the Nightmarch, not by the Starfallen.


    She didn''t exactly look suspicious as much as curious. They''d already made it clear that they weren''t approaching this from their supposed real identities, so Orchid was probably guessing that Claire was just fishing for information.


    "None of us knew you were here," Alex added. "We came planning to fight the Region Boss on our own. How could we have known of your existence?"


    Rin barely even acknowledged Alex. Her eyes were completely focused on Claire. For several long seconds, neither of the Dhampirs said anything. There seemed to be some manner of unspoken conversation passing between the two of them. Perhaps it was an argument.


    But, if it was, Alex couldn''t tell who was winning.


    Then Aaron broke the silence.


    "May, could you do me a favor? I''m starving. I could really use something to eat."


    May squinted at Aaron. Alex fully expected her to tell him to go get it himself. But, to his surprise, she shrugged and nodded.


    "''kay. I''ll be right back."


    She strode out of the building without another word. Everyone looked at Aaron, and he coughed into his fist.


    "I know. I know. It''s stupid. I get it. I''m sure May knows it too. She''s not stupid ¡ª but this shitty lie is all I''ve got right now. I''m at my wits end, and her knowing that we''re all about to die isn''t going to make her life any better."


    "You aren''t necessarily going to die," Alex said.


    "You said that this monster is even stronger than these new ones that have been showing up."


    "It is."


    "Then I''m dead," Aaron said flatly. "Most of us are. Maybe all. I can count the number of people in this camp that could defeat a monster like that mantis on one hand. You did it with nothing more than a thought. So if this Region Boss is so strong that it''s going to cause you trouble, then we don''t stand a lick of a chance."


    "You''d definitely all be dead if the Region Boss showed up today," Claire confirmed with a nod. "You wouldn''t stand a chance."


    "But I''m certain you have something to offer us that can change all that," Rin said dryly. "Magical items, perhaps? And they come at the low cost of fealty."


    Orchid let out a bark of laughter. "Why would they need fealty from you? Everyone here is weak. This is¡ª"


    Alex shot Orchid a look and she closed her mouth.


    "Are you really an Outworlder?" Aaron asked, squinting at Alex. "You''re like Abby?"


    "No," Alex said honestly. "I''m nothing like Abby. But this is not the only world I''ve been to."


    Not even a lie, there.


    "You could do what Rin is talking about, then?" Aaron pressed. "You have items and stuff that would make me strong? Let me fight this thing?"


    "Aaron," Rin warned. "You do not know what you are asking for. We¡ª"


    "I''ve been listening to the whole conversation," Aaron said. "I''m weak, Rin. That might be because I chose to hide, but it doesn''t matter why anymore. I can''t protect my sister. What do you want me to do? Sit around and do nothing while she dies?"


    "It is better to die free than to live a slave."


    "Damn that to hell. I watched my dad die free. It didn''t fucking help," Aaron snapped. He turned to Alex. "I don''t care who I have to work for. If you give me a way to protect May, then I''m in."


    "You are being too hasty! You do not know what you offer!" Rin rose an inch from her chair. There was genuine distress in her voice. It really sounded like she was concerned about Aaron, which was strange. He wasn''t even one of the Outworlders that Rin had come to the village with.


    Does she actually care about him? Or is this an act?


    "I don''t care what I offer. I promised my parents I''d take care of May. I''m doing a real shit job at that, but I''ll be damned if I give up," Aaron said. He grabbed Alex''s arm. There was steel in his eyes ¡ª a determination that would not accept any answer but an affirmative. "I don''t care what the cost is. Make me strong."


    "I''m sorry," Alex said. "But I can''t do that."


    "What?" Aaron asked, blinking in confusion. "But¡­"


    "Claire wasn''t lying. We aren''t here to get fealty or some shit like that. We''re here to kill a monster."


    "Then why did you say we could fight?" Aaron asked desperately. "What''s the point? Why fight if we can''t win?"


    "I don''t have an item that will magically let you defeat a Region Boss. If I did, I''d use it on myself. I can''t make you strong, but that doesn''t mean I can''t give you the opportunity to make yourself strong."


    "What do you mean?" Aaron frowned. "You have some special training technique?"


    "More like a place," Alex replied with a chuckle. "I don''t know how long we have until the Region Boss fully awakens, but I think it should be a few days at the least. Don''t quote me on that ¡ª it''s just a gut feeling."


    "What could you possibly accomplish in a few days?" Rin asked. Confusion tinged her tone. This clearly hadn''t been the direction she''d been expecting them to take this. "And what do you want for this¡­ training?"


    Alex smiled. Now they were finally getting somewhere. "You''d be surprised. A few days goes a very long way. And I don''t want anything but some extra people capable of at least backing me up when the Region Boss arrives."


    Rin''s gaze bore into Alex''s head like two drills. He held it without flinching.


    "You want to use us as human shields," Rin said.


    "Let''s say I do. What good is a human shield that can''t actually do their job? As you are, you''d hold the Region Boss back for a few seconds at most. However long it took to squish you," Alex pointed out.


    "But if you train us, we''ll be able to fight back longer," Aaron mused. "That''s what you''re saying, right?"


    "He is literally planning to use you as a tool," Rin said. "Outworlders will use you up and throw your corpse behind them."


    "I''ll be able to protect May?" Aaron pressed, ignoring her.


    "I can''t answer that," Alex replied with a shake of his head. "I don''t know. But I''ll do everything in my power to put you in a position where you can."


    "Then I''m in," Aaron said. "What do we have to¡ª"


    A loud roar split the air before he could finish his sentence. It struck the house with such intensity that the wood vibrated and rattled. A second roar followed no more than a second after the first.


    Screams rose up from the camp around them.


    "What is that?" Abby asked, her hand flying to her sword. Her features twisted in horror. "The Region Boss?"


    "No," Alex said, spinning for the door. He needed the village alive. If they all got killed before the Region Boss showed up, he''d have nobody to back him up ¡ª and he''d also started to take a bit of a liking to Aaron. "It''s something else."


    Another hissing roar split through the air. There were monsters¡­ and by the sounds of it, quite a few of them.


    "May is out there!" Aaron yelled urgently. "We need to¡ª"


    Claire drew her katana and shoved it into Aaron''s hands. He stared at it in surprise.


    "You were so impatient to throw your life away a moment ago," Claire said. "Be happy. The opportunity has arrived. Put your money where your mouth is. We''ve got some monsters to kill."

 Chapter 127 - 126: Gaga

    The camp was nearly half-destroyed by the time Alex and Claire sprinted free from the lodge. Ash and the smell of burnt wood wormed into the air, rapidly growing thicker. A building laid in a pile of fragmented wood near the treeline, huge splinters from the logs that had once made it up jutted from the ground like stakes. Fire licked around the building''s remains, dancing as it swallowed the house.


    A shrill scream ripped through the air like a missile. Alex flinched as a wave of heat and force slammed into him. He threw his hands up and squinted as the forest lit up with a brilliant flash of fire. An explosion ripped through the air as a second house went up in flames.


    Huge chunks of debris spun through the air and fell back to the ground like burning meteors, shattering with loud cracks as they hit the ground.


    "That''s unfortunate," Orchid said. She and Aaron stood at the doorway; their expressions couldn''t have been more different.


    Aaron had frozen in disbelief. He stared at the burning remains of the building as if struggling to comprehend the information his eyes were feeding his head.


    Orchid looked bored.


    She lifted her gaze to a burning chunk of wood the size of a small horse. It sailed through the air ¡ª heading straight in their direction.


    Orchid lifted the white stick in her hand. She took aim at the piece of wood and gave her hand a slight flick. A wave of frost rolled free from the end of the staff. The air froze, crystals of ice glistening in the wake of a white crescent arc.


    The magic slammed into the falling wood. It snuffed the flames instantly, freezing the entire piece solid and flinging it to the side, where it crashed harmlessly to the dirt.


    Oh, hey. Orchid finally got her magic working. But where the hell did that attack come from? I don''t see the monsters that I heard roaring from inside the lodge.


    "Don''t expect too much," Orchid said, recognizing Alex''s thoughts before he could even muster them. "My synchronization with this new staff is abysmal. That attack used ten times more energy than it should have ¡ª and it barely had half the effect I was going for."


    "Fuck," Aaron breathed. He swallowed heavily, eyes darting around the camp before raising his voice. "May! May, where are you?"


    The only response was the crackle of burning wood and the screams of the people living in the camp as they scrambled to man their defenses against a foe than none of them could even see.


    A hastily constructed battlement collapsed, the spikes set up around it no more effective than a no skateboarding sign placed on a long outdoor staircase with particularly smooth metal railing.


    "There," Claire said, pointing into the trees.


    Alex followed her finger to the treeline.


    There was absolutely nothing there.


    "What?" Alex asked. "Where?" S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "There," Claire repeated, thrusting her finger at the same spot. "Look closer. Right where I''m looking."


    He squinted. The lack of doubt in Claire''s voice made him re-focus his gaze, trying to see what he''d missed the previous time. There were just trees¡ª


    But something was off. There was a slight waver in the air. Details were off. Bark where there should have been dirt; leaves where there were no branches.


    It was an illusion.


    And as soon as Alex spotted the abnormality, the rest of it fell away in an instant. It was difficult to believe that he hadn''t been able to see it just a few mere moments ago. Standing several feet in front of the treeline, completely exposed, was a monster of green scales.


    Its back end was the long tail of a snake, easily four feet in circumference, but that was where its resemblance to a normal reptile ended. The monster rose up instead of lying on the ground. It had a humanoid chest that split into two necks.


    It had two identical heads. Each was that of a massive lizard, full of jagged yellowed teeth and a flicking, forked tongue. The monster clutched a massive wooden staff in its clawed hands. Sparks of yellow-orange light swirled around it like a horde of angry fireflies, fading in and out of existence.


    Nagaga (Initiate 5)


    "What the hell?" Alex asked, blinking in surprise. "How did I not¡ª"


    "Camouflage," Claire said. "Only effective until someone sees through it."


    "You''ve got keen eyes," Orchid said. "I couldn''t see that myself and I have a magic-focused class. Impressive. I suppose that should be expected from someone of your lineage."


    "Maybe we kill the monster first, then talk about how cool Claire is later," Alex suggested. His eyes shifted to the shadows at the edge of the lodge. Glint still stood in wait ¡ª his orders had just been to protect Alex and Claire, not to watch for a monster attack.


    "What do we do?" Aaron asked, clutching Claire''s sword so tightly that his knuckles were starting to resemble bone. "That thing is fucking huge!"


    "You can see it?" Orchid tilted her head to the side. "What''s your class?"


    "Why does that matter? May is out there somewhere! I need to help her!"


    "By what, killing yourself?" Orchid arched an eyebrow. "Pick better battles if you want to survive. That''s not the only monster here, kid. Find something your size ¡ª or preferably, about half of it. You''ve got a plethora of options to choose from."


    She was right. Monsters pushed through the treeline all around the encampment, flooding toward the log cabins. It was like the entire forest''s wildlife had been warped into twisted versions of themselves. The majority of the monsters were in the low Initiate or high Novice ranks, but there were enough of them that any remaining defenses the camp had wouldn''t last much longer.


    The campers ¡ª at least, the ones that had been fast enough to rally in time ¡ª rushed toward the center lodge to try and form a defensive line.


    Alex''s eyes swept over the clearing in search of May. He didn''t fancy himself as some sort of savior, but he wasn''t about to leave a little girl to get slaughtered by monsters if there was something he could do about it.


    Unfortunately all he could see was chaos. Haze and smoke from fire filled the air and the screams of man and monster alike rang in his ears. Metal clashed and magic ripped through the clearing as the Outworlders rallied and pressed back against the monsters.


    A bulbous bird dropped from the sky with a screech, zipping straight for Aaron''s back. Abby lunged forward, driving her sword through the monster''s chest before it could connect with its target. She spun and pelted the monster into the ground like a wet baseball before driving her foot down on top of its head. The monster''s skull crunched and it went still.


    Aaron spun, staring at the monster in surprise. "Shit! I didn''t even see it coming. I¡ª"


    "Forget it," Abby snapped. "We need to find May! I''ll cover your back!"


    He blinked, then gave her a sharp nod. The fear didn''t leave his features, but it was tempered by determination. He thrust Claire''s sword toward a cabin near them. "Right! She should have gone to Bethany''s. Let''s go!"


    They sprinted off.


    "Do you care if I deal with that?" Claire asked, nodding to the Nagaga. "I haven''t had a chance to exercise recently. You''ve taken all the fun fights yourself."


    "All yours," Alex said.


    Claire blurred into motion. Wings burst from her back as she bounded toward the Nagaga, each step covering a dozen normal paces. Her veins turned jet black and she leapt into the air.


    The monster''s heads both snapped toward her in surprise. It clearly hadn''t been expecting to be spotted quite so easily. Letting out a roar, it swung its staff to bat Claire out of the air.


    Her wings snapped down and she shifted directions in a split second. She shot right past the strike and slammed into the Nagaga''s chest with enough force to send it crashing into the trees behind it. The monsters roars faded into the forest as it vanished from view.


    Alex wasn''t concerned. Claire could deal with a monster like that without any difficulty. They''d faced far harder in the Mirrorlands. He reached for his magic and summoned every one of his monsters.


    The shadows near the edge of the house bubbled as Princess rose up from within them. Spark arose beside her, bands of darkness binding his limbs and keeping him on all fours. Alex scanned the battlefield to see where they would be most useful¡ª


    A new explosion echoed through the clearing. He spun toward the source of the sound just in time to catch the remains of a cabin hurtling through the air. They slammed into other buildings with loud crashes and rolled through the dirt, leaving deep furrows in their paths. Campers scattered and dove away from the falling debris.


    A second Initiate 5 Nagaga stood at the other end of the camp, smokey flame still rising up from the end of its staff. Its mouths let out hissing laughter as it turned to take aim at a new target ¡ª the cabin that Aaron and Abby had run off toward.


    "No!" A young voice rang out.


    A small form darted out from behind a smoldering tree trunk.


    May.


    "What are you doing, girl?" Rin yelled, her shadow suddenly darkening the doorway behind Alex. Genuine panic filled her words. "Run!"


    "You can''t break any more of our houses!" May yelled. "Go away!"


    "Go!" Alex barked. "Protect her!"


    All of his monsters lurched into motion.


    The Nagaga''s heads let out hissing noises that almost sounded like a laugh. The monster stepped forward and leveled its staff at her. A high-pitched whine filled the air.


    They were too far to interfere in time. Glint was fast ¡ª but May was on the other side of the camp. He didn''t have any magic that could gap that range as quickly as he needed it to. They needed at least a few seconds to make it there.


    "May!" Aaron burst free from the cabins behind her, his sword leveled at his side. Desperation twisted his features as the Nagaga brought its staff forward, preparing to release the explosive magic gathering at its tip. Aaron sprinted toward them desperately, but he was just out of range. "Run away!"


    "Dad said assholes like you can go fuck themselves!" May yelled, thrusting a hand toward the Nagaga.


    A brilliant crack split the air. Lightning boomed. An agonized scream rang out ¡ª not from May, but from the Nagaga. It lurched back, smoke rising from blackened scales near one of its eyes.


    Crackles of electric energy still danced across May''s fingers, buzzing like a nest of angry bees.


    Aaron''s eyes went wide in disbelief and he missed a step, nearly tripping over himself in surprise.


    Unfortunately, the Nagaga was less taken aback. It blinked its surprise away and shook its head. Then it let out a scream of fury. The monster had been injured, but it was far from dead. Fire twisted at the head of its staff as it brought it back toward May.


    Fire bloomed at the end of the Nagaga''s staff and a concentrated ball of fire exploded from its tip, streaking straight for May with a shrill screech.


    "May!" Aaron screamed. He lunged ¡ª


    The magic struck the ground at May''s feet.


    A wall of force slammed into Aaron and sent him skidding back, unable to do anything but watch as May and everything in a ten foot sphere around her was swallowed by a roaring explosion.

 Chapter 128 - 127: Brood

    "No!" Rin exclaimed, grabbing onto the doorframe as horror gripped her features. Her wizened features contorted in agony and she doubled over like she''d taken a physical blow to the gut. "May!"


    Flames crackled and popped around the ground where the girl had stood moments before. Their intensity rapidly faded and shrank away, pulling back across the now-scorched dirt.


    Aaron''s hands trembled as he stared at the spot where May had stood. His mouth worked in disbelief, trying and failing to form words. Abby stood a few paces behind him, her features several shades paler than normal in stark shock.


    The Nagaga let out a pair of hissing laughs. It drove the butt of its staff into the ground with a thud. A high-pitched whine built as it started to call on its magic once more. It took aim at Aaron, who didn''t even try to budge.


    All he could do was stare at the fading fire and the blackened earth where May had been moments before.


    "Bastards," Rin breathed. Her eyes fluttered, pupils going pitch black as her fingers flexed into claws. "They dare kill my Brood? I''ll¡ª"


    "Relax, grandma," Alex said, a small smile pulling across his lips. While everyone else stared in horror, he could feel one thing that none of them could. A faint, constant drain on his energy. "Don''t waste your energy. From what Claire has told me about your kind, you don''t have the magic to spare."


    "You dare mock the death of a child?" Rin asked, fury burning in her features.


    In response, Alex just pointed at the blackened ground as the last of the flames sputtered out. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There was a large lump of pitch black tar in the center of the explosion. The lump bubbled as a white ceramic mask pushed out from within it. Tendrils shot from the lump and slammed into the ground lifting it into the air.


    Sludge bubbled out as Princess''s body reformed. She bloomed like a sodden flower, unwrapping herself to reveal a small, curled form within her protection.


    The Nagaga let out a hiss of fury as it realized that its prey had been stolen. It lowered its staff to take aim once more.


    A black blur slammed into it with a loud crunch. Spark had chosen his time to make an entrance. The few brief seconds that May had bought by hitting the Nagaga with her magic hadn''t been enough to kill the monster, but they''d bought Alex''s monsters enough time to get into position.


    Glint emerged from where he stood behind a house. His shimmering blade-wing snapped out like a whip, slicing across the Nagaga''s chest and clean through the scales with a loud shearing noise. The monster screamed in pain and staggered back, all four of its eyes flicking to the new threat.


    It didn''t get a chance to counterattack.


    A shadow blurred behind the Nagaga and Spark swapped positions with it. His black gauntlet clamped down on the monster''s arm and ripped it free with a single, sharp motion. Green blood sprayed across the ground. Spark discarded the limb over his shoulder like it was a crumbled up ball of trash.


    His shadow darted around to stand behind the snakelike monster.


    The Nagaga screamed and dropped its staff. It swung its remaining hand at Spark.


    The Knight Wraith vanished, swapping spots with his shadow once more and allowing the other monster''s attack to pass through his clone harmlessly. Spark balled his armored hands and brought them down on the Nagaga''s back, bringing it crashing down to its knees.


    Princess set May down on the ground while Spark kept the other monster distracted. She then took several lurching steps forward, accelerating with each one. Sludge raced down her body and gathered around her hand as she reared back. Purple veins pulsed deep within her.


    The Nagaga looked up. It reached for its staff.


    Princess swung.


    A deep, echoing crunch echoed through the clearing. A spray of green blood arced out and splattered across the ground. The Nagaga''s body pitched back and crashed to the ground where it lay, unmoving.


    Energy trickled into Alex from the kill. He didn''t wait to savor it. There were still too many monsters around the clearing to relax. He immediately sent new commands to his team.


    Glint broke away, blurring for the thickest parts of the fight, while Spark trailed after him in search of any stragglers. Princess remained behind May to ensure nothing could finish the Nagaga''s job in its place.


    "What are those monsters?" Rin asked, staring in disbelief. Her eyes fluttered as they returned to their normal color. "They''re¡­ wretched."


    "They''re saving your ass," Alex corrected. He made sure to keep himself from breathing a sigh of relief. He didn''t need Rin ¡ª or Orchid ¡ª to realize just how close that had been. If May hadn''t managed to delay the Nagaga¡­ she would have been dead.


    Pretty badass, kid. I don''t know if I would have been able to act if I were her age and in the same spot.


    More energy entered Alex. It seemed that Glint had arrived at his next monster and claimed another victim. The smile on his features grew as the tides of the sudden battle turned as rapidly as it had started.


    Claire emerged from where she''d entered the forest, green blood dripping from her fingertips. A snake leapt at her in a blur of scale. Her hand snapped out and she caught it by the throat ¡ª or the tail, depending on where one defined the start of one and the end of the other.


    The monster''s eyes bulged as her hand tightened. It thrashed in desperation for an instant. Then there was a loud crack. The monster went limp and Claire dropped it, the spot where she''d held it wrung like a wet towel.


    Glint danced through the smoldering village, blurring past the campers and ripping bloody swathes through every enemy in his way. Monsters in his wake crumpled like flowers in a winter storm.


    Aaron ran past Princess, grabbing May and pulling her into a hug.


    "Celebrate later! Never waste an opportunity to get stronger! If you do, you''ll just get killed in the next fight!" Alex yelled, striding toward them.


    A bird shot for him. He raised a hand to activate Funhouse, but Orchid lifted her staff before he could react. A wave of frost drove into the monster. It froze solid mid-flap, ice turning it swings brittle. It plummeted from the sky and landed on the ground with a thunk. One of its wings snapped and spun to the side.


    "Don''t worry about the trash," Orchid said. "I''m nowhere near where I should be, but I can deal with scum monsters like this."


    Alex gave her a nod of appreciation and continued through the camp at a brisk pace until he stood before Aaron and May. He didn''t miss that Rin was following alongside him. The old woman seemed considerably spryer than she had been a few minutes ago.


    For a moment, Alex thought that Aaron was going to come up with some stupid explanation for what was happening for May. Or, even worse, he was going to try keep her from fighting because she was too young ¡ª which would have been a great theory if any monsters had even the slightest plan of not eating her because of her age.


    "You''re right," Aaron said. He swallowed. "I''m sorry, May. I''ve been lying to you. The world is over. There''s no camping trip. There are monsters everywhere."


    "Really?" May asked, her mouth dropping comically wide open and her eyes widening in the fakest look of shock that Alex had ever seen. It appeared that May was not a particularly good actor. "I couldn''t tell!"


    Aaron bought it without so much as blinking.


    "It''s true," he said. "I should have warned you, but we don''t have any time to waste now. Alex is right. I''ll tell you everything once this is over, but we have to kill these¡­ bad guys before they hurt our friends."


    "Let''s kill the fuckers!" May exclaimed. "I''ll help!"


    "May!" Aaron snapped. "Where did you learn that word?"


    "Daddy called a customer that when they said there was hair in the food, but the hair was blonde and all of us have black hair, but she had blonde hair, so he knew it was¡ª"


    "Maybe later?" Alex suggested. He gestured to the chaos unfolding around them. "There are still monsters. Princess will protect you as much as possible ¡ª that''ll reduce the challenge, but this is an impossible fight for you without her. Now go kill something."


    "Yes sir!" May said, giving Alex a sharp salute. "Agent Snake is going dark!"


    She darted off for the nearest monster.


    "May! This is not a game!" Aaron exclaimed as he raced after her. Princess lumbered alongside the two of them, each of her steps crossing twice as much distance as her smaller companions''.


    If she survives, she''s going to be quite the menace.


    "Who are you, Alex?" Rin asked. "Why do you carry yourself with such ease on a battlefield? You are too young to have come to terms with it. It takes Dhampirs years to become this comfortable with death."


    Alex watched May thrust her hands up at a bird flying overhead and send a crackle of lighting arcing out into it. The monster let out a scream of fury and dove down toward her. Aaron jumped between them, swinging his sword with a scream.


    "If there''s one thing that humans are really damn good at doing, it''s adapting," Alex said. "I''ve just had a bit of special training."


    Aaron''s sword blurred. Hazy images of it swung through the air alongside the real strike. They each carved into the bird monster''s side, and every one of them left a furrow in the monster''s hide.


    It screamed in fury, diving at May''s neck.


    Princess grabbed it from the air. She reared back and pelted it into the ground with a wet thunk. It splattered like an egg.


    "What manner of training could have prepared you to this degree? Some secret Outworlder technique?" Rin asked.


    "Something like that," Alex said. "You''ll see soon enough. If this is how you guys fare against Initiate level monsters, I don''t want to see what happens when¡ª"


    Three ear-piercing shrieks split through the air. Alex swore and clapped his hands over his ears as he, along with everyone else in the smoldering clearing, staggered. The beat of large wings pulled his attention away from the ground and to the top of the treeline.


    Flying above the trees was an enormous lizard. It looked similar to the Nagagas but had huge leathery yellowed wings that protruded from its back ¡ª and an extra head sprouting from its shoulders. The monster was twice as large as a normal Nagaga and held a gnarled wooden staff in each of its hands.


    [Field Boss] Nagagaga (Adept 1)


    A loud whine filled the air as two balls of flame twisted to life above the Nagagaga''s staves. Alex''s blood ran cold. An Adept level monster was a significant threat for his own team, forget a bunch of weakened Outworlders and helpless Nativeworlders.


    This is bad. It''s not even the Region Boss and it''s already this strong?


    "Shit," Alex breathed. The last time they''d taken out an Adept Tier monster, they''d had Derek to draw the brunt of its attention. His hands clenched at his sides as his mind spun in search of a way to keep the fight from wiping out the entirety of the camp. He came up flat.


    Rin stared up at the monster from beside him. "You honest about that training, boy?"


    "It''s not going to matter in a few moments," Alex replied, his chest constricting. He was more than happy to take the monster on ¡ª but the town wasn''t going to survive this. "You need to get everyone out of here. Now."


    "They won''t make it," Rin said, and Alex knew she was right. The whine of the fireballs was reaching a crescendo, and these were considerably bigger than the Nagaga''s spells. He wouldn''t be surprised if they nuked the entire campsite off the map. Rin prodded Alex in the side. "Answer my question."


    "I was honest. It''s the best damn chance any of them will ever get offered, I can promise you that. It''s the same chance I got¡­ but I can''t freeze time. I''ve got no way to deal with that monster myself, much less save everyone."


    "Then you do that." Rin''s eyes went jet black. Her skin tightened until the wrinkles covering her skin had completely vanished. Fangs sliced free from her mouth and loud cracks echoed out from her body. Two wings burst free from her back. They were easily four times the size of Claire''s and glistened like obsidian in the morning sun. When Rin spoke again, her voice was the cool, sultry command of a queen. "You hold that promise, boy. Protect my Brood."


    Then her wings snapped down. There was a crack like a gunshot had gone off an inch away from Alex''s ears. He was sent stumbling back as Rin turned to a streak of black across the sky, hurtling straight for the Field Boss.

 Chapter 129 - 128: Gaga

    A howl like a plane ripping through the sound barrier sliced through the forest as Rin carved through the sky. She was nothing but a hazy blur of darkness; the Dhampir moved so quickly that Alex couldn''t even try to follow her with his eyes.


    His blood ran cold.


    And, in that fraction of a second, he realized two things.


    Claire had understated the strength of an ancient Dhampir ¡ª and the System''s analysis of someone''s level wasn''t actually a complete representation of their strength. It was far from it.


    Though I knew that already. Nothing in our levels says anything about how well made our Mind Palace is. Level is purely an analysis of how much energy someone has put into their body and nothing else.


    A massive explosion ripped through the air and Alex''s thoughts alike. Fire bloomed, flashing over the horizon like a detonating sun. Light and heat washed over the campsite below and he raised his hands over his face, squinting through the waves of roiling flame.


    Both the Nagagaga and Rin had vanished behind the fire. The Field Boss must have tried to hit her with the fireballs it had readied before she could reach it. Alex just couldn''t tell if it had succeeded.


    "How can we beat something like that?" Aaron whispered, arms falling slack at his sides. The fire illuminated the horror in his features as he stared up into the burgundy sky.


    A massive shadow appeared above the fire. Three long necks writhed, and brilliant flashes of fire joined by thunderous explosions ripped through the air. Wave after wave of molten heat slammed down on the camp.


    The shape of the Nagagaga faded in and out of the flames like a flickering lightbulb. A pair of two loud, heavy thuds echoed out, followed a moment later by a trio of agonized screams. Despite the insane speed of the fight, no more than a few seconds had passed since Rin had launched herself from the ground.


    The Field Boss'' shadow enlarged rapidly. Then it punched through the coiling blanket of fire. Twisting tongues of orange wrapped around its body as it plummeted to the ground, crashing through trees and crashing to the dirt at the edge of the camp with an earthshaking crash.


    Two huge wings followed suit moments behind the monster, passing through the now-fading fire in the sky to slam down alongside their owner. Rin had cut them clean off.


    Holy shit. She took it out of the sky in seconds. Badass, grandma.


    The Nagagaga''s heads lifted into the air and let out a scream of fury. It slammed its staves down into the ground with enough force to make the ground tremble slightly. The monster rose to its feet, standing on its hind legs to loom over the camp.


    "I think we''re fucked," May said, just loud enough for Alex to hear her.


    "Language," Aaron said, staring slack-jawed at the enormous monster. "But¡­ you might be right."


    There was no sign of Rin. She was either somewhere still in the sky, hidden behind the remains of the fading fire, or had dropped back to the ground when he''d been distracted by the falling Field Boss.


    It didn''t matter. He couldn''t afford the distraction right now ¡ª and Rin had given them all an enormous boon.


    She''d grounded the Field Boss. Alex didn''t have a single good way to fight a powerful flying monster, but when it was on the ground¡­


    He was more than happy to give it the fight that it had come for.


    "Claire!" Alex yelled.


    "I''m with you," she called back from where she stood several houses away, her wings snapping out to their full length as power rushed through her veins and turned them jet black. It seemed that she''d managed to get a good drink from the Nagaga she''d killed on her own.


    "What do we do?" Aaron asked, clutching Claire''s sword so tightly that his knuckles looked like the bones would burst free of the skin binding them.


    "Against this? You stand back and watch. Fight together with the Outworlders against the weaker monsters. I won''t be able to bail you out while I''m dealing with this thing."


    "You can beat that?"


    "I suppose we''re about to find out." Alex strode forward, sending a mental command to all of his summoned monsters. They burst into a run toward him and he drew deeply on his magic, sending it flowing out in a wave as he used Rift Flood three times in rapid succession.


    The bonds between Alex and his monsters intensified in a heartbeat. Their bodies warped and bulged as rift energy surged through them.


    Glint''s wing elongated into a cloak. He didn''t quite take on the imposing look of a fallen hero that came when Alex added Qi into the mix, but that did nothing to make him any less intimidating. His sleek form blurred as he accelerated, racing across the ground like a silver blade.


    Hands formed from the churning legs of a centipede erupted from Princess'' back as she lurched forward, nearly twice as large as she had been. She used her hands to propel herself forward like a charging bear. The massive mound of sludge was nowhere near as fast as Glint, but there was a primal terror that came with getting run down by a monster her size.


    Spark drove his hands into the shadows pooling beneath him. He pulled two black blades free from the darkness and rose, crouched like a runner at the start of a race, then burst into motion. His shadow rose up from the ground and dashed alongside him.


    The campers closest to the monsters flinched back. They stared in a mixture of horror, awe, and surprise as the monstrosities that were Alex''s team all converged on the enormous Field Boss.


    A shrill whine filled the air as the Nagagaga lifted its staves into the air and formed a pair of spinning fireballs above them. The monsters three heads scanned the camp, instantly spotting the trio of threats running straight for it.


    Instead of flinging them early, the monster held the spells at the ready, clear challenge burning in all six of its obsidian black eyes.


    The monster was clearly an offense-focused one, and it had seen how fast some of them were. If it threw the spells early and missed, they''d all be on top of it in moments. But if it held the magic until there was no time to get out of the way¡­ it could take all of them out at once.


    "Get ready to dodge!" Alex yelled. He considered using Mirror Image, but the Field Boss'' magic could just hit too great of an area at once. A bunch of clones weren''t going to do anything when a massive fireball went off on top of his head.


    Alex had absolutely no faith that Funhouse would be able to redirect a spell as large as the ones that the Nagagaga was throwing around. Betting on getting lucky enough with the relatively random direction his magic would spit the Field Boss'' out was stupid at this range ¡ª but he didn''t need to redirect the magic.


    He just needed to redirect the Nagagaga.


    Princess grabbed Alex with one of her centipede arms, lifting him into the air and whipping him forward. He tucked into a roll and drew on his magic as the world screamed past him. This wasn''t a stunt he''d have ever even considered without the reinforcements advancing his Mind Palace gave his body ¡ª but after the apocalypse, he was more resilient than any normal human could have ever hoped to be.


    There was no reason not to enjoy that privilege.


    He hit the ground in a roll. The impact knocked the air from his lungs and Alex let out a wheeze as he tumbled to a stop, skidding the last few feet into range. He was only a few dozen feet away from the Nagagaga.


    Alex allowed the warm, churning Qi within his chest to explode through his body. It raced down his arms and exploded from his fingertips in a wave of twisting Riftwarped Energy as he cast Funhouse with every scrap of magic that he could gather in the time he had.


    Reality shattered. Huge cracks raced through the air all around the Nagaga even as it brought its staves down to fling the fireballs. Alex''s spell swallowed the majority of the monster''s body, though it wasn''t nearly large enough to completely envelop the Field Boss. The Nagagaga''s eyes only had an instant to widen before it found its world jerked apart.


    Funhouse yanked the monster into its depths and spat it out like an unwanted vegetable from the mouth of a petulant child. It stumbled, nearly tripping over its own feet in surprise as it suddenly found itself facing toward the treeline.


    The fireballs flew wide. One slammed into the trees and obliterated them with a loud crash and a fwoomp. Fragments of burning wood flew across the camp and the smell of ash intensified. The other fireball hurtled into the sky to vanish harmlessly.


    Hisses of fury slipped from the Nagagaga''s heads as it spun back to Alex, shaking off its disorientation. It lowered its staves at him ¡ª


    A streak of silver carved through the air toward the Field Boss. It managed to twist at the last moment, crossing the huge weapons before itself a moment before Glint slammed into it. His segmented cloak-wing slammed into the wood, cutting deep into it but failing to penetrate.


    The Glasmir yanked his cloak back and spun out of the way even as the Nagagaga whipped a staff down, using it like a club. The huge stick slammed into the ground where he''d been standing, leaving a massive crater in its wake.


    Claire arrived an instant later. Her wings snapped and she leapt from the ground, blurring through the air and crashing into the Field Boss'' shoulder. She raked her claws down, ripping a large scale away before leaping free to avoid getting crushed by its staves. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lumbering steps marked Princess'' arrival at Alex''s side. She readied herself to defend him, sludge bubbling like boiling oil. Behind the Nagagaga, Alex spotted Spark''s shadow getting into position.


    "Oh look," Alex said, his lips pulling back in an excited grin. He couldn''t help himself. Adrenaline pumped through his veins and his entire body itched from the thrill of the fight. "The cavalry is here."


    The Nagagaga''s tongues flicked out. It took a step back, then drove both of its staves down into the ground, impaling them into the dirt.


    "Partial Soul Manifestation," the Field Boss hissed, its serpentine voice slipping from all three of its mouths in a unified, poisoned hiss. For an instant, Alex could have sworn that its thin lips pulled into cruel smiles. "Burning World."


    Ah, shit.

 Chapter 130 - 129: Finish

    Any surprise that Alex may have had about the fact that the three-headed snake monster being able to speak were quickly swallowed by the enormous wave of flame that exploded out from the Field Boss.


    He could feel the heat even a dozen paces away from the monster ¡ª and he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that, if the fire touched him, he would be burnt to a crisp within moments.


    Princess lurched forward. She grabbed Claire with one hand and slammed the Dhampir down beside Alex. The Dredge squished the two of them together like they were toy dolls and wrapped her body around them.


    The fire connected an instant later. Even through the heavy, sludgy flesh surrounding Alex, he felt the heat bearing down on him. Crackling fire roared and hissed. Princess'' flesh bubbled. Energy drained away from her as she regenerated as quickly as she could, fighting to remain whole.


    She unwrapped herself from Alex and Claire, her body sloughing away and reforming. The air smelled of sticky burnt rubber ¡ª and the ground in a twenty foot ring originating from the Nagagaga was burnt to a blackened crisp.


    Twisting snakes of fire spun around the Field Boss, glowing with molten light and swimming effortlessly through the air. One of them streaked through a burning tree at the edge of the monster''s domain, burning clean through it and leaving a smoking hole in its scorched trunk.


    "That''s fucking sick," Alex said.


    "Focus," Claire snapped. "You can fangirl over the monster after its dead! And the damn thing can speak. You do not need to be complimenting the enemy."


    The Nagagaga swept its staves down and several snakes shot out toward them. Princess grabbed the attacks before they could reach their targets. Her flesh bubbled and smoked, huge portions of her arms sloughing away, but she managed to smother the magic before it could burn through her.


    Alex could feel the magic coming from her body fading at an alarming rate. She wouldn''t be able to block many more attacks like that. One, maybe. Two if he was lucky.


    They were going to have to find a way to end this fast.


    Hissing laughter slipped from the Nagagaga''s mouths. More burning snakes swam in the air around it, rising up from the ground at its feet like molten ghosts to join the growing reserves surrounding the Field Boss.


    Is there a limit to those? If not, we have to end this even faster than I thought. We''re going to get overwhelmed.


    "I need to get close to it," Claire whispered. "I pulled a scale off. If I can drink its blood¡­"


    "I''ll buy you space. We won''t have long. If you can make a good opening to let Spark and Glint get a strong attack in, that''ll be the best chance we have to take this thing down." Alex made sure he spoke quietly enough that the monster couldn''t overhear him. If it could speak, then it was smart enough to pick any plans it heard apart as well.


    Claire nodded.


    The Nagagaga sent four burning snakes twisting toward them, and another pair of fireballs started to form above its staves. Claire burst into a run, her wings snapping down and launching her forward.


    She slipped past the burning snakes, which twisted to follow after her. They streaked through the air in pursuit, only slightly slower than Claire herself.


    Alex couldn''t afford to worry about her. Several other snakes shot toward him, and the Nagagaga''s fireballs were nearly fully formed. He didn''t have much Qi left. If he used it on another Funhouse, that would be one less trump card he had left to play.


    He flexed his fingers and waited for the attacks to arrive, shifting from foot to foot as his heart slammed in his chest. The fire flashed through the air and was upon him no more than a second later.


    Alex hurled himself forward at the last second. Unlike the fireballs, the snakes didn''t explode when they impacted something ¡ª and that meant they could be dodged without wasting precious energy.


    "Princess!" Alex yelled even as he hit the ground rolling with a grunt. He still hadn''t gotten anywhere near mastering a perfect combat roll, so he ended up pulling off something more akin to a tactical flop.


    The flop proved to be sufficient. Loud hisses from the dirt behind him told Alex that the Nagagaga''s magic had missed. Princess'' footsteps thundered past Alex as he shoved himself to his feet. Waves of heat beat against his face as if he were standing a few inches away from a roaring oven.


    One dodge was nothing to get too smug about. In the time that it had taken him to rise again, the Field Boss had replaced the snakes it had lost with twice their number. Molten magic swirled around the monster like crimson ribbons, flowing up from the ground around it.


    Fucking hell. I don''t know how long this thing can keep its domain up, but if it keeps going like this, I think I can see why the domain''s name is Burning World. We can''t let it keep ramping its magic up.


    If we don''t shift the flow of the fight soon, it''s going to cook every one of us alive. Claire can''t even get close to the damn thing as it is now. I have to take its domain down somehow.


    That wasn''t as easily said as done. Alex didn''t have the slightest idea how Partial Domains worked. They obviously drew magic to keep active, but it was impossible to tell just how much energy the Nagagaga had. It certainly didn''t look tired.


    That''s fine. We''ll just have to do things the old fashioned way.


    Princess lumbered past Alex. She accelerated with each step, shaking the earth beneath her. Streaks of fire carved through the sky like claws, slamming into her body one after the other and leaving thick holes in the sludge that made her up.


    Energy drained from Princess in waves, but the wounds pulled themselves shut. Her advance continued. The Dredge was a shambling force of nature. Alex could practically see the moment when uncertainty forced its way into the Nagagaga''s features.


    The monster''s staves lowered as it took aim, finally readying the fireballs that it had been holding at bay. Princess had simply taken too many strikes to still be standing. It had registered her as the strongest opponent, which meant she had to be dealt with before she got any closer.


    Fire tore from the tips of the wooden weapons and screamed through the air.


    Alex''s lips pulled apart into a smile as the magic struck Princess. A deafening explosion ripped through air and a wave of heat and force exploded out along with a brilliant flash of orange flame.


    He staggered, throwing his hands up to cover his face. A loud snap echoed within the crackle of roaring fire. Energy rushed into Alex as he felt his connection to Princess sever. The Nagagaga had finally managed to take her down.


    And, in the process, it had left itself open. The monster was still working to regenerate the fire snakes it had used trying to take Princess down. It would be at least a few seconds before it could summon another pair of fireballs.


    There were still so many fire snakes around the Field Boss that not even an idiot would get close unless they wanted to get fried. Being slightly less defended didn''t mean much when a single good strike from the Partial Domain would kill most people.


    Fortunately for Alex, he didn''t need to keep his monsters alive.


    He could still feel the death energy from all the monsters that had died during the initial invasion of the camping ground. The dead Nagaga nearby held a considerable amount of strength himself.


    And, as a flicker of relief passed over the Field Boss'' serpentine features and it turned toward Alex to finish off the next threat, he cast his mind out to those scraps of death energy. He thrust a hand into the air and yanked every scrap of the waiting power to himself.


    Then he snapped his fingers.


    A burning snake streaked straight for his head.


    The patch of black sludge on the ground where Princess had once stood bubbled. Then it erupted like a geyser, the pieces of her mask slamming back together as Alex ripped her free from the clutches of the grave.


    Her power left his body and returned to the monster. She intercepted the fire from the Nagagaga''s Partial Domain, swallowing the damage with her body and leaving Alex unharmed behind her.


    The Field Boss'' eyes widened in disbelief. Its tongues flicked into the air as it took a step back, hurriedly trying to gather fire at the tips of its staves. The monster let out a furious hiss. "How are you still alive?"


    Alex didn''t grace his opponent with a response ¡ª but Princess did. She lurched forward, tanking several more fire strikes before arriving mere feet away before the Nagagaga. The serpentine monster tried to retreat, but it was clearly used to using its wings more than its legs.


    Princess'' fist streaked through the air and slammed into one of its heads with a satisfying crunch.


    The Field Boss staggered back, blood spraying from its lips. It whipped a wooden staff down into the Drudge. The stick drove deep into her body and sent sludge splattering all around her. Alex grimaced.


    This might have been a mage, but it was still Adept 1. It hit like a truck. The blow had done nearly as much damage to Princess as a full on fireball.


    Maybe she''s just slightly flame resistant?


    It certainly seemed like the Nagagaga planned to find out. The monster let out a furious hiss as it ripped fire up from the ground as if pulling it straight from the depths of hell. They slammed into Princess one after the other.


    Others broke away to streak for Alex, forcing him to fling himself to safety and scramble to avoid getting cooked.


    Princess was doing a remarkable job of keeping the monster''s attention, but her energy was draining rapidly. She couldn''t take many more hits, and it wouldn''t be long until ¡ª


    A loud crack echoed out.


    The Nagagaga''s staff shattered Princess'' mask. Her body collapsed into a pool of sludge. Her weak point had been discovered. There wasn''t enough death energy left from the fight to bring Princess back a second time, and he didn''t have the energy to use Encore more than once. Cashing that in now would be overplaying his hand.


    With a hissing laugh, the Field Boss turned toward Alex. It swept its staff down and a flash of fire streaked for him. He lunged for safety, but he wasn''t quite fast enough to avoid the Field Boss'' attacks when it was fully focused on him.


    A searing pain ripped through his right leg. Alex let out something between an agonized scream and a curse. He couldn''t tell what the extent of the damage was, but it felt bad. Alex hit the ground with a grunt.


    He rolled to the side, teeth gritted.


    The Nagagaga raised its staves.


    Then it paused.


    It didn''t have any flames left. Its fireballs were spent. And, even as more fire rose from the ground, even as a whine filled the air while the monster spun magic back to life above its staves, Alex locked eyes with it.


    He grinned. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Gotcha," Alex said.


    Claire slammed into the Nagagaga''s side in a blur. Her claws dug into it for purchase; her head reared back and her fangs glistened in the light of the all-too-slow fire beneath the Field Boss. Directly before her was the spot where she''d ripped one of its scales off previously.


    Panic flashed in the serpentine monster''s eyes, but it was too late. She bit deep into the monster. She drank, gulping its blood down by the mouthful, and the Nagagaga screamed.


    It discarded a staff and reached up to grab her.


    "Claire!" Alex yelled.


    Claire shoved away from the Field Boss, her wings snapping as she barely dodged out of the way in time. She dropped to the ground and leapt back, landing beside Alex.


    The Nagagaga let out a rattling hiss. Strands of flame pushed free from beneath the ground to twist around it. Fury roiled in its eyes like the fire surrounding the monster.


    It was pissed.


    "Oh, you''re a simple one, aren''t you?" Claire whispered. Her tongue ran along her lips and she closed her eyes, face creasing in concentration.


    A fireball twisted to life above the Field Boss'' remaining staff.


    "Claire?" Alex whispered.


    Her eyes snapped open. They''d gone as black as the deep night. The Dhampir extended an open hand toward the Nagagaga. Then she clenched it shut.


    "You have no eyes," Claire said.


    Six wet pops cut through the crackle of the flame.


    The Nagagaga screamed in agony. The fire surrounding it sputtered out as it staggered, clawing at its thrashing heads, where six streams of blood traced down the sides of its face.


    Alex''s grin grew wider. He was under no delusion that they''d already won the fight. The Field Boss was far from dead ¡ª but the tides had shifted.


    You know, I was planning on keeping the people here out of the fight¡­ but there''s no such thing as safe anymore. Safety today is danger tomorrow.


    "Come on!" Alex roared to the townsfolk. "If you want to make something of yourselves, then show us what you''ve got! The snake is blind! This is your opportunity to get stronger!"


    Now it''s our turn. Time to finish this.

 Chapter 131 - 130: Gagagone

    Alex''s call to arms served a second, slightly less intentional, but entirely predictable result.


    It told the Nagagaga exactly where he and Claire were standing. The monster may have been blinded and injured, but that didn''t make it any less capable of flinging magic in their direction haphazardly.


    Claire grabbed Alex, whose leg was still charred to a crisp, and dragged him to the side. The two of them half ran, half-stumbled as streaks of flame streaked away from the Field Boss and hurtled toward where they''d been standing. Smoldering hot air prickled against Alex''s back as the attacks just barely missed.


    The Nagagaga slammed its staff into the ground with a trio of furious hisses. Fire coiled around the monster''s body, rising from the ground beneath it and rolling out in waves. The air around it was hazy and Alex could practically taste the heat on his tongue.


    "Do you really think they''re going to be able to do anything other than get themselves killed?" Claire asked Alex as they repositioned, both looking for an opportunity to strike and finish the Field Boss off.


    "Probably not, but at least this will show us who''s worth actually trying to help," Alex said. He pushed the pain from his mind, his fingernails biting into the palm of his hand as he kept himself focused. "We don''t have the resources of a massive family. If they can''t fling rocks at this thing while we keep it distracted, they won''t have the guts to fight anything in the Mirrorlands."


    And they''re way behind the curve. If they want any chance to survive the Apocalypse, then they''re going to have to start fighting way above their weight limit. They''ll always be weak if they don''t.


    A white flash of magic split the air behind them. Alex''s eyes just barely managed to pick up on a shard of ice flashing through the sky before it slammed straight into the Nagagaga''s shoulder, biting deep into the wound that Claire had left in its flesh.


    The monster screamed and swept its hand forward. Tongues of fire rolled out in a wave, washing over the area the attack had come from, but the monster had aimed far too close to itself. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Orchid, who had thrown the attack from well over twenty paces behind where the Nagagaga''s fire scorched the earth, lowered her own staff, a determined look on her features.


    She wasn''t alone. All around the campsite, the townsfolk that weren''t already caught up in a fight with a weaker monster stared at the Nagagaga. Many of them still hid. Hesitation gripped their bodies ¡ª but some of them still moved.


    Around ten townsfolk, nearly all Outworlders from their appearance, stepped forward. None of them looked to be in any rush to get closer to the raging Field Boss, but they readied their weapons and bit back their fear.


    Alex couldn''t afford to pay them attention any longer. The Nagagaga may have been blind, but it was flinging magic in every direction with no signs of slowing. It had burned the ground around it to the point where it was just a solid black crisp where there had once been dirt and foliage.


    The thick smell of ash and smoke infused the air to such an intensity that it almost blocked out the scent of blood that had been spilled in the fight prior.


    Almost.


    Alex''s jaw clenched as he studied the Nagagaga. They needed a real opening. It was blind, but the monster was surrounded by so much magic that Glint and Spark still didn''t have a good way to get close to it without dying before they could get their attacks off.


    If this thing was weaker, I''d send them on a suicide mission. Even if they died, they''d probably land one strike and that would be enough. But this is a Field Boss. It''s tanked a lot more damage than I would have thought it could have. Glint and Spark can''t kill it in a single strike.


    We need to weaken it even further before they can get close.


    "You got any other tricks stored up?" Alex asked, keeping his voice as low as possible to avoid calling the Nagagaga''s attention right to them.


    Claire shook her head. "Yes, but not ones that are going to do much here. I need to be up close. There''s just too much magic in the way. I''m not flame resistant, and I''m not nearly fast enough to dodge everything if I got any closer to it."


    "Figured," Alex said.


    A loud whine filled the air as the Nagagaga lifted its staff and formed a fireball at the tip. Its tongues lolled out of its mouths like it was a rabid dog. The blood streaking down the sides of its faces certainly didn''t help improve that image.


    Hissing in fury and pain, the Nagagaga swept its staff down. Alex and Claire dove to the side as the fireball screamed out and slammed into the ground about twenty paces from them, detonating with a loud explosion.


    Fire licked across the ground and danced into the sky before fading away, its crackle swallowed by another whistling shrill. The Nagagaga was forming another fireball.


    "We can''t keep dodging. It''s going to land something eventually," Alex said. "Especially with my leg the way it is. I feel like a piece of chicken."


    "Tasty?"


    "Fried," Alex replied. He bit back a curse. "I think I''m going to have to sacrifice Glint to get the Nagagaga off balance and waste some of the magic it''s flinging around everywhere. I don''t think anyone else can¡ª"


    A guttural, wordless battle cry rang through the battle scarred clearing.


    And, from behind a cabin, a lone form sprinted out and darted straight for the Nagagaga, a katana clutched in his hands like a baseball bat.


    It was Aaron.


    The cry had been so loud that even the Field Boss couldn''t have missed it. The monster twisted in the direction of the sound instinctively, pointing its staff and sending three tongues of flame leaping in Aaron''s direction.


    "Fuck!" Aaron screamed, his eyes wide in wild fear. The first and second flames streaked past him harmlessly. He nearly got hit by the third, but it hit the scorched ground a few feet in front of him instead of connecting with its target. Aaron leapt over the blackened dirt, which fortunately had nothing left to actually burn. "Fuck me!"


    The Nagagaga flung another flame in his direction. Aaron stumbled past it, nearly losing his footing in the process, but managed to keep his balance. He let out another scream as he continued charged toward the Nagagaga.


    "What the bleeding hell is he doing?" Claire asked, aghast.


    "I think I should have been more specific with how we wanted help," Alex muttered, more than a little awe in his voice. "I was thinking people would throw shit or used ranged attacks. Not¡­ this."


    Sprinting straight at an Adept ranked monster as a Novice was ridiculous. It wasn''t just insane. It was suicide. Aaron definitely knew how significant the difference between Novice and Initiate was, but here he was running right at what had to be the strongest opponent he''d ever seen without so much as a shield to hide behind.


    The Nagagaga''s heads followed the approaching noise. If the monster had just waited until Aaron was upon him, the fire surrounding it would have fried him long before he even got a chance to attack.


    But it seemed Princess had left lasting effects. The monster wasn''t about to let another opponent get anywhere near it easily. It thrust its staff forward as a fireball twisted to life at its tip.


    "Come on! Don''t make a Nativeworlder fight this thing on his own!" Abby called, bursting into motion. Several other people followed after her, raising their weapons and letting out battle cries of their own.


    They''re all fucking insane. Does nobody have a goddamn bow or something?


    That did nothing to keep a grin from pulling across Alex''s lips. He still had some energy, and Princess'' magic was doing wonders to seal the damage in his leg. It held his weight properly once again.


    And if a bunch of Novice ranked Outworlders were charging an Adept, then he''d be damned if he sat around and did nothing.


    Hell yeah. Let''s fucking get it.


    "Alex," Claire warned, noticing the look on his face. "Don''t you even¡ª"


    "Charge!" Alex roared, bursting into a charge along with everyone else. He drew on his magic, preparing to cast Funhouse to re-direct the Nagagaga and keep its fireball from connecting.


    Someone else beat him to it.


    "Don''t touch my brother!" May yelled.


    A faint crack split the air as a sleek bolt of lighting carved through it. The magic collided with the side of one of the Nagagaga''s three heads, doing no more than singing its scales ever so slightly.


    The Field Boss staggered back, lifting its staff defensively before it and sending a streak of flame from its Partial Domain out for Aaron ¡ª and through either sheer luck or just the virtue of proximity ¡ª this one was right on target.


    Even from across the field, Alex saw Aaron''s eyes wide with fear. He lifted the katana before him as if to block the magic with it.


    The earth before him exploded. A stone wall erupted up an inch away from him. The bolt of fire slammed into one side of it, splashing off the stone and dissipating harmlessly, and Aaron ran face-first into its other side.


    He staggered back, reeling, as Orchid lowered her staff.


    "For Rin!" an Outworlder yelled, pointing a sword up at the massive monster. "Cook the liz¡ª"


    A serpent of flame slammed into the man''s chest, killing him in an instant. He crumpled, but the rest of the Outworlders didn''t even slow.


    May sent another largely harmless bolt of lightning into one of the monster''s faces. Abby dodged out of the way of several streaks of fire and sliced her sword down, sending a thin blade of white wind slicing through the air and into the Nagagaga''s scales.


    The attack did little, but it drew the monster''s attention to her. The Nagagaga lowered its staff and aimed in her general direction as a fireball gathered at its tip. Flashes of fire danced all around it, seeking out the Outworlders, but the monster was starting to panic. Its movements were getting erratic.


    Letting out a hiss of both fury and fear, the Nagagaga brought its staff down. Alex''s heart skipped a beat. The charging Outworlders were nearly upon it. If the magic got anywhere near them ¡ª they were all dead.


    Change of plans.


    He grabbed the last of the Qi he had and shoved it, along with every last scrap of magic he had in his body.


    Then he cast Funhouse.


    Reality shattered. The Nagagaga staggered as it was twisted like a cloth in a tornado. Funhouse spat it out to the side, sending it staggering. The monster''s fireball slammed into the ground a dozen paces away from any of the campers.


    It tripped and fell back, hissing and writhing. The monster flung its domain-granted flames around haphazardly, sending them streaking in every direction.


    And then there was nothing left.


    Fire bubbled at the ground as it rose, to replenish the Field Boss'' reserves, but would be a second or two before it could attack again. The Nagagaga had spent its defenses in their entirety.


    Glint and Spark exploded into motion.


    A silver blur marked Glint as he bounded across the ground and alighted on top of the Nagagaga''s chest. His wing drove straight down into the monster''s heart, piercing clean through its scales and into its heart.


    At the same time, Spark materialized beside the monster. His daggers flashed as he drove them into its eyes. The Field Boss screamed and thrashed, flinging Glint off.


    Spark swapped spots with his shadow and dashed at it once more, carving deep furrows into the monster''s body.


    Glint wasn''t one to be outdone. His wing snapped out in its blade-form, slicing a deep furrow through the Nagagaga''s chest. It flashed twice more, leaving two more wicked wounds upon the monster.


    The two of them bore down on the Nagagaga. It dropped its staff; clawed at them in a desperate attempt to pry the monsters free. The Nagagaga managed to wrap a hand around Spark, only for Glint''s segmented blade to cut its arm clean off and free the Knight Wraith.


    Their assault was relentless ¡ª and the Nagagaga had no ways left to defend itself. Snakes of fire finally rose from the ground, but they were too late.


    It collapsed to the ground, thrashing pitifully, still somehow alive. The monster''s body was incredibly resilient for a mage. It had managed to survive nearly ten seconds under Glint and Spark''s combined efforts, but it had finally met its end.


    A wave of magical energy poured into Alex, and all around the camp, a breath of relief went up.


    The Nagagaga was dead.

 Chapter 132 - 131: Rin

    With the death of the Nagagaga, the remaining monsters attacking the camp quickly fell or ran. An uneasy silence hung over the clearing, broken only by crackle of dying flame at the edges of the area that the Field Boss had scorched to a crisp.


    There was so much ash and soot in the air that Alex couldn''t even smell it anymore. His nose was completely clogged. He fought to catch his breath through his mouth, his heart slowly coming down from its adrenaline rush.


    They''d taken out an Adept ranked monster. A Field Boss, no less. The amount of power he''d gotten from defeating the Nagagaga was incredible. He could tell by the stunned expressions of everyone that had participated in the fight that they felt similarly. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even if the campers hadn''t done all that much, they''d still been instrumental in defeating a very powerful enemy. For someone at the Novice rank, that was going to be a hell of a lot of magical energy to cash in all at once.


    The System can be a real fucking bastard, but damn if it doesn''t pay out well when you pull off some crazy bullshit.


    "Holy shit," Aaron whispered, dropping to his knees as his legs gave out beneath him. He stared at the huge corpse on the ground. "Holy shit. What the fuck was that?"


    "A Field Boss," Alex said. He approached the dead monster. A Soul Flame flickered above its chest, visible only to him. Alex wasted no time in scooping the large flame up and tossing it into a Spatial Mirror. He went to reach for his Harvester, only to remember it still had a Mirrorlands monster in it. "Does anybody have a spare Harvester?"


    There were several moments of silence. The rest of the camp ¡ª Native and Outworlder alike ¡ª stared on in silence. Then, slowly, Abby pulled a small orb free from a bag on her belt. She tossed it to Alex, who used it on the dead Field Boss.


    "How are you so¡­ calm about this?" Aaron asked between heavy breaths. His fingers dug through the blackened dirt. "People are dead! I saw a man get fucking cooked! Literally!"


    "Because I''ve already had a chance to get used to it," Alex said. "And you get used to it. Not because you want to, but because you have to. It helped that the first person I saw dead tried to kill me first. After that¡­ well, that''s how life is now. He was a fucking badass."


    "A badass," Aaron repeated mutely. "That''s what you''re going to call it?"


    "Yes," Alex said. "Because that''s what it was."


    "A man is dead."


    "And a lot more would have been if you crazy idiots hadn''t charged an Adept ranked field boss. I was going to have to start trading my monsters to get an opening, and I can now see that would have gone pretty poorly. We might have lost half the people here. Maybe more. I don''t even know for certain if I would have won."


    "You were the one that led the charge, Aaron," Abby said, walking up beside them. Her somber expression was marred by more than a little awe. "Didn''t you know you could die?"


    "Of course I did," Aaron snapped. "But I wasn''t really thinking about that! He said we had to do something, and I''m fed up being weak. So I did something. But¡­ I didn''t die! He did! And I don''t even remember his name!"


    "Jozen," Abby said. "His name was Jozen. He knew what was at risk. All of us did. Alex is right, Aaron. This is life. You can''t let yourself get so hung up on what was lost that you ignore what was gained."


    "So I''m just supposed to celebrate because a man is dead?"


    "You''re supposed to be thankful for what his sacrifice earned us. What use is crying over the dead? It will change nothing. Live the life they paid for." Abby extended a hand to him.


    Aaron stared at it for a long second. Then he reached out and took it, letting her pull him to his feet. He wiped the sweat from his brow and took a steadying breath. His eyes flicked across the camp until he spotted May and let out a sigh of relief.


    "I''m a terrible person."


    "For being happy that your sister lived when someone else didn''t?"


    "Yes."


    "That''s just the nature of life. You''ll get used to it."


    "And if you don''t want to, then you''ll get stronger," Claire said. "That''s how things are. Adapt or break."


    "That''s¡­ cold," Aaron said.


    "It is," Claire agreed. "And that doesn''t change the reality of our life. Your choice. Nobody will make it for you. Just don''t expect to make it much longer if you dwell too long on what could have been. Look to the future."


    The survivors of the campsite made their way to gather around the scorched clearing. Many of them were Outworlders, but there were a fair number that seemed to be from earth as well. They all stared at the fallen Field Boss, a mixture of emotions on their features.


    Alex could practically tell who was an Outworlder and who wasn''t by their expressions. The Outworlders had far more trepidation than relief in their expressions. Some of them definitely knew just how screwed they were. Their group had barely managed to defeat a Field Boss, and the Region Boss would be leagues more powerful.


    The Nativeworlders just looked either shellshocked and relieved to be alive. None of them had any true context as to just how much the world had changed if they hadn''t left this forest since early in the Apocalypse.


    That would be changing soon.


    "Where''s Rin?" Abby asked, breaking the somber silence that had been working its way back into the air alongside the settling ash. "Has anyone seen her?"


    That broke everyone out of their moods instantly.


    "Look for her!" an Outworlder man with blue hair and what seemed to be gills on his neck ordered. "She might be injured! The other fallen as well! Check to see if anyone can be saved!"


    "Just don''t go too far from camp," Abby warned. "There may still be monsters in the area. Stay in groups and call out if you run into anything!"


    People burst into motion, latching onto the order and hurrying to obey. They worked their way through the damaged campsite in search of the elderly Dhampir. Alex and Claire didn''t hesitate to join them.


    There were a number of questions that Alex had for Rin, and he suspected Claire had a hundredfold more. And if the old woman had managed to get energy for defeating the Field Boss, then there was a good chance that she could stave off or even completely defeat the eminent collapse that hung over all ancient Dhampirs.


    Orchid made her way over to them along with May. They, along with Anna, joined Alex and Claire''s group in the search. Alex wasn''t bothered ¡ª of everyone in the camp, nearly everyone he was the most interested was gathered here.


    I didn''t see anything particularly impressive, but the attitude was the most important thing. That charge was fucking stupid. There were so many better ways to try and distract or take the Nagagaga off guard¡­ but charging ahead like that is something that only someone willing to risk it all would do.


    Well, that or an idiot. I''ll work with either. I''m pretty sure I''m having intimate relations with that line myself.


    "Goodness, girl. Were you waiting on a signed invitation to seek me out?"


    Alex was pulled from his thoughts as Rin''s voice emerged from behind them. They all spun to find the old woman standing behind them, leaning heavily against a blackened tree. Her body had returned to its normal appearance, but her features were as pale as death.


    "Rin!" Abby exclaimed, relief blooming in her features. "You need to sit down and rest! Why didn''t you say¡ª"


    "I''m not some little wallflower that needs to sit down and hug her knees to meet the end," Rin said with a dry laugh. "I''ve just been waiting for a moment to speak. Didn''t want an audience."


    "What?" Abby asked, taken aback. "Meet the end? What are you talking about? You''re not injured, are you? Hurry and meditate! You might be able to¡ª"


    Rin lifted a hand. Or, at least, she lifted part of one. Four of her fingers had completely crumbled away and the fifth was well on her way. Her flesh looked like it was made out of packed sand rather than skin.


    "You''re wasting my time," Rin said in a polite but stern voice. "And I don''t have much of that left. Meditation takes hours, and I don''t have that. Claire. We must speak."


    "You''re spent," Claire whispered, but there was no surprise in her tone. She''d known this was coming.


    "So I am," Rin said. "Good riddance. What a hassle. The Nightmarch promised they''d find a way to juice us up. Feed us pathetic kills until we became useful to them. They can rot. I am not so pathetic that¡ª"


    Rin coughed, and Alex could have sworn that a cloud of dust burst up from her lungs. The old woman cackled and shook her head, wiping her mouth with the back of a hand.


    Claire took a step toward her. "Maybe you should¡ª"


    "Stand rank, Broodguard," Rin barked, her eyes flashing.


    Claire''s arms snapped to her sides and her back straightened. "I''m not a Broodguard."


    "No? Would have been, I''d say," Rin said. Her lips twitched in a smile before she shook her head. "I imagine you''d have made it far. What a shame. I would have loved nothing more than to try my hand against yours, but that opportunity is passed. This is the era of the young."


    "It''s the era of nobody," Claire said grimly. "Our race is nearly gone."


    "Which is why you must be even more vicious than any that came before you. You must take no quarter. Spare no effort. We always play the long game, Claire. When the circumstances change, we adapt. Do you understand?"


    "I had no plans of giving in," Claire said.


    "Good. You will watch over my Brood. Protect them. The boy has already agreed to it."


    "I don''t know if anyone can guarantee safety anymore, and I do not know where the future will take me. I will not swear to something that I cannot accomplish."


    "Your best efforts will suffice," Rin said. She let out a rattling breath and let her eyes drift to Abby before pulling them back to Claire. "I will accept nothing less. This is an order."


    "I will help those who I can," Claire said firmly. "That is all I will promise. Anything that stands in the way of my purposes will not remain."


    Rin''s smile grew. "Unfaltering¡­ and yet, entirely unlike our kind. Why not simply agree? You know what is coming. This could risk it."


    "I suspect it," Claire said slowly. "But that changes nothing. I stand by what I''ve said."


    "Interesting. That is not the path of a Dhampir. But perhaps¡­" Rin''s eyes drifted to Alex. He didn''t have the slightest idea as to what they were talking about, but there was something deep within Rin that sent him on edge. The old woman was a predator. She nodded slowly. "This one?"


    "He is worthy of respect."


    "So I can see," Rin said. Her lips pulled up in a thin, flat smile. "Perhaps it was time for a change. Our old ways cannot bear us any further. Very well, Claire. Ready yourself."


    "It is my duty to be prepared."


    "Then I pass unto you what little I still have," Rin said. She leaned forward, pulling the collar of her shirt down just enough to expose the side of her neck. The remains of her hand crumbled to dust and her sleeve went slack. Rin''s back straightened and her eyes sharpened, shimmering like two silver moons on a clear night. Pride and confidence etched themselves into her very being. With her remaining hand, she reached into a pocket and pressed something into Claire''s palm. "Unto you I pass the soul of my line. Drink, Dhampir. Reap a pound of flesh for every drop of blood."


    Claire leaned forward. Her fangs sank into Rin''s neck.


    She drank.


    Abby raised a hand, nearly taking a step forward before she caught herself. She swallowed heavily. Her fists balled at her sides and she bit her lip.


    Rin''s body crumbled. What little strength she''d had left in her fell away as her limbs turned to sand, but not once did the old woman''s posture falter. She remained steadfast until she was nothing but ash in the wind. Her clothes fluttered down, devoid of any support, and draped over Claire''s arms.


    There was a long second of silence.


    "What just happened?" Aaron asked, his mouth hanging open.


    Claire turned back to them. There was power in her eyes that hadn''t been there before; a lurking shadow that slipped away the moment Alex noticed its presence. She had grown stronger ¡ª and not from the System.


    She opened her hand, where a familiar looking gem rested within it.


    Aspect Gem [Matriarch Aspect]


    "Rin made me her successor."

 Chapter 133 - 132: Named

    "Rin made you her successor?" Abby repeated, distress twisting her features. Her fingernails dug into her palms until blood dripped down her nails. She didn''t even seem to notice. "What does that mean?"


    "It means she was really pissed at the Nightmarch," Claire replied. She stared down at the Aspect Gem clutched in her grip. It vanished an instant later and her fingers closed down on the air where it had been. "I don''t know the last time a Broodmother passed her line down to someone that wasn''t even in her family. I''m not sure it''s ever happened."


    "Is that what the gem was?" Aaron asked.


    "No." Abby answered before Claire could speak. "Aspect Gems are part of the System. When you reach the Initiate Stage, you''ll be able to use three of them to improve your Soul Manifestation and make a domain. They''re rare¡­ but I don''t think they had anything to do with what just happened."


    "They didn''t," Claire said. "Rin just asked me to take responsibility for this camp and everyone in it. She saw you as her children."


    Alex tilted his head to the side. He was pretty sure that there was more significance to the conversation than Claire was letting on. Something told him that drinking Rin''s blood hadn''t been purely symbolic.


    I''ll have to ask Claire about it when we get a moment alone. She''s obviously not going to want to go sharing what just happened with everyone that just happens to be standing around.


    "There''s not much of a camp left," Abby said grimly as she cast her gaze around the smoldering clearing.


    She wasn''t wrong. The stench of burnt foliage and flesh consumed the clearing. Alex could still see the main camp through the trees ¡ª they''d only gotten a little into the forest when they''d found Rin. Grass was scorched black and only a few of the cabins still stood strong. People and rubble littered the ground behind them.


    "There''s going to be even less of it left when the Region Boss gets around to you," Alex said.


    Abby''s lips thinned. "This isn''t the time¡ª"


    "No," Alex said firmly. "This is exactly the time. We don''t have time to sit around pitying ourselves. There''s a monster leagues more powerful than the Field Boss coming, and if you aren''t prepared to face it, then it''ll kill everyone here. What''s the point of Rin''s sacrifice if you all just end up dying in a few days because you sat around moping?"


    "Do you really think we even have a chance against something like that?" Aaron asked. "I mean¡­ we barely beat the Field Boss. Wouldn''t it be better to run away and train?"


    "It would certainly be safer," Alex allowed with a shrug. "But you''re already behind. For the rest of the world, the Apocalypse is in full swing. The people at the forefront of it ¡ª the ones who have the best chances of survival ¡ª have been fighting for their lives this entire time. Things aren''t going to get any easier. If you want to get strong enough to survive, you''ll have to take risks. Big ones."


    "I don''t even think I hurt that Field Boss, though," May said nervously. "How can we fight something stronger?"


    "As you are, you can''t," Alex replied with a shrug. "But I can give people a chance to get stronger. A lot stronger. Quickly, too. It''ll give all of us a chance against the Region Boss. If we don''t take that chance, then someone else will. You might survive this week, but the threat that comes the following one will kill everyone."


    "Why can''t we just avoid the Region Boss and focus on training?" Abby asked. "If you''ve got a power like that, we could use it until¡ª"


    "No."


    Abby blinked. "What?"


    "I''m sorry if you got the wrong idea, but I''m not doing this because I''m a saint. Claire and I already said the reason we came here. It''s to defeat the Region Boss. I had no problem helping this village out, but I''m not running a charity. I can''t afford to. I''m not that strong. If you help me, then I''ll help you. If you won''t, then you''re free to go on your way."


    Abby stared at Alex. Her gaze flicked to Claire. "But didn''t you agree to¡ª"


    "A Brood must follow every order they receive," Claire said simply. "I agreed to honor Rin''s wishes, but that would mean you have to fulfill them as well. Alex is right. Risks today give life tomorrow. We''ll help those who stand by us and wish those who don''t the best as they leave."


    Brittle leaves crunched beneath Aaron''s feet as he shifted his weight from foot to foot. There were several long seconds of silence.


    Abby chewed her cheeks, her fingers twitching as they tapped a steady beat against her leg.


    "I''ll stay," Aaron said, breaking the silence. He set his jaw and clenched his hands. "Alex is right. We can''t just keep running and hiding. I don''t know what the hell is going on with the Apocalypse, but if the rest of the world is leaving us behind, we have to take a stand somewhere. If you can give me that chance, then I''ll take it."


    "Me too," May said. "I want to fight as well."


    Alex half expected Aaron to tell his sister something stupid like she wasn''t allowed to fight and would have to sit things out. But, to his surprise, Aaron just nodded. He caught the look on Alex''s face and gave him a grim smile.


    "What?" Aaron asked. "Did you think I was going to keep trying to shelter her?"


    "Yes," Alex admitted.


    "I''m not strong enough for that. I thought hiding would be safer, but I was wrong. We can''t hide. And if we can''t hide, then our only option is to fight. I''m not stupid enough to take away her only chance at being strong enough to defend herself."


    I knew I liked him.


    Abby affixed Alex with a sharp look. "Are you serious about our chances? Or are you just planning to use the village as fodder to absorb the Region Boss'' attention while you reap the rewards?"


    "That depends on you," Alex said honestly. He wasn''t looking to lie to them. There wasn''t any reason to. It wasn''t like anyone here had much choice in the matter. There were only two options. Either people took him up on his offer to get stronger or they ran. And if they chose the latter, it didn''t matter what they thought of him. "I can''t promise anyone will live. All I can do is give you the same opportunities I got. Some people will probably die, but the ones that survive will be powerful. And, for what it''s worth, I''ll do everything I can to help those who stand at my side."


    "Definitely. Not probably. There''s no doubt about it," Orchid corrected. "This isn''t a game. You should know that by now, Abby."


    "I do," Abby said quietly. "But I wanted to see if you would try to bullshit me about it. If you''d said that we''d all survive, I''d have said you were full of shit and left. But¡­ you''re right. I''ll stand with you as well, and I''ll speak to the others to see how many will join us."


    "Thank you," Alex said. He really didn''t fancy repeating this conversation with everyone in the campsite. Having someone to take care of it for him would save a lot of effort. "You''ve got four and a half hours." sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That''s a¡­ very specific amount of time," Abby observed.


    Alex nodded. "Half an hour for the conversation. Four hours to meditate. We''ll be leaving immediately after that. Everyone who fought today should have gotten some pretty good rewards for the challenge, right?"


    May and Aaron both nodded.


    "You''re about to take us to some form of difficult challenge, right?" Aaron asked.


    "Yes," Alex replied. "That''s the only way to get stronger, and we''ll need to be doing a lot of that before the Region Boss wakes up if anyone wants to survive. Why?"


    "The challenge will be greater if we''re weaker, right?"" Aaron asked. He swallowed, then pushed on. "Wouldn''t it be smarter to hold off on meditating?"


    A grin pulled across Alex''s lips. "I like the way that you think. You''re right ¡ª but I don''t think you have that luxury right now. Trust me, you''re not going to breeze through this just because you''ve gotten a bit stronger. This is just going to give you a chance to actually be able to put up a fight."


    "Make sure you invest a lot of your energy into your Mind Palace," Claire advised. "Don''t use everything on leveling up. It''ll reinforce your body and make sure you''re a lot stronger in the long run."


    Whoops. Forgot to mention that, but it was a good idea to let them know. I would very much prefer that the people we spend time training survive. I''m carrying around a Town Token, after all.


    No point having a town without people. I need a home base, but if there aren''t people there to protect and look after it, I''ll be stuck sitting around a bunch of empty buildings myself. It''s much better to have a group of people to help so I''m not stuck in one place constantly¡­ and if I want to fight back against the Outworlders, I''m going to need more than just me and Claire.


    "Definitely focus a lot of strength on that," Alex advised. "Don''t advance to Initiate until you''ve completely filled your body with energy and it won''t take anymore."


    "How do we know when that happens?" Aaron asked.


    "You''ll know." The corner of Alex''s mouth twitched. There was something deeply amusing about pretending to be a wise, sage master. Now he knew why nobody ever gave straight answers. "Until then, go meditate. I''m serious about the four and a half hour time limit. We don''t know how long it''ll be until the Region Boss shows up. Abby, if you could rally up everyone that''s willing to fight, I''d appreciate it."


    "I''ll do that," Abby promised.


    She, along with Aaron and May, headed back to the smoldering campsite.


    Orchid glanced from Alex to Claire. "I take it you want me gone as well."


    "I was going to suggest you make sure we aren''t missing anything and maybe work on getting that staff of yours fully connected to you," Alex replied innocently.


    "Right." Orchid let out a short laugh. "I''ll go do that. It''s good advice if we''re going back to the Mirrorlands. I''m still far weaker than I should be."


    She followed after the others and made toward the campsite, leaving Alex and Claire alone for the first time in a while. They waited until everyone was out of earshot to speak.


    "So," Alex said. "What exactly did Rin give you?"


    "Potential," Claire replied softly. "Every Dhampir bloodline bears its own unique powers, and all Broods are of a single bloodline."


    "So Rin shared hers with you?"


    "No. Sharing bloodlines is impossible. Our bloodline is ingrained into our souls. They''re one and the same. We can''t share bloodlines. We can only give them up. It is the greatest form of sacrifice a Dhampir can do, and there is only a single time that it is ever done."


    "And what time is that?" Alex asked, not missing the chill in Claire''s words.


    "During the ceremony in which the victor of Court absorbs the bloodline of a Brood that stood against them." Claire swallowed heavily. "Rin has named me Queen."

 Chapter 134 - 133: Safe

    "Of all the Dhampirs?" Alex asked, his eyes going wide. "You''re the Queen?"


    "No," Claire said with a small laugh. Her somber mood broke and she shook her head. "Rin is only a single Dhampir, and I did not win at Court. Nobody other than her Brood would acknowledge this. I am not the true Queen¡­ but I have undergone the ritual that a Queen would have."


    "That¡­ sounds like a good thing," Alex said slowly. "So you''re more powerful now?"


    "I will grow more powerful as my bloodline adapts to evolve with Rin''s," Claire said. "But it is more than just power. We broke an ancient law. Merging bloodlines is a privilege only allowed to the monarch of all Dhampirs. If any of the other Dhampirs were to discover this, they would name me abomination."


    "It''s fortunate I don''t see any more of them around."


    Claire let out a snort and rolled her eyes. "That''s true. I guess there isn''t enough of my civilization left to really pick bones about breaking tradition."


    "She gave you that power to avenge her," Alex pointed out. He could tell that Claire was a lot more shaken up about this than she was trying to let on. "I think the world ending and Rin wanting to pass on her bloodline is reason enough to ignore some rules."


    "Maybe," Claire said. She drew in a deep breath and let it out in a sharp huff. "It''s done. Doesn''t matter now. I can''t turn my nose up at the extra power. We''ll need it."


    "Do you know exactly what that power will be?"


    "I don''t know what bloodline Rin had, so it''s hard to say specifics. This isn''t part of the System, so there''s no message popping up to tell me exactly what to expect. I''d expect general increases to my physical strength and speed. My true form will change as well."


    "True form?"


    "Wings," Claire said. "You didn''t think that was the extent of it, did you? That''s just all I can handle right now. The more powerful a Dhampir is, the more of their bloodline they can connect with. You saw how Rin''s appearance changed when she attacked the Field Boss, right?"


    Alex nodded. "She looked like she de-aged like forty years."


    "That was her tapping into her bloodline. Honestly, she was definitely old enough to have a much more significant transformation than that. Rin held herself back for some reason."


    "Do you think she was planning on passing her powers to you from the start? If she used a stronger transformation, would she have also died way quicker because of using too much power?"


    "That''s¡­ possible," Claire allowed. A stick crunched beneath her heel as she shifted her weight. "But that''s some impressive foresight. Who decides they''re literally going to destroy their soul just a short while after meeting somebody?"


    He didn''t have an answer to that one. "You need to sit down for a bit? It''s probably a good idea to gather yourself before we head off to the Mirrorlands. Don''t want to be off balance."


    "That''s probably a good idea, yeah." Claire flopped down and leaned back against a tree, letting her head thunk against the trunk as she peered up through the leaves on the branches swaying overhead.


    Alex quietly sat down beside Claire. He had some energy to spend, but they weren''t planning on fighting any ridiculously powerful monsters in the Mirrorlands. The energy he had stored wouldn''t make a significant difference in his strength right now. It wouldn''t hurt to wait a bit longer to use it ¡ª and even he liked a breather every once and a while. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ***


    Alex and Claire headed back toward the campgrounds just around four hours later. They''d spent most of it relaxing, though Alex did feed all the Soul Flames he''d gotten ¡ª aside from the one that had come from the Field Boss ¡ª to Princess.


    He''d considered combining some of them with his monsters, but none felt like they''d be a huge boost to any of them. The last thing he wanted to do was force a sub-par combination that ended up crippling Glint, Spark, or Princess.


    The Field Boss'' Soul Flame wasn''t something he wanted to combine with anyone either right now, but there was a chance it would come in useful later. Maybe one of his future monsters would click well with it. If not, he''d just feed it to a monster later on.


    His efforts resulted in pushing Princess to Initiate 4. That was a level above even himself. And yet, Alex was willing to bet that if his monsters had ever fought each other, Glint would have defeated Princess with ease despite being three levels below her.


    Just another reminder that I can''t rely on the System''s levels for everything. They''re a very good estimator of ability, but there''s a whole lot more to how strong somebody is than what meets the eye.


    He also spent a little while locating the nearest portal to the Mirrorlands, which fortunately turned out to be a few minutes into the woods. It seemed that the Mirrorlands had entrances to it everywhere. Alex wasn''t sure if that was a good thing or not.


    When he and Claire arrived at the camp, the others were all waiting for them¡­ though all may have been a bit of an exaggeration.


    Orchid stood alongside Abby, Aaron, and May. Three more Outworlders and two Nativeworlders stood along with them. Eight people. That was it.


    Then again, I guess it wasn''t like there were that many people in the camp in the first place. After that fight, there are even less. How many of them decided to make a run for it? How many of them died to the monsters?


    "This is everyone," Abby said quietly.


    "Where are the others going to go?" Alex asked. He wasn''t about to force anyone to stay in the forest, but if they went to Valley Ford and told the Outworlders where they were, it could cause some serious trouble.


    The corner of Abby''s mouth twitched in what almost might have been a smile. "There are no others. This is everyone that survived the attack and who has the potential to be a combatant. There are some Nativeworlders that plan to remain in town, but they''re too old or ill-suited for combat to fight. A few of the other Outworlders will remain behind to defend them from minor threats while we are training. I trust that is fine?"


    Okay. Not as brutal of a fight as I thought, then. So these are just the people that are the most willing to take a risk and push themselves. Probably a good idea to leave a few behind to defend the camp incase even more monsters pop out.


    "The ones staying back realize that there''s a very good chance the Region Boss kills them?"


    "I''ve ensured they all know. They would not be able to defeat most of the monsters that existed in this forest before the Region Boss started to wake up. I suspect their chances of survival in your training are zero."


    "Most likely," Alex said. "If they know the risks, that''s fine. So nobody wants to leave?"


    "Where would they go?" Abby asked. "There is nothing to return to. All paths lead to death. At least there is a chance they will survive if they remain."


    "Then that''s fine with me. If anything, this is the best case scenario that we could have gotten."


    Abby blinked. "It is? You were hoping that some people would sit it out?"


    "Well, not that specifically. More that we don''t have people leaving. That would have been a bit bothersome."


    "Why?" Abby asked.


    "Because Valley Ford is not that far. Have you already forgotten what you are?" Orchid asked, tilting her head to the side and tapping her staff on the ground. "Should the other Outworlders discover where you are hiding, they will come for you. Hiding is the only way you can survive ¡ª at least, until the damage from breaking your bindings fades from your souls."


    Abby grimaced. "That''s a good point. I don''t think anyone would betray us¡ª"


    "It doesn''t have to be a betrayal. All it takes is one mistaken word," Claire said. "But it''s a moot point. If everyone is staying, then the only thing we have to worry about is getting strong enough to take on the Region Boss."


    "Right," Aaron said with a dry laugh. "That''s all we''ve got to do. Nice and straight forward."


    "I''m glad you feel that way. In that case, shall we get to it?" Alex asked, turning on his heel and activating Riftsense to relocate the portal to the Mirrorlands. "It''s this way."


    "What is?" May asked as the group followed after Alex. "Are we gonna fight mosnters in the forest?"


    "Not exactly."


    He led them away from the camp and into the forest. They all fell silent, not wanting to accidentally draw attention to themselves.


    Alex followed his senses until he stood near the base of a large tree. The portal to the Mirrorlands was so faint that he couldn''t even see the rift with his eyes, but it didn''t matter. He didn''t need to see it.


    He just had to feel it.


    Power crackled across Alex''s hands as he dug his fingers into the invisible crack between planes. Arcs of Riftwarped energy danced up and wormed through the air as he gritted his teeth and pulled, dragging a portal open.


    "What is that?" Abby asked, taking a step back as her eyes widened. "It feels¡­ wrong."


    "It''s training. Link up and don''t let go. I''ve never brought this many people through at once before," Alex said, forcing the portal into a stable state and releasing it. He extended a hand to Claire, who took it and held her other one out to Abby. Everyone grabbed each other''s hands.


    "Is this safe?" Aaron asked.


    "Probably?"


    Then, without wasting another second, Alex stepped into the portal. There was a sharp tug and the rest of them were yanked in after him, ripped away from 274-50 and sent hurtling through the planes of existence toward the Mirrorlands.

 Chapter 135 - 134: May

    May knew that her dad was dead.


    She knew the sound of a gunshot. She knew the sound of life leaving a body. She knew the color old, well-loved wallpaper turned when it was splattered with blood.


    That wasn''t for a lack of trying. May didn''t want to know. She wanted nothing more than to wipe the memories from her mind, and that desire filled her with shame that burned her throat and clawed at the back of her eyes like a caged beast.


    She would never get another memory with her family again, and she wanted to wipe some of the few that remained away.


    But that was impossible. Perhaps it was a mercy, or perhaps it was a curse. She didn''t know which. It didn''t matter.


    Her dreams reminded her whenever she tried to forget.


    That gunshot rang in her ears again and again, ripping her from her restless dreams and sending her bolting upright in the middle of the night; her aching heart pounding like it was trying to rip itself free from her chest. The world had ended with that gunshot, and every sense of peace and normalcy had gone with it.


    May wanted to cry. She wanted to throw herself to the ground and scream and sob and tear at the dirt until her fingers bled. Until someone fixed the world ¡ª but she couldn''t do any of that.


    Aaron had tried so hard to keep her from finding everything out. He hadn''t been particularly good at it, but he''d done everything in his power to protect her. It was all he could do. And all May could do was pretend that it was working.


    Because if they couldn''t have that, then they had nothing at all.


    It was the only victory they could try to claim over the System. They weren''t strong enough to fight back. They couldn''t change the past and they couldn''t control the future. All they could do was pretend.


    And then the snake monster had attacked their camp.


    May could still taste the ash on her tongue. She''d been scared beyond words. Every single fiber in her body trembled in terror ¡ª but the tears hadn''t come.


    She''d desperately clawed at the tiny amount of power she had.


    She''d watched it do nothing.


    The game was over.


    And then Alex had arrived. His army of twisted, warped creatures had torn through the monsters trying to kill everyone. They''d ripped their attackers to shreds and left nothing but death in their wake.


    It had been gruesome.


    It had been beautiful.


    It had been power, and May wanted it.


    Alex wasn''t scared of the apocalypse. He didn''t have to wonder if every single day would be his last. Even the people like Abby, the ones that were supposed to know about what was happening, had been scared.


    But not him. May could have sworn that he''d looked excited during parts of the fight.


    And now that she stood in a field of brilliant blue grass and stared into the brilliant swirls of purple and red smoke meandering through the sky, she knew why.


    The world was beautiful ¡ª but not for everyone. Only the strong got to witness that. Everyone else never got a chance. They just died running or hiding or begging for mercy that would never come.


    May dragged her gaze down from the painted sky. Alex was saying something, but she could barely hear him. Her eyes affixed on a scattered forest stretching all around them. Lonesome, gray-barked trees stretched into the sky. Their branches were gangly and twisted like the fingers of an old witch, bearing no leaves upon them. Screaming faces locked in expressions of agony pressed up against the bark from within.


    Bile welled in May''s stomach. Fear ignited in her chest. Her heart pounded and she took a step back.


    That''s not what trees are supposed to look like.


    A hand landed on her shoulder.


    May glanced up, surprised to find Orchid looking down at her. The woman didn''t say anything. She just glanced to her staff.


    "Is that¡­ from one of these trees?" May asked quietly.


    Orchid nodded.


    "Everything here can kill you," Orchid said. There wasn''t any compassion in the woman''s words. They were simply the truth. "Fear is not something to be ignored. Your instincts will protect you. But if you cannot control them, then they will control you."


    "How?" May whispered.


    "By becoming strong. We stand in a wretched place called the Mirrorlands. It is considered the vilest, most twisted place in every galaxy. It is a living nightmare. And when you look around with that knowledge, what do you feel?"


    "Scared," May said, forcing the word from her lips and hating the way it tasted.


    "Now look at him," Orchid said, turning her gaze to Alex. "What do you see?"


    Alex was midway through a conversation with the others. He shifted from foot to foot, his fingers tapping against his thigh. His gaze scanned the sparse forest around them. Not in concern, but anticipation.


    "He wants to do this."


    "Because he has taken power for himself," Orchid said. "And when you control your own fate, you do not have to obey your instincts. They become yours."


    "I know that. He''s strong. But I''m not. How do I become strong?"


    "By killing," Orchid said. "By pushing yourself to the limit and staring death in the eyes. If you want to defeat monsters, then you have to become one. You are young. Even for my family, we do not start true training this early. We normally wait until the fourteenth year for that."


    May''s hands clenched at her sides. Her teeth ground against each other and her jaw ached. "I''m going to train. You can''t stop me. Monsters aren''t going to leave me alone because I''m not as old as you are. I don''t want to be weak anymore."


    "What class do you possess? You can check the System by¡ª"


    "I know how to check it," May said. "It''s called Snapcaster."


    Orchid''s head tilted to the side. She studied her for several long seconds. May met the strange woman''s gaze. The urge to blink or swallow burned at her but May refused its call. That would have felt like she was giving in.


    If I have to look away from someone staring at me, then how can I protect anything?


    "I am aware of that class," Orchid said slowly. "It is not an easy one to master. Your magic is very fast, but it is not powerful. Most magic-based classes have immense destructive ability and can stay far away from the fight. You will not have that privilege. Snapcasters have to be close to the fight. You will need to be faster than your opponents. Why did you choose that class?"


    May''s ears reddened and she averted her gaze. "The other ones didn''t have magic."


    To her surprise, Orchid didn''t laugh. May glanced back in time to see Orchid finishing a nod of understanding.


    "The hunger for magic is a desire known to all. I am no stranger to it. If you can survive long enough to earn a class advancement, then you will have an opportunity to change your path. But that means you must fight harder than many others in your place. It will not be easy."


    "I can do it."


    Orchid''s lips twitched in amusement. "A childish answer. One from someone that does not understand what they commit to. But you will."


    "Orchid," Alex said, approaching her. "Did you hear what the plan for the groups¡ª"


    "I will take the girl," Orchid said. "She is a mage. I am suited to train her. Two Outworlders may accompany me."


    "Sure. That works," Alex said with a shrug. "Aaron, Abby, you''ll be with Claire. Claire will take everyone else. We aren''t going to be going far. Just back in the direction of the camp."


    "The camp isn''t in this world, is it?" Abby asked with a frown as she glanced over her shoulder.


    "It might be," Alex replied. "There should be something. This place is kind of a reflection of the real world. Not to say it isn''t real, mind you. It''s just¡­ weird. You''ll see soon enough. Either way ¡ª we''ve split into groups, but don''t wander off. Mirrorlands monsters are more dangerous than the ones on earth, so let Claire, Orchid and I handle anything that''s too strong to even try fighting. Everything else will be all you."


    Jake, a blonde twenty-year old guy from the campsite with a short sword at his side, frowned. "You''re not going to help?" S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That would reduce the challenge," Alex said. "I''ll interfere if the fight is impossible, but you can''t expect us to step in every time or your rewards will be a lot less and you won''t advance anywhere near as fast as you need to. We''re up against a monster even more powerful than the Field Boss. If you take things easy here, you''ll be dead when the Region Boss rolls around."


    Everyone exchanged grim looks.


    "On we go," Claire said cheerfully. "The monsters aren''t going to kill themselves and we don''t have all day. There''s a lot of practice to be done."


    ***


    "That," Orchid said, pointing at a wicked looking, black-feathered bird perched in the branches of one of the twisted trees, "is your target."


    May stared up at it, unease welling in her stomach. The monster had talons the length of bananas and bloody red eyes like a demon. It was easily four feet tall and its beak curved, ending in a razor-sharp point.


    Blackfeather Reaper (Novice 6)


    "That?" May asked in horror, her voice little more than a hushed whisper. "I''m Novice 2!"


    "It''s the weakest monster we''ve seen so far," Orchid said. "And you invested some energy into your body, yes?"


    "It made the bowl in my Mind Palace less crappy," May muttered.


    "Then you are already faster than you believe. Go. Remember not to let up. Your magic is weak, but you are not using it correctly. Attack quickly and relentlessly. Do not get hit. For now, focus on using the lightning magic I saw you use earlier. Do not split your attention to the new abilities you earned in meditation."


    She makes it sound so easy.


    May swallowed heavily. Her heart pounded desperately in her chest. It joined her brain in screaming at her to turn away. May ignored their panicked warnings and stepped forward.


    She lifted her hands and took aim at the bird. Then, before she could lose her nerve, she yanked on the churning energy inside her chest. Electricity crackled at her fingertips and a thin bolt of lightning zipped out, striking the bird in the chest, scorching its feathers.


    The monster let out a furious screech. Terror exploded through May as it leapt from the branch it was perched on, eyes affixing on her in an instant. Its enormous wings snapped out, more than doubling its size as it dove.


    May froze in place. She couldn''t tear her eyes away from those of the monster. Fear slammed into her skull like a pounding hammer. Her legs wouldn''t move. Panic exploded through her mind.


    No!


    She yanked herself to the side at the last second, staggering and stumbling over her own feet. The bird streaked through the air where she''d been a moment before, its claws raking through nothing.


    A flicker of surprise broke through May''s terror. She''d dodged the attack ¡ª but there was no time to celebrate. The bird spun back toward her.


    She sent another blast of lightning streaking into the monster.


    It screeched and leapt for her in a black blur. May threw herself to the side, hitting the ground with a pained grunt. This time, she wasn''t fast enough to avoid the monster completely. A talon caught her shoulder and raked across it, sending agony exploding through her body.


    May cried out and furiously thrust her hand in the bird''s direction. She sent a blast of lightning zipping free. It missed its target entirely. Her second and third shots didn''t. The bird''s wings flapped as it shook itself off, only to catch another blast straight between the eyes.


    Screeching in anger, the monster leapt at May.


    She thrust her hands forward, thrusting all the power she had into the biggest blast of lightning she could muster.


    It zipped through the air and collided with the bird''s chest. Feathers curled and burned away, but the monster''s charge didn''t stop. Her magic wasn''t strong enough.


    Victory flashed in the bird''s eyes as its claws slashed down, aiming for May''s face. She didn''t have time to dodge again. May''s stomach dropped and she desperately tried to scramble back, but it was too late. There was no time to ¡ª


    The bird jerked to the side. It slammed into the ground an instant later, leaving a puff of feathers fluttering through the air behind it. A shard of ice impaled its skull and pinned it to the ground.


    A wave of energy rushed into May''s stomach. Her back stiffened and she drew in a sharp breath of surprise.


    "I told you to keep moving," Orchid said. "You stopped."


    "I thought I could¡ª"


    "You are a Snapcaster," Orchid snapped, rapping May on the top of the head with her staff. "Your magic is not strong. It is fast. You are not strong. You must be fast. That was greedy, and you have died because of it."


    May sniffled. "Sorry."


    "Don''t apologize," Orchid said. "Get up. Next time, dodge."


    May wiped her nose with the back of her sleeve. She pushed herself up, the throbbing pain in her shoulder biting into her thoughts ¡ª and yet, at the same time, it seemed to focus them. Her jaw set.


    "I will."


    "Good," Orchid said. She glanced to the side, where the other people in their group were squaring up against monsters of their own, then nodded and returned her attention to May. "Then we will find your next opponent."

 Chapter 136 - 135: Heads

    Aaron hated his class.


    A great number of things had gone wrong since the start of the apocalypse. More than he had any desire to count ¡ª but he was pretty sure that one of the biggest mistakes he''d made was his class selection.


    I thought I was so smart. I was convinced that the best option was to go with the most unique class. One that felt like it would give me an advantage that nobody else would have. Even if the world was ending, I wanted to be a little unique. But at least a goddamn warrior gets to do something.


    I just got scammed.


    "You can''t just run!" Alex called.


    Aaron took that advice to heart and dove forward. Wind howled over his head as the huge, wooden paw of a Lumbear streaked past his head. He hit the ground in a roll and sprang to his feet, still running.


    The Novice 9 monster behind him let out a roar. Its steps thundered in pursuit behind him. Aaron risked a glance over his shoulder and immediately regretted it. The monster was easily six feet tall. It loped after him, shaking the dirt with every step, hatred burning in its beady black eyes.


    I don''t know what twisted bastard felt that a normal bear wasn''t scary enough and decided to make the damn thing out of fucked up wood, but I hope they step on splinters for every day of the rest of their life.


    "Fight back!" Alex yelled. "Why are you running from a Novice ranked monster?"


    "Because I can''t fight back!" Aaron yelled, diving forward again. He came up and wrapped around a tree. The Lumbear plowed straight through it, shattering the trunk with an earthshaking crash. The tree pitched back and smashed to the ground amidst a huge cloud of wooden fragments and dust.


    "You charged a Field Boss!" Alex snapped. "You have a sword! Use it!"


    "I was overzealous!" Aaron called back. The Lumbear burst from the cloud of fragments, massive claws digging through the earth as it thundered toward him and forced him to sprint off in a new direction.


    Shame and embarrassment burned in Aaron''s heart. He caught glimpses of everyone else in the forest around him, fighting their monsters.


    Not just fighting them. Beating them.


    He''d spotted May killing a demonic looking bird several minutes ago, but here he was, still running from the first monster he''d met. His own little sister was a better warrior than he was.


    It wasn''t a question of bravery. Aaron would have been more than happy to turn and stand his ground if he had the slightest way to actually fight back. He didn''t have any training with the sword at his side. It was about as useful as a big stick in his hands ¡ª except there was a chance he could cut himself with it.


    I guess it''s even less useful than a stick, then.


    Damn the System. I can''t believe I got taken for such an idiot.


    Aaron dove again as he heard the Lumbear gaining on him. A rock caught him in the shoulder and sent pain arcing through his body, but he thrust himself up and kept running. It was the only thing he could do.


    No matter how much Alex shouted at him to fight back, Aaron couldn''t do anything. His class was completely worthless.


    The Gambler. What a joke of a class. No offensive abilities. I haven''t even gotten the other two auxiliary skills that Abby said everyone is meant to get. My Soul Manifestation only came with one auxiliary skill, and it''s fucking useless.


    A tree shattered behind Aaron as the Lumbear plowed through it. Fragments of wood sailed through the air, ripping his shirt and cutting into the skin beneath it. Several of them lodged into him his back.


    His teeth gritted.


    He ran.


    This is my fault. I thought I was special. I spent so much time playing games with mom that I convinced myself that I was actually amazing at them. Convinced everyone I was.


    They never found out I always cheated. I suck at every single game I''ve ever played. I can''t read people. I can''t execute complicated strategies or think ten steps ahead. I just cheat.


    Guess the System called my bluff.


    "I can promise you that you''ve got less stamina than the bear," Alex called. "You need to turn and fight, Aaron. You''re making things harder for yourself."


    "I can''t fight!" Aaron yelled, but he knew Alex was right. His breath was coming harder and harder with every step. There was only so long he could run in circles and do nothing.


    "Nobody starts off knowing how to fight! You have to send it!"


    "You can do it!" Abby called, adding her own voice to Alex''s in support.


    Shame flushed across Aaron''s features. She was supposed to be training, not watching him embarrass himself even further. His hands tightened at his sides ¡ª but embarrassment wasn''t going to kill the Lumbear.


    His class didn''t have any auxiliary abilities. He only had two things to work with. His Soul Manifestation. His completely useless Soul Manifestation, and the worthless skill that came with it.


    [Gambler''s Heart] (Novice 1) ¨C Tough odds make a tougher player. Adverse effects are immensely more likely when playing games of chance, but games that you win have significantly improved outcomes.


    The Soul Manifestation might not have been completely terrible if he had a way to get the Lumbear currently running him down to stop in its tracks, sit down at a table, and play a good game of cards. Of course, the odds were somehow no longer fair and he''d almost certainly lose ¡ª but at least he''d have a chance of winning.


    Whatever that would entail. Maybe it would just have to leave a few extra poker chips on my mutilated corpse.


    Unfortunately, Aaron was fairly certain the Lumbear had little interest in playing any game with him ¡ª and his class'' only active ability wasn''t about to help him with that.


    [Pick a Fate] (Novice 1) ¨C Choose a target and enter a magically empowered game of chance with them, setting the stakes and strengthening both boons and punishments that result from the game.


    The ability was worse than useless. It was horrible. Aaron hadn''t thought so at first, of course. He''d been optimistic that, if he could actually manage to win a game, the benefits would be immense. Maybe the ability would just straight up kill his opponent.


    There was just one problem. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His Soul Manifestation hadn''t been lying about those odds.


    It had been playing with him from the start. While everyone else had been forced to wait all seven days before the System offered them their classes, for some reason, it had offered Aaron his class the same day it had announced the end of the world.


    He''d been so smug choosing Gambler. Like he''d been some form of chosen warrior that the System had taken a liking to. As it turned out, it had just been having a laugh at his expense.


    Aaron had used his powers once since the Apocalypse started.


    The first time he''d called on them had been in his families'' restaurant, two days after the System''s announcement. It had been when a robber was pointing a gun at his father. He''d planned to force the man to play Russian roulette, with the robber taking the first shot.


    Turned out, if he didn''t specify the game, the System chose one for him. A quarter fell from the robber''s pocket. Aaron''s eyes had traced it until it had nearly landed on the floor, where it was clear it would land on heads.


    He made the call.


    The quarter bounced in a way that should have been impossible.


    A one in a million landing that had it landing perfectly on tails.


    The gun went off.


    He''d lost.


    The robber had run, stammering that he''d never planned to pull the trigger. That it had just been a threat, and his finger had only slipped, as if pushed by an invisible force. He hadn''t meant to kill anyone.


    And he was right.


    The first time Aaron used his powers, he''d killed his own father.


    His magic was cursed. He hadn''t used it since. It was a punishment for thinking that he was better than anyone else. If he''d just gone with a normal class ¡ª if he''d just taken the advantage the System had given him and taken a normal class without risking it all for a weird one, he could have saved his father.


    He could have been able to protect May.


    He could have fought back against the Lumbear breathing down the back of his neck.


    "Come on!" May''s voice rang out. "You can do this, Aaron! Fight it!"


    Damn it. I don''t need May seeing this as well.


    Despite himself, Aaron glanced in her direction. His eyes went wide in horror. A huge black-feathered bird streaked down toward her back from the tree tops ¡ª and she didn''t see it. The world felt like it dragged to a snail''s crawl.


    Orchid was thrusting her staff forward, gathering magic, but she''d been distracted by May''s yell of support and wasn''t going to be fast enough to intercept the monster.


    Aaron didn''t even have time to call out a warning. It would take too long. By the time May went to move, the monster would have already be raking its claws across her back. Nobody was going to be able to intercept it in time.


    His hand moved on its own, grabbing a quarter that sat in his pocket.


    The same quarter that had fallen to the ground of the restaurant.


    Energy burned at Aaron''s fingertips as he drew on the cursed magic within himself. He would lose. Aaron knew that ¡ª but if he could buy even a second by distracting the bird, it would give Orchid a chance to save his sister.


    And it''ll buy the Lumbear time to reach me as well.


    Aaron ignored that thought. All that mattered was stopping the bird, if even for just an instant.


    He ripped the coin free of his pocket and flipped it, activating his magic. Golden letters exploded through the air, carving themselves into existence, and the world ground completely to a halt as the coin spun, the only thing still left in motion.


    Game: Coin Flip


    Stakes: Speed


    "Heads," Aaron said.


    His eyes could pick up on details that he never could have seen before. The coin fell back toward his hand ¡ª and Aaron knew without a flicker of a doubt that it was about to land on tails. Time stood frozen and he stood with it, unable to do anything but watch as fate sealed itself before him.


    No. Not like this!


    His body burned in agony as he desperately tried to do something ¡ª anything ¡ª to stop fate from playing out¡­ but he was just as frozen as the rest of the world. His power was nothing but a curse. He was horrible at every single game he''d ever played and he''d known it.


    Aaron''s eyes traced the coin as it fell toward his hand. There were only two flips remaining before it landed.


    His teeth clenched.


    Pain pierced into the back of his head like an ice pick.


    "Fuck you," Aaron hissed, forcing the words through stiff lips.


    Magic exploded through his arm. His hand twitched. It moved upward by less than an inch as he stole a second from a frozen world. Not nearly enough to make a real difference in a fight ¡ª but just enough to do the only thing he''d ever been half-decent at.


    Aaron cheated.


    The coin smacked into the back of his hand in the middle of a flip.


    It was heads.


    He''d won.

 Chapter 137 - 136: Fun

    Golden words shimmered in the air before Aaron as blood pounded in his ears. He could barely believe what he was reading, but it didn''t seem like the System cared. The words remained all the same.


    Winner: The Gambler


    Result: 1 minute of the defeated combatant''s speed is transferred to The Gambler.


    Cheating actually worked?


    Power slammed into Aaron in a wave. His feet blurred. Air slammed into the back of his throat as he suddenly felt himself shift gears and accelerate to a speed that shouldn''t have even been possible for a normal human.


    Golden light exploded around the bird monster diving at May''s back. Glistening, translucent chains wound around the monster and slammed taut. It opened its mouth in a slow scream that sounded more like air escaping from a very angry balloon.


    The monster''s very existence seemed to have slowed down. Even the wind passing through its feathers had gotten the memo and ground to a slithering halt. And every ounce of momentum that the bird had lost, Aaron had gained.


    He stumbled, but his feet moved faster than his brain could even process. They moved so quickly that he didn''t even have time to fall back. All he could do was accelerate.


    The Lumbear that had been chasing him let out a roar as it swiped at him with a wooden paw. Aaron barely even noticed. By the time the monster''s strike had grown anywhere near him, he was already gone.


    He bounded toward May and the slow-moving bird, arms windmilling in a desperate attempt to keep his balance. His conscious mind wasn''t in control anymore. All that remained was instinct. The entire world had shrunk down to two figures.


    All that mattered was May and the bird diving at her in slow-motion. Aaron''s jaw clenched. And, even as the world flashed past him in a near-indecipherable haze, his eyes focused on the monster diving at his sister.


    I won''t lose the last member of my family.


    His fist blurred through the air. He''d somehow arrived between May and the monster. He didn''t know when that had happened, but he didn''t care.


    And before he''d even finished processing that he was throwing a punch, his knuckles connected with the monster''s face. Hollow bones crumpled. The bird''s face collapsed like it had charged face-first into a brick wall. Aaron could have sworn he heard them shattering in half-speed.


    The golden light binding the monster shattered. At the same time, the entire world snapped back to its normal speed. Pain exploded through Aaron''s hand as his body was suddenly reminded that he''d just punched a crunchy piece of shit in the face whilst moving at an indeterminate speed.


    "Shit!" Aaron yelled, grabbing his arm and shaking it off with a slew of curses. The bird monster splattered to the ground before him, its body twisted and shattered in a mangled, bloody heap. Cool energy flooded into his body in a wave.


    "You did it!" May exclaimed in delight. "Aaron, you did it!"


    "You almost died!" Aaron screamed, spinning to her and clutching his throbbing hand. "You can''t take risks like that, May! You need to pay attention? What am I going to do if you ¡ª"


    His words died on his lips. May didn''t look scared. She didn''t even look slightly worried ¡ª and neither did Orchid, who stood behind her, staff at the ready and the faintest of smirks pulling at her lips.


    Why doesn''t she sound scared?


    "Not bad," Orchid said. "Cute. I am a little offended you thought I was so incompetent I couldn''t kill an egotistical chicken."


    Aaron gaped at her. He looked from Orchid to May, whose expression had gone sheepish.


    "You tricked me?"


    "Motivation," May said with a thumbs-up. "Orchid said you needed a push and I''ve already gotten a bunch of practice, so I wanted to help you."


    Aaron''s mouth worked. He couldn''t tell if he was pissed off or impressed. His emotions were such a jumble that all he could do was stare in disbelief.


    Unfortunately, that surprise didn''t extend to the Lumbear that was still chasing after him. A roar echoed through the Mirrorlands. Aaron spun toward it, his face going pale, as the huge wooden monster bore down on all of them, far too close for him to react.


    Shit!


    A massive black hand slammed down on the Lumbear''s back, driving it into the ground with a resounding crash. The monster''s roar turned to a pained whimper as sludge bubbled up behind it, revealing Alex''s enormous sludge monster.


    With a single, casual motion, the monster hoisted the Lumbear up. It grabbed the bear with its other hand. Then, with a sharp tug, it ripped the creature clean in two. Loud cracks echoed through the air.


    The Lumbear''s agonized agonized scream was cut short along with its life.


    Aaron took a step back and swallowed. A chill ran down his back as he stared at the emotionless ceramic mask on the monster''s face. Alex''s monster dropped the two halves of the dead monster to the ground and turned away, sinking back into the ground to transform into a puddle of sludge.


    A glance in Orchid''s direction revealed a flicker of fear in her own features, and it only made Aaron''s chest tighten further. If someone as strong as her was also scared of Alex¡­


    He''s a monster. How is he so strong?


    "Don''t stand around," Alex called as he walked over to them. "You''re all making progress, but not nearly enough for us to sit and waste time. Good job with the fights so far ¡ª but they aren''t going to get any easier until you meditate. And that''s exactly what we want. Take advantage of this. Get as much power as possible now. You''re going to need it."


    Aaron''s jaw set.


    Alex was right. Even if they managed to survive this, they had to find a way to beat a Region Boss. He still didn''t have great context as to just how strong that monster would be, but if it was stronger than the Field Boss¡­


    We''re nowhere near as strong as we need to be.


    ***


    "They''re not doing bad," Claire said, drawing up alongside Alex as they watched the members of the campsite square off against the monsters of the Mirrorlands.


    Alex nodded. It had been several hours since they''d arrived in the Mirrorlands, and not one of the people from the camp had so much as asked for a break. They''d fought relentlessly, throwing themselves against every enemy that rose in their path.


    There had been a number of close calls. Far too many of them. But, somehow, nobody was dead ¡ª and they were getting better. Even though none of them had been given a chance to meditate yet, the fights were getting easier.


    Aaron had started to figure out the scraps of how his magic worked. He was definitely having the roughest time of things. His class was fascinating ¡ª and completely fucking weird. Sometimes, he killed monsters that should have given him a ridiculous amount of trouble with ease.


    And other times¡ª


    A crunch echoed out as Princess pancaked a Lumbear moments before it ripped Aaron''s head off.


    Other times he gets completely fucking rocked. From what he''s said, Gambler seems like a really powerful class. It''s just a real finnicky one. Seems like it''ll be a fun one if he can get a good handle of how it works. I''d definitely have taken that class if I''d been offered it. Hopefully he gets some more control over it after he meditates.


    Alex''s eyes drifted to May.


    It was still obvious she was young. Her decision making wasn''t the best and her reaction speed could have been a lot better. Orchid was spending a lot of effort keeping the kid alive ¡ª but May was learning at an incredible rate.


    He wouldn''t have called her a genius, but she was definitely a dedicated student. It wouldn''t be long before she was an incredibly formidable opponent if she kept improving at this rate.


    With two or three more days of this¡­ we might actually have the slightest chance against the Region Boss. Growth is so much faster at lower levels. I think we should be able to get them to high Novice and a maxed out Mind Palace if they fight monsters in the Mirrorlands nonstop. The question is just if they''ll actually be able to do that.


    "What are you thinking?" Claire asked.


    "More hoping than thinking," Alex replied. "I wish I knew exactly how long we had before the Region Boss showed up."


    "I take it you can''t tell?"


    He shook his head. "Not really, and not at all while we''re in the Mirrorlands. When we''re back on 274-50, I feel a bit. Not enough to give an exact answer."


    "If we can get a few days¡­"


    "Yeah. We might have a shot at this. I''m hoping the boss is in the low to mid Adept area."


    "Seems like a safe bet," Claire said. She turned to watch as May ran in circles around a Lumbear, peppering it with thin bolts of lightning while staying out of range of the monster''s large paws. "But we can''t just sit training them around either. We also have to get stronger."


    "Yeah. I think after everyone has cashed in the power they got from this, we''ll have to babysitting a bit less to seek out fights ourselves. It''ll make things more dangerous, but they''ll grow even faster assuming they survive."


    "They''ll have a better chance than most. But if we''re going to have any shot at actually beating something in the mid-Adept levels, I think we''re almost certainly going to need to unlock Partial Domains."


    "Yeah. I gathered as much myself. Every level means more and more the higher up we get. The good news is that, if we survive this, the gap between us and the other Outworlders will close even more. Most of them don''t even have Partial Domains yet."


    "All we have to do is beat the first Region Boss on 274-50."


    "Yeah. Simple."


    Claire rolled her eyes. "As simple as can be."


    "Look at the bright side. No matter what happens, this will be an interesting fight. I can think of worse ways to go out. At least it''ll be fun."


    Claire squinted at him. Then a small smile pulled at the corners of her lips.


    "Yeah. You can say that again." S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 138 - 137: Fight

    Time ground on. There were moments where it felt like there was far too little of it, and moments where it felt like there was somehow too much. The campers fought. They grew stronger ¡ª and so did Alex and Claire.


    Twice, they returned to 274-50 to meditate, recuperate, and prepare. There was only so long they could push without cashing in their levels so they could fight against stronger monsters and continue advancing at the same rate.


    The strategy was a brutal one. With the limited time they had before the Region Boss arrived, there was no room to do anything but push ahead at max efficiency. And so that was exactly what they did.


    Their trips back to 274-50 only lasted for long enough to eat, drink, and meditate to advance their bodies and levels as much as possible. Everyone ¡ª even Alex and Claire ¡ª took advantage of the moments to stay at the peak of their strength. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    One of the trips ended up pulling a Riftwarped monster''s attention during their arrival. Alex and Claire dispatched it, and Alex fed its Soul Flame, along with all the others he''d gathered during the fights that he snuck away to take, to Princess.


    She was rapidly approaching the point where she''d be able to evolve, but the Dredge wasn''t quite there yet. Alex doubted they''d make it before the Region Boss arrived. She hadn''t quite yet reached the first threshold to evolve, much less the point where she would be 100% over the required limit.


    As intense as the training was, it was effective.


    Aaron, May, and the other campers advanced at an incredible speed. Even Alex and Claire gathered a fair amount of power. They were able to set off on their own more as everyone else grew stronger and more capable of defending themselves.


    The campers weren''t alone in their advancements ¡ª which was why Alex found himself back in his Mind Palace, kneeling at the top of the stairs that led up to his marble basin.


    He''d already spent a fair amount of the magic he''d gathered reinforcing his body. His pulsing veins were still adapting to the icy energy that had rushed through them, but his mind was completely focused.


    There was no time to waste. His task was far from done.


    Most of the basin still remained.


    The power coursed up in a river of brilliant blue, pouring into his outstretched hand and entering his soul. Alex drank greedily. He absorbed every drop of freezing power, his fingers clenching into a fist as if to grasp the very magic itself.


    Come on. I''ve got three units of soul energy left. If I can just push to Initiate 4, that''ll give me one more and I''ll be able to upgrade Requiem to the King again. We need every damn advantage we can get to beat the Region Boss.


    The water level in the basin receded rapidly. A droplet of sweat rolled down the back of Alex''s neck. He''d been pretty sure he''d left more than enough to get a single level, but things were starting to get close. More and more of the water evaporated as it poured into his palm.


    Come on. Just a little more!


    The last of the glowing blue water lifted off the surface of the white marble and slithered up like a snake to pour into Alex. His back stiffened ¡ª and glowing letters carved through the air before him.


    Your Stage has advanced to Initiate 4.


    You have amassed 4 units of soul energy.


    Please select an Auxiliary Skill to upgrade.


    Two of the three blue gems on the on the mantle of his basin glistened as they lit with glowing magic. Black letters bloomed across the stone like splotches of ink to form into new words.


    [Requiem to the King] (Novice 4)


    [Monster Medley] (Novice 4)


    [Riftwalk] (Novice 8)


    A relieved breath exploded from Alex''s lips and he slumped, shaking his head.


    "Shit," he muttered, running a hand through his hair as the last of the pain from absorbing the magic faded from his body. "That was way too close. Probably smarter to level up first and then pump the rest into my Mind Palace instead of doing the inverse. I didn''t even spend that much on the Mind Palace this time around¡­ but there''s no point fretting now."


    He didn''t even hesitate in making his decision. Monster Medley was for making his monsters more powerful in the long run. It was a fantastic skill, but what he needed right now were more cards to play in the fight against the Region Boss. Requiem to the King was his best option.


    Golden letters sliced through the air before him as soon as his mind was completely made up.


    (4 Units) Armament Elegy: Permanently deepen the connection between the King and his summons. When they perish, a portion of their power can physically manifest themselves as a piece of the King''s Armaments. However, the time it takes fallen monsters to naturally regenerate will double.


    (4 Units) Rallying Cry: Fallen monsters temporarily grant any remaining summons on the battlefield a boost in the fallen monster''s main attribute. The duration of this boon depends on the strength of the fallen monster.


    (4 Units) Harmonious Trade: Strike down one of your own summons in order to transfer their remaining energy into another one of your monsters, healing them. The amount of healing done depends on the relative strength of the monsters and the amount of life force the slain monster possessed at the time of its death.


    Alex scanned over the abilities, his heart thumping in his ears as a huge grin pulled at his lips. Requiem to the King never failed to disappoint. The ability was just consistently incredible. As usual, all of the options felt like they would be impactful, but there was one that immediately stuck out to him over the others.


    Just to be sure, Alex read over the abilities a second time to avoid missing anything important.


    Harmonious Trade was for when he absolutely needed to keep one of his summons alive in combat. However, he already had two ways to bring his monsters back after they died. He wasn''t sure he wanted to go around cutting down his own monsters just to get some healing. It wasn''t a bad option, but it wasn''t his first choice.


    Rallying Cry had some considerable benefits to it. In addition to the most obvious boost in strength his monsters would get when the other ones went down, there was also the option of killing all but one of them to give the final remaining one a huge temporary boost in the fight.


    The problem is I also have to go and kill my summons for this ability to work. If I''m in a situation where they''re getting killed, a temporary power boost might not be enough to sway the tides in my favor. It''s definitely a strong option. I''d probably have gone with this if it wasn''t for that first option.


    Armament Elegy just stuck out a little too much. One of Alex''s greatest weaknesses was the fact that, when his monsters truly did go down, he was relatively exposed. He hadn''t found any weapons that he truly felt fit him yet.


    Lengthening the time it takes the monsters to respawn is definitely annoying, but it means this ability has to be really damn strong to justify that weakness ¡ª and I do have a way to bring my monsters back permanently if I can kill enough enemies myself.


    I don''t know what type of armaments the skill will give me, but they''re going to be good at the cost they come at. Armament Elegy seems like the ability that will give me the biggest card to play, now and in the long run.


    Alex nodded to himself, his grin setting itself in his features. His decision was made.


    The glowing words vanished, and the last of the power drove into Alex''s body. He drew in a sharp breath and let it out slowly. His fingers flexed. Then he rose to his feet and made his way down the basin''s steps.


    His soul was scattered with bricks and building materials that had emerged from beneath the surface of his lake during his latest meditation. He didn''t have the slightest idea of what to do with them yet.


    This has to be the bit where that Vizualization thing Finley was talking about becomes important. The blueprints to making a powerful Mind Palace. I''ll definitely have to find one of those for myself¡­ but there''s something else I need to do first.


    Alex made his way over to the first of the marble pillars looming over his Mind Palace. The indent in its center sat waiting, and he made it wait no longer. Alex retrieved the Nightmare Aspect Gem.


    Then he pushed it into the slot.


    The gem clicked into place easily, as if it had always been meant to be there. And that was that. Alex blinked. He gave the gem a small tug. It didn''t budge. The gem was stuck fast, but he didn''t feel any different.


    Tilting his head to the side, Alex made his way over to the second of the three pillars. He slid the Ruler gem into it and received the exact same results as he had the first time. The gem locked into place, but he felt no different than he had.


    A small laugh slipped from his lips. "I guess I was waiting for nothing. I need the third gem to get this to work, huh? I suppose that makes sense. Fair enough."


    He took one last glance around his Mind Palace, but his fingers were already twitching in anticipation. There was so much more to get done if they were to be ready for the Region Boss'' rapidly approaching awakening.


    Alex''s eyes closed.


    When they opened again, he was back on 274-50.


    Claire sat beside him, one leg stretched out before her and the other one pulled close to her chest. Her arm was draped over it and her fingers tapped against her knee impatiently.


    "You took your time," Claire said with a grin. "I was getting bored."


    "I think I''m rubbing off on you in all the wrong ways. Did you manage to level up?"


    "Initiate 2."


    "Nice."


    Damn, I wish I knew what her Qi was. For that matter, I wish I knew what half her abilities were. She needs to finish this damn Trial already. I hate having to wait for cool stuff. It''s so lame.


    "It''s nice," Claire agreed. She hesitated for a long second, then pursed her lips. "But¡­how long do you think we have before the Region Boss really wakes up?"


    "No more than a day," Alex said without a moment of hesitation. He could feel the pulses from the monster coming more and more frequently. They were definitely running out of time. "I know what you''re thinking."


    "We aren''t ready," Claire said with a nod. "The campers are getting to the high Novice ranks and their Mind Palaces are really far along¡­ but we need more."


    Her assessment was similar to Alex''s own thoughts. It wasn''t that the campers weren''t strong enough. They were doing great for the time they had.


    It was simply that he, Claire, and Orchid weren''t going to be enough to take a mid-level Adept monster down, even with the help they had.


    "We need one more push," Alex said. "Something that gives us that final advantage."


    He and Claire exchanged a glance.


    "Do you remember when we met Invictus?" Claire asked.


    A small smile pulled at the corners of Alex''s lips. "When he crushed those monsters with the water attack from Valley Ford? Yes. I remember."


    "Are you thinking what I''m thinking?"


    "I think I am. This seems like as good a place as any. It''s quite secluded, and if it gives us the advantage we need to take this thing out, the enormous boost in strength everyone here is going to get will be one for the ages ¡ª not to mention we''ll get access to portals, so we can finally spend some Credits with Finley." Alex said with a nod. His grin grew to cover his features. "It''s time to use the Town Token."

 Chapter 139 - 138: Town Token

    Alex gathered the survivors in front of Rin''s lodge. He''d never really found out just how many of them there had been, but the group before him stung of loss. A smattering of Earth natives and Outworlders stood in a tight group, no true distinction between them. There were no more than twenty of them. They all stared on with dirty, solemn faces.


    He didn''t know most of their names. If Alex was honest with himself, he wasn''t sure he wanted to. Names meant someone to mourn. He had no problems with facing his own mortality. He enjoyed it. But other people ¡ª that was an entirely different thing.


    Getting close to people that are probably going to die is just asking to get hurt. Maybe someone with a stronger will than mine wouldn''t care. They''d have some noble speech about living on in each other''s hearts or some shit.


    Fuck that. If you''re dead, you''re dead. I don''t know what happens next. I like the fun bits of the apocalypse. Watching your friends get killed by a massive monster isn''t fun.


    I''m not egotistical enough to think I can save everyone here. Some of the faces in the crowd before me right now aren''t going to be here tomorrow. But the more chances I give them¡­ the more likely that a few less will be six feet under by this time tomorrow.


    "Alex?" Claire whispered, nudging him in the side. "They''re waiting."


    "Are we ready?" one of the Nativeworlders that had attended their training in the Mirrorlands asked. Alex had forgotten the man''s name already. He''d reached Novice 8. The man wasn''t incompetent¡­ but he wasn''t the best either. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No," Alex said honestly. "What comes for us is something that even my group will struggle to survive, much less defeat. As things are, you aren''t ready. Many of the people here will probably die, even if we do win. I am included in that number."


    "Then what''s the point?" someone else asked ¡ª this time, an elderly man that hadn''t attended the training because of his reliance on a cane. "All that work was meaningless!"


    "Struggling against the inevitable is human nature," Alex replied, raising his voice. "And that in itself holds meaning. The System exists to challenge. Everything I have seen makes me believe that it is cold, but not cruel. I refuse to believe there is anything that is completely impossible."


    "What does victory matter if most of us are dead?" A woman that had been too severely injured to attend the training in the Mirrorlands asked. She leaned heavily on a makeshift crutch, her level so low that her body still hadn''t managed to fully heal from the severe wounds she''d sustained.


    "It means your friends live on," Alex replied simply. "I''m not here to bullshit you. I''m not a politician. The fact of the matter is an immensely powerful monster will arrive here soon. Factions of people far more powerful than us would normally work together to defeat something like this, and even they would face losses. We are attempting to do the same with a ruined campsite, a few deserters, and a bunch of people who fought their first battle a few days ago. Look around you."


    People tore their gazes away from Alex. The campsite was in ruins around them. Only a few of the cabins still stood. Deep gouges and scars covered the once grassy ground. Shattered trees littered the ground and the smell of burnt wood and thick smoke lingered with such intensity in the air that Alex could still taste it.


    "If this is meant to be motivating, it''s not working very well," Jake, one of the Nativeworlders that had attended the training, said.


    A small grin pulled at one corner of Alex''s lips. "I never said I was a good leader. There''s only so much I can do ¡ª but I can do some. I''ve tried to give you the advantages that I''ve gotten, but I can''t stretch time. I was just making sure that everyone knew the magnitude of what comes for us."


    "Why?" Aaron asked from the crowd. "What''s the point?"


    "To give you one last chance to run," Alex replied. "There won''t be another one. I can sense the Region Boss. It''s getting stronger. By tomorrow, I strongly suspect it will awake. And when it comes, there will only be two paths that remain before us. Victory or complete annihilation."


    "You said that we''d probably die anyway if we run now," the elderly man that had spoken before called out. "Just against something else."


    "The rest of the world has been advancing while you remained here," Alex said with a shrug. "Perhaps you could hide in a city. If you''re content to remain weak and unable to defend yourself, then there is a chance."


    There were several long seconds of silence.


    Then the old man let out a bark of gravelly laughter.


    "I''ve been rattling the knocker on death''s door for years. I don''t give a rat''s ass how I die, but if only from sheer spite, I''m sticking my wrinkly ass here and not moving an inch. I won''t die with a blade in my back."


    Everyone else exchanged glances. The people that had trained in the Mirrorlands. The ones who had remained behind. Natives and Outworlders alike ¡ª and not one of them moved. Even the ones that had been complaining made no motions to leave.


    "I think that means everyone is staying," Alex said, glancing at Claire and lowering his voice. "What now?"


    "You''re the one trying to give a rallying speech," Claire replied with a small grin. "Don''t look at me."


    "I wasn''t lying. I don''t know what the fuck I''m doing. Shouldn''t you be doing this?"


    "Probably, but it''s a lot more fun watching you do it. Go on."


    "It''s somewhat remarkable how you''ve managed to make the most depressing speech possible somehow inspirational," Orchid muttered from beside them. "You have a talent."


    "Thank you," Alex muttered before raising his voice again. "I''ll be honest. I wanted to make sure that anyone who wasn''t willing to stand and die by each other''s sides would leave before I got to this next part. There''s one last thing I can do for us."


    "Magical artifacts?" Abby asked hopefully. "Armor and weapons that can boost us up to the power of a Great Family?"


    Hah. Not that lucky, I''m afraid.


    "Nothing that significant. We don''t have any more time for training ¡ª but as we are now, we have nowhere to hide and recuperate during the fight. We have no way to get supplies or any tools to push the tide of battle in our favor. I can change that."


    "How?" Abby asked, her head tilting to the side. "If we only have a day before the Region Boss wakes up, then there''s no time to erect defenses significant enough to hold it off."


    Alex smiled.


    "There''s one way, actually."


    He reached into his pocket. And, before he could even pull the Town Token free, a flicker of realization lit behind her eyes. She drew in a sharp breath.


    "You can''t be serious."


    "I," Alex declared, pulling the token free and hoisting it into the air before everyone. "Have this."


    "Fuck," Abby breathed, taking a step back as her eyes went as wide as saucers. "What is that thing?"


    "It''s a Town Token," one of the other Outworlders murmured in awe.


    "I''ve never seen one, but that can''t be normal. It''s¡­ warped," Abby muttered. She swallowed heavily. More understanding lit behind her features. "Like the Mirrorlands. Who are you? How did you get something like that?"


    "It was a huge pain in the ass," Alex replied honestly. "And this is the last thing I can do for everyone here. I can''t ¡ª and won''t ¡ª promise to save everyone. I won''t say that we''re all going to make it through this together. But I can give us a damn good fucking chance, and at the bare minimum, a badass burial ground."


    "What will that do?" the old man asked.


    "It will form a Town. A position that we can try to hold and use for recovery during the fight, not to mention establish supply chains and defenses that could aid us in the battle." Orchid spoke up. "I would like to impress upon all of you the significance of this. There have been wars fought over Town Tokens. When the System made 274-50, it took everything from you but yourselves. Control is power, and a Town is a way to claw some of that control back. It can grow everyone within it beyond belief."


    "Then why would you waste it here? If the item is that strong, couldn''t you go somewhere else and use it in a safer area to make sure you can get all those benefits?" Aaron asked.


    "Because you don''t have a town without people," Claire said, taking a step forward and crossing her hands behind her back. "And what better purpose for a town than for this? You are all putting everything you have on the line. We will do the same. And for those of us that survive this fight ¡ª we will take back everything that the System took from us."


    "If we win this, then I have no plans of abandoning everyone here," Alex said. "The System has made the world a warzone. We all need a home base, and I can''t think of anyone I''d rather have at my back than those who had to claw their way to earn every victory."


    "This is about more than today," Claire added. "Those who only look to the present will be unprepared for the future. Alex is offering you more than survival. He is offering you a future."


    "I was already in before the town thing," Aaron said, clenching his fists at his sides. "If I make it through this, you can bet your ass I''m sticking around if you let me."


    "My walker wouldn''t last a mile," the old man added with a cackle. "If your town thing gets my bones spry enough to beat the shit out of a few ugly bastards, then you can count on me as well."


    "Only an idiot would turn down an invitation to enter a Town," Abby said. She sent one more glance at the Token in Alex''s hand and shook her head. "Especially one like that. I can speak for all of us when I say that we accept your offer. You''ve already been far fairer to us than the Outworlder families we abandoned. Rin put her trust in you, and so will we. If we survive this fight¡­ we will be your army."


    "Then let''s focus on that first bit," Alex said with a smile.


    It struck him in that moment that he didn''t actually know how to activate the Token. But the second that thought passed through his head, he felt the metal grow brittle between his fingers.


    The Town Token snapped.


    Its crack echoed through the silent campsite.


    Then, with a thunderous roar, crackling purple and black power exploded from his hand. Arcs of savage electricity tore out from around Alex and slammed into the ground, shaking it beneath his feet. The gravity bearing down on his back seemed to magnify a hundredfold. He staggered.


    And in the air before him, a System Message shimmered to life.


    [Trial Assigned: The First Town]


    Objective: Augment your town by achieving the highest possible completion rate in the trial before your death.


    Alex blinked.


    Before my death?


    Then the world collapsed, leaving behind nothing but Alex and an endless sea of darkness around him.

 Chapter 140 - 139: Potential

    Around Alex was only darkness. It was so thick that he could practically feel it as he swept his hand through the empty space around him. His body floated suspended in what felt like the depths of the ocean, but he could breathe perfectly fine.


    "Hello?" Alex called.


    There was no echo. His voice was muted and tinny, and it vanished into the emptiness nearly as fast as it reached his ears. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was impossible to orient himself. He couldn''t tell right form left; up from down. There was no frame of reference here. He wasn''t even sure where here was ¡ª or how he could see himself when there was no light to go by.


    "Is anyone there?" Alex called again. There wasn''t even so much as another message from the System to help him. All he had to go by was some vague trial about getting the highest completion rate before he died.


    Which implies that my death is guaranteed rather than possible. What the hell kind of trial is this?


    The only thing that kept panic from rising in his chest was Alex''s conviction that the System was fair. It could be a massive asshole and it allowed for what most people would have considered egregious amounts of cheating, but the scales always balanced in the end.


    There was no way trying to use a Town Token would just straight up kill him out of the blue. He would have a chance to fight for what was his. All he had to do was wait.


    Something rippled in the darkness before him. At least, he was pretty sure it was in front of him. Scale was surprisingly difficult to read when there was nothing to use as a reference.


    Alex squinted as a strand of gray twisted into a ball. What appeared to be bandages wrapped around themselves. They moved slowly at first, laying over each other as they spawned from nothingness, but rapidly accelerated.


    Flashes of gray snaked through the darkness and bound around each other like a miniature universe spawning into being. The ball ballooned at a near-exponential rate as it filled out into the form of a man.


    Strands of bandages twisted from his limbs and torso like chains, running far into the darkness before vanishing out of sight.


    For the briefest moment, there was silence.


    Then a loud, crackling tear sound like a dozen sheets of paper being ripped at once through the void that surrounded Alex. One of the bandage chains connected to the figure''s right arm snapped and withered away.


    A second chain tore, then a third. A hand twitched.


    Fingers clenched into a fist.


    Cracks stretched across the bandages covering the figure''s torso. They traveled up to the face and down to its legs. What seemed like black rot raced across their body, stretching to completely cover the bandages. Huge sheets of them blackened and peeled back, revealing pallid white skin.


    It was the body of a human, but one who hadn''t had a meal in months. Ribs pressed up against gaunt skin and Alex could practically see the outline of organs beneath.


    A heartbeat thumped, passing by his head like a wave of force. The last of the bandages tore away and fluttered into the darkness. They disintegrated into the void, leaving him floating across from something that could be considered neither man nor monster.


    It had ears and a mouth, but where two eyes should have been was only one, in the very top center of its face. The being possessed only two slits for nostrils and wore ragged brown scraps that hung around its waist like a torn dress.


    Alex''s spine prickled. He''d seen a number of fucked up monsters. His own summons were hardly an exception from them ¡ª but there was something deeply unsettling about the figure in front of him.


    It looked¡­


    Pathetic.


    A ragged, gasping wheeze split the gaunt thing''s lips as it drew in a long breath. It''s one eye snapped open, revealing nothing but an empty silver sclera. There was no pupil within it. The man-monster''s eye was as glassy and flat as a still lake.


    There was a moment of stillness.


    Then the creature screamed. It was not a cry of fury, but one of deep, burning agony. The figure clawed at its chest with fingers that lacked nails, thrashing and writhing as it cried out. It was the wail of a father watching their son die; the pain of death taking a brother.


    Alex clapped his hands over his ears as the sound pierced through the darkness like a blade.


    And then it was gone.


    The figure''s hands dropped to its sides. Even though it was impossible to tell where its empty eye stared, Alex knew for a fact that it was looking straight at him.


    What the fuck is going on? Am I supposed to kill this thing? That almost feels like it would be granting it a mercy.


    "So this is the fruits of my efforts." The words spilling from its lips like unwept tears. It lifted a hand and stared at its uncannily smooth flesh. "Relegated to a wretch."


    It can speak?


    "Who are you?" Alex asked. "What''s going on?"


    The thing ¡ª or was it a person? He wasn''t sure ¡ª raised a hand in the universal command to halt. A shudder wracked its body and it drew in a deep breath before letting it out in a rattling sigh.


    "I would command you to be silent were it within my capabilities, but it seems that even that has been taken from me."


    Didn''t you just basically do that, in a really roundabout way?


    "I''d be more than happy to oblige if I had the faintest idea of what was happening," Alex said. "And it seems like you might have an idea. Are you part of the Trial?"


    "Part of the Trial." The figure let out a raspy, pained laugh. "Part of the Trial. No. Yes."


    "Ah, lovely. That clears things right up. Glad we could make sure we were on the same page."


    To Alex''s surprise, a bark of laughter tore from the thing''s flat lips. It blinked heavily and tilted its head to the side, studying him intently with its flat eye. "You hold fire in your soul, even in face of the System. It will take you far. Probably not far enough, but far."


    "Does the System force you to be intentionally cryptic? Or do you just take joy in that?"


    "The former and the latter, though not in equal parts. I am Rhy¡ª"


    Before the thing could finish its sentence, it drew in a sharp breath and grasped at its chest as its entire body went stiff. An instant later, its limbs went slack and it slumped forward. It would have fallen flat on its face if it hadn''t been suspended in the darkness.


    Instead, it just floated there for a moment before straightening once more.


    "You may refer to me as Keeper," the thing finished in a strained tone.


    Alex tilted his head to the side. That definitely hadn''t been what it was trying to say.


    Rhy¡ª something. Sounds like a name? Did the System stop it from sharing its name with me? Why?


    "Right. Keeper, then. I''m Alex. I don''t suppose you''d like to tell me what the fuck is going on and who you are?"


    "The latter question is not something I am permitted to answer, and you already know the answer to the first."


    "You said you both were and weren''t here for the Trial. Not a very useful answer. I don''t mind the challenge, but I''m really not the best at riddles. I don''t suppose we could trade that one out for one where I have to smack something?"


    Keeper let out another laugh. "I am here to oversee your trial, but that is not my only purpose. I was formed when you broke that Town Token. It was a rather agonizing experience, and not one I suspect is standard. I should not have retained so many mem¡ª no. No matter. I am here because you formed a Town."


    "You''re the Town?" Alex asked, blinking in surprise.


    "No. I am Keeper. The method in which you will interface with your town upon occasions such as this one, among a few other scenarios. I will explain after you have completed your Trial."


    I can''t tell if Keeper is letting things slip on accident or if it actually wants me know more than what the System is letting it say. It definitely didn''t seem like it was here voluntarily, but I shouldn''t push too hard until I figure out what the hell is going on.


    "I see," Alex said with a nod. "So¡­ what is my Trial?"


    "What do you think?" Keeper asked, a note of bitter amusement in its tone. "You will fight. The Town Token you shattered is immensely powerful. You could not expect that the System would allow anyone to harness such strength without sufficient challenge."


    "Do you have the slightest idea how much of a pain in the ass it was to get the damn Town Token?" Alex asked, arching an eyebrow. "You''re telling me that wasn''t enough?"


    "Is it ever?" Keeper didn''t wait for Alex to give it a response before continuing. "You will fight against waves of monsters. For each monster you defeat, you will gather a small portion the latent energy stored within the Town Token. The more monsters you strike down before falling, the more of the town''s power and growth potential will be unlocked. This is the only attempt you will have at this. Do you understand?"


    Golden letters shimmered into the darkness above Alex as Keeper finished speaking.


    Town Potential: ¡ª/100%


    "Hold on a second," Alex said, raising a hand. "Before falling? Can''t I win?"


    "The System will bring monsters so long as you can fight. This Trial ends with your death." There was definitely bitter amusement in Keeper''s tone ¡ª along with something else. Perhaps it was pity, or perhaps it was just pain. Alex couldn''t quite tell.


    "That doesn''t seem very fair," Alex said, his heart starting to beat faster. "Surely there''s a way to win."


    "Perhaps. It is something you will have to determine yourself. I am not at liberty to answer."


    Alex stared at the gaunt man-monster for several long seconds. He could hear his blood thumping in his ears as adrenaline drove it through his body. His hands tightened at his sides.


    I don''t give a shit what Keeper or the trial says. There''s a way to win this. There always is. I''m not going to roll over and take defeat just because they tell me I''m guaranteed to lose.


    And I can''t help but notice one little thing.


    "One last question," Alex said. His lips pulled back in a mixture between a snarl and a grin. "Has anyone ever managed to get over 100% of a town''s potential?"

 Chapter 141 - 140: Bring it

    Keeper didn''t grace Alex''s question with a response. It stared at him quietly, evidently waiting for the confirmation that he was ready to begin the trial. Alex dug through his thoughts for a moment to see if he''d missed any potential questions that could make a significant difference in the trial.


    "I don''t suppose you can tell me what kind of monsters I''ll be fighting?"


    Keeper continued to stare at Alex.


    Evidently not. I get the feeling I''ve run out of questions.


    Oh, fuck it. I can''t be bothered with all this. Even if I knew, what would it change? Waiting any longer is just going to burn through my adrenaline and leave me tired before we even get to the good bit.


    "Right then," Alex said, interlacing his fingers and stretching his arms out before him. He shook himself off and rolled his neck.


    Then he sent a mental command out to his monsters.


    An errant thought struck him.


    What if summons somehow don''t work in the trial? That would be awkward.


    Fortunately, his fears were unfounded. A crackle buzzed beside him, overlaid with the sound of shattering glass. The empty darkness before him bubbled as a pool formed upon it. Princess rose up before him, joined by Spark and Glint.


    "Are you prepared?" Keeper asked.


    "Yes," Alex said with a firm nod. "Bring it on."


    Ground solidified beneath Alex''s feet. The strange feeling of weightlessness that had filled the empty void around him faded away. A thrum passed through the air and rolled over his skin like a passing wave of static electricity.


    A purple scar cut through the air about twenty feet away from Alex, like a rift in existence had been ripped open by an invisible claw. Faint pressure emanated from the opening as it pulsed with dim light.


    Then the portal popped, expanding into a large disk several heads taller than he was. A pincer emerged from the light. It was followed by a bulbous body covered with chitinous armor plates. Sharp legs tapped against the newly formed ground. A second pincer was the final thing to emerge, this one smaller than the first ¡ª and Alex''s eyes narrowed.


    Even with the spikes rising up on the back of its shell and the dripping mandibles twitching around its mouth, there was no mistaking the origin of his opponent.


    "A crab? Really?"


    Interestingly enough, there was no indication from the System as to its level or name. The crab was simply a crab. A very large, ugly looking crab. One that was considerably taller than he was.


    "It is an evolved lifeform," Keeper said.


    And with that, the crab charged. Its legs blurred across the ground like the rolling beat of army men marching. It came so suddenly that Alex almost got caught off guard. For some reason, he hadn''t expected the crab to be nearly as fast as it was. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But almost wasn''t quite enough.


    Princess lurched forward. She slammed into the large monster before it could arrive beside Alex. Sludge splattered across the ground as one of its pincers dug deep into her body, but she ground the crab''s advance to a halt before it could reach him.


    Glint was upon the monster an instant later. His wing-blade sliced deep into the monster''s shell, shearing through chitinous plate and meat alike. A loud shearing screech filled the air as he pulled his weapon back.


    The crab tried to free itself from Princess'' grip, but to no avail. Her huge hands clamped down on the other monster with enough force to crack its armor. She was squeezing it like a nut in an attempt to get to the prize underneath its shell ¡ª and Spark wasn''t about to be outdone.


    The Knight Wraith drove his hands deep into the wound that Glint had made in the monster''s carapace. He pushed them in until they were buried up to the shoulders. And, with a single sharp motion, Spark ripped the crab in half.


    Blood splattered across the dark ground as Princess released the monster. It clattered to the ground, legs falling still, and Alex tried not to stare in too much surprise.


    He''d known Spark was fairly strong, especially for an assassin. But he hadn''t been expecting his monsters to kill their opponent quite so easily. That almost felt wrong. Then again, he didn''t have the slightest idea as to how powerful it had been meant to be.


    Keeper wasn''t giving him any hints. Its face was flat and expressionless, silver eyes giving absolutely nothing away.


    The body of the dead crab shimmered like a mirage in a desert. Then it vanished, leaving behind nothing but darkness. Even its blood disappeared.


    Alex glanced up at the glowing words floating in the air above him.


    Town Potential: 0.1/100%


    "Seriously?" Alex asked, squinting at Keeper. "There''s a fine line between a challenge and just a straight up annoyance."


    A buzz filled his ears. The hair on the back of his neck rose on end. Purple lines carved through the air. There were dozens of them scattered through the darkness at varying distances, but the end result was the same.


    He was surrounded.


    Ah, fuck. I was kind of hoping we''d stick to the one enemy at a time thing.


    "You know, it''s a lot more fun when I''m the one that gets to abuse numbers," Alex drawled. "That''s kind of my whole thing, you know? Tossing a bunch of monsters at me out of nowhere feels a bit petty."


    "I suggest you focus on your trial," Keeper said, but there was something that just might have been amusement in its voice.


    Alex grunted.


    More crabs emerged from the portals. Dozens of them. They chittered, legs clicking against the ground as they emerged to surround Alex and his small group in a sea of crustacous flesh.


    There was only one thing to do.


    "Kill them," Alex said.


    The crabs charged.


    ***


    Town Potential: 31/100%


    Alex wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of a sleeve as he looked down from the words floating in the air above him. He couldn''t let himself get distracted for long. His monsters were holding their own, but it didn''t seem like the System planned on letting him take things at his own pace.


    He''d seen more crabs show up and die than he could count. Their bodies would have been piled into hills around him if they hadn''t faded after death. They weren''t particularly powerful, but their sheer numbers were ridiculous.


    Every time one died, another one showed up. They came from every direction and charged at Alex with no regard for their own survival. There were so many of them that there was no way his monsters could kill them all before they reached him.


    Alex only had one saving grace. For all their numbers, it seemed that the crabs collectively shared a single braincell. They had the internal processing power of a rodent that had been dropkicked down a flight of stairs.


    The only thing that the crabs had a mind for was attacking him. They didn''t seem to be particularly aware of their fellow crabs that had the exact same missive. The monsters often charged straight into each other with enough force to crack their own shells in their attempts to reach him.


    And thus, his main strategy was born. While his monsters tore through the ranks of the crabs, Alex ran the ones that got past them into each other. He wove between clattering legs and turned the army of crustaceans against themselves.


    They didn''t seem to have any problem attacking each other in attempt to get to him, so Alex indulged them.


    He wasn''t sure how long the fight went. It wasn''t long before the world was nothing but a haze of crunching chitin and clattering legs. Alex had to keep his head on a swivel. It was impossible to hear when a crab was getting close to him with the cacophony filling the darkness. He had to spot them before they arrived.


    I need to conserve my energy as much as possible. Even though these things aren''t too strong, if I''m only 30% of the way through the challenge right now, then every scrap I can save is going to be vital.


    A loud crack echoed out, splitting through the sounds of battle. Energy rushed into Alex''s body.


    One of his monsters had died.


    Alex spun toward the source of the noise in time to see several crabs fade out of existence. Princess, Spark, and Glint had taken up something of a triangle formation around him. They hadn''t fought any monsters strong enough to need them to work together, so he''d had them separate to stem the flow of attackers that could grow near him.


    It was Spark who had fallen.


    Alex only needed a moment to see why.


    Buzzing in the air above him, more than twice the height of the other portals that had cut themselves into existence, was an enormous purple scar. And emerging from the scar was a freakishly large pincer.


    Fragments of Spark''s armor clattered to the ground as the pincer raised and a huge crab stepped out into the darkness. Its shell was a deep crimson red and its swaying eyestalks turned to locate Alex.


    The flow of smaller crabs had not lessened in the wake of the new monster''s arrival. It seemed that the System wanted him to fight all of them at once.


    His new, enormous opponent let out a chittering screech of victory. It had managed to take one of his pieces off the game board.


    Alex flipped it off.


    Then he activated Exhume.


    The air around him was positively laden with death energy. He''d killed so many of the smaller crabs that it might as well have been a thick fog ¡ª and he wasn''t about to leave that much power on the table.


    Shadows twisted. Spark rose up, wholly formed once more, before him. The new crab''s chittering changed to what Alex liked to imagine to be protest. Its surprise attack had been completely wasted.


    "Bummer," Alex said. This was still only the first part of the challenge. He wasn''t even halfway through it yet ¡ª and he was certain that his opponents would only get stronger. Using more power wasn''t an option yet. He had to save everything he could for when things got real. He pointed at the huge monster. "Spark, that one''s yours. Don''t get surprised this time."


    The Knight Wraith''s shadow rose up from the ground and both copies of his monster burst into motion.


    He couldn''t watch for long. Several small crabs broke past Alex''s summons and ran at him, forcing him to duck past their attacks. With his enhanced body, it was surprisingly easy.


    Kind of like playing a really intense version of one of those dancing games in an arcade.


    His lips twitched in a grin as he wove between the monsters'' legs. They crashed into each other and Glint arrived to dispatch them a moment later, carving through their bodies with lethal precision.


    "Nice," Alex said. He was about to spin back to Spark to see how the Knight Wraith''s fight was going when he noticed something rather odd.


    There weren''t any more small crabs. The last of the monsters were fading away from the dark battlefield ¡ª and in their place were four huge portals.


    From within the portals, four more enormous crabs emerged.


    It looks like we''re getting to the more serious enemies, huh? I''ve still got a whole lot of death energy to work with from the small ones, but it looks like the System realized tossing a bunch of little shitters at me isn''t the way to go about things.


    That''s fine with me. It wouldn''t have been fun if I just stomped the fight. I shouldn''t be too far from the good part now.


    Alex''s grin grew wider and he beckoned the crabs forward. "Bring it on. Let''s see what you''ve got."

 Chapter 142 - 141: Wrong

    The massive crabs were considerably smarter than their smaller counterparts. Instead of charging ahead blindly, they encircled Alex, legs thundering as they skittered across the ground in search of an opening where they could get past his monsters and strike directly at him.


    Alex had to admit that there was something deeply strange about watching a monster more than three times his height skitter. Skittering felt like it was something that should have been reserved for small creatures ¡ª but he doubted anyone was about to tell the massive crabs that.


    A loud crash echoed out as the crab that Spark was fighting swung one of its pincers like a club. The Knight Wraith swapped spots with his shadow, effortlessly dodging the strike. He leapt, clawed gauntlets digging into the other monster''s thick armor as he clambered up its side.


    The crab spun, reaching for him with its other pincer, but Spark moved faster than it could react. He got onto the other monster''s back before it could stop him and lunged for one of the eye stalks, grabbing onto it with both hands.


    With a loud, wet crunch, Spark ripped it clean off.


    A chittering scream of pain filled the air.


    That spurred the other four monsters into action. They all charged as one, each coming from a different direction as they raced toward Alex. He couldn''t afford to dedicate any more time to watching Spark''s fight.


    Glint and Princess both rushed to take on one opponent each. That left two of them entirely focused on Alex ¡ª which worked out perfectly for him. When one was fighting an enemy this large, having two opponents was going to make things considerably easier.


    Still, no reason to be stupid. These things are definitely smarter than the previous ones.


    Alex drew on his magic and cast Mirror Image. Strands of purple energy branched out from him, crawling through the air with a loud crackle. They drove down into the ground and a brilliant flash split through the darkness for an instant.


    When it faded, two perfect copies of Alex stood at his sides.


    Then the crabs were upon him.


    Instead of waiting for one of the massive monsters to attack, Alex ran straight at one of them. His feet pounded against the ground as blood thumped in his ears ¡ª and the grin on his face never so much as faltered.


    A pincer sliced down to crush him and he dropped to his knees, sliding beneath it before jumping back to his feet as he arrived beneath the huge monster. The monster turned in a circle and tried to get a look at him while the other one chittered loudly in fury and tried to reach through the first monster''s legs with its smaller pincer to no avail. It wasn''t stupid enough to trip up its own ally, so the three of them were stuck in a dance to see who would slip up first.


    Alex barely managed to jump out of the way before one of the monster''s legs slammed into the ground where he''d been standing. Several more blurred toward him and he hopped back again. One of his Mirror Image clones shattered as it was caught in the chest.


    I just have to buy time and avoid spending too much energy. I don''t want to waste my Qi yet. Not this early on.


    The sounds of battle rang out all around him as his summons fought for the upper hand. He couldn''t pause to check how their fights were going. A moment of distraction would be enough for one of the crabs he was fighting to catch him off guard.


    There was a brief lull in the leg strikes. Alex glanced up. Then his eyes widened. The carapace of the crab was plummeting toward him. The monster had given up on trying to impale him and was just dropping its full weight on his head. Suppressing a curse, he burst into a sprint and threw himself forward.


    Alex hit the ground in a roll, barely managing to avoid getting flattened like a pancake. The other crab was upon him before he could even rise. He rolled to the side and narrowly avoided a claw driving down where he''d been a moment before.


    The air above him crackled as he cast Funhouse, and not a moment too soon. The second crab''s claw hurtled down for him, entering the fracture in reality and jerking to the side, landing several paces away from his head.


    Alex rolled to his feet just in time to see a silver flash slice through the air. Glint slammed into the crab that had tried to crush him, his wing-blade carving through both of the monster''s eye stalks in a single blow.


    A chittering scream marked the monster''s final words as he dispatched it. The other one went to try and back its comrade up, only for Princess to come barreling at it like a freight train. She slammed into the monster''s side and sent it crashing to the ground in a tangle of legs and claws.


    Spark joined into the fight, having finished off his own opponent, and the three of them ripped the two remaining monsters to shreds within moments. Alex wiped the sweat from his brow. His heart hammered in his chest and he bounced from foot to foot.


    Far in the air above, the shimmering golden words changed to report his progress in the trial.


    Town Potential: 42/100%


    Alex''s smile widened. The wave had been a whole 10%. It seemed that every consecutive round of monsters would give him more than the last, but they would also get considerably stronger. He couldn''t let himself celebrate the victory when it was only the next small step in a series of many he had to take.


    Several portals carved through the dark air around him, marking the arrival of the next wave. Alex''s lips pulled back into a grin and he prepared himself to face them.


    ***


    Wave after wave of monsters came ¡ª and wave after wave of monsters died. Lumbering, 10 foot tall giants wearing the armor of the very crabs that Alex had been cutting down were the next of the enemies that arrived to attempt to take him down.


    Alex dispatched them, but not without losing Glint in the process. He brought the Glasmir back without a second thought. The second wave of giants came with an extra challenge of one that stood in the back and flung rocks at him.


    That one nearly caught him off guard, but his experience with Diego ended up being what saved him. Alex managed to dive behind Princess just in time to avoid getting crushed. That wave fell, but Princess died in exchange for his life.


    He brought her back as well ¡ª but the amount death energy in the room was reducing. Every consecutive wave of monsters came with less enemies, and though they were getting smarter and stronger, they didn''t seem to be leaving nearly as much strength behind to work with.


    Alex pushed on. The percentage of completion continued to crawl upward. It reached and passed 60%, then went up to 70%. By the time it reached 80%, the death energy in the room was nearly depleted.


    When he reached the next wave, which consisted of a pair of massive, blue-skinned giants that each stood around twenty feet tall, both Spark and Princess died in order to let Glint land the final blow on the last of the deadly monsters.


    Alex spent the last of the death energy in the room, including the energy the dead giants left behind, to bring the two of them back. He wasn''t sure how long he''d been fighting anymore. It felt like it had been a whole day, but it was probably far closer to hours.


    His body was completely spent. He''d drained his magical reserves heavily, though he''d managed to keep his Qi saved up.


    Damn it. I''m starting to reach my limit.


    His gaze drifted up to the glowing words in the sky.


    Town Potential: 90/100%


    Alex''s lips twitched in wry amusement. Based on the amount of completion every wave got him, he was pretty sure that this next one would be the last round that was planned.


    If I make it past this and another stage starts¡­ then that confirms it. I''ll be able to go for 200% completion. I don''t have the faintest idea how I''ll make it that far, but I''ll deal with that when I get there.


    A lone portal twisted to life before Alex. It was, surprisingly, only a little taller than he was. It seemed the System had run out of massive brutes to throw at him. He finished catching his breath and wiped his mouth with the back of a sleeve, settling into a fighting stance and preparing to dodge. All three of his summons did the same.


    These monsters weren''t above trying for sneak attacks.


    But it was not a monster that emerged from within the portal.


    It was a woman.


    She stood at about Alex''s height and wore bleached bone armor. She had two curved, swords made of the same bone in each of her hands ¡ª and she was splattered with gore and blood.


    The woman looked winded, but determination burned behind her eyes like flames.


    "What''s going on?" she muttered. "I thought ¡ª no. It must have been a trick. Of course. No wonder it was so unfair."


    Wait, what? She speaks? This is just another human! Why is she in my trial?


    The woman''s gaze landed on Glint and she froze in place. Her hands tightened around the swords at her sides.


    "You''ve got to be kidding me," she muttered as her face paled a shade. "What the fuck are those things? They''re nothing like what I''ve been fighting. This trial is bullshit."


    "What are you doing here?" Alex asked.


    The woman finally spotted him. Confusion passed over the woman''s features and she took a step back, raising her weapons before herself.


    "What? Why is there another person here? Why are you in my trial?"


    "I''m not in your trial. You''re in my trial," Alex said. He glanced around to see if another portal was opening somewhere while he was distracted, but all he found was darkness.


    What''s going on? Shouldn''t the next boss have been some big ugly crab-giant thing? Is this some kind of trick to get me off guard?


    "A likely story. The System is being tricky. Trying to confuse me," she said, shaking her head furiously before her gaze focused on Alex. "Is it trying to test my resilience? First by pretending to kill me, then by forcing me to fight another human? I won''t be broken so easily."


    Alex glanced at Keeper of the corner of his eyes. Something deep in his stomach twisted uncomfortably. Even though it wasn''t human, there was no mistaking the emotion in the monster''s features. It was deep, profound sadness.


    Something is wrong.


    "Hold on," Alex said, raising his hands. "I''m not part of a trial. I''m taking a trial. Are¡­ you trying to establish a Town?"


    "Yes," the woman said. Her eyes narrowed. "You''re definitely part of the trial. There''s no way you''d have known that."


    That can''t be right. The System told me I was the first one to establish a town. The chances of someone else also managing to make one so soon after I did seem pretty damn low. There would have been at least a bit of time between us making towns. This is too coincidental. Something is up. Come on. This is important, I can tell. Think!


    Alex''s teeth clenched.


    The woman readied her swords. "You will not trick me. I will not fail."


    "Wait!" Alex called. "There''s no time limit, right? Think about it! Something seems wrong, doesn''t it? I''ve been fighting monsters this whole time, and I bet you have been too given how surprised you were to see me¡­ so why are we up against humans suddenly?"


    The woman hesitated. A frown pulled at her lips. Then she shook her head. "Enough of this. I will not be so easily distracted."


    Alex''s jaw clenched tighter. The expression on Keeper''s face was enough to convince him that he was right. Something was definitely wrong.


    It just doesn''t add up. How could someone have made their town so close to me? It just doesn''t make sense¡­ wait. Hold on.


    The way Keeper was looking at the woman was more than just sadness. It was recognition.


    "What planet are you from?" Alex asked, a sinking feeling building in his stomach as he thought over everything the woman had said. "Something tells me you aren''t from 274-50."


    The woman blinked and hesitated for a moment. "No. I am from 211-10."


    Keeper''s expression didn''t change. It didn''t look like it recognized or cared about the planet name. That meant it wasn''t the woman or her people it related to enough to feel sad about.


    It was her situation.


    Oh, shit.


    "You said the System tricked you into thinking you died," Alex said. "Are you certain it was a trick?"


    "Of course it was!" the woman snapped. "Do I look dead to you? It was a trick to test my resolve. Enough of this. Raise your weapon. I do not want to cut down an enemy that will not defend themselves, but my people need me."


    Alex felt sick. His stomach lurched like it was trying to force its way up through his throat.


    "You''re wrong," Alex said. "I''m sorry."


    The woman''s eyes thinned. "Last warning. I don''t care what you are. Ready yourself for a fight. I must succeed."


    "You can''t," Alex said quietly. "You''ve already failed. I''m sorry. The System repurposed you."


    "What?" The woman took a step forward. Then she froze. She clutched at her chest as something bubbled beneath her skin, rippling through the parts of her arms that her armor didn''t cover. When her gaze raised again, there was horror in her eyes.


    Horror ¡ª and realization. Her body was no longer hers.


    "No," she whispered. She took a step forward ¡ª but Alex could tell by her expression that the motion wasn''t one she''d chosen to make. The woman hadn''t been given a choice. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She had died, and the System had repurposed her.


    "You died in your trial," Alex said grimly. "And now you''re part of mine."

 Chapter 143 - 142: Foe

    Alex''s words struck true in more than just his own ears. The woman''s advance slowed to a halt as she stared at him, horror gripping her features.


    "No," she whispered. The swords in her hands trembled as she stared at Alex, denial in her voice. "That''s not possible. I can''t have failed. I''m still alive. There were so many people relying on me to be alive. Can''t you see? I''m alive!"


    She does look alive. That''s not wrong. But¡­


    Alex swallowed. His eyes drifted from the woman to Keeper, who watched on. The desolate expression on the monster''s features was strikingly human ¡ª and there was no doubting the recognition within that flat, silver eye.


    For the first time since the Apocalypse had struck, Alex was struck with an intense sense of disgust. He welcomed every scrap of challenge that the System threw at him. The end of the world had been chaotic, it had been brutal, but it had been fun.


    But this ¡ª this was something else. It was just cruel.


    "What''s your name?" Alex asked.


    "Au¡­" The woman''s words died on her lips. She squinted and her lips parted as she made to answer his question a second time. Then she froze in place. Her mouth closed, then opened again. Her brow furrowed; hands clenched at her sides. A vein in her neck bulged.


    But, no matter how hard she tried, not so much as a single word slipped from her lips.


    Just like Keeper. They can''t say their own names because the System took it from them. This is vile. Is this what happens when you die within its grip? Your mind and body get turned into a puppet to be used?


    I suppose nobody can call the System inefficient.


    "I can''t say it," the woman whispered. A droplet of blood rolled down from her nose and traced across her lips. She barely even seemed to notice it. "My name. I ¡ª it hurts. It hurts so bad."


    "I''m sorry," Alex said, and he meant it.


    "If you continue to resist, the System will take what remains," Keeper said. "You are not your own anymore. The only way to preserve yourself is to obey."


    "Fuck what remains!" the woman screamed, driving a sword into the ground. "People are counting on me! The System can rot."


    "Then you will lose even the memory of what was," Keeper said.


    The woman didn''t get a chance to respond. Her words were interrupted by an agonized scream as her right arm bubbled and bulged. What seemed to be cancerous bone growths ripped through her skin like spines. The arm bulged and enlarged grotesquely until it was nearly twice as large as it had been. She staggered, catching herself on the ground with a sword before she could fall.


    Alex couldn''t even bring himself to put words to his thoughts. He stared along with the woman as blood dripped from her warped arm. It barely even looked human anymore.


    "It''s turning me into a monster," she whispered in horror.


    "More will be lost the more you resist," Keeper said. "Trust me. I would know. If you obey, more remains. Memories. A chance at escape, but nothing more."


    The woman''s eyes affixed on Alex. She drew in a deep, ragged breath. "A chance¡­ that''s too late. You know of planet naming. Can¡­ you travel between them?"


    "In a way."


    A second passed as the woman fought internally to push words forth. "My people. If you defeat me¡­ if you get to 211-10¡­ if they still live¡­ will you help them?"


    That''s a lot of ifs. I''m not exactly some hero. I''m only even helping the people from the campground because I need backup to help me fight the Region Boss. Sure, it gives them a better chance at survival, but I know I''m not a saint. Mercy is for people strong enough to afford it, and I''m not.


    Also, I don''t have the faintest clue how I''d even find her people. She can''t say her name. She can''t say anything but a planet. That''s pretty shit guidance.


    "I won''t lie to you. I don''t know how I''d even do that," Alex said. "If I happen to make my way to your planet, I''ll see if I can find anyone that recognizes a description of you. That''s the best I can promise."


    "A name," the woman said, her jaw clenching. "I''ll give you a name. Not mine."


    Her skin twitched and bubbled like a sea of ants were running beneath it, trying to push their way free.


    I''m not so sure the System''s going to let you do that. If I kill her now, I''m pretty sure that the System would count it. A fight is a fight¡­ but I won''t. Not only because that would basically just be murdering someone who literally just got murdered, but because killing an opponent that isn''t fighting back would reduce the challenge. I need as much as possible if I want over 100% completion.


    "I won''t lie to you by promising something I can''t promise, but if the situation arises, then I''ll do what I can," Alex said.


    Really not much of a commitment. The System isn''t going to let her give me anything to work with.


    The woman swallowed. Then she nodded. Sadness and determination set themselves in her features as she took a ragged breath to steady herself.


    For several long moments, she was silent. Her skin twitched and bubbled as an internal war waged within her, literally and metaphorically. Tremors passed through her entire body as she suddenly doubled over, hacking blood up onto the dark ground.


    Keeper shook his head sadly. "Your resolve is admirable, but it will not change anything. I would suggest¡ª"


    "Stargrove Sect," the woman spat, practically choked, out.


    Then she doubled over with an agonized scream. A deluge of blackish-red fluid poured from between her lips, splattering against the ground. A foul smell permeated through the darkness, the unmistakable rot of decay and death.


    The nameless woman hacked and wretched, desperately gasping for air through the unending flow of what Alex suspected to be her pulped, rotted inner organs.


    Holy shit. She actually did it. That must be the name her town was going to be called.


    Keeper''s eye was wide in disbelief. He was even more shocked than Alex was.


    They didn''t get to relish the feeling for long. A final heave shook the woman''s body. The flow of rotted liquid from between her lips finally drew to a halt. It dripped from her lips as she raised bloodshot eyes to Alex, her hand still clenched around the hilt of the sword embedded in the ground.


    "Forgive me for the burden I place upon you," she whispered.


    Then she exploded.


    Jagged bone ripped through any semblance of her humanity as her body ballooned in size, growing to more than three times her former height. Solid sheets of bone ground and screeched against each other as the ligaments and flesh that connected them was ripped to shreds.


    Her face was warped beyond recognition as it was torn to shreds from within along with the rest of her body. Any amount of blood that remained within her proved to be insignificant in comparison with the new size of the lumbering, humanoid monstrosity that rose in her place.


    Two dull motes of grey ignited in the empty eye sockets of the creature. They held no intelligence or care. Only death remained. Nothing about it was human. Every trace of who the woman had been was gone.


    No. Not gone. Spent.


    Spent for the sake of two words. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alex''s lips pulled back into a snarl. He knew what he was and was comfortable with it. Nobody got far by sticking their neck out for no reason. It was just such a hassle. He''d promised himself that he''d have fun in the apocalypse ¡ª but there were some lines that couldn''t be crossed.


    She was a warrior. Making her do all that, just to give her the slightest chance to help her people just a little more¡­


    I guess I''ve got no choice.


    The monster let out a low moan. It took a step toward him and lifted its jagged, spiked hands in preparation to crush him.


    Alex craned his neck back to meet the huge bone golem''s empty gaze. It continued to advance, step by step, shifting from a shuffle to a thunderous jog. Every step made the ground beneath it shake.


    And, for some reason, even though Alex''s body knew that an enemy like this would be one that would provide quite the challenge, he couldn''t quite bring himself to be excited for the fight.


    There was a different emotion that gripped his heart. One that left no room for any others.


    "I''m sorry I never got to find out your name. Something tells me it would have been a worthy one," Alex said. He shifted his stance, sending a mental command to his monsters. Only determination remained in his features. Alex looked up at the charging monster, unflinching. "I don''t know if any part of you is left in there. But, at the bare minimum, I''ll make sure you can rest."


    He brought his hand down, and his monsters charged to meet their foe.

 Chapter 144 - 143: Rest & ANNOUNCEMENT

    Alex wasn''t sure what to call the enormous bone golem. Merely thinking of it as a monster somehow felt wrong. It had been a woman ¡ª one who had been so bold as to defy the very System itself. To relegate her to merely being a monster felt wrong.


    Her name started with Au. That''s how much she got out before the System cut her off. Aubrey? Probably not, but better than only seeing the monster she''s become.


    I''ll go with Aubrey.


    Princess slammed into Aubrey with a wordless roar. The two slammed to a halt, black sludge splattering across the ground behind the Dredge as huge bone spikes ripped deep into her body.


    The damage from that alone would have been enough to kill anything else of Princess'' power, but the dredge refused to fall so easily. Her body knit itself back together as she wrestled with Aubrey, fighting to keep the golem pinned down.


    Glint and Spark took advantage of the time they''d been bought. Sparks'' shadow split away from him as he raced to get into position, awaiting the perfect moment to strike, while Glint brought his blade-wing down screaming through the air like an executioner''s axe.


    It slammed into Aubrey''s bone-plated neck, digging deep into the armor that covered her with a loud shearing noise before ripping free. Alex gritted his teeth at the awful sound. He was surprised to find that, despite how sharp Glint''s attacks were, the cut on the golem''s neck wasn''t all the way through.


    That''s some tough fucking armor.


    Aubrey let out a grating roar and twisted, slamming a hand into Princess'' side and ripping clean through her body, splitting it in two. She grabbed the top half of the Dredge and hurled it into the darkness.


    Alex could do nothing but watch in slack-jawed awe as Princess hurtled away. He felt energy drain from her a few moments later as she hit the ground, sustaining even more damage, and started to heal.


    Shit. Aubrey''s strong.


    Glint slashed at the golem again, then spun out of the way of a massive fist that nearly crushed him where he''d stood. Aubrey staggered toward Alex, reaching for him with spine-covered hands the size of horses.


    Two blurs shot toward her as Spark burst into motion. He slammed into the golem''s back, leaping past spikes to arrive right beside the wound that Glint had inflicted to her neck before bringing both of his hands down on it with a loud crack.


    Aubrey twisted with a roar, flinging Spark free and swinging a massive hand at him to bat the monster from the sky.


    Spark swapped locations with his shadow, alighting on Aubrey''s back once more, and her fist obliterated his clone.


    A familiar sensation buzzed at the back of Alex''s head. His spine prickled and he spun toward it, a sinking feeling in his stomach that already told him what he would find. Buzzing in the air behind him was a purple scar.


    The System was pulling in more monsters.


    But why? Aubrey was definitely meant to be the boss. I got more completion from every consequent monster I fought, and I''m already almost at 100%. She was definitely the last fight in the round.


    "The hell is this?" Alex called to Keeper. "I''m trying to have a fight here! Hasn''t anyone told you it''s rude to interrupt? Seriously, I normally wouldn''t mind, but can you not read the room?"


    "The waves are time-based," Keeper replied. It was silent for a moment longer, silver eye lingering on Aubrey''s warped form before flicking to Alex. "And, believe it or not, I am simply trying to help."


    How is sending more monsters at me while I''m trying to deal with the fight I''m already in possibly conceivable as help?


    Aubrey roared. Rumbling steps echoed through the darkness as Princess charged back into the fight. She slammed into the bone golem for the second time, driving Aubrey back a step, and Alex''s other monsters unleashed another series of blows against her.


    The golem staggered. But, instead of trying to protect the growing weak spot in its neck, it swung a hand down like an axe at Princess. The Dredge tried to reposition, but she was just too close and the golem was too large.


    Her mask shattered under the force of the blow as her entire body was turned into a black, bubbling pancake.


    Alex felt a rush of energy flow into him as Princess died. His teeth gritted. There wasn''t enough death energy left in the room for him to use Exhume. He wasn''t yet out of cards to play, but he was definitely starting to push his limits.


    Behind him, the leg of a massive crab emerged from within the portal. The huge creature emerged from within the purple abyss, letting out a clicking hiss as its eyestalks focused on Alex.


    Out of the corner of his eye, he saw another portal carve through the air. It seemed that the System was far from done with sending monsters into the fight. If it had been more of the weak crabs, Alex would have been thrilled.


    They were nothing more than fodder to give him death energy to work with ¡ª but the large ones were hard enough to kill that he couldn''t afford to dedicate much manpower to fighting them without letting Aubrey run free.


    He sent a command to Spark, pulling him away from the fight with Aubrey and leaving her to Glint. They couldn''t fight three monsters at once. Not ones of this size. He had to kill the crabs first.


    Glint dodged out of the way of Aubrey''s massive, spiked fists and skirted around her, shimmering from step to step like a river of flowing silver. He didn''t try to press forward and attack. His new goal was simply to survive until Alex and Spark could deal with the other opponents.


    The newly arrived crab charged him, reaching out with a massive pincer to crush Alex within it.


    He darted to the side, throwing himself into a dive and rolling beneath the monster while Spark repositioned in preparation to attack.


    I still don''t see how this is meant to be helping ¡ª


    Wait. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A thought struck Alex. He didn''t have time to glance back at Keeper¡­ but it was a little too hard to deny. The presence of these crabs just didn''t make sense. There was no reason for normal enemies, even stronger ones, to be showing up this late into the trial.


    Aubrey was definitely the boss. Defeating her would have brought him to 100% completion.


    A leg slammed into the spot where Alex had been standing, but he''d already moved. He was running, feet slamming against the ground as he raced to stay ahead of the crab, his mind moving even faster than his legs.


    I told Keeper that I wanted 200% completion. Not 100%. Is Keeper intentionally giving me a way to get a percentage that I shouldn''t normally be able to receive?


    Alex didn''t even dare voice his words aloud ¡ª nor did he have the time or breath to muster them. He dove to the side as a leg slammed down into the dark ground where he''d been standing, nearly impaling him.


    He rolled to his feet just in time to see a second crab emerge from the other portal that had formed. Alex gritted his teeth and kept running.


    If Keeper is trying to help me, I don''t want to get it into shit with the System. I''ve seen just what happens when you do that. In that case¡­ I just need to kill these crabs first. That''s the only way to see if I''m right.


    Spark leapt.


    The crab, which had been mid-turn toward Alex, didn''t see the other monster until it was too late and the Knight Wraith was already upon the top of its shell. Spark ripped both of the crab''s eyestalks off with a single move, then drove his clawed gauntlets deep into the crab''s shell, ripping the chitin apart and tearing deep into its internal organs.


    It started to fall.


    Alex didn''t wait to watch it die. He was already mid-turn toward the new crab when a second rush of energy slammed into him in a wave.


    Aubrey let out a victorious roar. Out of the corner of Alex''s eye, he spotted her rising, yet another crab alongside her that he hadn''t seen arriving.


    She''d managed to kill Glint.


    Spark landed beside Alex, his one remaining monster. The death energy from the crab they''d just killed would help, but it still wasn''t enough for him to use Exhume. He''d need at least one more kill ¡ª maybe two.


    I could use Encore and use that to get a Qi-empowered Exhume for Glint¡­ but that isn''t going to be enough to take me all the way to 200%. I''m just barely halfway through.


    The remaining crabs and Aubrey all advanced toward Alex. They didn''t care much for his internal debate of the proper way to handle things. All they wanted to do was kill him and end the trial.


    "Looks like it''s just going to be the two of us for a little bit," Alex told Spark, cracking his neck and flexing his fingers. There was no other option. He had to fight himself. Princess and Glint''s powers were within him now ¡ª but that wasn''t all he had to work with.


    Time to find out if that new skill was worth it.


    Alex looked up to the monsters, defiance burning within his eyes. He sent his senses within himself, reaching for the magical power that lurked within.


    Then he activated Armament Elegy.


    A heavy force settled into his palm and drove down onto his back. Alex nearly stumbled before he managed to catch his balance, a silver, mirrored cloak shimmering to life along his shoulders.


    He was forced to clasp both of his hands together to keep from dropping the growing pressure against in his hand. Black sludge poured from between his palms. It flowed up against the command of gravity, twisting into the shape of a long sword.


    Squirming worms twisted beneath the surface of the sludge, pushing free to reveal rows of centipede legs, curled like hooks. They continued to twitch in unison, even after they locked into place.


    And, at the very base of the blade, right above his hands, the sludge split apart to reveal a maw. The very same maw that lurked upon Princess'' chest. It felt right in his hands. As if it was an extension of his own body rather than a mere weapon.


    Alex could feel power thrumming within both the sword and the cloak ¡ª as if Glint and Princess were right alongside him. And not only that. Alex could still feel their magic within him. Armament Elegy hadn''t taken it away.


    "Right," Alex breathed, looking up to meet the charge of the monsters as his lips pulled apart into a determined smile. "Let''s see what this can do."

 Chapter 145 - 144: Fear

    Alex set his stance and readied the black sword that Armament Elegy had given him from Princess'' power. The barbed centipede legs sticking from the edges of the blade twitched and squirmed in eerie unison.


    For some reason, they almost resembled the mandibles of the massive crab monsters that were currently advancing on him and spark. There were two of them left ¡ª not to mention Aubrey, who was definitely the greatest threat of the lot.


    He didn''t have much left to work with.


    Aside from the sword, Alex still had his Qi, a cast of Encore, and the silver cloak draped around his shoulders that had come from Glint. He didn''t know what the cloak or the sword did yet. It was looking like he''d get a good chance to find out quite soon.


    "Distract one of the crabs," Alex said to Spark. He didn''t bother keeping the instructions to his thoughts. There wasn''t enough of Aubrey left to hear his words. The System had warped her body in to the bone monstrosity that rose before him, hateful eyes boring into his as she charged alongside the crabs.


    How many monsters are of the same make? Is everything I''ve killed just some poor bastard whose world got consumed by the System? Or is Aubrey special?


    Alex''s jaw clenched and he sprinted forward, meeting the monsters'' charge. The last thing he wanted to do was sit around until they could surround him. Spark shot off in one direction, making for the leftmost crab to occupy it while Alex angled for the other crab.


    He kept it between himself and Aubrey to make sure they couldn''t double team him. Neither of the monsters was exactly nimble, so he had a good chance of isolating the fights.


    The crab shifted its weight. A pincer whistled through the air toward Alex. He ducked to the side, rolling into the attack and letting it pass safely over his head. Shoving himself back to his feet, he dove for one of the monster''s legs, swinging his centipede sword with all his might.


    A roar split through the air. Not one from Alex, nor from the crabs or Aubrey or Spark.


    It came from his sword. The weapon rumbled in his hands like it was trying to buck itself free of his grip, but Alex held strong.


    The weapon slammed into the crab''s leg.


    There was a loud, crunching shriek. His sword bucked once more. A violent tremor ran down his hands ¡ª and the sound of cracking chitin and blending meat filled the air. His sword practically ripped itself through the leg of its own volition.


    Alex stumbled, barely managing to keep his balance. He spun with the blow and brought it across another leg beside him. The blow was nearly entirely on accident, but the rumbling shriek filled the air once more as the blade carved straight through the second leg.


    He stared at the weapon in his hands in abject disbelief. It was so out of place that his mind was struggling to process the sight before him ¡ª but there was simply no denying it. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This wasn''t a sword at all.


    "It''s a giant fucking chainsaw," Alex breathed, his eyes going wide.


    The centipede legs whirred along the edges of the blade so fast that they''d simply become a blur. All the blood and gore splattered across the weapon''s surface vanished within the weapon and the rumble within it grew stronger.


    It was literally eating his enemies as he cut them.


    Alex''s lips split into a cold grin.


    An agonized hiss from above him marked that the crab was far from done fighting. Alex dodged to the side as a leg slammed down into the ground where he''d been standing and he swung his sword again.


    It tore through the armored leg like it was a piece of paper. The crab stumbled, now down three of its limbs, and Alex pounced. He leapt into the air, driving his chainsword point first into a leg with a whirring crunch, then using that as a springboard to jump right at the monster''s underbelly.


    He drove the blade into the crab''s stomach with a roar.


    Then he sent a wave of magic ripping free of his arm and through the length of the blade. Mirrored shards exploded from the monster''s stomach as they shredded its inside like a blender. Blood poured from the cracks within the monster''s shell as it swayed.


    Alex dropped to the ground, darting out from under the crab as it crashed to the ground, dead.


    He didn''t have any time to celebrate the victory. A shadow passed over him. He spun, but it was too late. Even before the crab had crashed down, Aubrey was upon him.


    The bone golem let out a wordless roar as it swung a massive hand down straight for Alex''s head.


    Oh, shit.


    He twisted, but it was too late to dodge. Aubrey had bided her time perfectly, and her fist was already nearly upon him.


    A silver blur split through the air at his side. The cloak hanging around his shoulders unfurled, snapping out and driving into the ground. Then it snapped taut. Alex found himself lifted off his feet and hurled to the side.


    He hit the ground with a roll and a grunt, the world spinning around him. A flash of silver cut past his vision again and he was suddenly hoisted back upright. The cloak slithered back to its former position at his side.


    Holy shit. Did it just dodge the attack for me?


    Aubrey didn''t seem to have any plans of letting him ruminate over his new abilities. The bone golem charged him with another rattling roar. Every step she took made the ground tremble beneath her.


    Alex bared his teeth.


    He tightened his grip on the chainsword in his hands.


    Then he met her charge.


    Aubrey swung her fist.


    The cloak around Alex''s shoulders snapped out, adapting to his desires. It lengthened and drove into the ground behind him. Like the world''s strangest pole-vault, the cloak launched him clean into the air and over the massive bone fist.


    Alex landed on Aubrey''s arm. One of the spikes protruding from her flesh drove into his foot, but he ignored the pain and drove the chainsword down into her arm. Then, with a roar, he charged, dragging the weapon through the bone golem behind him.


    He raced up the golem''s arm, splitting her body apart behind him as he arrived upon her shoulder. With a grunt, Alex pulled the whirring sword free of the monster''s flesh and reared back, taking aim at her neck.


    Aubrey lifted her other hand with a scream of fury. It extended for Alex in a blur.


    His cloak snapped out once more, vaulting him into the air. Alex spun, taking advantage of his momentum and bringing the weapon down on the bone golem''s head with a scream of defiance.


    The weapon screamed with him. It bucked and shook in his grip as it bit deep into Aubrey''s skull, ripping through the bone and digging itself deeper into her cranium. Smoke filled the air from the friction of the centipede legs against their victim.


    Aubrey staggered. The hand that had been reaching for Alex trembled, then fell to her side. She swayed, the light in the monster''s eyes sputtering like a bulb in a forgotten basement.


    Alex ripped the sword free from her head and leapt down, landing on the ground and taking several hurried steps before turning back to the monster as it pitched forward, crashing to the black ground with a resounding crash.


    The crab that Spark had been distracting fell an instant later, ripped to shreds by the Knight Wraith.


    Blood pounded in Alex''s ears as adrenaline poured through his body. It had been a good fight. He''d nearly died... but his thoughts were elsewhere.


    Rest easy, Aubrey.


    A sudden thought struck Alex. He hadn''t gotten a single Soul Flame from any of the monster''s he''d fought inside the trial ¡ª and there was no reason to believe that things would be any different now.


    What, so Aubrey''s soul just goes back to the System? To what, get turned into yet another monster? That''s some bullshit. What right does the System get to hold over the afterlife? If you''re dead, you''re fucking dead!


    Indignation burned within Alex.


    Indignation¡­ and something more. A pressure deep within him, within his heart. It drank his emotions in like a cactus draining the desert of water ¡ª and then it shuddered.


    Blood trickled down from Alex''s nose and traced across his lips. His ears popped as the pressure abruptly changed and he tasted electricity on his tongue. The world went out of focus for a brief instant.


    And, for that instant, he could have sworn that gravity changed its direction. Instead of pulling his feet to the ground, toward the center of the planet, the laws of the universe decided that Alex was now the point to which all things flowed.


    Then nature took its proper course once again. Alex staggered, suddenly finding his lungs devoid of air. Stars flashed before his eyes and he nearly tripped over his own feet. He caught himself by driving his sword to the ground.


    Alex drew in a ragged breath. He grit his teeth and pushed himself back to his feet. The trial wasn''t done yet. He didn''t know what had just happened, but he couldn''t afford to let himself get distracted. It was probably the side effects from overusing ¡ª


    He froze.


    Aubrey''s body had faded away into nothingness, but not without leaving something behind. Floating in the air where she had fallen was a dim white Soul Flame. It was so faint that it was practically invisible, but it was there.


    The System gave me her flame? Why her and nothing else?


    Alex frowned, but he didn''t waste time questioning his good fortune. He didn''t know what happened to someone after they died for the second time, but at this point, he trusted himself a whole lot more than he did the System.


    Pulling free a Spatial Mirror, Alex strode forward and scooped the flame into it. He returned the mirror to his side and took a quick glance at the crab that Spark had killed. There was no Soul Flame.


    Weird.


    "Well?" Alex asked, cracking his neck and baring his teeth. "I''m not done here, Keeper. What''s next?"


    There was no answer.


    Alex raised his gaze to Keeper.


    The monster was staring at him. And, even though its features were completely alien, he could tell exactly what emotion was on Keeper''s face. It was surprise.


    "Impossible. How did you do that?" Keeper asked.


    "What, did you think I was just going to leave Aubrey to suffer? And she was strong, but not that¡ª"


    "Not the woman. I''m talking about what you did after you killed her," Keeper snapped. "How did you do it?"


    "Do what?" Alex demanded.


    Keeper''s flat, silver eye bore down onto Alex like the moon itself as it stared at him, and Alex there was another emotion hidden within its surprise.


    Fear.


    "How did you steal from the System?"

 Chapter 146 - 145: Continue

    I did what?


    Alex blinked. He squinted up at the Keeper, trying to figure out if this was meant to be some sort of joke or a trick to get him off guard for the next monster''s arrival, but no purple scars appeared in the air.


    Keeper floated still in place and stared at him in wait for an answer. An answer as to how he''d apparently stolen from the literal System itself.


    An answer that Alex didn''t have. But, even if he did, he definitely wouldn''t be going around sharing it with something that worked for said System.


    Is he talking about how I got Aubrey''s Soul Flame when I wasn''t meant to?


    "I have no clue what you''re talking about," Alex said with a shake of his head. Even if the Soul Flame was what Keeper was talking about, he wasn''t going to give any information up himself. The System didn''t play nice and he wouldn''t either.


    "You must realize how unlikely that sounds. Are you implying that you managed to rob the System entirely by accident?"


    "We can go with that, sure. I''m not so convinced I''ve robbed the System of anything. Isn''t this a trial? I deserve rewards, but I haven''t seen shit so far. That seems pretty damn cheap. If anything, I''m the one getting robbed right now."


    Speaking of which¡­


    Alex cast his gaze up to the glowing words that had been hovering in the darkness throughout the duration of the trial. He''d defeated all the crabs and taken out the monster that the System had turned Aubrey into, which meant his percentage should have been at least at 100%.


    Town Potential: 125/100%


    Wow, that''s even better than I was thinking it would be at this point. Audrey was really worth quite a lot of percentage. I wonder if her choosing to transform into a monster to tell me the name of her group made the challenge rise higher than it was meant to. Guess I owe her one.


    Keeper followed Alex''s gaze.


    "Over 100%," Keeper said, suddenly dropping their former topic of conversation. "You have achieved completion."


    "What, no more monsters?" Alex''s brow furrowed. He''d been saving up a lot of energy to make sure he could push all the way up to 200%. Stopping now just felt like a waste. "I never rung the bell. I''m not done."


    "You have achieved the requirements to complete the trial."


    "No, actually, I haven''t," Alex pointed out. "I haven''t died. The System specified that it would go until I died, did it not?"


    I wonder if it told Aubrey the same thing. There''s no way it gave us a trial that''s guaranteed to end in us getting screwed over. I''m certain a way to win exists, but I need to find it.


    "The trial world will collapse upon its conclusion and all living beings that remain within it will die."


    Oh.


    "That doesn''t sound particularly advantageous to my health," Alex said, his eyes narrowing. "Not sure I''m seeing how this benefits me."


    "It is not my purpose to explain the full extent of how a trial dimension works. It is a very rare occurrence for an individual to partake in one, and the rewards of such a trial can be¡­ extensive. The System harvests a small portion of your soul for the duration of this trial as collateral. That portion is forfeit, regardless of result. Should you fall early, the rest of your soul will be consumed as well. The farther you make it, the less impact to your whole being there will be ¡ª but a portion will always be lost."


    You just said you didn''t want to explain it. What is up with this guy? It almost feels like Keeper is trying to hit keywords for the System saying it isn''t helping me while proceeding to do just that.


    "Hold up," Alex said. "Are you telling me that part of my soul is guaranteed to die? There''s nothing I can do about it?"


    Keeper let out a long sigh. "Fresh initiates and their souls. Always so concerned about them. Your soul is the very essence of your being. The truest form of you. It is not so weak as the body. Losing a portion of it will sting, but it will recover."


    Alex''s eyes widened. "Wait. Then Aubrey¡ª"


    "Too early," Keeper said with a shake of its head. "She was not at the trial''s completion. She is dead."


    Goddamn it.


    "How much damage to my soul can I even take safely? How do I know I''m not just going to show back up in my normal body completely brain-dead because the System fried my shit?"


    "That is not how it works. You will only have difficulty if you attempt trials like this or damage your soul so constantly that it cannot heal."


    "How constantly are we talking here?"


    Keeper leveled a flat stare at Alex. "The trial is at completion."


    "Great. I''m not." Alex cracked his neck and stretched his arms out. "I believe I told you what I was aiming for when I stepped into this room. I''m going for 200%. And if a bit of my soul is going to get killed no matter how things go, you better believe that I''m not fucking stopping until I''m dead. Literally."


    Keeper''s flat eye peered down at Alex. "At what point did you decide that you get to set the terms of this trial? There are no more monsters for you to face. It does not matter how many fights you wish to have when there is nothing left to fight."


    "See, there''s the thing." Alex clicked his tongue and lowered back into a fighting stance. "I can''t help but feel like, if the trial was really just objectively finished, this space would have collapsed already. But it hasn''t. That makes me think there''s a bit more to it than what you''re letting on."


    "Standard procedure is to give notice before any dimensional collapses. You are over-reaching."


    "Am I? Maybe I''d agree if I was actually alone and the trial was empty now¡­ but I feel obligated to point out that I''m not actually alone. There''s one more monster in here with me." S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Keeper''s lone eye narrowed. "You can''t be serious."


    The chainsword in Alex''s hand whirred to life with a rumble. He could feel a vague sense of hunger emanating from the weapon. That may not have been the best of signs, but these were the worst of times. A little bit of bloodthirsty weaponry was far from his biggest problem.


    "Dead serious, I''m afraid."


    "I am an observer, but do not confuse my inaction for weakness. I am more than capable of defending myself."


    "Are you trying to get me to attack you? I''d much prefer an opponent that fights back. Murdering someone in cold blood feels pretty evil. But if you''re a combatant, then this is completely fair game."


    "It is still attempted murder."


    "No, it isn''t. Not under any of the definitions."


    Keeper tilted its head to the side. "What?"


    "It really isn''t that big of a stretch," Alex said, a grin splitting his lips. "Just a little while ago, you told me that this dimension will collapse when the trial completes and every living thing within it will be killed."


    "Correct," Keeper said. Its voice was completely flat now, devoid of even the slightest amount of emotion.


    "And you also said that only a small fragment of my soul got pulled here. I don''t know if that holds true for you as well, but it doesn''t actually matter. Assuming you didn''t lie to me, then that means there are only a few options here. If you''re a living being, then you''ll die when the trial ends. It doesn''t matter if I kill you or if I leave the dimension after completing the trial; the result is the same. And if you aren''t a living being¡­ then it isn''t exactly murder, is it?"


    "An interesting observation," Keeper said quietly. "You are willing to bet your morals on that analysis? What if you missed something? There is a great difference between fighting to defend yourself and slaughter for the sake of power."


    "Yes," Alex said simply. "You''re the one who said it yourself. You wouldn''t have given me that information for no reason. And I''m not going to second guess myself. The fact that you''re still talking to me instead of ending the trial makes me confident this is the right path. In fact, I''d go a step farther. I think you want me to attack you."


    "And why is that?" Keeper tilted its head to the side, but there was something else in its eye now. Alex wouldn''t have bet on it, but it almost looked like excitement.


    "Haven''t the faintest clue," Alex admitted. "But I''m going to go ahead and oblige you nonetheless."


    A faint smile pulled across Keeper''s lips. The gray-skinned monster lowered to the ground to float a dozen paces away from Alex. It turned its hands palm-up, nail-less fingers curling into claws as it drew in a deep, ragged breath.


    Faint crackles of pale light danced through the air around it, twisting in and out of existence like distant static electricity. Then the ground trembled. Ripples passed through the darkness around him like droplets of rain hitting a dark lake.


    A deep hum filled the air and a wave of pressure followed after it. Alex staggered as it drove into him and nearly knocked the breath from his lungs with its intensity. He was nearly forced to his knees, but he managed to keep his feet under him as he raised a hand to cover some of the light.


    Holy shit. What kind of magic is this? It almost feels like a domain.


    Two orbs of glowing moonlight ignited above Keeper''s palms. They burned with pure, raw magic, so bright in comparison to the darkness around them that he was forced to squint. Shadows peeled away from Keeper as if in retreat.


    The ground of the very trial itself was crumbling under the force of the monster''s power.


    "Very well," Keeper said, its eye locking onto Alex. "Then allow me to continue demonstrating what I am capable of."

 Chapter 147 - 146: Get him

    The ground beneath Alex let out a loud crunch. Large fractures spiderwebbed out from beneath him like breaking glass as an intense buzzing noise filled the air. Pressure bore down on Alex from all sides and he threw himself to the side moments before the very air where he''d been standing seemed to collapse with a flash of moonlight. A small section of the world bent in on itself, twisting and warping as it was pulled into a point like a crumpled napkin.


    Fragments of the ground shattered and fell away, leaving a gaping hole in the ground. Alex couldn''t tell where it led to ¡ª he could only even make it out from the rest of the dark trial dimension by the swirls of moonlight twisting up from the warped air above it.


    What the hell kind of magic is that?


    Keeper''s lone eye bore down on him like the moon itself. The monster hadn''t even moved from its spot. Two glowing orbs still hovered above its hands, lying in wait ¡ª and a humming picked up in Alex''s ears again.


    He burst into motion, sprinting for Keeper as fast as his legs would take him. A hum built in Alex''s ears again and he abruptly jerked to the side, zigzagging as a flash of light went off at his back.


    There were only a brief few moments of warning before each detonation, and Alex wasn''t eager to find out what Keeper''s magic would do to his body if he got caught in it.


    The System lets me heal from a lot, but if I get caught in the middle of one of those, I''m dead. There won''t be anything left of me to heal.


    Cracks raced out across the ground in front of Alex. His eyes widened and he suppressed a curse. He wasn''t up against some idiot. Keeper was predicting his movements ¡ª and his foot was already heading straight for the blast zone.


    A blur of silver flashed to his side as his cloak shot out and drove into the ground. He grabbed onto it with his free hand as it ripped him off his feet and just barely out of the path of the explosion.


    Alex hit the ground running, the chainsword in his other hand rumbling in anticipation. Spark advanced on Keeper from the opposite direction in a blur. His shadow ran alongside him as the three of them all collapsed on the floating monster, arriving before it at the same time.


    They lunged.


    Keeper turned one of his hands over.


    Alex''s stomach lurched into his throat as the world abruptly reversed polarity. His feet flew out from under him as gravity shifted paths and solid ground beneath his feet was suddenly above his head. His arms pinwheeled as he attempted to keep his balance, but there was no balance to keep.


    He plummeted downward, into the sky that was now inexplicably below him.


    Keeper had literally turned the world on its head.


    The world shifted again, no more than a few moments after the first one. The ground and sky took their proper places back and a powerful force wrapped around Alex, yanking him down with far more force than there should have been.


    His cloak wrapped around his body an instant before he slammed into the ground with a crunch. Pain exploded through his body and the breath was knocked from his lungs in a surprised burst of air.


    Alex coughed, his cloak unwrapping as his hands drove into the ground and he pushed himself up. He''d definitely fractured something, but his body was empowered by Princess'' powers. It was already knitting itself back together.


    A rush of energy flowed into him. It seemed the Spark had faced the same attack he had ¡ª but the monster hadn''t been nearly as resilient. The Knight Wraith was dead.


    Shit. What kind of bullshit magic is this? It''s so fucking cool. Would be cooler if it wasn''t directed at me, but seriously.


    Alex rose back to his feet, shaking his arms off as he stared at Keeper, who watched him silently.


    "You''re nowhere near cool enough for your magic," Alex rasped, wiping his mouth with the back of a hand. "I don''t suppose I get to learn it if I kill you?"


    "You will not."


    "Kill you? Or learn your magic?"


    "Yes," Keeper said.


    Fractures raced through the ground beneath Alex. He lurched out of the way a moment before a detonation went off, ripping through another portion of the trial dimension''s floor. There were quite a few holes in it now.


    Keeper was literally ripping the dimension apart around them. If the fight continued at this rate, Alex was pretty sure he''d end up accidentally tripping and falling into one of the holes.


    The longer it goes on, the worse it''s going to get. Keeper can float. I can''t. I have to find a way to take him out before there''s nothing left to stand on.


    Alex burst into a charge again. A fracture split through reality in front of him and his cloak shot out, letting him vault clean past it. The whump of collapsing space and the flash of moonlight that marked Keeper''s magic went off beneath him.


    Any satisfaction that had been building up from the dodge met a swift and painful end when Alex realized there was still a hum in the air. His eyes widened.


    There was another fracture splitting the ground he was currently flying right toward. Keeper could cast more than one explosion at a time. He''d been completely played.


    Well, damn. That''s embarrassing.


    He couldn''t dodge in time. His cloak wrapped around his upper body and he braced himself, gritting his teeth.


    There was a loud crunch, followed by a flash of pain ¡ª and then nothing.


    Alex hit the ground, his sword skittering from his grip. The cloak melted into a pool of mercury that sank into the ground around him and something wet prickled against his back. He tried to push himself up to no avail.


    "Your spine is gone," Keeper observed from above Alex, peering down at him with its singular eye. "Mobility is no longer possible."


    I wouldn''t be so sure.


    Magic was draining out of him at an alarming rate as Princess'' magic worked to heal him. Keeper didn''t know the full extent of his healing properties, but if the monster was about to monologue, then Alex had absolutely no plans of stopping it.


    "Then come closer so I can stab you," Alex said through gritted teeth.


    A flash of moonlight lit the darkness, followed by a hole forming directly below Alex''s chainsword. It plummeted into it and vanished from sight.


    "That was just petty," Alex complained.


    "Yes," Keeper said. The two orbs of moonlight floating above its hands shimmered with molten energy. "It seems the trial is at its conclusion."


    "I don''t recall saying I was done."


    Alex felt his toe twitch. He tried to keep the grin from crossing his face ¡ª and he failed.


    A hum filled the air around him. Pressure tickled his skin as cracks split the ground beneath him. Keeper tilted its head to the side.


    "You will not have an option. The trial ends with your death."


    "Or yours," Alex said, driving his hands down and throwing himself to the side. He rolled across the ground, tucking his limbs close to his body as a brilliant crack split the silence of the Trial dimension.


    He rolled to his feet, unharmed, and rose before Keeper, not sitting around to give the monster time to react. The time for holding back was well past. He had to finish the fight as fast as he possibly could.


    Alex reached for his magical energy. The serious damage he''d sustained had heavily drained him, but there was still enough ¡ª and he hadn''t even touched his Qi yet. It was time for that to change. He wasn''t going to win this fight while holding back.


    His eyes met the lone silver orb in Keeper''s face.


    Then he activated Encore.


    Alex pumped the ability full of every scrap of Qi he had, not taking any chances with it. His best opportunity to take the win was a surprise attack and he wasn''t going to get a better opportunity than this.


    The air before him shattered. Darkness bubbled at his feet and electricity arced and popped at his side.


    Alex''s monsters begun to emerge ¡ª but not in their normal forms.


    In Princess'' place came a warped, centipede-like creature. Its body dripped with thick drops of black sludge. Violet energy danced like crackling lightning behind thick plates of black carapace, and a twisted white mask covered the monster''s face where its mouth should have been. Dozens of sharp, jagged legs jutted from Princess'' body, which was now easily four times longer than Alex was tall. Her entire body crackled with Riftwarped Qi.


    From a pool of shadow beside her rose Spark. The hollow suit of armor that made up the Knight Wraith pulsed with veins of purple Qi. Instead of standing crouched on all fours like Spark normally tended to do, his Qi-empowered form stood tall on two feet. Shadows twisted up from the ground and gathered around his arms, shifting and twisting like a mirage in the desert.


    And then there was Glint.


    His cloak-wing snapped out to the side, his silver body shimmering as jagged shards of mirrored glass jutted out from it in a shimmering sea. It wasn''t alone. A second wing jutted from his back, made entirely of glass glowing with hissing Riftwarped Qi. His arms were crossed before his chest like those of a man wrapped in the peace of death. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And for a moment, Keeper''s expression flickered in unease.


    Alex didn''t wait for anything else. He only had one chance at this. He had to kill Keeper in the next move. There were no other options left to him. This was what he''d been saving up for throughout the entire trial.


    Get him.


    As one, all of his monsters attacked.

 Chapter 148 - 147: Keeper

    Princess swam through the air toward Keeper, her legs like dozens of oars as they pulled her through the sky. She accelerated like a derailed train. Crackles of Riftwarped Qi arced off her body and licked across the ground beneath her.


    Keeper''s hands moved in a wide circle. It might have been surprised by the sudden revival and empowerment of Alex''s monsters, but it was far from caught completely off guard. The air around it shimmered.


    Then, with a blink, Keeper vanished. A flash of moonlight marked its return about ten feet behind Princess. Strands of light wove between its gaunt, nail-less fingers as the monster raised a hand for her.


    The shadows beneath Keeper twisted. They rose up, strands forming into a lattice-mesh hand that dripped darkness itself. The hand reached up for Keeper. Silver eye flicking down, the monster noticed it at the last moment.


    Keeper''s arms moved in a circle once more.


    Once more, it vanished.


    The hand closed on nothing as Keeper reformed safely to the side. As it sank back into the ground, a perfect copy of Spark rose in its place.


    The original Knight Wraith pull a long, black blade from the shadows beneath him and his clone mirrored the motion. They both dashed at Keeper while Princess turned and refocused on her target, charging at the gaunt monster once more.


    And as for Glint ¡ª Glint did nothing.


    Alex wasn''t entirely sure why. He''d ordered every one of his monsters to attack as hard and fast as they could. As much as he would have loved to go for a much more tactically sound approach, there simply wasn''t time.


    Encore would only give him a few seconds to work with. Empowering it with Qi had made his monsters more powerful, which probably meant it wasn''t going to have any effect on its duration.


    But Glint would have been able to process that. The Glasmir had never misunderstood Alex''s orders before, and these weren''t particularly complicated ones. That meant that this, in Glint''s eyes, was the fastest and strongest attack he could muster in his Qi-empowered form.


    I''ve never summoned him with Qi in this new form; I''ve only used a Qi-empowered Riftwarp on him. What the hell is he saving up?


    Alex didn''t get a chance to wonder. The ground beneath him buzzed, a wave of pressure building up within his ears. Keeper hadn''t forgotten who the real target of the fight was.


    Suppressing a curse, Alex dove to the side and shot back to his feet, already running. Another fracture in reality spun to life in the ground before him and he was forced to abruptly change directions.


    He didn''t have Princess'' powers to rely on for the duration of Encore. If any of Keeper''s magic caught him now, the fight would be over. He wouldn''t have any way to recover in time.


    And even if I did have her powers, I''m basically out of magic. Princess'' healing factor draws way too much for serious damage. I wouldn''t be able to heal from another nasty hit. If he does that world-reversing move again, I''m fucked. I can''t give him a chance to use it.


    Spark and Princess were doing a remarkable job of keeping Keeper under pressure. The centipede Dredge carved through the air where Keeper had been, forcing the monster to teleport to safety once more, only for Spark and his clone to descend upon him.


    The shadows around Spark seemed to have come alive. They flowed with every movement he took, swallowing and blocking the monster from sight to conceal his movements. He only emerged into view to strike at Keeper and force the monster to teleport to safety ¡ª only for Spark to swap positions with his clone and collapse upon their target again.


    If it had been a fight without a time limit, Alex would have liked his odds.


    But it wasn''t.


    He was running out of time. Encore wasn''t going to last much longer, and then it would just be Alex against Keeper without any magic left to call upon. And despite his best efforts, Keeper hadn''t been hit once.


    I need more. This isn''t enough. Every time Keeper teleports, he moves his hands in a circle. If I can stop him from doing that, will that cancel his teleportation?


    There was only one way he could find out. It was taking everything Spark and Princess had to keep the monster occupied, and Glint was doing¡­ something. Alex didn''t know what, but he knew it was important.


    And that left only him.


    Him, without any magic to call upon.


    Alex''s lips pulled into a grin.


    The System really isn''t messing around with this one, huh?


    Then it looks like we''re doing this the old fashioned way.


    The only way he''d get a chance to even try to catch Keeper was right after the monster teleported. It wouldn''t be expecting him to run straight at it. At least, he hoped it wouldn''t.


    It was his best shot. And so Alex waited, skirting around the cracks in reality that Keeper sent his way. He waited until Spark forced the monster to teleport once more, until Keeper took form in the very center of the room.


    And then he charged. His feet pounded against the ground as adrenaline tore through his veins. He dashed around the glowing holes in the ground, moving so fast that he had to squint to keep the wind from biting at his eyes.


    He closed the distance between them in moments, even as Princess and Spark did the same.


    Keeper turned his one eye to look right at Alex. The knew what his plan was. And, even as Alex was nearly upon him, the air between them buzzed as pressure fluctuated. Keeper had formed a crack in reality right in his path.


    If I bail out to reposition now, Encore might run out. No time to dodge.


    After all¡­ I''m going to die anyway, right?


    Might as well make it count.


    Alex threw himself forward. He threw himself into the crack in reality ¡ª and through it. Moonlight flashed behind him, and a searing pain ripped through the lower half of his body. Keeper hadn''t missed his spine this time.


    The magic clamped down on Alex''s legs and torso. It twisted them like a piece of dough. And with a wet squelch, it ripped them clean off.


    Alex wasn''t sure how the pain didn''t knock him out on the spot. The System''s modifications to his body must have been applied to his psyche as well.


    At that moment, it didn''t matter.


    Keeper''s arms were already moving. The monster was about to teleport away before Spark and Princess could reach it.


    A final moment of resolve ignited in Alex. His body ¡ª or at least, what remained of it ¡ª slammed into Keeper. His arms clamped down on one of the gaunt monster''s hands, locking it to its body, and he held on with everything that he had left.


    And out of the corner of his eye, Alex finally saw Glint move.


    The Glasmir''s wings snapped down. And, with the ringing sound of shattering glass, they broke. Mirror fragments spun through the air as if in slow motion. They caught the fading moonlight from Keeper''s magic and sent it dancing across the room.


    Glint shot free from the shimmering rain. He flowed through the room, slipping past the holes riddling the ground effortlessly. The falling glass froze in place behind him, as if the world was holding a breath in await of a performance.


    The air between Keeper and Glint buzzed as a fracture in reality formed in the Glasmir''s path.


    Glint''s hand swept down through the air, carving deep purple furrows into it that stretched into a portal before him. He slipped through it, and a second portal opened at nearly the exact same instant, putting him out directly behind Keeper.


    And every fragment of glass that had hung suspended behind Glint suddenly ignited with burning Riftwarped Qi as they finally remembered their purpose.


    Not as fragments of glass, nor as a pile of broken mirrors on the ground, but as his wings.


    The falling shards snapped back to life. They shot through the air like streaks of light, heading straight for Keeper on their path back to Glint''s body.


    Keeper jerked its hand free of Alex''s grip and lifted it to teleport again, but it was a moment too slow. The shards carved across its body, leaving crackling purple furrows in their wake.


    They slammed back into Glint and reformed along the wings on his back. But, even as the wings rebuilt, their form shifted. Glint raised a hand, rearing back as his wing coiled down his arm.


    The glass shards built upon themselves and formed the blade of an enormous executioner''s axe at the edge of his arm. Its edge was jagged and buzzed with ravenous Riftwarped Qi. Compared to the graceful, haunting angel wielding it, the massive weapon was like a scar upon a beautiful painting.


    The axe rose above Keeper.


    Spark and Glint charged, both of them mere instants away from their target.


    Alex grinned.


    Gotcha.


    The axe fell.


    It slammed right into Keeper''s head. It embedded about an inch into the monster''s skull ¡ª and then ground to a complete halt.


    Spark and his shadow both drove their weapons into Keeper''s sides. Both weapons broke apart without so much as scratching the monster. Princess slammed into Keeper at full tilt and her body crumpled under its own weight, spraying sludge across Alex and the ground all around him as she pancaked herself.


    And not once did Keeper flinch.


    The smile on Alex''s face froze as Keeper''s head lowered so the monster could look straight at him with its one eye. A single drop of blood rolled down its head from where Glint had struck it. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Oh.


    Encore ran out.


    Alex''s monsters evaporated, dragged back into their Spatial Mirrors to recover. His arms dropped from Keeper and he fell back to the ground, the strength draining from his body at a rapid rate.


    "You bastard," Alex said, a disbelieving laugh slipping from his lips. He could feel his body going numb, but he barely even cared. "I could never hurt you, could I?"


    "No," Keeper agreed. "Not in any meaningful way. But it was a good fight. You performed exceptionally. It reminds me of¡­ no. Nothing. It reminds me of nothing."


    "Why''d you even bother running around if you didn''t need to dodge?" Alex asked, pushing the words from stiffening lips. Every breath he drew was harder than the last.


    The faintest smile pulled across Keeper''s features and his head tilted back, eye turning up to the golden letters shimmering in the air far above. "It certainly made quite the challenge, didn''t it?"


    Alex followed his gaze. The words had changed.


    Hidden Objective Completed: Draw a drop of blood from the Trial Overseer.


    Town Potential: 200/100%


    Trial completed.


    "Well done," Keeper said. "You are a most interesting one."


    Then its hand fell.


    Alex died.

 Chapter 149 - 147: ERROR

    Dying was an interesting experience. It wasn''t one that Alex was certain that he particularly enjoyed, but he wouldn''t have said it was all that unkind. Death was like the sigh that left the lungs at the end of an impossibly long day.


    It was equal parts relief and weariness, a promised respite where concerns no longer mattered. His body went numb and the world fell away around him, leaving behind nothing but a gentle, comforting warmth in the center of his chest. Eternal rest ¡ª so on, so forth.


    At least, that was how it was meant to work.


    Alex''s eyes snapped open. His heart slammed in his chest and he bolted upright with a ragged gasp. It felt like he''d fallen a thousand feet only to land softly on a bed of slightly blackened grass.


    As it turned out, dying lost a lot of the whole lot of the comforting eternal slumber bit when he didn''t actually stay dead.


    The vile smell of acrid smoke and burnt flesh still hung in the air. Something deep within him throbbed as if there were a papercut on his very soul. Elusive shapes shifted all around him. There was something heavy in his hand. He could hear something. Enough to tell there was, well, something, but not enough to make out what it was. His ears rung and his blurred vision struggled to make anything out, but it pulled itself back into place like a camera finally finding its focus on an elusive subject.


    His hearing finally snapped back into functional order as a hand gently took him by the shoulder.


    "Alex?" It was Claire''s voice, fraught with concern. "Are you okay? Alex?"


    "I''m fine," Alex said, swallowing and shaking his head. Thoughts twisted through his head as his mind tried to reconcile with the fact that he''d just died ¡ª and yet, was somehow perfectly alive. "Just a tough Trial. Didn''t expect it."


    "Did you pass?" Orchid asked.


    Alex blinked. He looked around. There was no town. Just the campers that had been there when he''d activated the Town Token. Features creasing in a frown, his gaze fell down to his side, where his hands still rested.


    Upon his right palm was the Riftwarped Town Token.


    But something had changed.


    Riftwarped Town Token (Primed)


    On destruction: Choose a location to set your Town''s Hall and initiate the creation of your Town. Activating this will consume the Riftwarped Town Token (Primed). You have 24:00 hours remaining to select your desired location.


    "I wouldn''t be here if I didn''t pass," Alex said. He let out a relieved breath and rose to his feet. "It''s time. I can create the town. Could everyone make some space? This is a good area, but I don''t want to do it on top of someone on accident. I wouldn''t put it past the System to drop a fucking building on someone''s head."


    Everyone hurriedly cleared out, all moving to stand behind him and peer over his shoulder with a mixture of nervousness and excitement. The Outworlders looked on with even more trepidation than the Nativeworlders did ¡ª many of them knew just how significant this was.


    Actually, they don''t have the slightest idea. Not only is this a Riftwarped Town Token, but it''s one where the trial was completed at 200%. Speaking of which, Keeper did me a real one. Does he not fully work for the System? I guess he was just like Aubrey. Forced to serve against his will, but still with enough leeway to make a few choices himself.


    Alex''s jaw tightened at that thought. He could forgive a lot of things. Hell, he didn''t even try to delude himself into thinking that he didn''t like the apocalypse. He did. It was fun. But the System took things too far.


    He shook his head and raised his arm, focusing on the center of the campsite.


    Then he crushed the Riftwarped Town Token.


    A buzz filled the air around Alex. The campers backed up even farther, nervous mutters passing between them as they stared on. He was tempted to join them. The System wasn''t exactly in his best graces at the moment. It would have been particularly ironic if it dropped a house on his head.


    Fortunately, the System wasn''t in that dark of a mood.


    Streamers of red and black energy swam into being around him. They twisted down his arm and lifted into the air like smoke rising from a fire. More and more power built around him, forming into a thick haze.


    There was a distant rumble. Alex hadn''t quite managed to locate where it had come from when the roar of crashing thunder split the air. A brilliant flash of light tore through the campsite like a bomb had gone off at its epicenter.


    Everyone''s cries were lost in the roar of wind that slammed into all of them like a battering ram. It nearly knocked Alex clean from his feet, but he managed to dig himself in at the last second. People all around him stumbled and fell back. There was a loud crunch as what sounded like a cabin was flattened.


    He squinted through the light that had scorched his eyes, blinking away spots furiously. The back of his neck prickled and he drew in a small breath as he got his first look at the fruits of his efforts in the trial.


    Rising before him was a two story obsidian building. Casual swirls of slow-moving rift energy traveled around it like ribbons, weaving in and out of the walls effortlessly. Pillars rose up around it to support a sloping, arched roof.


    The entrance to the building was a large arched door trimmed in silver. It, like the rest of the building, was plain. It held a beauty to it, but one that came from the quality of building material rather than the method in which it had been made. The door was already opened to reveal the rectangular room beyond.


    It took up the entire floor and was made of the same material as the building''s exterior, broken only by a blood-red carpet that ran down its center and up to a large counter at the back. Shimmering motes of blueish energy hung in the air behind the counter, swirling together in a misty orb.


    "Bleed me," Claire breathed, her eyes widening as she stared at the building. "I can''t tell if that''s creepy or awesome."


    "Both is always an option," Alex replied, stepping forward and through the open doorway. Nobody tried to follow him in. He walked alone down the carpet until he had arrived before the ball of shimmering blue light.


    I feel like I''m supposed to stick my hand in there. I just can''t tell if that''s my monkey-brain telling me to poke the shiny object or if it''s the System trying to make sure I don''t somehow screw up the creation of the Town I just spent so much damn time and effort getting my hands on.


    Eh. What''s the worst that could happen?


    Alex stuck his hand into the ball of questionable mist.


    It felt vaguely like he was trying to grab onto electrified smoke. A faint buzz ran across his skin and up his arm. He nearly jerked back, but before he could, the mist exploded out all around him. It coated every inch of the building in a faint shimmering energy.


    And, before Alex, a dull screen lit.


    Town Hall Creation Complete.


    Initializing Town Interface.


    ERROR.


    Town Origin is set to [Mirrorlands]. Incompatible with current plane of existence. Relocating Town¡­


    ERROR.


    Relocation impossible. Insufficient planar barrier weakness. Attempting to set Town Origin to current plane of existence¡­


    ERROR.


    Terminating town creation¡­


    ERROR.


    Due to its position on the Global Leaderboard, town is Enshrined for a duration of [168:00] hours and cannot be terminated by forces foreign to 274-50 until the end of its Enshrinement. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alex''s eyes flicked over the words flashing over the screen, worry and anger progressively building within him as the slew of error messages assaulted his eyes. All the new information he got didn''t even answer half the questions it gave rise to. The System almost seemed to hesitate for a moment before it finally came to a decision.


    Temporary solution achieved.


    WARNING: This town''s existence will be terminated if a solution to its Plane of Existence is not determined within [168:00] hours.


    Continuing town initialization.


    Due to [200% completion rate], [10] Legendary Boons and [2] Mythic Boons may be chosen during creation. Please select your boons for town initialization to complete.


    The screen before Alex shimmered.


    His eyes went wide.


    Hundreds ¡ª possibly thousands ¡ª of lines appeared upon it. Many of them didn''t make the slightest amount of sense, but Alex could tell the gist of what they were. Every single option before him was some sort of town upgrade.


    Mighty Walls. Orbital Cannon ¡ª a fucking orbital cannon? Seriously? For a town?


    Alex almost selected that on impulse before he saw a small number at the far side of the town ¡ª a 10. The option was greyed out. He couldn''t afford it, and it didn''t even specify what kind of Boons it wanted. His eyes narrowed and he moved the scroll bar down.


    Tiger-Demon Array. Star Throne. Pickling Expertise. Who the hell selects Pickling Expertise?


    There were so many options that he didn''t even know where to start¡­ and at the very side of the screen was the world''s most ridiculously tiny scroll bar. Alex gingerly touched it and the options flashed, blurring by as new ones appeared.


    Oh, fuck off.


    Alex couldn''t tell if he wanted to laugh or cry.


    Two Mythical Boons and 10 legendries, huh? Are all of these even at that rank? I refuse to believe Pickling Expertise is a Legendary or Mythical option¡­ which means there might be trash tossed in here that I could end up wasting what sounds like a really powerful boon on.


    What do I pick?

 Chapter 150 - 149: Relations

    Seconds turned to minutes as Alex fiddled with the interface, trying to see if he could find any way to sort the information. He didn''t dare click on anything ¡ª he wasn''t sure if doing that would bring up a description of what he was about to choose or if it would just instantly select it.


    He was quite certain that there were definitely differences in the quality of the options before him. Even ignoring the numbers that he presumed listed the number of Boons the options needed, some of them were just straight up useless.


    Alex was fairly sure that nobody in their right mind would select Advanced Beauty Pageant Research Grounds as their Boon. He probably would have rejected that particular option even if it came for free.


    "Goddamn it," Alex muttered. He threw a glance over his shoulder, but nobody had tried to step through the door. They''d all gathered outside of the building and were staring in at him in wait. s


    I could definitely use Claire''s help right about now. She''d definitely have some thoughts. Orchid would be useful too. Hell, I''d take Derek at this point ¡ª although he''d probably just suggest Advanced Beds or something like that.


    A small frown pulled at his lips. "Hey, why isn''t anyone coming in? You don''t have to wait outside, you know."


    None of them responded.


    Alex''s brow furrowed. He squinted, not daring to actually step closer in case that somehow canceled the boons he''d earned. For a moment, he wondered if people had been frozen in time or something.


    That didn''t seem to be the case. They were moving around without any trouble. It was just that nobody was responding to him.


    Claire definitely would have tried to come in by now. It''s weird that she hasn''t¡­ which means the System must be keeping her out until I finish. Maybe it''s part of the Town Initialization process.


    "Damn," Alex muttered under his breath. He turned back to the screen. "I wish I had some form of suggestion boxes or something. A little help would be nice. I know you''re a big fan of making everyone fly blind, but it''s kind of a pain in the ass when half my biggest competitors are Outworlders who are basically cheating their way through everything with prior information."


    The screen shimmered.


    Options flashed away until only a few dozen remained. It had responded to his voice. Alex blinked in surprise, then scanned over the changed screen.


    Town Fairy - 2


    Town Lord - 1


    Town Advisor - 3


    Enhanced Interface - 5


    ¡­


    Harbog - 5


    It seemed to be a list of assistants. The list went on for quite a while and the scroll bar at the side of the screen had widened, indicating that it continued on ¡ª but not nearly as long as the previous one had.


    Alex''s eyes caught on the last option on the front page.


    Harbog¡­ that''s a name, isn''t it? Feels like a name rather than a generic role or title. It''s also quite expensive, though I still don''t know what kind of Boon that thing is using. I guess Harbog is some form of named advisor or assistant for the town?


    That seems useful. Really useful. Another way to bridge the gap between me and Outworlders. If I''ve got someone that can help me run the town¡­ that would be instrumental. Not hiring someone called Harbog, though.


    Alex pulled the scroll bar down and continued to read through the options before him. He didn''t want to decide on anything before he''d seen all the options. Hiring an advisor definitely seemed like the smart move. The worst case scenario here was wasting the Boons he''d just literally died to get.


    Spending some now to get someone that understands how towns work would be a great move. But who to hire? I don''t even dare say any of the names out loud in case the System decides that equates to me choosing them.


    Alex''s eyes caught as he scrolled once more.


    One of the options was highlighted in bright bluish-purple rather than the dull gray that made up the rest of them.


    Rhyss - 1


    Alex''s head tilted to the side. There was no missing that kind of message. So there was a way to clarify the rarity of Boons. This was definitely one that required a much higher quality. That, presumably, meant they would be a whole lot better than the other options.


    Something prodded at the back of Alex''s mind. His brow furrowed as he squinted at the name on the screen before him. Something about it felt familiar. Similar, almost. It was almost as if he''d heard ¡ª


    Wait. I have heard this name before. Part of it, at least.


    Keeper had almost said his name when they''d first met. The monster had cut itself off, but it had managed to get out a word that started with ''Rhy'' before it had abruptly cut off. Alex''s heart started to beat faster in his chest.


    He leaned forward and stared at the glowing name.


    There''s no way this is a coincidence.


    This is almost certainly an expensive Boon, though. Either Legendary or Mythic¡­ and I''m going to bet that it''s the latter. Using one of my two Mythics to get an advisor is a sharp price.


    I also wouldn''t have gotten 200% completion if Keeper hadn''t intentionally helped me out. You know what? Fuck min-maxing. The System can eat shit. It went through a whole lot of effort trying to keep Rhyss from saying his name. If this is actually him¡­ I''m willing to spend a Boon to cast the middle finger spell.


    Alex touched the name. There was a faint, distant ding.


    The air behind the counter before him collapsed, folding in on itself as a black portal ripped open. It let out a sharp, high-pitched whine.


    Alex''s ears popped and he grabbed onto the edge of the counter to keep himself from falling and accidentally smacking the screen in the process.


    And, from within the portal, a gray, humanoid form emerged. The portal snapped shut behind it and the pressure in the room returned to normal.


    There was a single second of silence.


    Then Alex smiled.


    "Hello, Keeper. I hope you didn''t miss me."


    "Alex," Keeper replied, lips pulling up in the faintest of smiles. "Do you make it a habit of making allies from those who have attempted to kill you?"


    "You know, if I had a dime for each time that happened, I''d have two dimes. That''s not really all that much, but it''s a bit odd that it''s happened twice."


    Keeper''s head tilted to the side and its lone eye blinked. "What?"


    "Never mind. Reference to something I used to like. Don''t imagine you get great cable connection out in space. Welcome to 274-50, Keeper. Or should I say Rhyss?"


    The pale-skinned monster drew in a sharp breath. It shuddered, then flexed its hands at its sides like a junkie getting a good hit of the good stuff.


    "Rhyss. Rhyss is good," the monster said. "I had wondered if I would ever hear that name from another being''s lips again. I was right about you. You are an interesting one. Seeking me out intentionally so quickly¡­ well done."


    Alex cleared his throat. "I''m not sure if I''d say it was entirely intentional. I was looking for an advisor and I saw your name pop up."


    Rhyss stared at Alex for a moment. Then it shook its head. "I am not sure if that is more or less impressive. Committing so decisively to an advisor that you would spend a Mythic Boon on one is¡­ bold. Bolder than most. It was also the right decision."


    "See, there''s the problem. I don''t have the faintest clue as to what I''m doing. I wasn''t even sure you''d be a Mythic Boon. I thought you might be Legendary." Alex scratched the back of his head as he glanced over his shoulder at the crowd outside. "And it doesn''t look like I''m getting much help from them."


    "I can assure you that none of them will be nearly as beneficial as I," Rhyss said. It extended a hand to Alex. "Allow me a formal introduction. Our ¡ª my ¡ª name is Rhyss. From today until the time at which your town is entirely razed, stolen, or otherwise permanently disposed of, I will be your advisor."


    "Our?"


    "There are more minds than one present within this form. The merger was¡­ less than pleasant." Rhyss'' eye narrowed in what might have been discomfort or anger. It was rather difficult to tell which. "For now, you may think of me as male. I recall wanting to assign gender to most things when I was a whole being."


    "That''s better than thinking of you as an ''it''," Alex allowed. He glanced at the screen between them. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance when you aren''t trying to kill me. Say, could we get Aubrey back with this thing as well?"


    "No. She is no longer within the Logs. And even if we could, I would strongly advise you against wasting the likes of a Mythic Boon on her." S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alex went to ask another question, then paused. His brow furrowed. "Logs?"


    "Records. The System retains all that exist within it¡­ up until those presences are removed." Rhyss gave Alex a pointed look. "I suggest we focus on the topic at hand. You have a newly established town. I can see that you have 1 Mythic and 10 Legendary Boons remaining to spend."


    "Right. Thoughts on what I can use those for?"


    "More than I could ever say. It would be better for me to ask what your goals for this town are."


    "Defensible," Alex said immediately. "I''ve got enemies, and I''m about to have a whole lot more enemies. Go ahead and just presume that most people in the world are probably enemies, actually."


    "There are a number of ways to make a town defensible. Arrays are the most common one. Magical constructs powered by excess energy harvested off all those who live within it. The bigger your town, the more powerful the array."


    Huh. I wonder if that''s what Valley Ford has.


    "However," Rhyss continued, raising a finger to the ceiling. "There are more methods than one for a location to be defensible. Offense is often the best manner of protection."


    "I should probably say something," Alex said, clearing his throat. "The System said the town was going to get destroyed if I couldn''t find a way to fix a little issue it''s got. The stupid thing is meant to exist in the Mirrorlands, not here. It''s making the System shit itself."


    Rhyss'' eye widened. "How long do we have?"


    "168 hours."


    "The System gave you an entire week for something like that? I was thinking we had minutes," Rhyss said, his shoulders slumping. "Why did it give you a week?"


    "Something about being Enshrined."


    "The town was Enshrined? Already?" Rhyss'' eye widened once more. It was going to pop out of his head if he kept doing that. "How ¡ª wait. How long has your world been initiated?"


    "About a week."


    "You are a Nativeworlder."


    "Yes."


    "And you made a Town? In a week?"


    "Yes."


    "Damnation," Rhyss said. "This must be one of the first towns on your planet''s leaderboard. You''ll likely be notified after initialization has been completed. Fascinating. There are definitely options to solve the Mirrorlands issue in a week. But how did you even get a town meant to be in the Mirrorlands?"


    "Long story."


    Rhyss tilted his head to the side. "I see. I will have to seek it out later. For understanding, of course. For the time being, I will isolate the Legendary and Mythic boons to narrow down our scope."


    He lifted a hand over the screen and it flickered. Words flashed over its surface faster than Alex''s eyes could track. Within a few moments, every line upon its surface was either golden yellow or blueish-purple.


    Rhyss wasn''t done. He flicked his hand again. Once more, the words on the screen changed.


    "What are you doing?" Alex asked.


    "Filtering away the Boons that will not lend themselves to the town''s continued existence after a week. I am prioritizing ones that have been unlocked based on accomplishment rather than mass assigned."


    "You mean not everyone gets the same options?"


    "Of course not," Rhyss said. He let his hand lower and nodded to the screen. "The System always rewards challenge. Now, have a look. We have a few choices that I believe would be quite effective. You have amassed some rather impressive options that I did not expect to find. I must admit that I am surprised. Just what manner of Nativeworlder are you? What is your relation to the Mirrorlands?"


    Alex just grinned.

 Chapter 151 - 150: Boon

    "So, what are the options you''ve narrowed down?" Alex asked, leaning forward eagerly to get a better look at the screen.


    Rhyss flicked his hand through the air, pushing the screen to the side before crossing his arms in front of his chest like a disappointed father.


    "No."


    Alex blinked. "What? Can you even do that?"


    "I am acting within my responsibilities as your advisor. Making an uninformed choice here would be stupendously foolish. You must understand what it is that you work with before you can decide on what Boons wish to take. Correct me if I am wrong, but given your status as a Nativeworlder, I do not believe you understand what a Town actually entails."


    Alex cleared his throat and let his hand lower. "I know that a town is a protected area that''s more defensible than normal buildings¡­ but I''d say your assessment is pretty correct. I would greatly appreciate if you enlightened me."


    "A town," Rhyss said, floating clean over the counter before his gangly, wrung-out feet landed gently on the ground to bear his weight like they were meant to, "is a method to invoke Challenge. It is opportunity that comes at cost, just like most things the System encourages. The opportunities they provide are almost endless. While towns stand, they allow you a safe place to farm powerful magical plants. You can use them to concentrate magical energy into areas and increase the growth of those who live in the town. You can gather ancient Inheritances within the town and allow people to vie in attempt to receive them. I could go on, but there is no point. Towns are potential."


    Alex wasn''t sure what half of the things Rhyss had mentioned even were, but he was following.


    Gotcha. Lots of opportunities to get stronger if I have a town, but it''s also basically asking things to come try and fuck with me. Fair enough. Nothing new there.


    "I''m with you."


    "Good," Rhyss said. "While the options you can take your town in are limitless should you have the power to claim them, there are certain aspects that are universal amongst all towns. Chief among them is thus: should the core in the center of your Town Hall be removed from the town''s premises by anyone, the town will be destroyed and the thief will claim your Town Token."


    "Shit. That''s a bit much, don''t you think?" Alex''s eyes widened. "Does the System just really like Capture the Flag or something? Also, can I just build a brick wall around this core thing?"


    "You may do what you see fit to protect the core so long as it does not leave its location. It is the heart of your Town. Should it be moved, the town will fall."


    I suppose a brick wall wouldn''t actually stop anyone, would it? Hell, I could probably punch through one of those myself if I was really motivated. Either way ¡ª keep people away from the core. Got it.


    "Noted," Alex said. "What else?"


    "The town''s core manifests an ability directly related to the leader of the town. As the town and its leader grows in power, this ability will also grow. It is the most powerful weapon you will have at your disposal. The exact nature of the ability depends on the town leader. So ¡ª you."


    "I get to choose it? Or is that something the System does?"


    "The ability is created in accordance with you and your talents. You have already had your influence over it. It is based off you as a whole."


    Lovely. I get to see what kind of ability the System thinks represents me. If it''s using my life as a whole¡­ I''m going to be pissed if my town''s special technique is skipping a really boring class or slamming back a copious amount of sugary shit at 3 in the morning.


    "Lovely."


    "Quite," Rhyss agreed without a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "This signature ability will determine much of how you can build your town. Unfortunately, your Boons must be spent during town creation¡­ so before we choose anything, you must take your best guess as to what your ability will be."


    Alex stared at Rhyss. "Seriously? Is everything a goddamn game with the System?"


    "Yes."


    Fair enough, actually.


    "I''d probably guess my ability would be something involving doing something potentially stupid. High risk, high reward. That kind of thing."


    "Offensive? Defensive? Honorable? Sly? How do you prefer to fight? Nobody can answer those questions better than you. What do you value most?"


    "I generally prefer to win."


    Alex and Rhyss stared at each other.


    "Pragmatic," Rhyss declared. "Dangerous. And, unfortunately, largely unpredictable. Focusing our efforts on what may be will end poorly if our guess is wrong. I suggest selecting Boons that will be useful in all situations. If you do not have a specific fighting style, then adaptability is your best friend."


    That seemed logical enough to Alex. He didn''t much love the idea of locking the whole town into some singular fighting style in the first place. Anyone who was really good at just one thing would inevitably run into someone that was really good at the one thing that fucked them over.


    "I''m with you there," Alex said.


    "Good," Rhyss said. "Then I have aligned my understanding with your goals. There is only one more thing you must be aware of. I trust you noticed that not all boons come at the same cost?"


    Alex nodded.


    "I also noticed some of them are way too damn expensive."


    "There are other ways to earn Boons for your town ¡ª all related to successfully growing it or accomplishing tasks related to it," Rhyss explained with a wave of his hand. "For the time being, focus on what we have rather than what we lack. 10 Legendary Boons could get you a number of individual Boons¡­ or a few very good ones."


    "If you''re asking me if I prefer quantity or quality, I''m always going to go with the latter. I don''t want to spread things so thin that we''re a jack of all trades and a master of none. Is there some good balance we could hit? Three that each cost 3 Boons or something like that?"


    "Yes. That is the approach that I have already taken," Rhyss said. He put his hand over the System screen that he''d pushed to the side and pulled it back over to Alex. Golden options shimmered upon it. And, this time, Alex actually had enough time to read them.


    Gilded Walls - 4


    Source Cannons - 4


    Vibrant Garden - 2


    Black Fortress Plans - 3


    Warp Shifter - 5


    Animated Golems - 3


    Cultivation Array - 3


    Haunted Graves - 4


    Pickling Chamber - 2


    "Goddamn it. What is it with everyone and pickling?" Alex demanded.


    "It is an excellent way to preserve food."


    "I know that! Why the hell is it a Legendary boon? Do you know what a pickling chamber is? A jar. That''s a pickling chamber."


    "I suspect you do not take kindly to the Pickling Chamber."


    "If I ever pick the pickling chamber, pickle me first."


    "I will remove the chamber from the list. Pickles are ¡ª were ¡ª a delicacy in my world. I had thought you may be use them as offerings to make alliances with other towns."


    Alex squinted at Rhyss. "Pickles? Really?"


    "Yes." sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Right. So his advice is definitely less useful in social situations. He knows about the System and about the towns. Not about what the proper gifts to people are going to be. Suppose that makes sense.


    "What about this thing?" Alex asked, pointing at Black Fortress Plans. "A fortress seems pretty badass, but do plans mean I''m literally just getting a blueprint?"


    "You would get detailed instructions on their construction and would find that structure considerably easier to create," Rhyss said. "Certain objects are powerful enough that the Boons only give you access to a method to create them. Others, such as the Cultivation Array, will become active the moment the town is initialized."


    Alex rubbed his chin. "I see. How long do you think it would take to build a Black Fortress?"


    "Months. Years, depending on the resources in this Subsector of your world. I am not aware of the concentrations and distributions of supplies, so a concrete answer would be difficult. Given how fresh this world is¡­ I would not be optimistic."


    Bad pick for surviving a Region Boss, then. Right. On to the next.


    "What are Gilded Walls and Source Cannons?"


    "Gilded Walls are defensible structures that ring the edge of your town''s borders. They are particularly resistant to magic. Source Cannons are weapons mounted on buildings or walls that gather magical energy from a variety of potential sources and fire concentrated blasts of it. They are a common tool of war in many worlds."


    Alex tilted his head to the side as he pondered Rhyss'' words. There was something beneath them, hidden just beneath the surface.


    Common weapons. That''s an odd thing to include, isn''t it? How freely can Rhyss actually guide me here? Is the System still breathing down his neck? And if that''s the case¡­ are all of these options really good?


    "Question."


    "Ask."


    "Which of these is the best?"


    "I cannot answer that. I am merely an advisor. All options have potential, but final decisions must be made by you."


    Alex''s suspicions deepened. This wasn''t Rhyss trying to make sure he didn''t dig himself a hole. The monster was still limited by the System. Just because all the options had potential didn''t mean they had equal potential.


    Yet another game, huh? Well, at least nobody can say the System isn''t consistent.


    "Tell me about the other options."


    "Vibrant Garden creates a magically empowered patch of land that will speed the growth and potency of anything grown upon it. Its effectiveness does depend on having a competent gardener, and it will be rather useless in the hands of an idiot."


    "Noted," Alex said. "What about Warp Shifter?"


    "A building that enables its operator to execute short-term teleportation on a number of town residents. It is limited by range and duration, which can be as low as minutes."


    Interesting.


    "The golems?"


    "Exactly as the name sounds. Magically empowered statues that will defend your town against any that you see as a threat. Their power will scale with the strength of everyone within your town."


    "And the last two?"


    "A Cultivation Array gathers magical energy in certain locations to allow increased growth of magical strength in those areas. It is commonly used near caves, secluded rooms, or gardens. Haunted Graves creates a concentrated zone of death energy that brings back the souls of any town residents that die within a certain range, reanimating them as a monster."


    "Fuck the last one," Alex said without missing a beat. A flicker of anger lit in his chest. If he didn''t know better, he might have thought the System was taunting him with that last option. He would not be turning anyone ¡ª much less the people on his side ¡ª into a monster.


    "Very well. It has been removed from the list."


    There might have been a note of approval in Rhyss'' voice, but it was hard to say for sure. Alex didn''t linger on it. His thoughts had already turned to his other options.


    Teleportation¡­ that was something. A way to quickly send people in and out of a fight. Even if it didn''t last long, it would basically turn everyone in his town into shock troopers. They could show up, attack, and vanish an instant later.


    And if the range gets long enough, isn''t it just a way to break right into other towns or dungeons? That might be getting ahead of myself, but I can''t pass something like that up. It seems way too good.


    Alex tapped a finger against his thigh. If he went with the Warp Shifter, then he only had 5 Boons left. He didn''t want to choose something that left him with just 1 Boon left. Even if he could fill it in with something else, it felt like a waste.


    Hold on. Didn''t he actually mention two of these twice, in his examples? Rhyss brought up growing magical plants and increased rate of growth while we were talking earlier¡­ before he let me see the options.


    The corner of Alex''s mouth twitched in amusement. He might have been jumping at straws, but the options were good nonetheless. If he assumed that his Town''s ability would be enough to let them defeat the Region Boss, then the thing he wanted to invest into the most was a way to keep getting ahead of the competition.


    "One more question before I make a decision. For the cannons ¡ª what kind of potential sources could they use? Do they come with one?"


    "No. There are a variety of sources that most energy weapons can consume, but the most common is magical energy. Groups of people can work together to power a cannon if one is not strong enough to do it alone."


    Alex rubbed his chin. He did want some form of offensive weapon to deal with the upcoming Region Boss. While the cannon wasn''t exactly at the top of his list, it was the only offensive option before him that would be ready in a short period of time.


    "Assume that the people of my town are all, on average, my level or slightly weaker. There are around ten of them. Would we be able to power the cannon we get if I choose this?"


    "They would likely be able to manage one or two shots for the duration of a fight before expending all the magical energy within their body."


    That''s a steep cost.


    "Would a shot be able to take down an Adept level Region Boss?"


    "I cannot say, but the likelihood of that is relatively low. Region Bosses are not so easily brought down."


    Which means people might honestly be better off fighting themselves. These cannons just aren''t strong enough. Looks like I really don''t have much of a choice, then. I''ll go with the strongest options for the long-term.


    "I think I''ll go with the Warp Shifter, Vibrant Garden, and Cultivation Array."


    "Very well. Then there is only one thing left to do before your town is ready." Rhyss'' eye shimmered and he waved a hand over the screen, causing its contents to shimmer and change to a vibrant blueish purple. "Choose your final Mythic Boon."

 Chapter 152 - 151: Orb Pondering

    Purple-blue letters shimmered across the screen before Alex, taking shape into the list of Mythic Boons that Rhyss had singled out for him to take a look at. There were a lot less of them than there had been of the Legendary options. That didn''t come as much of a surprise. He only had a single Boon to spend, so the offers he had to pick from would be a lot more limited.


    Necrolightning Arc Dome - 1


    Sky Render Cannon Blueprints - 1


    Warped Embassy - 1


    Armageddon Gate Blueprints - 1


    Shadowsteel Armory - 1


    The difference in quality between the Legendary Boons and the Mythic Boons was obvious even just from their naming. Alex nearly choked on his own saliva as he read through the options before him.


    Sure, judging a book by its cover might not have been the smartest move, but there was a reason books had covers ¡ª and these options sounded ridiculously powerful. He didn''t even have the slightest idea as to what the hell Necrolightning even was. It just sounded badass.


    "Holy shit," Alex said, running a hand through his hair. "What are these? Do they just have really cool names for no reason? It feels completely unfair that a town just gets to¡­ start out with something like these."


    "You achieved 200% completion on your trial, managing to draw a drop of blood from your trial''s overseer. That is not a trivial accomplishment," Rhyss said with a shrug of his shoulders. "The System rewards challenge. That goes in both ways."


    Alex swallowed and read back over his options. Rhyss definitely wasn''t doing anything to temper his expectations. It sounded like the advisor was agreeing that his options were ridiculously powerful. And if someone like Rhyss thought that these were strong, then they were even stronger than Alex was thinking. He swallowed heavily.


    Then a thought struck him. Alex''s eyes narrowed.


    "Hold on. These are crazy strong. All of them sound completely unfair¡­ and I spent one of my Mythic Boons getting you."


    "Correct," Rhyss said. There was more than a little smugness in his words. "And it was the wisest choice you made today."


    Alex grunted. "How many total Mythic options would I have had before you filtered them down?"


    "Three hundred thousand, four hundred and fifty four. That would have been the number you would had time to read through before the time duration to establish your Town ran to its limit and you were unable to read any more of them."


    And Rhyss had narrowed that down to five.


    Alex coughed into his fist. "Right. Picking you was definitely the right move. And I don''t suppose you''d be willing to give me any suggestions on these five? Or can you not do that?"


    "I am incapable of making decisions for you. As I am now, the only thing I can do is give information and attempt to ensure you are aware of the consequences of any town-related choices you make."


    As you are now? So that means Rhyss can somehow do more at some point? Maybe I can upgrade him or something. Not something to worry about right now, but definitely good to know. I''ll keep that in mind.


    "Right. Figured. In that case¡­ what is Necrolightning?"


    "A necrotic form of electrical energy. The Necrolightning Dome is a very effective array that is used by a number of top-tier towns across the Infinium. The array forms a dome over the top of your town, effectively protecting it from most arial threats. Given the stage of your world, I would deduce that there is no living creature that would be able to penetrate it for at least a year, if not longer. And even then ¡ª it would prove immensely difficult."


    Complete arial supremacy? Goddamn. Also worth noting there''s a good chance the Region Boss is some form of flying monster. Obviously there''s no way to know that for sure, but the Field Boss could fly so I can''t ignore the possibility.


    Still, if this thing is mostly effective against flying threats, I''d imagine it''s going to fall a lot shorter against ground-based ones.


    "Can it defend against other kinds of enemies?" Alex asked.


    "Not effectively."


    That answers that.


    "What about the Sky Render cannon?"


    "A very powerful energy cannon. It lives up to its name. In terms of sheer destructive force, it is probably at the top of the list."


    "And where does it get the energy to operate? Is that part of the cannon, or do people have to run it manually?"


    "The latter," Rhyss confirmed. "Though it can be passively charged at times when it is not in operation to have power stored for fights."


    Interesting. Definitely a good option, but it''s also worth remembering that I''m only getting the blueprints if I choose this one. We''d still have to actually make the damn cannon. That would take weeks. And, no matter how strong it is, it won''t do me any good if my town gets squished by the System in a week. I still want to know all my options before I make any choices, though.


    "What about the other blueprints? The Armageddon Gate?"


    "An energy source. It draws power from chaotic energy throughout the Infinium and converts it to usable energy for your town. As power sources go, this is one of the better ones. It is also particularly volatile, making it very effective for offensive weapons. I would not recommend using it for any buildings or purposes that would allow the energy to flow directly into your people."


    So something like this would be a great combo if I got a Sky Render Cannon or the like. Good to know. Also not worth choosing yet. Blueprints for an energy source won''t help me.


    "I see," Alex said. "And the last two? The Shadowsteel Armory and the Warped Embassy?"


    "The armory is a building that grants you access to a specialized blacksmith. Shadowsteel is a named world in the Infinium most known for their competent smiths, so if you are planning to invest into effective weaponry and armor, this would be an apt choice."


    "Hold on," Alex said with a frown. "Named world? What''s that?"


    "Certain worlds in the Infinium reach the requirements set to be granted a name. I cannot reveal more information than that at this time."


    "Something tells me that Shadowsteel didn''t just happen to be a planet of blacksmiths before it got its name," Alex said dryly. "So it''s accomplishment based or something?"


    Rhyss just stared at him. It didn''t look like the advisor had any plans of budging from his no-speaking stance.


    Alex waved his hand and quashed his curiosity for the time being. "Fine, fine. Sorry. And the Embassy thing?"


    A small frown pulled at Rhyss'' lips. "I¡­ don''t know."


    "What? Isn''t knowing basically your whole job?"


    "An Advisor is not some omniscient being. I know what I know¡­ but I would like to believe that I have a very extensive understanding of most town-related things. The System did not assign me as a Mythic boon because it found the idea amusing. I earned that title. The reason I selected this Boon is because I do not know of it. I have no information about anything by the name of a Warped Embassy."


    "But it''s a Mythic Boon. That means it''s got to be pretty good, right?"


    "Hypothetically. It is up to you. I cannot offer up conjecture. That is beyond the bounds of what I am capable of aiding you with at this point. All I am currently capable of doing is providing information."


    Ugh. The System limitations are so damn annoying. Then again, I guess they''re the same things that keep the Outworlders from just rolling up with the full strength of their families and completely murdering everyone.


    ¡­unfortunately I can''t give the System too much credit for that, as it is also the reason the Outworlders were allowed to show up in the first place. Buggers.


    Alex blew out a short breath and shook his head. The Warped Embassy wasn''t a complete wild card. The hint as to its purpose was in its name. In particular, his attention was caught be the first word.


    Warped.


    "Is it from the Mirrorlands?" Alex wondered aloud. "And if it is¡­ would an Embassy maybe somehow allow me to establish some sort of connection that keeps the town from getting destroyed in a week?"


    Rhyss didn''t respond. Answers to Alex''s musings probably would have been taken as conjecture. There wasn''t anyone else to lend their ear ¡ª they were all frozen outside of the Town Hall, waiting for him to finish his selections and finalize the town''s creation.


    "Damn," Alex muttered. He looked back over the options. The cannon was very tempting, but it wasn''t the actual cannon he was being offered. It was blueprints, and those wouldn''t help him anytime soon. An energy source also sounded incredible, but it was definitely a more long-term selection. The Necrolightning Arc Dome also sounded potentially useful for this upcoming fight, but only if the boss actually tried to fly right into their town. It was too much of an if to bet on.


    He would have been a lot more amiable to the Shadowsteel Armory, but it sounded like it was basically a merchant outpost for blacksmiths. He already had a merchant lined up. Even if these were better, Alex doubted they''d be able to afford anything that much better than what Finley had.


    And then there was this mystery option. There was a pretty good chance it was connected to the Mirrorlands. But if it wasn''t¡­ well, it would do something. It was a Mythic Boon, after all. There was a chance it would give him a way to directly fight against the Region Boss. The System certainly hadn''t made it easy for him to find a cheap way out of the fight ¡ª and after the immense amount he''d spent getting Rhyss, Alex doubted the Advisor would steer him wrong.


    He chewed his lower lip in thought, but after just a minute of mulling over everything, it struck Alex that he''d already made his decision.


    "Have you chosen?" Rhyss asked, noticing the change in his eyes. "It is an important one."


    "I''m more than aware of that," Alex said with a chuckle. "Which is why I''m going to do things the same way I always do. The whole overthinking things and weighing the detailed benefits¡­ that isn''t my style. That''s Claire."


    "Your style?" Rhyss repeated, his head tilting to the side.


    "Yeah." Alex grinned. "That shit''s a pain in the ass, man. I really can''t be bothered. There''s no shot I''ve lived through the apocalypse for this long just to turn into some contemplative genius. I''m going with the cool option." S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "And that is?"


    "The Warped Embassy," Alex said. "If you don''t know what it is, then it''s got to do something neat. And hey, the System rewards challenge, right?"


    "Making a blind choice is not a challenge."


    Alex just shrugged.


    Then he pressed his finger into Warped Embassy, selecting the option from the screen. There was a soft pop as the option grayed out. Then the screen vanished entirely, leaving him alone in the room with Rhyss.


    A buzz of energy raced across Alex''s skin and made his hair stand on end. Tremors shook the building around him and he stumbled, nearly losing his balance, as trails of black smoke started to pool on the floor.


    They rose up like the tendrils of some eldritch beast, winding together behind the counter next to Rhyss. Pulses of energy rolled off the twisting smoke and drove into Alex''s chest. They fought to push his body back and the air from his lungs.


    And then, as quickly as it had started, the energy vanished with a loud hiss. It was sucked into the center of the twisting mass, condensed into a single, pitch-black sphere about the size of a baseball. Twisting lines of silver ran across the sphere''s surface, winding into its depths before vanishing in the darkness.


    "Your core is complete," Rhyss said passionlessly, indicating the floating orb. "Your choices are finalized. Once you touch it, your Town Ability will be revealed and the initialization of your town will be complete."


    Alex approached the orb and the electric energy buzzing across his skin intensified until all of his hair stood on end. It was like standing next to a lightning rod. He swallowed.


    Then he set his palm on the orb.

 Chapter 153 - 152: Nothing

    A brilliant thrum tore through the air around Alex. Energy poured through his body and churned all around him with enough intensity to make his teeth chatter. It felt like every single bone in his body had suddenly been electrified.


    The orb warmed against his palm as streams of smoke swirled out from within it, coiling past his fingers and twisting around his wrist. They wound their way down his arm and up his shoulder. His skin prickled with cold wherever the smoke touched it.


    Alex gritted his teeth as the energy around him continued to intensify. He didn''t dare release his grip on the orb and risk somehow damaging the town''s creation. Besides, he was fairly sure making his own town wouldn''t end up killing him. That would be too disrespectful, even for the System.


    Rhyss watched on from the side. The gray-skinned monster said nothing as he observed the smoke twist up from Alex''s body and curl lazily through the air like strands of seaweed swaying underwater.


    Then there was a sharp pop. The pressure in the air changed abruptly. Alex staggered as a wave of force howled past him, ripping out from the Town Hall along with thick streams of coiling smoke.


    Darkness pooled at the edges of his vision. The back of Alex''s head grew fuzzy, almost as if he were trapped in a state between sleep and awareness. He tried to push the sensation back fruitlessly. It was like trying to shovel the ocean with his hands.


    The darkness continued its advance, encircling his head entirely. His vision narrowed down to a point. He gritted his teeth, but a wave of dizziness crushed any final struggles he could have even attempted.


    Then black was all that remained.


    Alex felt a sharp tug in his chest, as if the floor had fallen out from him and he was plummeting into the darkness. His heart bucked and he jerked in place, only to realize that he wasn''t falling at all ¡ª he was flying.


    Vision returned to him in a snap, but it wasn''t what he should have been seeing. Instead of the inner walls of the Town Hall, Alex found himself looking down upon the forest as a whole. At the center of the camp was the hall, surrounding by the milling crowd of people looking in.


    Trees rose around them, but they''d taken on a strange, near-translucent shade. Alex could nearly see straight through them. And it wasn''t just the trees ¡ª he could see through the cabins as well.


    "What is this?" Alex muttered.


    "You have several buildings that you need to place." Rhyss'' voice rang in Alex''s ears as if he were floating right beside him. If Alex had actually been in his body, he might have flinched.


    "Shit. You could have said you were here," Alex said. He went to shake his head, but he couldn''t even do that. It didn''t seem like he had an actual body up here. It was just his consciousness.


    That, or the System had plucked his eyes from his body and tossed them up into the air. Alex wouldn''t have put that past it.


    "My voice was announcement enough." There was a definite note of amusement in Rhyss'' tone. "But you need to select the locations for the buildings you chose. Boon-granted buildings are formed directly by the system rather than ones you and your town will have to build yourselves, but it needs to know where to place them. If you don''t tell it, then the System will decide. Do you like the idea of your sleeping quarters being outside your town walls to increase Challenge?"


    Alex grimaced. He most certainly did not like that idea. His town didn''t even actually have proper walls yet, but that didn''t mean he wanted the System sticking all of his buildings near the edges to make it harder to defend them.


    "For now, let''s stick the Vibrant Garden over there," Alex said, directing his attention to a spot a few crumbling cabins away from the town hall. The areas directly beside the hall were probably best saved for really important buildings. This was out of the way enough that the garden wouldn''t be in the middle of nowhere and open to attacks, but still not right in everyone''s way.


    "And the Warp Shifter?"


    "Put that right over there," Alex said, looking right beside the town hall. It was his most expensive Legendary Boon. It was also his biggest trump card for the upcoming fight. The ability to send people in and out of the fight at rapid speeds was incredible. So long as they could defend the building and keep monsters from getting into the town, they''d be able to use hit-and-run tactics nearly indefinitely.


    "Understood," Rhyss said. "The Cultivation Array will be inscribed within the town hall''s record room. Should it be damaged, the array will collapse."


    "Do I not get to choose the locations it enhances?"


    "No," Rhyss replied. "Think of it like a wellspring. It will increase the magical energy in certain areas. You can''t control which areas those are, but there are ways to guess at their location. They will tend to be the ones where power can easily pool. Caves, concealed locations, and anything that draws energy to it. Further discussion on this topic can be held later. Choose the location for the Warped Embassy."


    "Right beside the town hall," Alex said without a second of hesitation. It was a Mythic Boon. He wasn''t about to go sticking it at the edges of his town.


    Anything else Alex might have said was stolen from him by a violent yank in the center of his chest. The town screamed past him as he was yanked straight back toward the town hall at the speed of a bullet.


    He slammed back into his own body and his eyes snapped open. Alex let out a sharp gasp and staggered back, instinctively lifting his hand from the black orb floating before him. His heart thumped in his chest as if he''d just woken up from a nightmare.


    A distant rumble shook the ground beneath his feet. Alex heard yells from outside the town hall, but ones of surprise and shock rather than fear.


    "Well done," Rhyss said. "The creation of your town is complete. It is currently forming your buildings. The process will be a short one. You should be getting a notification from the System shortly.


    No sooner than the advisor had finished speaking did golden letters twist through the air before Alex. They formed themselves into an extravagant system message, one far more ornate than the messages it had given him before.


    Town establishment completed. All Boons have been spent and building creation will conclude shortly.


    Your Town has finished synchronization with your soul and desires. Its Town Ability has been finalized.


    [Labyrinth]: A twisting maze grows beneath the grounds covered by your town. It will continue to grow so long as the town remains. Magical energy wells within its depths, empowering the monsters that are born within the Labyrinth''s halls. The Labyrinth will adapt to attempt to ensure suitable challenge to any who enter its depths.


    At will, the town leader can expunge all the monsters from within the Labyrinth and release them to the area surrounding the town.


    "Holy shit," Alex muttered. "That''s not what I was expecting. The System definitely got the challenge bits¡­ but doesn''t this mean I have a literal dungeon growing beneath my own town?"


    "That appears to be so," Rhyss said. "How fascinating. I have not seen this ability before. You are truly a unique individual. Only an idiot or a madman would actively want monsters living beneath their town. Congratulations."


    "Thanks," Alex said dryly. "I appreciate the vote of confidence and the kind words."


    "You should. Town abilities are set to ensure they fit your desires and goals. You wanted this."


    Alex''s nose scrunched at that. He couldn''t deny that the ability sounded pretty badass. Being able to just straight up chuck a whole dungeon full of empowered monsters at his enemies definitely held a lot of appeal to it, even if he ignore the fantastic training elements the Labyrinth seemed to offer.


    Can I use this against the Region Boss? If it gets immediately populated with some monsters, that would give me at least something to distract it. I don''t know if the Labyrinth monsters would follow my directions, but I''ve seen them fight each other just as often as the fight humans. A bunch of crazed monsters suddenly popping out around the Region Boss could definitely swing the tides in our favor.


    Before he got a chance to say anything else to Rhyss, new words shimmered through the air before him.


    You have stablished the first natural town in Subsector 735.


    Your standing on several leaderboards has been updated.


    Access to viewing Global Leaderboards has been granted according to your standing upon them.


    Before Alex could even think, the sentences vanished as new ones swirled up to replace them.


    Global Leaderboards


    [Level]


    [Mind Palace]


    [Town Ranking]


    [Wealth]


    "Whoa," Alex said, blinking at the shimmering words before him. The System had mentioned Global Leaderboards initializing a while ago, but it looked like one had to actually place upon one of them to get a look at what they held.


    "Which one am I on?" Alex asked shortly before realizing how stupid that question was. He''d just built a town. It wasn''t that hard to guess. He quickly selected the Town Ranking leaderboard.


    Global Leaderboard ¡ª Town Ranking


    Crux


    Nighteyes


    ????


    Invictus


    Ash


    NattoProblem


    Meat


    Rathvash


    Catastrophy


    TFIAKilometer sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The list continued on, but the names were all fuzzed out and unreadable. He barely even cared. His eyes were locked on the number five spot in the list.


    His town had set him as the 5th ranked person in the entirety of 274-50. It was just one spot below Invictus, who was the one from Valley Ford ¡ª a Hub City. Alex didn''t even know what a Hub City was, but the System had clearly found it to be important.


    He let out a slow whistle.


    "Holy shit. For a town that literally just came into being, that''s not half bad."


    "So long as it does not collapse in a week," Rhyss said.


    "Yeah. There is that little caveat," Alex agreed. He ran a hand through his hair. While he did want to take a glance at the other leaderboards, the whole town was outside waiting for him ¡ª and he wanted to see what the fruits of all his efforts had netted him.


    "Shall we go take a look at your new town?" Rhyss suggested.


    Alex grinned.


    "I would like nothing more."

 Chapter 154 - 153: Why

    Alex emerged from within the town hall alongside Rhyss, squinting in the sudden daylight. The small crowd of people that had been gathered around the entrance of the building were half-distracted ¡ª presumably by whatever it was the System was doing to create his buildings ¡ª but the ones looking in his direction lurched back in surprise.


    "Shit!" Aaron exclaimed, nearly tripping over himself as he dropped into a fighting stance. "Alex, is that one of your monsters? Because if it isn''t, there''s a really creepy thing floating next to you. Just in case you didn''t notice."


    "This is Rhyss," Alex said, nodding to the one-eyed monster. "He''s the Advisor for the town."


    "Towns come with advisors?" Anna asked. "How does that work? Does the System just¡­ make them? Is it sapient?"


    Trust me. You really don''t want to know how it works.


    Claire studied Rhyss with an unreadable expression. She didn''t look nearly as off-balance as the others, but that was probably more because she was very good at controlling her expression than it was because she wasn''t actually surprised.


    "I am perfectly sapient," Rhyss said. "And my hearing is more than adequate."


    Aaron seemed to shrink in on himself. The rest of the campers backed up, many of them looking from Rhyss off to the sides, toward the areas that Alex had selected to place his buildings.


    Out of everyone present, the only one that wasn''t even slightly interested in the buildings was Orchid. Her gaze was completely focused on Rhyss, eyes widened and lips parted. Alex didn''t miss the shock in her expression. It definitely wasn''t there because Rhyss was a monster. She was an Outworlder with a lot of experience. Orchid had definitely seen weird monsters before.


    No. This had nothing to do with what Rhyss looked like and everything to do with what he was. Orchid knew the significance of having a named Advisor.


    Well, at least that proves I probably made the right choice. Orchid wouldn''t look that impressed by something that every normal Outworlder does since she thinks I''m from the Starfallen family.


    "I don''t know if you all noticed, but I managed to succeed in creating the town. It took a while, so thanks for your patience," Alex said.


    A dozen stared were leveled directly at him.


    "A while? It took you like one second. And the System made the town''s creation abundantly clear," Claire said. "There was a System announcement that the first naturally established town had been created in our Subsector. It didn''t say where we were, fortunately."


    A second? It definitely took longer than that. The System must have sped time up for me or something like that.


    And I suppose the announcement makes sense considering the town got me onto the Leaderboards. Still, though. That''s going to be a pain in the future. Definitely can''t dally around. Even if we manage to defeat the Region Boss, we''re going to have a lot of attention directed our way very soon.


    "I see," Alex said wisely. He squinted past the small crowd and they parted for him, finally granting him his first look at the buildings that had been created by the System.


    The closest was a strange 3-story tower made of black marble. It had a wide, circular base floor with a large tube rising directly up from its center like the center pole of a circus tent. The tube seemed roughly wide enough for one or two people to stand within side by side.


    Dangling vines of metal swayed from the central pole, running down to the wide base floor. Faint crackles of purple energy shimmered within the metal, bright enough to light it from within. Even the air around the building seemed to hum with faint energy, almost like a cloud of static electricity hung around it.


    It was definitely the Warp Relay.


    Out of the corner of Alex''s eye, he spotted the Vibrant Garden. At least, Alex was pretty certain it was the garden. He didn''t know what else it could be. It seemed the System had marked the garden off by placing a giant hedge in a square around the area he''d indicated. The foliage was about ten feet high and completely solid, leaving not so much as a gap in its dense leaves to peek through. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You got two buildings?" Orchid asked, clearly choosing her words carefully. "Your town started with two buildings? What rarity is this circular building? It doesn''t look common."


    Is that more than normal? I don''t know what the standard town is meant to start with. Doesn''t it depend on how you end up spending your Boons?


    "Four," Alex said. "I got a Cultivation Array inside the town hall."


    "Where''s the fourth building?" May asked, glancing around. "Or is that the big hall thing you just came out of?"


    "No. That''s the town hall. It came with the package," Alex said. He stepped past the crowd and started toward the left of the town hall. "It''s on the other side."


    Everyone piled after him and rounded the corner, where they all ground to a dead halt. Alex blinked in surprise.


    The fuck is that?


    Standing about fifteen feet away from the hall was what could only be described as a wooden shack. Malformed walls that looked like they were a strong breeze away from collapsing upon themselves supported a poorly shingled roof.


    The door hung askew on one hinge, cracked open just enough to let Alex peer into the building. That didn''t do him a whole lot of good. It was pitch black. Looking through the crack was like trying to peer into the void itself. There was only absolute nothingness lying in wait.


    "What is that?" Orchid asked.


    "The Warped Embassy," Rhyss said helpfully.


    Alex approached the building, his brow furrowed. This little ramshackle pile of wood looked like a joke standing beside the relatively grandiose town hall. But, despite its appearance, something about it felt¡­ odd. Familiar.


    He set a hand on the wooden walls of the shack. His fingertips prickled as faint traces of energy danced across his skin. A flicker of dark, purplish-red energy slipped free of the wood and slithered across the back of his hand before darting back into the building.


    The corners of his lips pulled up.


    Riftwarped Energy.


    "That''s¡­ disappointing," someone muttered. "Why did the System give him a shack?"


    "He chose it," another person replied. "I think that''s how it works. Back when I was with Firesong, I heard people talking about building a town. They said something about the leader deciding what buildings can be built on its grounds."


    Alex ignored them. All the Outworlders that had been part of the camp were deserters. That didn''t mean he had anything against them. Alex didn''t see the slightest reason to fight for the invading families ¡ª but it meant that the people here likely didn''t have much more information than he did. These weren''t seasoned warriors. They were just people that had gotten kidnapped from their planets.


    "Hey," Claire said, drawing up alongside him. "Isn''t that¡­"


    "Yeah," Alex said. He squinted past the door in an attempt to see into the embassy, but it was pointless. All that lurked before him was darkness. He turned to look at his Advisor. "Rhyss, how do I activate this thing? Surely it does something."


    "Entering the door would typically be the most common answer." Rhyss'' tone made it abundantly clear that he was not suggesting that Alex walk right into the darkness. "But, unless buildings are concealed by the System, you should be able to summon its information."


    "Really?" Alex looked back to the shack and furrowed his brows. "How do I¡ª"


    A screen, much like the one that the System had given him to choose his Boons, snapped to life in the air before Alex with such speed that he flinched back in surprise. Sentences shimmered across its surface.


    Warped Embassy


    Ambassador: [Unchosen]


    Alex''s eyes narrowed. That was it. The extent of the information that the System had given him on his building was two lines ¡ª and he''d already known the damn thing''s name.


    "You can''t be serious," Alex said.


    "What?" Claire asked.


    "Can you not see it?"


    "See what?"


    "Building information is only available to the Town Leader and its Advisor under certain circumstances," Rhyss supplied.


    "Oh. The System gave me some information on this building, but it''s basically useless," Alex said through a sigh. "It''s called the Warped Embassy, and the only new thing the System revealed was that I need to choose an ambassador. Rhyss, any thoughts?"


    "I have not heard of any buildings that function like this. Towns do have roles that can be assigned, but I have not heard of an ambassador role. This building is unknown to me. All I know is that one person can only occupy a single role."


    So I can''t choose myself as the ambassador. Whelp. Of everyone here, the one I trust the most¡­ it''s Claire. That''s ironic given slightly recent events. Doesn''t change that she''s the reason I went for the Town Token in the first place. She can''t reveal everything, but I think she''s on my side. I can''t think of anyone else who would be a better ambassador. It''s a political role, isn''t it? That has her name written on it.


    "You want this?" Alex asked Claire. "Knowing the System, it''s probably going to come with a challenge."


    "If it increases our chances against the Region Boss, then I won''t say no. I do have some minor experience in the field."


    Alex looked from her to the building. He wasn''t sure exactly how he was meant to select the ambassador, but he had a pretty good guess.


    "I think you''ve got to go in."


    Claire sighed. "Somehow, I thought you were going to say that. Wish me luck."


    Then she stepped into the darkness.


    The askew door creaked shut behind her.


    A shimmer of energy passed through the System screen before Alex as its contents updated.


    Warped Embassy


    Ambassador: Claire (In Town Trial)


    Town Potential: ??/100%


    "What?" Alex breathed, staring at the screen as lips parted in surprise. "Why is Claire in a Town Trial?"

 Chapter 155 - 154: Chance

    "Impossible," Rhyss said instantly. "There cannot be a second trial. A trial is a trial. There are no re-does. No second attempts. What''s done is¡­"


    The advisor trailed off as he stared at the screen before Alex. His words didn''t mean much when the System was literally denying everything he said. Murmurs ran through the crowd behind them as the former campers tried to figure out what was going on.


    In the time that Alex and Rhyss had spent gawking at the screen, it had already updated itself.


    Warped Embassy


    Ambassador: Claire (In Town Trial)


    Town Potential: 24/100%


    The potential continued to change rapidly, uncaring of its stunned spectators. The completion rate raced upward, reaching 50% within moments and showing no signs of stopping.


    "Rhyss?" Alex pressed.


    "I ¡ª I don''t know," the monster said. For once, his controlled exterior was cracking. "This should not be possible. You only had one Town Token. There''s no way for a second trial to occur, much less from a mere building. This has to be something to do with you."


    "With me?" Alex exclaimed. By now, the completion rate of the trial had already reached 70%. "What do you mean?"


    "This option was not one born of the native offerings," Rhyss said, lowering his voice so nobody could overhear their conversation. "It came from you. Much like your town ability. The system tailors certain offerings to the one that created the town, based on their achievements and history. Even if this building became an option because of your completion rate in your trial, giving you a second trial is ridiculous. Such a thing cannot be done."


    Alex pointed at the screen. The completion rate had hit 95%. "Tell that to Claire."


    "What''s going on?" Orchid asked. "Where did Claire go? I don''t hear anything."


    She couldn''t see the screen with the trial upon it and hadn''t been close enough to pick up on Alex''s conversation with Rhyss.


    "She''ll be back soon enough," Alex responded. He knew the Town Trial carried a very real chance of death with it, but he didn''t doubt Claire for a moment. He knew she''d clear it. The only question was how much of the trial she''d be able to clear.


    I wonder if it''s the same trial that I took or an entirely different one.


    "This can''t be happening," Rhyss whispered, pressing two fingers against his temple. His frown deepened. "The potential of such a thing was not even calculated by the System when it formed me. It breaks rules. Rules that the System is built on. You cannot earn something from nothing, and rewards must be fair. Your completion rate was very good, but that cannot justify an entire extra town."


    Alex watched the completion tick up once more, and a small smile parted his lips.


    Town Potential: 105/100%


    Good shit, Claire.


    She wasn''t going down easy. It looked like she was also shooting for the 200% mark. Rhyss barely even seemed to notice. The advisor looked like he was a half-step away from a mental breakdown.


    A distant part of Alex wondered if that would get him a Title Fragment. Causing a System Advisor to lose their shit within five minutes of arriving on a new world had to be a pretty rare feat.


    Town Potential: 152/100%


    Yes! But¡­ honestly, why are we getting a second trial? Rhyss is right. It doesn''t make sense. The System wouldn''t just give me it for free, and this reward seems way too good for even something like a Mythic Boon.


    Wait.


    "You know," Alex said slowly, a theory starting to form in his head. "Rhyss, I think I might know what''s going on."


    Rhyss spun to him. "What is it? How is this possible?"


    Town Potential: 164/100%


    "I don''t think it''s that we''ve gotten a whole new town." Alex''s thoughts whirred, but he became increasingly convinced of his words even as he spoke. "It''s that we''re getting access to what everyone normally has."


    "What are you talking about?" Rhyss asked.


    "The Mirrorlands are a reflection of the world. Worlds, I guess. Either way, the more magic a location has, the stronger its reflection is on the other side." Alex gestured to the Warped Embassy. "And this building is an embassy. What if it''s giving us access to the Mirrorlands version of the town?"


    "That¡­ I''ve never heard of anything like that," Rhyss said. His head tilted to the side as he considered Alex''s words. "If that''s the case¡­ that could be it, yes. But gaining influence over any portion of the Mirrorlands seems ludicrous. Unless¡­"


    Rhyss''s eye narrowed as he examined Alex.


    "What?" Alex asked.


    "How deeply tied to the Mirrorlands are you?"


    A chime echoed in Alex''s ears. He jumped at the sound, his eyes darting back to the screen. His grin widened and a laugh burst from his lips as he read the new information upon its face. There might have just been three measly lines, but they were exactly what he''d wanted to see.


    Warped Embassy


    Ambassador: Claire


    Town Potential: 200/100%


    "A second one," Rhyss breathed. He almost sounded numb at this point. "Two individuals capable of reaching 200% completion. What are the chances of that?"


    There was a thump from within the ramshackle cabin. Everyone other than Alex and Orchid took a step back as the door rattled. Riftwarped energy crackled across the walls of the Warped Embassy, arcing out like skeletal fingers rising from the grave.


    Even Alex felt a wave of goosebumps roll across his back. His skull prickled and the trees around them swayed as if a violent gale had suddenly picked up in the center of the clearing.


    The door to the embassy flew open with a loud bang. Claire stumbled out of it, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Her eyes were wild and skin was dangerously sunken. She locked eyes with Alex and took a stumbling step toward him, extending a hand.


    Alex knew what she wanted before the words had even reached her lips. He extended his arm to her, pulling back the sleeve. Claire grabbed the proffered hand and clamped down on it, her fangs piercing deep into his wrist. She drank deeply between gasps for air. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Somehow, despite all the strength he''d gained from upgrading his Mind Palace, her fangs pierced through his skin just as easily as they had the first time ¡ª and they didn''t hurt any less.


    Claire drank from him for nearly a minute before she finally pulled back from his wrist. She blew out a relieved breath and wiped her mouth with the back of a hand. Nobody in the crowd seemed too surprised by her appetite for blood. Claire wasn''t the first Dhampir they''d met, after all.


    "Bleed me," Claire groaned. "Thank you. That fucking hurt."


    "I think I''m the one that just bled," Alex said, watching the puncture wounds on his wrist begin the healing process. "What happened in there? I could see you were taking a Trial, but¡ª"


    "I passed," Claire said.


    "Yeah. I could see that bit too." Alex lowered his voice. "200%? Nice. I''m kind of pissed I couldn''t see it. Something tells me you didn''t manage that without using some of those powers you''re so determined not to let me see."


    She grinned in response. "You''d be correct. I was going all out. Still got bloody thwacked at the end, though."


    "Death is inevitable," Rhyss said briskly. "It does not matter. What did you achieve in your trial? Was there truly another town?"


    "Yes," Claire said. "And I have to say, that was not what I was expecting to be doing. I was going in there to bullshit some people, not take a trial. I think your theory about the Mirrorlands is pretty much proven at this point, Alex. The town was reflected over there. Kind of."


    "Kind of?" Alex asked.


    "It''s hard to describe. Same in the way that the Mirrorlands are the same. Things were twisted. Warped. Completing the trial got me some Boons that I had to spend before I came back here. Some pretty good ones."


    "This is fascinating," Rhyss murmured. His eye focused on her. "Did you acquire an advisor in the Mirrorlands?"


    "No. Because the town technically already existed, I didn''t get much extra to work with. The only reason I got anything was because of the 200% completion," Claire said with a shake of her head. "I didn''t have the boons to spend on an Advisor. I only got two things."


    "What things?" Alex asked.


    "You should be able to see in your town management window thing," Claire replied. A grin crossed her features. "But I''d say I got some pretty damn good ones. I spent a long time trying to find them. It was a pain."


    Alex looked back to the Embassy window. It had changed again.


    Warped Embassy


    Ambassador: Claire


    Buildings:


    Dual Reality Obelisk [Destabilized]


    Shroudmaker


    Town Ability:


    [The Mists of Vil''Kazer]: Hallucinogenic mist rises up from the grounds this town is built upon. Creatures that breathe in the mist will have their perceptions of reality twisted. The more time they spend within the Mists of Vil''Kazer, the more extensive the effects will become. Residents of the town are naturally resistant to the mist and will not be affected by it except in the case of prolonged exposure.


    "Holy shit," Alex said. "You got a whole new Town Ability?"


    "Incredible," Rhyss said. "The same town, but with new buildings and a unique Town Ability. It is unfortunate those powers are locked in the Mirrorlands. I know of the Shroudmaker. It is a very useful building that conceals a location from all senses by warping the magical area around a town, making it difficult to detect. But what is this other building you have chosen? It is another one unknown to me."


    "There should be one of them within the Town Hall here as well. I thought the same thing you did. It''s a bleedin'' shame to not be able to use any of the powers of the other town. No point in having access to it if we can''t use it. So I fixed that."


    "You fixed it?" Rhyss repeated. "How?"


    "The Obelisk lets the owners of the towns swap their locations," Claire said with a smug grin. "It''s destabilized right now, unfortunately. From what I can tell, that means it''s going to blow up and destroy everything around it at some point¡­ but it pushes our problem back a bit, I''d say."


    Alex''s eyes widened and he let out a delighted laugh. "Shit, Claire! If we can swap locations of the town, doesn''t that mean the System won''t mark it as an issue anymore?"


    "I''d imagine the new town would have the same problem the old one did, but my bet is that we could reset the timer at least once by swapping them," she agreed with a nod. "It''s not a permanent solution, but if we can stabilize the Obelisk, it might become one."


    "And now we have another weapon to use against the Region Boss. A strong one," Alex concluded. He and Claire exchanged an excited grin. "This might just give us a fighting chance."

 Chapter 156 - 155: Plan

    Alex didn''t let himself get too excited about just how significant the Embassy''s benefits were. Having an entire extra town to upgrade and interface with ¡ª one that was situated in the Mirrorlands ¡ª was huge. But they still had a Region Boss level monster that was going to be showing up at their doorstop within a few days at the longest¡­ and their town didn''t even have walls. Still, it was a chance. That was a fair bit more than what they''d been working with before.


    "We don''t have much more time to prepare before the Region Boss arrives, so we need to maximize our time as much as possible," Alex said. "Is there anything else we should know about the Mirrorlands version of the town?"


    Claire shook her head. "I don''t think so. Nothing that I''m aware of, at least."


    "Is this going to be enough?" Anna asked from within the crowd. She shifted nervously. "To beat the Region Boss? It sounds like a lot¡­ but the other cities I''ve seen have looked a lot better defended. Not that I''m complaining, of course. This is more than we ever could have hoped for. We''re all thankful for that. I¡ª"


    "It''s fine," Alex said through a chuckle. "There''s nothing wrong with not wanting to put up a good fight. Getting this far has been a lot of work. It would really suck if we just got squished the moment the fight with the boss started."


    "I think I''m a little more concerned about dying," Aaron said, clearing his throat. "I couldn''t care less how we win the fight."


    "We''ve all got our motivations," Alex said with a wave of his hand. "The honest gist of it is we''ve got a shot at winning this, but it definitely won''t come easily."


    "There''s a way for us to temporarily swap this town with one in another location," Claire added. "One with different buildings, including one that will obscure the town with mist while confusing monsters that try to get into it. It isn''t exactly a full defense, but it''ll make it a lot harder for the Region Boss to get too close."


    "Do we have a good way to actually damage it? If it''s even stronger than the Field Boss, it might have flight or something," Aaron said. "Couldn''t it fly out of range of the mist and blow us up from there?"


    "I mean, technically possible," Alex allowed. "The Region Boss is definitely going to be powerful, but I think that might be a bit of overestimation. The System isn''t going to throw enemies that can destroy entire towns at this point. A challenge like that isn''t surmountable. I''d expect its attacks to be blowing buildings up more than entire cities."


    "That¡­ somehow isn''t as reassuring as I was hoping it would be," Aaron said with a small frown. "Do we have a way to actually damage something like that?"


    Alex''s thoughts drifted to the weapons his newest ability upgrade had earned him, not to mention how much stronger all of his monsters had gotten in recent times. His lips twitched in a mixture of excitement and amusement.


    "Yeah, I''d say we''ve got a way to attack it. If I have enough time, I can take the monster out. Claire could probably do some serious damage as well. The bigger issue will be if we don''t get an opportunity to attack."


    "Either way, I don''t think it''s something we should waste energy worrying about right now," Claire said, pursing her lips and tapping a foot on the ground. "This isn''t the time for theory. It''s the time for action. Now that we''ve actually got a home base, we need to begin preparing again. Training in the Mirrorlands, setting up what battlements and defenses we can get, everything. That goes for Alex and I as well. The stronger we can get before the Region Boss arrives, the more chance that we minimize losses."


    "What should we do to help?" one of the campers asked. It was an elderly man, one of those who hadn''t been healthy enough to train in the Mirrorlands. "Anything would be better than just sitting around and waiting for the end. Should we collect wood to make stakes?" S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Claire smiled. "Well, if you''re asking¡­"


    ***


    A few minutes later, every spare set of hands in the camp was at work. Claire had everyone doing something, whether it was collecting resources or mapping out the area around them to have a better understanding of where people could be sent with the Warp Shifter.


    And, speaking of which, Alex and Claire had spent a fair amount of time grilling Rhyss over the abilities of the town buildings. The answers had been largely satisfactory but not particularly helpful and could be boiled down to the buildings are intuitive and will work.


    There was one major drawback that the advisor made them aware of. The buildings didn''t break the laws of reality. Everything still took energy, and the town was no exception to that. Since Alex didn''t have any proper energy-gathering sources such as the Black Gate, that power would have to come from the people operating the buildings¡­ and it wasn''t going to be an insignificant amount.


    With the relatively low level of strength the average person in the camp had, they would have to keep nearly five or six people aside just to operate the Warp Shifter properly during the fight. And, even doing that, it probably wouldn''t last more than ten or twenty minutes of constant uptime.


    That wasn''t the end of the world since many of the campers were nowhere near skilled enough to make a real difference in the fight, but it was just another potential problem they had to be aware of. If monsters actually managed to get into the town or injure the people working the buildings, everything would collapse.


    But, like Claire had said, they couldn''t afford to just sit around theorizing. What mattered was that they had the beginnings of a strategy. None of them knew just how much time they had before the Region Boss'' full awakening. Alex could still feel that their fight was getting closer, but it was far from an exact science.


    He wasn''t about to waste a single second of time before then. While Alex wanted to get in all the training he could, there was one thing that he planned to do before anything else. Something that he''d been waiting so long for that a part of him wondered if it was even still possible.


    All the way back in Towntown, there was someone waiting for him. A merchant by the name of Finley, and Alex''s last trick to cash in. He was sitting on 80 credits. Credits that Finley desperately needed.


    If the merchant was still there, Alex was confident he could get some huge benefits for the town that would give them the final edge they needed. There wasn''t going to be anything he could buy that could guarantee a win, but every single thing helped.


    He just had to figure out how to actually get back to Finley.


    "Where," Alex asked Rhyss, glancing around with a furrowed brow. "Is our Starstone thing? Aren''t we supposed to have a way to teleport to the other towns and the like?"


    "That doesn''t come for free," Rhyss said. "Any towns that are built after Initialization need to create it themselves."


    You have to be fucking kidding me. I mean, I guess that makes sense. It would be weird if we just randomly got a building popping into existence without doing anything for it, but still. Seriously?


    "And how do we do that? Do we have to use a Boon to make every single building?"


    "No, of course not. You need an engineer," Rhyss said with a shake of his head. His lone eye blinked. "Someone whose Class is focused on creating magical structures. Gaining access to the Astral Map isn''t actually too¡ª"


    "Astral map?" Alex interrupted. "What''s that?"


    "What you think of teleportation is actually using an invisible set of energy leylines that flow through the world. The more magical power in a location, the more energy is pulled to that direction and the easier it is to establish a connection with the rest of the network. There are obviously exceptions, such as locations with intentional defenses, but you get the gist of it. Starstones are objects that have immense energy stored within them. They almost instantly connect to the Astral Map."


    "I see," Alex said with a frown. "So if we could get one of those, we could teleport to Towntown?"


    "Starstones can only connect to the closest major point on their own. I suspect Towntown is a minor town rather than a Hub city, so no. But if you were to make a building that harnessed a Starstone or a different power source to access the Astral Map, then yes. You would be able to establish a two-way connection to this location."


    "What else would work as a power source?" Claire asked. "And do you know where we could get one?"


    Rhyss chuckled. "No. My assistance is limited entirely to buildings and advice directly related to the town. I cannot answer all of your questions, but energy sources are energy sources. Anything that gathers power would hypothetically function as a source. You would need a suitable individual to create the building once you had the source as well."


    "I don''t suppose anyone in the town is an Engineer?" Alex asked.


    Claire shook her head. "I already asked around. All combat classes or things like baking."


    "We have a baker?" Alex''s eyes lit up. "Fresh baked bread. That sounds fucking incredible. Can we¡ª"


    "And no bakery. He can''t do anything right now."


    "Figures," Alex grumbled. "But if we survive this shit, the first building I''m having constructed after the fight is a bakery. I want bread."


    "If you want bread, then you better think of what might work as a power source and who can build that building for us," Claire said, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Because I''m stumped. Maybe we could grow magical plants strong enough to use as fuel?"


    "Would still need someone to build the thing, and that''ll definitely take too long," Alex said with a shake of his head. "We need something now. Something that already exists. You know, we could always try to go through Valley Ford. We could sneak in and use their Starstone."


    "Not a bad idea, but it means we''d have to teleport back to Valley Ford as well," Claire pointed out. "That would be pretty dangerous. Invictus knows what we look like. Even if most people think we''re dead, the chances of getting caught are pretty high¡­ and I don''t think we want to try to fight Invictus inside his town. Getting into it wouldn''t be too hard, but actually using the Starstone would bring a lot more attention onto us."


    "True," Alex agreed with a frown. They would definitely lose if they tried to go up against Invictus when he could use Valley Ford''s powers against them. He''d seen what the town''s water attacks could do to an entire horde of monsters.


    Something tickled the back of his mind. A thoughtful look crossed over his features.


    "What is it?" Claire asked. "Do you have an idea?"


    "Well, we could probably try to recruit an engineer from Valley Ford. That means we just have to find a power source, right?"


    Claire nodded.


    "What about that big silver thing in the Mirrorlands?"


    The Dhampir''s eyes widened. "The Disruptor? But where are we¡­ oh, bleed me. You want to steal Valley Ford''s Disruptor from the Mirrorlands?"


    "I mean, it looks like a giant spaceship. Surely it''s got some form of power source¡­ and it isn''t like there''s anyone in the Mirrorlands to protect it. We can even get some training in by fighting monsters on the way over to it. Win-win."


    Claire started to laugh. "That seems like a fair point. The Disruptor definitely has energy of some sort. Stealing right from the Great Tide Family after yanking the Town Token out from under their noses¡­ now that sounds fun. But isn''t Valley Ford a bit of a trip?"


    "It is the normal way," Alex confirmed with a nod. "But distance isn''t exactly one to one in the Mirrorlands. The only things that get fully reflected over are high-magic areas. I''ve never actually measured, but I''m sure that means we should be able to cover ground faster there."


    "Or slower, if something else showed up between us."


    "Or that," Alex admitted. "Only one way to find out. It''s not like we have another way to get an engineer or a power source right now. If it takes too long, we can just turn back and we''ll at least have gotten some training from fighting monsters along the way."


    Claire pondered over his words for a few moment before slowly starting to nod.


    Rhyss said nothing. Either he didn''t know enough about what they were talking about or their topic wasn''t close enough to the town. It didn''t matter. They had a plan.


    Alex and Claire exchanged a grin.


    "Let''s do it."

 Chapter 157 - 156: Insist

    "You want me to watch over the town?" Orchid asked, her eyes going wide as she looked from Alex to Claire. "Why?"


    "Because you''re the strongest person here," Claire replied simply. "And that isn''t even counting your position as an Offworlder. Nobody here has any idea of what''s going on other than you."


    "There are other Offworlders in the camp," Orchid pointed out.


    "And they''re barely any less fresh than the humans," Claire countered. "They wouldn''t have the slightest idea as to what to do if things go wrong. You do. Do you have an issue with the request?"


    Orchid''s eyes flicked to Alex and she grimaced. It was clear she didn''t want to accidentally offend the young master of the Starfallen family by refusing his offer, but she definitely wasn''t keen to take the opportunity. "I wouldn''t say I have an issue. It''s just¡­"


    "Just what?" Claire raised an eyebrow.


    Alex, as he much preferred to do in situations like this, remained silent. There was some sort of invisible fight going down between Claire and Orchid. He didn''t want any part in it. Tricking a bunch of Outworlders and stealing their toy had been fun. But this was solidly in Claire''s domain. He didn''t want to fumble her efforts and reveal more than they wanted to.


    "Responsibility tends to come with more drawbacks than rewards," Orchid said finally. "And, if I''m completely honest with you, my family can''t afford any more failures. We''re in dire straits. If the Region Boss wakes up while you''re gone and wipes out the town, I don''t want to be the one whose shoulders the blame falls on."


    That''s a fair request. It would be ridiculous for anyone to expect Orchid to defend the town when its owner isn''t even here. Would the Starfallen family really have held her accountable for something that out of her control?


    "We aren''t expecting that. It would be ridiculous," Claire said with a roll of her eyes. "I''m talking about normal threats. Just keep the babies from running themselves through. Make sure they continue training. Every minute counts. The more energy they can amass before the Region Boss pops up, the better."


    Orchid pondered Claire''s words for a moment before inclining her head. Her hands tightened around the gnarled wood of the staff she''d taken from the Mirrorlands. "I will do what I can. My power is still far from where it should be, but it will continue to improve as I strengthen the bond between myself and my new staff. That should be sufficient. But most of the training is done in the Mirrorlands." S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "There are monsters here. It won''t be as effective as the Mirrorlands, but training is training. They can always do what Alex did."


    Orchid glanced over to him again. "And what would that be?"


    "Make the fights intentionally harder," Alex said. "Monsters have a total amount of energy in them. You can''t make it from nothing. But the amount of that energy you get versus what dissipates depends on challenge. So if you stomp a monster easily, you won''t get as much of its energy than if you really struggled."


    "How in the world would you make a fight harder, though? Get the attention of more monsters?"


    "That''s one way," Alex said with a nod. "Or you could tie a hand behind your back. Some form of serious disadvantage that forces you to perform even better than normal. It''s not the most efficient manner to get stronger, but I''ve used it. It works in a pinch. Also makes sure you''re really pushing yourself."


    "You tied your hand behind your back while fighting an enemy just to squeeze a little more reward out of it?" Orchid''s eye twitched. "The Starfallen family employs some very interesting strategies. I will pass these along."


    "Just hold for around a day. Probably less," Claire said as Orchid started to walk off. "We''ll be back before then."


    The other woman just nodded. Her attention was already focused on a group of campers that were gathering large sticks in the center of the clearing. Alex noted that Aaron and May were amongst their number.


    "Orchid''s definitely taken a liking to them," Claire observed.


    "Particularly May," Alex said with a nod. "Good for her. She''s a good teacher."


    "An effective one. Good is debatable," Claire corrected with a twitch of a smile. "But no point worrying about it now. We''ve got an engineer to recruit and a power source to steal. Not necessarily in that order. Might be smarter to grab the power source and then split."


    "Why? There''s a pretty good chance that messing with the Disruptor will end up putting the Great Tide family on guard, isn''t there? Going into Valley Ford would be easier if we do it before taking anything."


    "You''re definitely right about that," Claire agreed. "But we also won''t have any leverage if we just stride into the town now. Think about it. If you''ve got a class that lets you make magical buildings, where would you want to be?"


    "Somewhere with resources," Alex said immediately, catching onto her train of thought. "Because the class probably doesn''t lend itself all that well to fighting. So you''d probably want to stay in a city. One that could fund your stuff."


    "And you probably aren''t going to be willing to go off with two random people unless they give you a whole lot of proof that they have a town that''s better than the one you''re in. I''d imagine someone who can make town buildings would be in high demand," Claire said with a nod. "Thus, we need to prove that we are the superior choice over Valley Ford¡­ and we don''t want a coward. They''ll betray us at the first opportunity."


    "You''re right. What we need is someone stupid enough to take a risk on us, but bold enough to actually stick with it when we prove it''s worth their while. Having the thing that the Great Tide is looking for will definitely prove our money is where our mouth is. We''ll just have to make sure we don''t get caught."


    "Nothing good ever comes easy."


    "You don''t have to tell that to me," Alex said with a grin. He reached for the magic within himself and activated Riftsense to point himself toward the nearest portal back into the Mirrorlands. "Let''s get to it then, shall we? I''ve got something I want to show you in the Mirrorlands."


    "You do?" Claire blinked. "What is it?"


    "Just a fun new ability. Nothing too crazy. If we''re lucky, dropping through the portal will call a Riftwarped monster to us."


    ***


    A whirring roar cut through the Mirrorlands as the peaceful, rolling hills of blue grass were splattered with ichor and viscera. Alex''s chainsword bucked and jerked in his hands as it dug through the body of the Riftwarped Fleshcutter ¡ª a seven foot tall preying mantis monster with a malformed head and massive scythes for arms.


    His weapon tore through the bottom of the monster, having completed its path from its head all the way down through its abdomen, and the two halves of the creature split apart to crash down on either side of him.


    Sweat dripped from Alex''s forehead as he straightened and turned back to Claire. The black sword in his hand continued to rumble hungrily, the sharp centipede legs twitching as their whirring slowed.


    "Well that''s certainly a weapon. A very effective one," Claire said, staring at the desecrated body on the ground. Blood pooled around the remains of the monster and dripped from the legs of the sword in Alex''s hands. She licked her lips. "Kind of disturbing, actually. And also¡­ never mind, actually. We''ll leave it at that."


    Now I really want to know what she was about to say.


    I will admit that the chainsword is a little messy." Alex glanced down at himself and cleared his throat. "Not exactly a very polite weapon."


    "You have a name for it, but there are no chains in the chainsword. Why?"


    "I guess the System didn''t have an equivalent name to translate to in your language. I named it after something on Earth," Alex said. "A chainsaw. It''s¡­ er, a tool. One that has little blades on it that move really fast so it can cut through trees easily. Lots of movies here show people brutally killing each other with it."


    Claire studied Alex for a second. "You watched this for recreation? Just for fun?"


    "You literally participate in a giant killing game."


    "That is to rule. This is for enjoyment. No wonder you turned out like this. I think I am going to need to learn more about your culture at some point."


    She almost sounded impressed. Alex wasn''t sure if that was a good thing.


    "The movies are just for fun," he said with a shrug. "Nobody actually kills each other with chainsaws in real life. Well¡­ usually. I''m sure it''s happened a few times. But that''s not the point."


    "I don''t think the word movie is translating properly either," Claire said. Her brow furrowed for a moment. "You will have to try to show me at some point. I want to see a movie."


    "Noted. I''ll keep an eye out," Alex said, wondering if introducing a blood drinking Dhampir to slasher movies was a smart idea or not. He scooped the Riftwarped monster''s Soul Flame up and deposited it into his mirror.


    Killing it had given him a decent bit of energy. Nothing crazy, but it wasn''t anything to scoff at either. Every single bit would help in the coming days, and he could use the soul to help push one of his monsters closer to evolution.


    "I will hold you to that," Claire said. She turned, looking in the direction of Valley Ford''s Mirrorlands reflection. "Shall we get to the main event? There are a number of other monsters to test that thing out on. We don''t want to waste time."


    "We don''t have to use it for everything. I just wanted to show¡ª"


    "Oh, no." Claire''s eyes sparkled as a grin pulled across her lips. "I insist."


    Alex swallowed.


    Ah, shit. I think I''ve heavily misread the situation. I thought she was a little uneasy with how brutal the chainsword is given how elegant her normal fighting style is¡­ but it might be the dead opposite. She likes this thing a bit too much.


    I may have made a mistake.

 Chapter 158 - 157: No more talk

    Alex and Claire advanced through the Mirrorlands in the direction of Valley Ford''s reflection. Even though monsters tended not to show up too often away from concentrated areas of magic such as cities, they didn''t have any shortage of enemies.


    The chainsword was fantastic at a lot of things. Stealth was not one of them. The weapon seemed to have two prime directives. The first was to rip through everything in its path, and the second was to do its damn best to get the attention of everything within shouting distance.


    That actually turned out to be a bit of a blessing in disguise. At least, it was for the time being. Alex had some decent experience fighting at this point, but he''d only rarely actually gotten up close enough to use a melee weapon very effectively.


    Sure, he''d occasionally used Claire''s sword, but only as an extension for Glint''s glass shard magic. He was by no means a swordsman.


    Claire had taken this trip as an opportunity to fix that. Alex hadn''t been too optimistic about his chances of learning much at the start. The elegant fighting style of a Dhampir didn''t seem like they would even slightly mesh with the brutal, violent, techniques that felt like they would work well with a makeshift chainsaw.


    He was pleasantly surprised to be completely wrong. As it turned out, Claire knew how to fight with more than one kind of weapon. The Dhampirs trained their young to do combat with a wide variety of weapons. And, while they didn''t have any chainsaws, that didn''t seem to stop Claire from quickly picking up a few dozen ideas on how he could improve.


    What should have just been a trip through the Mirrorlands ended up being a surprise learning experience. Claire and Alex alternated their fights. Whenever it was Alex''s turn, the Dhampir called out suggestions and corrections every time he made a misstep in her eyes ¡ª which, even though he won the fights handily ¡ª turned out to be quite often.


    "Your feet," Claire insisted as she walked up to join Alex, who stood over the corpse of a particularly unfortunate bug monster that had accosted them near the edge of the forest. "You fight with your feet. Not your arms."


    "I don''t swing my chainsword with my feet. I use my arms."


    "And that''s the problem!" Claire exclaimed, poking him in the chest with a sharp fingernail. "You shouldn''t use your arms. You should use your whole body. Focus on the arms and everything else becomes an opening. A swordsman does not only use their arms. They use everything. That starts with the feet."


    Alex scrunched his nose in annoyance. "I know, I know. It''s just difficult to remember everything."


    "Nobody learns sword work in a bleedin'' day," Claire said, flicking him in the forehead before turning and starting back off. "It takes years and years of practice. I''m trying to squish that all down as much as possible."


    Alex followed after her. "Well, for what it''s worth, I appreciate it. Even if I''m not getting any better." Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You are," Claire said. "Quite quickly, actually."


    "I am?"


    "Don''t get too excited. If you were a prodigy, I''d have said that. You''d probably lose a swordfight to a 5 year old Dhampir. You''re just going from utterly abhorrent to eventually having potential. I doubt you''ll get anywhere insane anytime soon."


    "Hey, baby steps. Getting better is getting better, right?"


    "Definitely," Claire agreed. She gave him a dangerous smile. "So get back to it. There''s still a ways to go before we make it to Valley Ford and have to start getting more serious with the monsters. Most of the things out here aren''t really that dangerous, but we can''t play around when we get near the Disruptor."


    They exchanged a serious nod and set back off without any more delay. There was a lot of ground to cover, monsters to kill, and an Outworlder town to rob before they could let themselves slack off for too long.


    ***


    Time slipped by quickly. It was difficult to keep track of exactly how much of it passed while they continued on through the Mirrorlands. He couldn''t tell if the weariness setting in on his shoulders was from the long trip or the constant combat.


    There was no way for him to know if the Region Boss had arrived yet. He couldn''t sense its awakening when he was here, so all he could do was press on and hope that they would return fast enough.


    Sometime after they''d left the twisted forest that marked their town''s location in the Mirrorlands and continued on through the rolling hills and deserts, the warped walls of a city rose in the distance.


    They''d arrived at Valley Ford.


    "It definitely hasn''t been a few days. It''s been one at most," Claire said, raising a hand to her face to block the twisting red and purple light pounding down through the twisting streams of mist far above them. "I think you were right."


    "How do you know? I can''t keep track of time here." Alex asked. "Were you counting the minutes or something?"


    "Blood," Claire replied as the two of them started back off toward Valley Ford''s walls. "I''d be really feeling the burn if I hadn''t had a chance to eat for several days. That goes doubly so considering we''ve been fighting most of the trip. Not against anything all that strong, but it''s still been enough that I''d be really worn out if that much time had passed."


    "Convenient. Dhampirs come with a built-in clock."


    "And humans come in with a built-in snack."


    Alex grimaced. He was pretty sure she''d gotten the better of him there. Both of them fell silent as they grew closer to the city and the massive, twisted white trees that sprawled throughout it.


    He summoned his monsters, who had all long since recovered in the Spatial Mirrors, and the group traveled down familiar streets. Monsters occasionally tried attacking, but the majority of the ones that lived in this area were smart enough to avoid trying their hand against them.


    Alex and Claire paused as they passed by a hollowed-out white trunk. Twisting within it was a green portal. It had a certain pull to it, almost as if it were trying to drag Alex into its depths.


    He hadn''t forgotten what laid beyond the portal. The Cracked Steps. He''d met a member of the Empty Court within them. That was probably the only reason he and Claire had actually survived. If he''d run into anything else in the odd dungeon ¡ª or whatever it was classified as ¡ª he was pretty sure they''d have been dead.


    They hadn''t been anywhere near ready to challenge it at the time. Even now, Alex was pretty sure they didn''t stand so much as a flicker o fa chance. Zeal had said he''d suppressed his strength all the way down to the Adept stage.


    I''m not going back in here until I get a Domain¡­ or at least, a partial one. But I''m definitely coming back. This is clearly an incredible location to train. I don''t know why it''s just randomly sitting in the middle of Valley Ford, but I won''t complain. It''s not like the Offworlders can do anything to stop me from getting in here. They can''t even get into the Mirrorlands.


    "You better not be thinking about going in," Claire warned Alex, grabbing his wrist and sending him a pointed look. "We don''t have time."


    "Do you really think I''m that impulsive?"


    Claire arched an eyebrow.


    He coughed into his other hand. "Okay. Fair enough. I''m not that insane, though. After all the damn effort we put into getting the town, there''s no way I''m just going to get distracted while it''s in imminent danger of getting smushed."


    "Doesn''t hurt to make sure," Claire said.


    They continued past the hollow tree trunk. The Disruptor wasn''t far, now. The silver ship was perched at the top of the massive white tree looming above them, the purple, flesh-like substance showing through the cracks its metallic exterior pulsating.


    "What part of the Disruptor do you think we''ll need to take?" Alex asked. "I mean¡­ it''s huge."


    "You didn''t have one in mind?"


    "I was kind of hoping you knew something about them and just couldn''t say because of your Trial thing."


    Claire''s nose scrunched and she shook her head. "Not enough to know the engineering of how one of those things is made or what bit is its power source¡­ but it probably won''t be that hard to guess. We''ll just have to rip it apart until we find something that looks powerful."


    "Very precise. Were you a caveman in a past life?"


    "Do you have a better idea?"


    Alex scratched the back of his head. "How strong are you?"


    "You think I could pick the whole bleedin'' ship up?" Claire''s eyes widened. "I''m flattered."


    "I didn''t say that."


    "You implied it."


    "Does that mean you can''t?"


    "Definitely not," Claire said with a small laugh.


    "Then I guess we''ll be cavemen. A better question might be what to do after. Once we rip the Disruptor up, we''ll have to hop back into 274-50 and get into Valley Ford as soon as possible. Then¡­ what? We just run around asking if anyone knows an engineer? That''ll have Invictus breathing down our backs in no time."


    "Going with a decoy is probably the best strategy," Claire said. "If you run off and distract Invictus, I should be able to locate someone easily enough. Trust me on that."


    Alex nearly asked how before he saw the look in Claire''s eyes. This had something to do with her class ¡ª which meant she couldn''t say anything else without risking getting strangled.


    Goddamn it. I really hate this stupid Trial. I hope she manages to finish it sometime soon. I want to know just how strong she actually is.


    "I''m with you," Alex said with an annoyed but understanding nod. His thoughts were already drifting once more. It was hard to think about much else with the massive tree looming above him. A mixture of trepidation and excitement prickled within him.


    Before them rose a massive tree. They''d arrived at its base. And, within its branches far above, surrounded by crackling purple fissures, was the Disruptor.


    Alex licked his lips and quickly drew on Riftsense. Energy slithered across the ground, but it didn''t have to travel far. There was a portal out of the Mirrorlands close to them.


    "You realize this is definitely going to be a shitshow, right?" Claire asked.


    "Oh, absolutely. Have our escape route planned already."


    "And you know there''s definitely going to be something guarding the Disruptor? I doubt the noble families would put something this important in the Mirrorlands without some form of insurance."


    "I''m counting on it."


    Claire snorted. Then she cracked her neck and drew her sword. "Figured. Just thought I''d ask. No more talk. Let''s do this."

 Chapter 159 - 158: The ship

    The start of the ascent went surprisingly well. Alex had half-expected the entire enormous tree to come alive the moment he and Claire set foot in its gnarled, white bark. He''d been prepared to jump right into a fight as everything came alive around him.


    Instead, nothing had happened. Their feet had landed on solid, if old, wood. And that was it. A part of Alex wondered if the tree being white meant it had died and withered away somehow, but he wasn''t optimistic enough to pin his hopes on that.


    He and Claire made their way up the massive trunk. It wasn''t particularly difficult. They used the huge growths and sprawling branches that jutted from the center trunk to ascend toward the Disruptor far above them.


    Both of them kept their eyes out for monsters on the way up. None showed themselves. The strange lack of enemies within the area around the Disruptor never failed to set Alex''s hair on end. Somehow, the Mirrorlands not trying to kill him was more unsettling than when it was.


    He could tell that Claire was just as on edge as he was. Her jaw was clenched and her movements were jerky and sharp. Having an actual enemy to fight was much more preferrable to wondering what it was the System had in store for them.


    But wondering was all they could do. Wondering ¡ª and climbing. And so that was what they did.


    And before long, they stood before the Disruptor.


    Coils of purplish-red mist passed by his body like fingers trailing through water, caressing his back on their journey through the sky. Far below him, the ground seemed to sway. The only thing between him and it was the large branch he stood on now.


    He swallowed as he stared at the Disruptor, adrenaline making his heart pound like a hammering smith. The metallic ship far larger than Alex had initially thought. It stood somewhere around fifty feet high, looming far above him.


    A faint whine emitted from it, interrupted by rhythmic squelching thumps that arrived in conjunction with the undulating purple flesh within the Disruptor''s core. The very ship seemed to be breathing.


    "Gods, talk about gross," Claire said. She shifted her weight from foot to foot. "I don''t even know where to start. It''s huge."


    "Just start ripping at it, I guess," Alex said. "I''d guess that the power source is probably at the top. Or at the bottom. Or in the middle. One of the three.


    "Very helpful," Claire said dryly. She craned her neck back to squint up to the very top of the Great Tide''s Disruptor. Alex followed her gaze. It wasn''t very useful. The family hadn''t been kind enough to print a schematic or a giant red target identifying the ships heart anywhere on its surface. After a few more seconds, the Dhampir heaved a sigh. "Shit. I think you''re right. I''m just going to have to start digging at it. You ready?"


    Alex re-summoned all of his monsters, having dismissed them for the climb. Glint, Spark, and Princess all emerged around him and silently waited a command ¡ª or an enemy.


    "At this point, I''m going to pop from the anticipation. I''m as ready as I''ll ever be."


    "Just make sure you don''t get knocked off the tree," Claire warned as she approached the base of the Disruptor. "Because, Mind Palace or no, you aren''t going to heal from a fall at this height."


    "Noted. You too."


    "I have wings."


    "It was about the sentiment."


    Claire snorted. She reared back, taking aim at the exposed mass of pulsating purple flesh within the Disruptor''s silvery armor. Then she drove her blade straight into it. The sword sank all the way down to the hilt, carving deep into its target without resistance.


    A wall of pressure slammed into Alex''s chest like a hammer as a scream tore through the Mirrorlands. His eardrums ruptured in an instant as he was hurled off his feet, thrown from the branch like a discarded doll.


    Spark blurred, leaping from the tree after him. The Knight Wraith slammed into Alex and wrapped his arms around him. There was a sharp jerk in Alex''s stomach and he felt the world shift around him.


    His feet landed back on the white bark and he staggered, heart slamming even more furiously in his chest. Glint and Princess had both been hurled from where they stood as well and were well on their way toward the ground.


    With a thought, Alex dismissed them. Canceling his summons was far too slow to let him use it to let his monsters dodge direct attacks, but they definitely weren''t going to be falling to their deaths anytime soon.


    Alex didn''t waste time watching them return to the Spatial Mirrors. His gaze was transfixed on the Disruptor.


    The silver ship wasn''t a ship anymore.


    Its top had split open, thick triangles of metal peeling back like the petals of a blooming flower to reveal a pulsating pillar about the size of a man. A bulb at its very top burned with brilliant purple light. Crackles of Rift energy hissed and popped around the orb as miniature portals ripped open.


    Strands of energy extended from the portals, reaching out to each other and snapping together with buzzing cracks. Two of the portals lurched together, droplets of water flowing through the canvas of the misty sky. Then another joined. And another, and another.


    Within moments, the portals had all merged together to form a massive disk burning in the air above the bright tip of the Disruptor. Pressure rolled out from within the portal. It bore down on Alex''s shoulders, trying to force him to his knees.


    Claire ripped her sword free of the purple flesh and took a step back, lowering into a fighting stance as she fought to keep from stumbling. Then she reared back and drove the sword back into the Disruptor''s side.


    Another scream ripped through the Mirrorlands. But, this time, Alex was ready for it. He grabbed onto Princess, who braced him with one hand while digging her other into the branch of the tree beneath them.


    The wave of pressure that exploded from the Disruptor slammed into them, but it failed to knock anyone from their spot.


    But they had far bigger problems than that.


    The portal buzzed with increased intensity. A miniature storm roiled within its murky surface, streaks of lightning carving across the face of the purple disk in slow motion. And then, from within the portal, the point of a sword emerged.


    Alex and his monsters all readied themselves. It seemed that the Disruptor''s reinforcements were arriving. He couldn''t exactly attack a sword, but the moment he saw the hand holding it, they would strike.


    The sword, made from a black slab of obsidian lined with brilliant purple crystal that had been sharpened to a razor edge, sliced down from the portal and slammed into the trunk with a loud crunch.


    And Alex stared at it in confusion. The portal snapped shut an instant later, confusing him even further.


    There was no hand around the hilt of the sword. It was just a sword, devoid of an owner.


    "What the hell?" Alex asked. "Did they fuck something up?"


    A loud crack split through the air. It was followed by several more in rapid succession. The metal around the flesh that Claire had stabbed split ¡ª but not from damage. Perfectly straight lines appeared within the sleek silver surface of the Disruptor.


    She took a step back, raising her sword before her. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Segments of the Disruptor shifted out of the way with a hiss, revealing a compartment of purple flesh hidden in the ship. A hiss of steam burst from within the chamber. It thumped, illuminated for a brief instant by crackles of pink lightning racing within it.


    There was a man seated in the center of the chamber. Tubes dangled from his body, running from him to the walls of the ship.


    He shifted. Rose to his feet, nothing more than a shadow in the pulsing purple prison. Another arc of pink light passed through the chamber as a second hiss echoed out. The tubes split away, squelched against the walls, splattered to the ground.


    "I''ll deal with this!" Alex hissed to Claire. "Time, remember? The orb thing at the top is definitely the power source. Grab it while I distract whoever this¡ª"


    Lines raced up the sides of the Disruptor. Segments of metal split apart, transforming into segmented metal limbs that ended in wicked-looking blades. Claire''s lips thinned.


    "Shit."


    "Deal with the ship. I''ll get the guy," Alex said.


    "You sure? The ship seems a whole lot scarier. Probably more up your¡­"


    Claire trailed off as the man took a lumbering step out of the shadowed chamber and into the red-purple light of the Mirrorlands. The man was huge. He stood at easily twelve feet tall, but Alex barely even noticed his height for more than a brief moment.


    They''d been wrong. The man hadn''t been wearing armor. His body was the armor. Or at least, it was part of it.


    Thick metal rods ran throughout the man''s body, impaling him and connecting him to the metal shell surrounding his body. Parts of his flesh had been melted; grafted right into the metal itself. Purple liquid dribbled down the man''s metal armor and across the spikes that ran from it into his flesh.


    The only un-damaged part of his body was his face. It was completely hairless, shaved as smooth as that of a baby. His eyelids fluttered as if in sleep as he took another lumbering step forward.


    Bark cracked beneath his heavy sabaton and he extended a hand. It slammed down on the hilt of the sword, fingers stiff.


    Then man''s eyes snapped open. They burned a brilliant purple, like two miniature suns had been trapped within his skull.


    There were several loud pops as stitching that Alex hadn''t even noticed popped and tore around the man''s lips. They pulled apart to allow a deluge of purple fluid to pour out from his mouth and splatter across his warped chest.


    Loud crunches echoed out from the man''s metal fingers as they ground to a close around the hilt of the sword embedded in the tree. Purple liquid dripped down the blade''s surface and sizzled against the metal with a loud hiss.


    "Have I not served penitence enough?" the man whispered. His burning eyes focused on Alex. "If I kill you, will it end?"


    "You know what?" Claire asked, swallowing. "I''ll take the ship."

 Chapter 160 - 159: How hard

    Alex didn''t waste any time on words. He was already sending mental commands to his monsters and taking a step back, making sure Princess was between him and the lumbering monster of a man that had just emerged from the Disruptor.


    "Who are you?" Alex asked. "What happened to you?"


    The questions were far more to buy time and keep the behemoth''s attention away from Claire than they were to actually get any information. Something told Alex that the tortured man-metal amalgamation before him wasn''t about to sit down and have a long chat over a cup of tea.


    A grating screech marked his thoughts correct as the man dragged his massive sword across the ground and lifted it into the air before him. Metal ground and bones popped as he lowered himself into a fighting position.


    The purple fluid dripping from his lips and joints sizzled as it splattered against the ground, eating into the bleached white wood of the huge tree branch they stood on.


    Great. He''s got acid blood. Even better.


    Burning light lit within the man''s body as the machinery encasing him like a metal coffin started to whir. Neon pink energy pumped through tubing and illuminated it from within as a huge piston on the man''s back let out a whump.


    His veins bulged as they were pumped full of whatever liquid it was that filled his suit. The air above his head shimmered as the System finally seemed to remember that it had a purpose beyond fucking with the people under its domain.


    Vaxon, Living Revenant (Adept 5)


    "Oh," Alex said intelligently. "Fuck."


    Vaxon blurred. An enormous crack echoed out through the still air as the branch beneath his feet shattered from the force of his movement. His sword carved through the air in a streak. The huge man was terrifyingly fast, but Princess was already in position. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She lurched forward and slammed herself into Vaxon, driving her huge hands into his shoulders like a sumo wrestler trying to throw his opponent from the ring. Vaxon''s massive sword continued on its path, carving deep into Princess'' sludgy body.


    Strands of black goop reached up from the severed portion of her torso, reconnecting to the rest of Princess even as she pushed Vaxon a step back, her grip on his metal body tightening.


    Vaxon lifted his free hand before his fleshy face, protecting it as the undulating centipede arms on Princess'' back streaked out. They slammed into his armor and screeched against it harmlessly.


    Spark and Glint both burst into motion. A shadow rose up from the ground before the Knight Wraith as he loped forward on all four limbs, forming a perfect clone of him that split away to search for an opening.


    The Glasmir chose a considerably more direct opening. He leapt straight over Princess, vaulting through the air like an acrobat and aiming to dig his razor-sharp claws straight into Vaxon''s fleshy face while he recovered from Princess'' attack.


    Vaxon shifted his weight to the side, slamming Princess'' massive body to the branch like she was nothing more than a child. Sludge splattered across the white wood and the entire thing trembled from the force of the strike.


    In the same motion, the man reached out and grabbed Glint from the air with an armored hand, whipping the Glasmir to the side and sending him hurtling out into the open air. The motion had been so fast that Alex had barely even had a moment to process what had happened before he saw his monster doing its best swan dive impression toward the ground below.


    From the corner of his eye, he spotted Claire dart past them and toward the Disruptor. Its guardian was distracted beating the shit out of Alex''s team ¡ª and that was probably their best chance to actually get away with this.


    There''s no chance we can beat this guy. He hasn''t even activated his domain yet and he''s already manhandling my team. But we don''t need to beat him. As long as I can keep his attention and hold him off until Claire manages to rip the power source from the Disruptor, we can make a run for it and claim victory.


    Vaxon straightened, something within his body making a horrible grinding noise as his neck turned so his gaze could be directed straight at Alex once more. He lifted his massive sword, stepping over Princess'' fallen body ¡ª


    Alex cast Rift Flood.


    Power exploded through Princess'' body. Deep purple lit within the veins buried deep within her sludgy form. She exploded up from the ground in strands of goop, entangling his armor and binding around him as tightly as she could.


    Spark and his shadow both took that opportunity to charge, simultaneously lunging at the openings in Vaxon''s armor without a sound.


    The huge man twisted his body, ripping through Princess'' grip like it was nothing but strands of painter''s tape. He swung his sword in a broad arc, carving through Spark''s shadow and sending it hurtling right for the real monster.


    Spark swapped positions with his severed shadow a mere instant before the blade connected with him. It passed by him harmlessly and his claws dug into Vaxon''s flesh, ripping deep furrows across the man''s neck and shoulder.


    Yes!


    Purple fluid exploded out from the wound in a geyser. It splattered across Spark, who staggered back, his armored form melting away like snow in the desert. The elation in Alex''s eyes evaporated in an instant as he watched his monster disintegrate before him.


    Within a second, the only part of Spark that remained was his warped lower half. Everything that had been touched by the acidic blood had been completely consumed ¡ª and even his lower half faded a moment later, transforming into a streak of energy that flew back into Alex.


    Vaxon continued toward him without missing a step. He barely even seemed to notice the weeping cut on his neck. Princess pulled herself together once more and threw her body into Vaxon, attempting to shove the man off the branch fruitlessly.


    It was like watching a toddler trying to push over a fully grown man. If the Drudge had a bit of momentum she may have had a chance, but at the range she was at, her strength was nothing compared to him.


    Vaxon didn''t even look back. The piston on his back just raised and fell a second time. There was a deep whump and a wave of pressure exploded out from him. Alex staggered back, barely managing to keep his balance.


    Princess, who was directly on top of him, tanked the full brunt of the force. Her body was ripped to shreds and sent flying through the air in a black rain, plummeting to the ground far below. Fragments of her ceramic mask spun through the air along with the sludge. It had been shattered just from the sheer intensity of the shockwave.


    Power rushed into Alex as Princess joined the ranks of the dead. He was already calling Glint back to the fight, pumping the summons full of Riftwarped Qi. There would be no saving power in this fight. The moment he didn''t go all out, he was ¡ª


    Vaxon was in front of him.


    Alex hurled himself to the side, diving under the larger man''s left arm to avoid the spraying acid to the right. He hit the white wood in a rough roll and shoved himself to his feet, still running even as he heard the sound of shattering glass ring through the air behind him.


    He threw a glance over his shoulder, only to find a blur of gray filling his vision.


    Oh, shit¡ª


    He split straight down the center. The sword slammed into the ground at his feet, digging deep into the branch.


    Pain didn''t even get a chance to process. Alex''s brain had been the first thing to go. The two halves of his body split apart, peeling like a banana.


    They never hit the ground.


    Strands of black sludge shot out from them, connecting and yanking his body back together with a wet squelch. A wave of exhaustion slammed into Alex like a physical blow and bile bubbled in his stomach. His reserves of magical energy had practically evaporated all at once to let him survive the attack. There was almost nothing left, now.


    The mildest flicker of surprise passed over Vaxon''s features. It was probably the only reason the man didn''t just yank his sword straight up and kill Alex again for the second time.


    But, whatever the reason, it gave Alex the split instant he needed to force his limbs into motion. He threw himself back to put as much distance between himself as Vaxon as he could.


    A brilliant, ringing chime rang through the air as Glint fully emerged from the portal ¡ª but the Glasmir hadn''t returned as he had been. Polished silver plates covered Glint''s body in sleek armor and his wing elongated into a flowing cloak.


    He blurred forward, dancing through the air. His cloak trailed behind him like a mesmerizing silver river. Glint closed the distance between himself and Vaxon within moments.


    For the first time, the large man turned away from Alex. He raised his sword before him an instant before Glint''s cloak slammed into it with a ringing clang. The cloak screeched along the blade, wrapping around Vaxon like a coiling snake.


    Then Glint jerked it back. It tightened in an instant, digging deep into Vaxon''s armor on its way back to him. The large man staggered as he was pulled off balance. It wasn''t a significant amount of damage, amounting to little more than a deep scratch, but it was enough.


    His attention shifted for the first time. The man''s gaze turned to Glint as he raised his sword once more. A whump filled the air, followed by another. And another. And another. Pink fluid pumped through his body as the piston on his back started to churn.


    A thick haze filled the air around the man as his veins bulged.


    Alex risked a quick glance back to Claire. She''d managed to scale a fair portion of the Disruptor, but the ship was attacking her from every angle. He had to buy her more time.


    He''d managed to get Vaxon''s attention. Now he just had to keep it for as long as he could without dying. His lips pulled back into a grim smile.


    I only need to survive for a minute. How hard could that be?

 Chapter 161 - 160: Plunge

    Vaxon ripped Glint in half.


    Really, Alex should have seen it coming. He probably would have if he hadn''t been so drained from just having recovered from being split clean in two.


    Vaxon had charged forward and Glint had countered by sending his razor-sharp cloak whistling out to delay him. That, theoretically, would have bought Alex enough time to dodge away and keep their game of cat and mouse going until Claire could get her hands on the energy core in the Disruptor.


    It was a pretty good plan. After all, as fast as Vaxon was, Glint was faster. There was no way for the man to easily avoid the attack, and Glint''s silvered mirrors could do enough damage to kill Vaxon if he didn''t take a moment to block the strike.


    Vaxon should have just raised his hands to before his neck like he had the previous time. That would have been the easiest way to avoid the strike, after all. He could have taken it on his arms, receiving minimal damage, but allowing their game to continue.


    That had been what Alex was counting on.


    He''d been right on the first part. Vaxon raised his arms before his face to protect his neck. The second bit was unfortunately where the rest of Alex''s plan fell apart. Vaxon turned his hands in the opposite direction, letting Glint carve deep into the metal of his gauntlets with his cloak.


    Then his hands had tightened around the silvered weapon before Glint could pull it back.


    With a roar, he''d given the cloak a violent yank. A normal cloak would have just come clean off. Unfortunately, this one was connected to Glint. Glasmir and cloak alike flew through the air.


    Vaxon grabbed Glint by the neck mid-flight, before he could land on anything and try to reposition. Mirrored blades screeched as they cut deep into his gauntleted hands. Vaxon didn''t seem to notice. He spun his massive sword around and planted it into the white trunk at his feet . Then he grabbed onto Glint''s other leg with his newly-freed hand.


    By the time Alex realized what was happening, it was too late.


    The two halves of Glint''s body were already spinning down toward the ground, energy trailing away from them as he was called back into Alex''s Spatial Mirror.


    Purple fluid dripped from the deep gauges in Vaxon''s gauntlets. It coated the surface of his palms and beaded at his fingers ¡ª Glint''s mirrors must have managed to cut a tube somewhere within him.


    Unfortunately, it didn''t look like the man was anywhere near his breaking point. His gaze locked on Alex like the lens of a refocusing camera.


    "Persistent. Still, you remain?" Vaxon ground out. He shifted his stance, the piston on his back still thumping away. Pink mist warped the air around him like waves of heat. He reached out and grabbed onto the hilt of his sword. Tongues of mist wrapped around the blade and coiled into the air like a translucent flame. "You are persistent. Your death will serve as penitence."


    It sounded more like Vaxon was trying to convince himself of that last bit. The man''s words were more desperate than determined.


    "Maybe not," Alex said. "I could be a friend of the family. You never know."


    Vaxon didn''t even bother gracing him with an answer. He drew the sword free from the branch with a grinding crunch and leveled it before him, holding the weapon with both hands. The whump of the piston on his back grew louder still.


    It almost felt like someone was banging a drum right beside Alex''s ears. The incessant strike of air against his eardrums threatened to rip his balance from him, and only his System-empowered body let him remain standing.


    Shit. Claire might have been able to somehow do it, but I''m definitely not going to be able to distract this guy with small talk.


    Ah, fuck it. I just have to keep his attention for a little longer. If he looks back and sees Claire halfway up the Disruptor, he might just turn around and go for her instead. Then we''re completely fucked. There''s no way she''ll get the power source if this guy is breathing down her neck.


    "Come at me, then," Alex said, cracking his neck and lowering his weary body into a fighting stance. He didn''t have much magical energy left. There wasn''t enough death energy around him to call his monsters back and Encore wasn''t about to make enough of a difference. There was no delusion in Alex''s mind that he had a chance of actually killing Vaxon. Using Encore would just buy him a few seconds¡­ and that wasn''t enough.


    He was running out of options. That didn''t mean he was completely spent, though. There was still more he had left to call on.


    Alex extended his hands and clenched his teeth, drawing on every last scrap of energy he had to spend.


    Then he used Armament Elegy.


    Like the last time he''d activated the ability, a heavy force slammed into his back. But, unlike the last time, he was ready for it. Alex staggered but managed to hold his ground as silver flashed at his shoulders and a mirrored cloak spooled out from his shoulders to coil protectively around his back.


    Sludge burst from his palms at the same time, bubbling up like a fountain. Jagged centipede legs burst from within the viscus, wormy liquid, slicing into place to form the links of his chainsword.


    The base of the sword yawned open as a sharp-toothed maw opened upon it, a gray tongue lolling out from within it in preparation for the upcoming feast.


    He wasn''t the only one that changed. Strands of darkness twisted across the white wood at his feet, painted there by the colorful mist churning through the skies of the Mirrorlands.


    His shadow was changing as well. It squirmed as if possessed by some eldritch abomination, bubbling and expanding until it barely even looked like it had been cast by a human. The first time he''d used Armament Elegy, Spark hadn''t been dead. He had one more weapon this time around¡­ though he didn''t know what it did.


    Vaxon didn''t seem too impressed by his magic. The large man drove a sabaton down into the tree branch, shattering the wood beneath his weight, and charged forward.


    Alex lunged to the side and his cloak coiled around him. He knew firsthand just how fast Vaxon was. Trying to sit around and wait for his attack was just asking to get killed. The best he could do was try and guess where the blow would be coming from and react before Vaxon even swung.


    Alex''s cloak slammed into the trunk, digging deep into it a moment for stability before a ringing clang ripped through the air like a church bell being pelted by a boulder. A violent vibration ripped through his body and clacked his teeth together so hard that he could have sworn some of them broke.


    He''d managed to block Vaxon''s strike ¡ª but the blow had been so strong it almost didn''t matter. It didn''t matter. He couldn''t afford to sit around and waste the brief moment he''d bought himself.


    Fighting against the protests of his own body, Alex lunged past the cloak, which ripped itself free to buy him space to move. Vaxon stood over him, sword already raised to come crashing down once more. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alex drove his chainsword forward and into Vaxon''s side. The weapon roared to life instantly, vibrating in his hand as it clawed into the metal armor-flesh covering the massive man''s body.


    It didn''t do nearly as much damage as a blow from Glint would have, but it ate an inch into Vaxon before Alex was forced to fling himself out of the way. He hit the ground in a roll, grunting as gnarled knots of wood dug into his shoulders and back. His cloak reflexively shot out behind him to intercept the next strike.


    Not a moment later, Vaxon''s blade slammed down onto the silvered metal with a brilliant crash. It carved along it, sliding off to the side and driving into the tree trunk an inch away from Alex''s face.


    Purple liquid dripped from the large man, sizzling against the branch around Alex. Several droplets fell right on his leg. Spikes of pain pierced into him as they ate through his clothes and bit into his skin nearly instantly.


    Alex didn''t give himself time to process it. He lunged upward with a yell, thrusting his Chainsword up ¡ª


    Vaxon grabbed the blade with a hand. The weapon whirred, ripping through metal as it desperately strained to reach for flesh, but it found nothing to feed on. A sickening screech cut through the air as the man''s hand tightened on the weapon even as it cut into his palm.


    Then he ripped it clean from Alex''s hands.


    It was like taking a toy from a child. Despite Alex''s best efforts to keep a grip on it, Vaxon''s strength was a hundredfold what his was. His shoulder was nearly ripped from its socket from the effort of trying to keep a hold on the hilt.


    Shit!


    Vaxon''s features were expressionless as he lifted his sword once more, spinning it around in a deft motion so the blade was pointed straight down at Alex.


    He tried to swap with his shadow, but he didn''t even have the magic left for that. Using Armament Elegy had completely drained him of every scrap he had left ¡ª which meant Princess'' passive energy wasn''t going to be healing him from another mortal wound.


    "Ah, fuck," Alex said.


    The sword plunged down.

 Chapter 162 - 161: Vaxon

    Lying on the ground as he was, Alex knew he wasn''t going to be fast enough to fully avoid the sword crashing down for his head. Vaxon was just too fast. Instinct took over. His arms shot up in a futile effort to cover his face, as if mere limbs could do anything to stop the path of the plummeting wall of metal.


    He instinctively reached for any scrap of magic that remained within his body, but it was like trying to squeeze water from a dry sponge. Aside from some Qi, there was absolutely no magic left to draw from.


    As powerful as Princess'' healing abilities were, they drew energy at an enormous rate. Such was the cost of cheating all forms of injury. It was a cost that he could no longer afford to pay. He had no magic left to call on.


    And so, something else responded in its stead.


    His shadow exploded up from the ground in a black streak. It crashed into Vaxon''s sword arm with a resounding clang. Metal scraped on metal as the huge man''s body was jerked to the side.


    The sword slammed into the trunk beside Alex''s head, pelting him with wooden fragments and splinters. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alex rolled to the side and thrust himself to his feet, flinging himself away from Vaxon before even daring to turn and look back to see what had saved him.


    Vaxon''s right arm and sword were covered with spiked metal armor ¡ª but it wasn''t his. Inky plates clung to him like they''d been magnetized. They overlapped over each other like a segmented coffin, shadows dripping from them like honey.


    Droplets of purple beaded up between the thin gaps in the black armor, rolling down their surface in rivulets. It took Alex a moment to realize that the plates weren''t just clinging to Vaxon from their own volition.


    The underside of the armor that had just saved his life was spiked like the interior of an iron maiden. Spines dug into Vaxon''s arm and held it in a vice grip. Even though many hadn''t managed to pierce through his heavy gauntlets, enough of them had found purchase that they showed no signs of falling away.


    "What is this?" Vaxon ground out, gritting his teeth as he heaved his sword arm ¡ª extra plates of armor and all ¡ª into the air with a grunt of effort. His arm tottered, clearly unstable. The shadowy metal clearly weighed a fair bit more than it appeared to.


    Alex was midway through asking the very same question that Vaxon had when he realized that he did know what the plates were. The corners of his lips pulled up into a smug, weary grin.


    So that''s the piece of equipment I get from Spark when I use Armament Elegy, huh? It''s literally the Knight Wraith armor. Didn''t realize the inside was spikey. That''s¡­ gruesome. I could probably actually encase someone normal-sized with it if I wanted to. But, against someone like Vaxon, I can only get his arm and sword. But if it slows him down, I''ll take it.


    "I''d love to sit down over a cup of tea and discuss it," Alex offered.


    To his complete surprise, a laugh slipped free from Vaxon''s lips. Purple liquid followed after it, dribbling down his chin like mushy food along a toddler''s face. The large man brought his sword down to the ground with a resounding crash.


    Cracks exploded through the wood at his feet. Several of the plates of armor cracked and fell away, but the rest managed to hold firm. That didn''t fool Alex into any complacency. It was only a matter of time ¡ª and a very short amount of time at that ¡ª before Vaxon managed to free himself.


    "You will not be the one," Vaxon said, lifting his sword once more.


    "The one what?" Alex asked in hope of buying a few more seconds. "The chosen one? Me?"


    Claire hadn''t gotten the power source yet¡­ but Vaxon hadn''t used his domain either. The moment he did, it was over. There was no way he could go up against an Adept 5 using a domain to try and kill him.


    I do have to wonder why he hasn''t used it yet, but I''m not going to complain about good fortune.


    "Chosen?" Vaxon''s lips twitched again as he brought the sword crashing back down into the white trunk. Loud cracks split the air and a tremor ran through the bark beneath Alex''s feet. More plates of armor rained down from Vaxon''s arm amidst a rain of purple droplets. "No."


    "No, what? You could at least answer the question!"


    Vaxon grabbed onto one of the loose hanging plates and ripped it free. It transformed into shadows as he discarded it and grabbed onto another, prying the weights off himself one after the other. "You will not be the one to end my penitence. You are weak."


    The tone of Vaxon''s words was wrong. He didn''t sound like he was trying to insult Alex. If anything, it sounded more like he was disappointed. Like he had wished the answer could have been anything else.


    He wants to die. Something tells me the whole metal-human fusion thing he''s got going on here wasn''t exactly voluntary. I really shouldn''t be surprised, it''s some Warhammer 40k bullshit.


    "I could if you just hold still for approximately as long as it takes me to saw through that tree trunk of a neck," Alex offered hopefully.


    Vaxon tore another plate away from his arm, then slammed his sword into the ground. The last pieces of the shadowed armor holding him down crumbled away. Rivers of purple acid poured down his right arm, but the man barely even seemed to notice them. He just raised his sword once more.


    "That," Vaxon said, lowering his stance and pressing his other hand to the flat of the blade, "is not an option. You should not have come here. Fear not. I will ensure there is not enough of you left for them to work with."


    "Your tone implies that I''m supposed to find that comforting, but I can assure you, it''s not working."


    Vaxon''s lips twitched.


    Then he vanished.


    A loud crack split the air as the wood that had been beneath Vaxon abruptly shattered, a large crater forming in the thick branch that was now suddenly devoid of a mountain of a man.


    And then a wall of warped flesh-metal armor was directly before Alex. Wind slammed into him, sending him stumbling back, as surprise grabbed him in a vice grip. Vaxon was directly in front of him, but he hadn''t even seen the other man move.


    Alex only managed to raise his gaze as a shadow passed over him, blocking out the twisting skies of the Mirrorlands. It was Vaxon''s sword. The weapon was already beginning its descent toward him ¡ª and this time around he was completely out of tricks.


    Ah, damn. Good fight, though. Could have been worse.


    A clang split the air, followed by the loud crunch of Vaxon''s sword ripping into wood. A flicker of surprise passed through Alex''s mind. He was pretty sure that a clang wasn''t the noise a body made when it got cut in half.


    Then Vaxon took a single step back to catch his balance.


    Claire dropped to the ground beside Alex, two leathery wings jutting from her back. Deep cuts covered her body and her breath came in sharp, controlled gasps as she fought to recover it ¡ª and tucked under one of her arms was a silvery egg about the size of a small child.


    "Shit," Claire wheezed, leaning heavily on one foot. "Why is he so bleeding heavy? That felt like kicking a fucking boulder!"


    Vaxon''s eyes locked onto her. Then they widened. He spun, looking to the Disruptor behind him. Alex couldn''t keep himself from doing the same.


    Behind them was the Disruptor ¡ª but the purple flesh within its silvery casing no longer pulsed. The ship sat dead and still. All the weaponry that had popped up to keep Claire back had fallen slack and hung like strands of dead seaweed.


    "Took me longer than I''d hoped," Claire said apologetically. "But I found the power source."


    "No!" Vaxon spun back to them. His eyes burned with fury as the wood cracked beneath him. He started accelerating into motion before he was even fully facing them.


    "I hope those wings can hold two people!" Alex yelled. He knew all too well just how fast the other man could be. Claire had managed to get a sneak attack on him once, but something told him that Vaxon wasn''t about to let that happen a second time.


    Alex looped an arm around Claire''s waist and leapt off the branch.


    Wind howled past Alex''s face as they plummeted through the air above the warped reflection of Valley Ford. He clung onto Claire with all the strength he had. For a brief moment, he saw Vaxon''s face peering down at them over the edge of the branch.


    Then Claire''s wings snapped out. His stomach jerked into his throat as the wind caught under them, but he managed to keep his grip as their fall slipped into a glide. The Disruptor and Vaxon quickly receded as they angled down toward the city floor.


    The ground approached quickly ¡ª too quickly. Alex only had a moment to suppress a curse before they hit it in a tumble of limbs, rolling for several feet before thudding to a halt against a cracked wall.


    They both let out pained grunts. Alex couldn''t even muster up the energy to push himself upright. He just let his head rest on the rubble as he stared up into the twisting skies of the Mirrorlands above.


    Damn. What a fight. I wish I''d been stronger. If I had access to a Partial Domain, I bet I could have given Vaxon a real run for his money. Maybe I would have been able to save him.


    "Ow," Claire groaned. She pushed herself up and rolled off Alex. "My leg. My wings. My ass. My back. My everything, actually. Are you okay?"


    "I''m fine," Alex said through a grimace. "Better than Vaxon is."


    "I think roadkill is in better shape than he is," Claire muttered.


    "Not wrong about that. These families are seriously fucked up."


    She pushed herself upright. Alex did the same.


    They exchanged a look, then both turned their gazes down. Nestled under one of Claire''s arms was the silvered egg. Now that Alex had a moment to get a proper look at it, he realized it was more than just smooth metal.


    Faint lines of purple energy pulsed deep within the egg like veins and the air around the egg had a faint staticky buzz to it. Alex reached out to the egg. The closer his hand got, the stiffer the air seemed to feel.


    There was power within the inconspicuous looking object, and a lot of it.


    A grin pulled at Claire''s lips as they studied their prize.


    "Well, it didn''t do the families much good in the end. We got it."


    "How''d you even figure out what bit was the power source?" Alex asked.


    "I kept pulling things out until something broke the Disruptor. Process of elimination."


    He let out a bark of laughter. "Should have thought of that."


    The two of them slowly clambered back to their feet. Claire tucked the orb under her arm, then grinned. "Well, then. There should be a bit of chaos going down in Valley Ford right now. And if there isn''t, there will be soon enough after they figure out the Disruptor is screwed. So¡­ shall we go find our engineer?"

 Chapter 163 - 162: Applicant

    Returning to Valley Ford was surprisingly easy. After spending a few minutes to catch their breath and recover a little magical energy, Alex led Claire over to the nearest rift. It was mercifully unguarded by any Riftwarped monsters, and they slipped back onto 274-50 without any trouble.


    Their plan of breaking into Valley Ford had a grand total of one step.


    They walked through the gate.


    It worked. The city as a whole didn''t seem to be any wiser about their damaged Disruptor as of yet. All the people they passed by were just going about business as usual. Survivors wandered between shops and gathered around the Ocean''s Tide, trying to get at whatever fancy wares the city had for sale.


    But below that casual air was something more. Alex could see it in the way the guards carried themselves. Eyes darted around and knuckles whitened around the hilts of weapons. They were nervous.


    "Looks like they''re trying to keep things under wraps for now," Claire said in a quiet, casual tone as the two of them made their way through the crowd.


    Alex couldn''t help but feel a little nervous himself. As much as he loved a good challenge, waltzing right into enemy territory was a bit much, even for him. He preferred things he could just fight.


    If the Great Tide realized who they were, the whole town would collapse on their heads. But they had bigger problems than inspecting the faces of everyone wandering around right now ¡ª and that meant the safest place he and Claire could have possibly been was in the crowd.


    I guess it makes sense. After all, what kind of idiot sabotages a powerful family''s Disruptor-thingie and then goes waltzing around right in the middle of their stronghold? It''s so stupid that nobody would ever think to do it.


    Claire had told him as much on the way over. Evidently, the game of Court also included infiltrating enemy groups. Alex was pretty sure that every single Dhampir was basically just a special agent in disguise.


    He didn''t let his thoughts drift for long. Even though things were going to plan for the time being, they were still in a race against time. Not only did they have to actually find an engineer, but they had to convince said engineer to come back with them to his town before the Region Boss destroyed it.


    "What does an engineer even look like?" Alex muttered to Claire. "How stereotypical do you think the System is? Because I see a few people that definitely look like the guys I used to see in my classes."


    "Yes," Claire said in distaste. "I see the ones you''re looking at. I smell them too. Are engineers in your world marked by an¡­ odor?"


    "Only the good ones."


    Claire sent him a horrified look. "Seriously?"


    "No, I''m pulling your leg. They just forget to take showers a fair bit. College is rough. But you''d have to actually choose engineer as your class from a list of options, right? I was doing computer science, but none of my options had anything to do with that. So most of these guys probably didn''t get engineer as an option." S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Claire chewed her lower lip. She shifted the egg ¡ª which she''d covered with a scrap of trash they''d found lying around in the Mirrorlands ¡ª then glanced around the ever-shifting crowd again. "We''ll just have to keep walking and see if we can find anyone interesting. If someone has a class meant to build stuff, surely they''ve got something similar to your Riftsense, right?"


    That''s a good point. And as far as powerful items go, this egg has to be pretty damn good. The Disruptor is what lets the Great Tide pull their really powerful people over to 274-50 without breaking the System''s rules. That means it definitely has a pretty damn good energy source, right? It would be weird if it didn''t.


    "I''d assume so," Alex said with a slow nod. "It feels pretty prudent. Why have an engineering class if you can''t find materials to work with? But maybe we''re a bit too in the middle of the crowd. If I was going to try to approach you, I wouldn''t do it here."


    "Good point," Claire said with a small nod. "Let''s move to the edge and see if we can sit in an alleyway."


    Alex nodded. They worked their way through the crowd and over to the edges of the market. Walking casually, the two of them slipped into an alley and continued on until the sounds of the market were a distant buzz.


    He didn''t miss the one thing that neither he nor Claire had mentioned ¡ª though he was certain they''d both thought of it.


    If someone has an ability to detect powerful magical items, we better hope they aren''t working too closely for the Great Tide. If they are, this is going to be a real big pain in the ¡ª


    "Hey. You there."


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    No way. That fast?


    Alex and Claire spun. Standing in the alley behind them was a tall, thin man wearing a long cloak that obscured his features completely. The cloak was clearly too large for him. It hung well below his arms and dragged on the ground behind him like a child in his mother''s bathrobe.


    "Me?" Claire asked, tilting her head to the side.


    "You," the man said with a sharp, jerky nod. "How much do you want for that thing under your arm?"


    "Depends. What are you offering?" Claire asked, tilting her head to the side and raising an eyebrow.


    "I wasn''t talking to you," the man said. Their posture shifted to look in what Alex presumed to be his direction. It was a bit hard to be certain when he couldn''t see the person''s eyes. "He''s the leader. You do what he says."


    Where''d he get that idea? Is this someone that overheard the bullshit we were feeding Orchid? That doesn''t seem likely. We would have seen them.


    "What makes you think that?" Claire asked. "That''s a rather odd assumption to make for someone trying to buy something from me."


    "The leader wouldn''t be carrying the goods," the thin man said simply. "They''d want their hands open. So he''s the leader. He tells you what to do ¡ª and I want to buy the thing you''ve got under your arms. And I''d reckon that''s why you''re here, isn''t it? You wouldn''t wander into an alleyway with that if you weren''t trying to pawn it off or get robbed."


    This person was definitely watching us from the crowd somewhere. They found us way too fast for it to be a coincidence.


    "Interesting observation," Claire said, tapping a foot against the ground. "But if he really was my leader, then there''s no reason for him to talk with the likes of you."


    "We are on equal ground. Buyer and seller. You are merely a¡ª"


    "Puppet?" Claire finished. Her brow arched up and the corner of her lip twitched. "Maybe you were going to use a different word there, but I think I like puppet. What about you?"


    There were a few long seconds of silence. Alex glanced from Claire to the thin man in befuddlement. He was pretty sure he was missing some subtext to their words here. A lot of it. It wasn''t hard to tell Claire was implying the man was a puppet, but he didn''t have the faintest idea why.


    Then the thin man slumped. At first, Alex had thought it was in defeat ¡ª but the man kept slumping until he leaned forward at an impossible angle. His body poked up against his cloak in sharp angles that a human really shouldn''t have been able to make.


    A soft footstep tickled Alex''s ears. He turned to the other end of the alley as a brown-haired boy probably around sixteen years old walked into it. The boy was thin and carried a smooth orb made of blue metal in one hand.


    "You got me fast," the boy said with a sheepish grin. He looked down at his feet. "That''s really embarrassing, actually. Sorry for being rude."


    Alex looked from him to the slumped figure at the other end of the alley ¡ª and then to the orb in the boy''s hand.


    Oh, goddamn it. Claire meant a literal puppet. Not a metaphorical one.


    "You did make it pretty easy for me," Claire said. "When you give hints, it should probably be a few small ones, not a massive landslide."


    "I''ll keep that in mind. I''m Mite. You are here to sell that thing, right?"


    "I''m Claire. And not exactly," Claire said. "We''re here looking for someone. That someone might be you."


    "Walking around with something like that without plans to sell it is probably a bad idea," Mite said. "Someone might try to take it from you."


    "They''re welcome to try," Claire said with a dry smile. "I don''t think they''d be very lucky."


    Mite''s gaze flicked to Alex. "What, he your bodyguard or something?"


    Damn. I got demoted from leader to bodyguard real fast.


    "No," Alex said. "Our bodyguards aren''t somewhere you can see them. Revealing everything we''re capable of would be stupid."


    Mite gave Alex a once over, then nodded slightly. "True. So you aren''t here to sell that? I''m not going to rob you. I''ve already done enough of that, and I realized I don''t have much fun doing it. I''ll just find a different¡ª"


    "What''s your class?" Claire asked.


    Mite blinked. Then he shook his head. "Sorry, no. I''m not saying that. I think we''re done here."


    "You made this, didn''t you?" Claire asked, sending a glance to the hunched figure behind her. "Impressive. This couldn''t have been easy. You must be really talented. You were probably working with sub-par materials as well, weren''t you? Getting something like this is impressive with what you''ve got to work with."


    God, that''s just the most blatant flattery I''ve ever heard. There''s no way¡ª


    Mite reddened. He coughed into a fist and did his best to give Claire a collected nod. "Thanks. It wasn''t easy. It also isn''t for sale. You couldn''t use it anyway."


    "So you can control it. Some sort of building class, then?" Claire pressed.


    "¡­yes. You aren''t getting any more than that, though."


    "Bummer," Claire said with a shrug. She turned on her heel so her back was to Mite. "Let''s go, Alex. I took a wrong turn. This isn''t where we were meant to meet the Great Tide''s prize engineer to talk about the weapon. We don''t want to keep him waiting with a contract of this size. He''s one of the best in the business, after all."


    Just about none of that was true, of course. If Mite had made the puppet in front of Claire and had an engineer class, he was basically exactly what they needed. The chances of finding anyone else with his abilities, especially in the time they had, were basically zero. They needed him far more than he needed them.


    But Mite didn''t know that.


    "Whoa," Mite said, his eyes narrowing. "Weapon? Hold on. What are you talking about? And don''t be in such a hurry to talk to the idiots here. They aren''t that good. Anyone could build what they have when they have the resources of a giant rich guy behind them."


    Claire''s eyes glinted. She turned back toward Mite.


    And even though Claire was on Alex''s side, a shiver ran down the back of his spine. She''d hit his buttons perfectly. Mite didn''t know it yet, but he was already caught in her web.


    "Yes?" Claire asked sweetly.


    "Maybe you should tell me a bit more about what it is you''re looking for," Mite hedged.


    Claire''s lips pulled up into a thin, controlled smile. "Well, if you insist, I suppose we can spend a little more time here. I''d hate to pass up on a promising applicant when the job hasn''t been filled yet."

 Chapter 164 - 163: Mite

    "Tell me about that weapon you mentioned," Mite said, studying Alex and Claire intently from beneath the mop of brown hair on his head. "I might not have some fancy group backing me, but that means I''ve got to figure shit out myself instead of just getting it handed to me."


    "Are you implying that you''re better than the Great Tide''s best man?" Claire arched an eyebrow. "That''s arrogant, to say the least. He''s been in the business for longer than you''ve been alive. Experience means more than almost anything."


    There was a large part of Alex that just wanted to grab Mite, sling the boy over his shoulder, and make a run for it. They didn''t have time for a long debate in the middle of Valley Ford.


    He still had no idea what the destruction of the Disruptor would do to the city or its Outworlder inhabitants. Whatever it did definitely wouldn''t be good¡­ and it was clear that the Great Tide had already realized their property had been destroyed. Even though their guards were putting up a front, Alex had no doubt they were searching to figure out who had attacked them.


    No part of him wanted to be sitting around in enemy territory if or when they realized it had been him and Claire.


    Alex was fairly certain they''d find out soon enough. He just didn''t want to be around when that happened.


    But Claire knew what she was doing ¡ª and there was no benefit to rushing ahead. He''d managed to pick up that Claire was trying to make the situation seem like they were doing Mite a favor and not the other way around.


    That would all come crumbling down if he let on just how much of a hurry they were in.


    Fortunately, it seemed that Claire''s strategy was working.


    A spark of anger flashed in Mite''s eyes.


    "There''s more to making things than just experience, and you can''t get experience without work!" Mite snapped. "If you only ever look at what someone can do right now, then you''ll regret it in the future when they''re capable of more than you ever dreamed. There''s more to ability than just what someone was lucky enough to be able to afford. That asshole had access to all the resources of the Great Tide family. I don''t, but I''d be willing to bet I can do anything just as well as he could if I could get some material that wasn''t steaming horse shit. God, how am I getting screwed over in my essays even after the apocalypse?"


    Alex bit back a laugh. It was pretty clear Claire had hit a nerve. The boy had more than a small hot streak to him.


    "Were you applying to college before shit went south?" Alex asked.


    Mite glanced at him mid-breath, clearly not having planned on finishing his rant yet. He blinked, then coughed into a fist and adjusted his shirt.


    "Yes. It was not an enjoyable experience."


    Tell me about it.


    "I''ll give you one thing," Claire said. "You''re not wrong about the potential versus current ability argument ¡ª but we aren''t running a school or a charity. Nobody wants a weapon made because they like giving their workers practice. We need it for a reason. Are you capable of making something powerful?"


    "Depends how powerful we''re talking. If I had time and materials, I''m confident I could."


    "And you think you could do it better than what the Great Tide''s engineer could do?" The tone of Claire''s voice made it abundantly clear that she didn''t believe her words.


    Mite scratched the back of his head and let out a short sigh. "You have to realize that these guys will overcharge you for anything they do. That''s how fame works. Engineering is about optimizing costs, you know. Who cares how good their guy is if you pay 100 times more for a product that''s only slightly improved from what I could do? Look to the future." sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "To the future?" Claire tilted her head to the side. "Keep going."


    "Well, I can tell you''ve got powerful materials," Mite said with a nod to the egg tucked under Claire''s arm. "And I can''t imagine you only want a single thing made, right? Once this weapon is done, you''ll want another. Then another. It never ends. You''ll have to keep hiring people to do stuff for you."


    "Right," Claire said. "That would be how things generally work. Those who sit around inactive fall behind. And in a world like this, falling behind means death."


    "Exactly. So why not establish a relationship with someone that has potential and something to prove?" Mite asked. "My prices are good right now. But soon enough, people are going to learn my name. Then I''ll have so many customers that you''ll need to get in a waiting list to hire me. I''ll be charging ten times what I do now. Maybe more. But if we already have a good relationship¡­"


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    He trailed off, letting them fill the rest in on their own.


    Alex suppressed a laugh. The kid definitely held himself in high esteem. There wasn''t so much as an once of self-doubt in his voice. That was a good thing. The System wasn''t going to be kind to anyone that didn''t make themselves believe in their own abilities.


    The only question was if that esteem was born of confidence or arrogance. There was a stark difference between the two. One was born from reason, while the other was nothing but delusion.


    So all that really remains is to see which one Mite is. Realistically speaking, I don''t think we''ve got much of a choice. He might think we''re picking from some list, but we really need the first bloke who can smack things together that we can get.


    Mite does actually seem to be somewhat competent, though. That puppet thing was pretty good. It could even speak. Then again, I know shitall about engineering classes. Maybe that''s easy as fuck to do.


    "I see what you''re getting at," Claire said. She hesitated, as if considering his words. "So your biggest pitch is that if we hire you now, you believe your potential and determination will carry you farther than the Great Tide''s man?"


    Mite gave her a firm nod. "And if you give me that power source you''ve got under your arm, I can show you."


    "How are you with dangerous environments?" Claire asked. "We don''t need someone that buckles at the first sight of danger. You have to realize that selling yourself as potential means we''re going to expect a lot more hands-on effort from you. It won''t be safe."


    "I don''t care," Mite said. "I''ve fought monsters when I was making my way here. As long as you aren''t expecting me to hold my own against someone whose whole job is fighting, then I''m more than capable of working on the field. Good luck getting someone from the great Tide to put themselves at risk, though. They''ll definitely void your contract."


    Claire studied Mite for a few more seconds. Then she inclined her head. "You make a good argument. Very well. You''re provisionally hired. So long as you prove that you''re as capable as you claim, we can improve the terms of that offer to something more permanent."


    Mite blinked. "What? Just like that?"


    "Why would we waste time? You made your point. I heard it ¡ª and if you were wrong, we''ll just come back and hire the other guy," Claire said with a shrug. "We have nothing to lose. You have everything to prove. Seems like it works out either way."


    "Yeah, that''s true," Mite said with a hurried nod. "What am I getting paid, then?"


    "Materials." Claire tapped the egg. "And a chance to harvest that potential you were so proud of. We can arrange for further pay depending on what you''re actually capable of making. How''s that sound?"


    "Incredible!" Mite exclaimed, his voice cracking slightly as his eyes lit up. He paused and coughed awkwardly into his fist. "Uh, okay. I guess. It''s okay. When do we start?"


    "Today." Alex jerked his chin over his shoulder toward the city gates. The sooner they could get out of here, the better. "We don''t like wasting time. Let''s get going."


    "I ¡ª now?" Mite blinked. "Like right now?"


    "Right now," Alex said. "Unless you''ve got something else you''d rather be doing?"


    "No! Nothing like that, no." Mite hurriedly shook his head. The hunched puppet that had originally followed them into the ally abruptly jerked upright. It walked over to stand beside Mite without a word, and Mite gave them a nod. "I''m ready. Have everything I need, actually. Always bring my stuff around with me. In case of situations like this. Lots of people that might want to hire me on a dime, you know."


    Right. He definitely just doesn''t have anything, but that works with me.


    "Then let''s get moving," Claire said.


    They all followed after her, making their way back into and through the market. There was a very large part of Alex that couldn''t help but feel like this had been far too easy. He''d been certain the Great Tide would have figured something out while they were waltzing through the city.


    But nobody stopped them as they continued on their way and stepped out of the city gate, emerging back into the outside world. A minute ticked by in silence as they all walked. Alex''s confusion only grew.


    I haven''t even seen any major effects from the Disruptor going down. Maybe it stored the energy it gathered in some form of battery? If that was the case, maybe the Great Tide doesn''t actually know the extent of the damage yet. That does make me wonder just how much energy it could have ¡ª


    A rumble ran through the air from the direction of Valley Ford.


    All three of them spun.


    The massive rivers of water swirling through the air above Valley Ford to flow into the huge ocean suspended above the city were trembling.


    And, standing at the edge of the city walls, staring straight in their direction, was Invictus.


    The water swirled behind him, flowing away from the ocean to gather at his back. It was the very same pattern that it had taken moments before Invictus had destroyed an entire horde of monsters charging the city with one blow.


    "Oh, shit," Alex said.


    No wonder they weren''t pressed to attack earlier. That ability has a huge range. They could have hit us with it whenever they wanted to, and attacking in the town would have just destroyed it needlessly.


    We may have fucked up.


    "They were watching us," Claire said with a curse. "Probably waiting for us to regroup with our team so they could take us out at once. They must have known what we were doing the whole time."


    "Known? Known what?" Mite asked, taking a step back. "The Great Tide got that mad you didn''t hire their engineer?"


    "I think it might have been something else," Alex said, coughing into a fist. Riftsense told him that the nearest portal to the Mirrorlands was around a minute or two away if they ran at a full sprint.


    No time like the present.


    Alex grabbed Mite by the arm.


    "What are you do¡ª"


    "Run!" Alex roared, sprinting for the unopened portal as fast as his legs could carry him. Claire and Mite''s puppet sprinted after him.


    And, in the air above Valley Ford, an ocean prepared to come crashing down upon their heads.

 Chapter 165 - 164: Giant

    Alex made sure that the only thoughts passing through his mind were ones of speed. All that mattered was the thump of his feet against the ground, the burn of the muscles in his legs. He was pretty sure there was no way they''d make it to the portal before Invictus attacked, but there was no way he wouldn''t try.


    Water didn''t sound too scary until there was a literal ocean of it gathering in the air above them. Getting hit by that would be like getting flattened with a mountain. Not even the System enhancements his body had been improved by would let him survive that.


    "How close?" Claire yelled.


    "Not close enough!" Alex yelled back. "Thirty seconds at least!"


    "We''re going to get flattened before then!" S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I don''t want to get flattened!" Mite yelled, joining in. "Why are they so mad at you? What did you do? This is definitely an overreaction, isn''t it? Why would someone use an attack like this on two random people?"


    "You''d have to pick from an ever-growing list," Claire said as she threw another glance over her shoulder. "I don''t even know how they''re pulling that much power. After what we just did to their Disruptor, the System should be suppressing the town at the bare minimum."


    "I think it might have some kind of battery. They might not know the full extent of what happened," Alex said between breaths.


    A shadow passed over all of them. Rippling shadows spun across the ground like writhing worms. The water wasn''t quite upon them yet, but it had passed between them and the sun.


    I could try to use Funhouse to block the brunt of the blow, but that''s just rolling a dice and hoping it works. Some of the water will definitely still hit us. From that height, with the full force of Invictus'' magic and the weight it has behind it¡­


    We''re probably still dead. Shit.


    Alex''s mind whirred at a mile a minute as he fought to come up with a way out. Even if they made it to the portal before Invictus'' magic reached them, wasn''t going to be enough time to open a portal to the Mirrorlands and escape through it.


    Princess would probably be able to absorb a fair amount of damage from the water. If she died, he''d have a chance of surviving the attack himself. The same couldn''t be said for Claire and Mite. They''d definitely get squashed.


    Still, it wasn''t like he could just do nothing and hope it would work out. At the very least, between Princess and Funhouse, he could divert some water and hope that what made it past wouldn''t be enough to kill them with the first strike.


    "I can try something for the water!" Alex yelled. "But keep running in this direction. We need to get to the portal!"


    In response, Claire grabbed Alex mid-step. Black arced through her veins as she pumped her body full of energy and strengthened herself to avoid falling behind from the extra weight.


    Mite''s puppet hoisted him into the air as well, cradling him like a baby. He stared up at the sky with a mixture of awe and terror.


    "What are you guys? Terrorists?"


    "Why do you immediately jump there? We could be revolutionaries!" Alex exclaimed, sending his mind inward and calling on all the magic he could muster. This was going to need every drop of it ¡ª and Qi ¡ª that he could muster.


    The sky above them had already been filled with a churning sea. More rivers swirled to join it, but the water could drop at any instant. There was no time to waste. Alex ripped magic from within himself as he summoned Princess to his side, pumping her full of Riftwarped Qi.


    Sludge exploded from the ground at Claire''s feet. They quickly left it behind as she continued her dead sprint, but out of the corner of Alex''s eye, he saw Princess explode from within the bubbling darkness.


    Pointed legs swam through the air as a sludgy centipede rose up. Shimmering crackles of Riftwarped Energy arced across her carapace beneath the sludge and her stark white mask shimmered like a light in the darkness upon her dark body.


    "Holy shit!" Mite screamed as Princess swam through the air in pursuit of them. Terror made his voice crack. "There''s a demon on our asses! Run faster! What the hell did you do to that guy? Boink his daughter?"


    Alex didn''t waste time on a reply. He was busy gathering his magic once more, pouring it and what Qi he had left into what would be the largest application of Funhouse he''d ever attempted. If this was going to keep them from getting crushed, it would have to displace as much of the water as possible.


    Power burned in his arms and sizzled at his fingertips. Arcs of angry, buzzing Qi flashed across his palms and down his arms to scorch his clothes. Alex gritted his teeth and forced his gaze up, fighting to keep his focus as he bounced with every step that Claire took. Her shoulder repeatedly drove into his stomach and tried to knock the breath from his lungs.


    It wasn''t exactly the best situation to concentrate in, but it was the best they were going to get.


    I''ve got to time this perfectly. If I cast it too early, we''ll have to stop running to stay under Funhouse''s area. That''ll cost us precious seconds and give Invictus time to get another attack in.


    The crash of waves was roaring above them now. Alex could feel pressure bearing down on him from the sheer amount of magic infusing the ocean in the sky. A small part of his mind couldn''t help but be impressed.


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    Towns were incredible. The amount of power they could command was just ridiculous. He had no doubt that Invictus himself was very strong, but this was on an entirely different level. And, deep within Alex, past the determination and focus, a spark of excitement burned in his chest.


    If we keep growing, my town will get as strong as Valley Ford. Stronger. How much will it be able to do then? For that reason alone, we can''t die here. I need to see it with my own eyes.


    In the distance, standing on the walls of Valley Ford and looking down at them, a flicker of motion caught the corner of Alex''s eyes.


    Invictus swept his hand down.


    The sky fell.


    Alex waited for an instant longer to make absolutely sure they would all be beneath Funhouse''s area of effect. Wind buffeted his face as it was pushed out of the way by the enormous amount of crashing water.


    Then he released all the magic he''d been gathering with a roar of defiance. The air above him shattered. White cracks ripped through it as reality warped and cracked. Then the water slammed into his magic.


    Princess leapt over them, her body coiling to absorb as much of the attack as it could, and there was nothing left to do but brace.


    A roar tore through the air, the earth quaked, and what little light that still remained vanished. Claire was thrown to the ground as the ground bucked beneath her from the sheer weight of the crashing water. They hit the ground in a tumble of limbs.


    Alex''s hearing vanished in the thunderous boom of the furious ocean. He drew in the biggest breath he could and squeezed his eyes shut¡ª


    Water drove into him like a train. It smashed into his chest and drove the breath he''d gathered from his lungs.


    Liquid forced its way into his nose, his ears, his throat. The world spun and bubbled around him and his consciousness sputtered like a candle threatening to go out.


    He instinctively drew in another breath. Water raced down his lungs by the gallon with enough force to bruise his insides.


    Alex was dimly aware of a rush of energy driving into his body as Princess died, but that was the last coherent thought he managed before his body was picked up and tossed like a ragdoll.


    It was all he could do to keep his grip on Claire''s arm. The two of them spun through the roaring water.


    And then, as quickly as it had arrived, the water receded. Alex suddenly felt himself falling. He wasn''t even sure from where or how ¡ª he was so disoriented that he couldn''t even tell which direction was up. The water must have lifted him into the air at some point.


    The ground abruptly slammed into him. He let out a sputtering cough, spewing water from his lungs as pain tore through his body. His skull pounded violently as he hacked and wheezed, shoving himself upright with trembling arms.


    Claire staggered up beside him. Her hair was matted to the sides of her face and her clothes were completely soaked through, much as Alex''s were. Mite rose a few dozen feet away from them, equally soaked and miserable-looking ¡ª but alive.


    They''d managed to weather one of the town''s enormous attacks, but it wasn''t a card that they could play again. Princess was dead and Alex had spent nearly all his magic and Qi just barely letting them pull through the attack.


    "Come on!" Alex staggered back into motion toward the Mirrorlands portal. Every step felt like agony. He was pretty sure the water had given him a number of micro-fractures in his bones, but there was no time to nurse his injuries. Princess'' power was already starting to heal them. He''d be fine if they made it into the Mirrorlands ¡ª and if they didn''t, it wouldn''t matter. "We can''t take another attack like that!"


    "You''re going to owe me hazard pay for this!" Mite said through a wet cough as they pushed themselves as fast as their bodies could still move. "A lot of it!"


    Alex didn''t have the energy for a response. The water had pushed them away from the location of the Mirrorlands rift, but they weren''t far away from it now. They all raced forward with him at the lead.


    He drew on his magic, calling power to his hands before they even reached the portal. Alex had no clue why Invictus hadn''t tried to attack them again. He doubted the town could only use its ocean for a single attack ¡ª but he wasn''t about to count his blessings.


    As soon as he arrived at the thin rift, he thrust his hands forward and into it. Energy crackled and hissed as he grit his teeth, pulling as hard as he could. A portal begun to yawn open. It fought against him, but Alex''s grip was relentless. This was far from the first time he''d opened a Mirrorlands portal¡­ and he was going to do everything in his power to make sure it wouldn''t be his last.


    Seconds ground by. The confusion in the back of his mind only grew. Invictus definitely should have been able to attack at least once more. If the town''s ability really only functioned a single time, it wouldn''t be much of an ability. There was no way it was that limited.


    "Bleed me," Claire whispered in awed horror. "What is that?"


    Alex risked a glance over his shoulder. The surprise in her voice was too much to ignore.


    Rivers of water hung suspended in the air as if frozen in time around them ¡ª but they weren''t moving. Invictus stood at the wall of the town, both of his arms extended. Even though Alex couldn''t make the man''s expression out from where he stood, he could just barely see that the man was moving.


    Riftsense let out a buzzing warning in the back of his mind, but it needn''t have bothered. He didn''t need it. There was another portal in the area. One that hadn''t been there before¡ª and the path leading to it went straight up into the air, to a massive purple line buzzing in the sky above Valley Ford, easily as long as the city itself.


    Riftwarped Energy danced around the edges of the portal as it slowly stretched open. The line sliced through the clouds, pulling them into itself as it grew ever wider. A deep, thrumming base rolled out from within it like the distant roar of thunder.


    The hair on Alex''s arms stood on end.


    Within the portal was a hand as black as night ¡ª one that was easily the size of a City-Eater Centipede if not larger.


    Void Goliath (???)


    Invictus made a sharp motion and all the water surrounding Alex''s group leapt into the air to fly back toward the city. Gongs echoed across the plains as alarms went off within Valley Ford.


    "I think I figured out what happens if Offworlders lose their Disruptor. It wasn''t just letting them access more strength. It was hiding them¡­ and I think they didn''t draw any attention until they used the Town ability," Claire whispered, staring slack-jawed at the enormous hand as it emerged from within the portal and reached down for the city below.


    "An impact from a hand like that might cause tremors large enough to split the ground," Mite said nervously, his eyes as wide as saucers. He swallowed. For a moment, all of them were silent as they watched the hand move, its approach silent in the face of the thunderous alarms going off within Valley Ford. Then Mite''s eyes flicked to Alex. "We need to get out of here. Before that thing gets out of the portal."


    The portal at Alex''s hands finally snapped open fully as he gave it a final push, ripping himself from the trance.


    "Come on," Alex said, grabbing Claire by one arm and Mite by the other. Mite snagged the arm of his puppet a moment before they all raced into the portal and it snapped shut behind them, leaving Valley Ford to its fate.

 Chapter 166 - 165: Void Goliath

    Twisting snakes of red and purple smoke greeted Alex with their ruddy glow as he stumbled into the Mirrorlands. He could still hear his heart pounding in his ears. Faint pops prickled throughout his body as the micro-fractures in his bones repaired themselves with the aid of Princess'' magic, drawing a faint stream of magic from his already dwindling reserves.


    He threw a glance at the portal beside them. It was already starting to close. They''d gotten lucky ¡ª no Riftwarped monster had been drawn to their arrival. That was good. He wasn''t sure if they''d been in the right shape to handle another fight quite yet.


    Mite flopped straight down to the ground and promptly let out a pained groan. His puppet stood over him. With its cloak completely soaked through from Valley Ford''s water, it was considerably more apparent that it was not a human.


    Its wet cloak stuck to its body, revealing impossibly spindly limbs and jagged protrusions. The cloth had torn in several spots to reveal silvery-gray components hidden beneath it, but the hood had somehow managed to not only survive but remain over the puppet''s head.


    Alex still couldn''t get a good look at the thing''s face no matter how hard he tried.


    "That was terrible. Thank god you had a get out of jail free card," Mite said, his voice muffled by the ground. "You guys definitely left some stuff out. What the fuck was all that? It was fucking crazy! Like, holy shit! The ocean nearly murdered us and an evil sludge monster shows up from the fucking ground to save us? Then a giant comes out of the sky? Like Seriously? What the hell?"


    "Pro tip," Alex said as he braced his hands against his knees and caught his breath. "The more you swear, the less effective it is. Save it for the right time and it''ll hit way harder."


    "What are you, my dad?"


    "No. Just someone who has a sense of appreciation for good timing."


    "I''ll keep that in mind," Mite said. His face was still muffled from the ground pressing up against his cheek, but he rolled over slightly to squint at Alex out of one eye. "Where¡­ are we?"


    "The Mirrorlands," Alex replied. "You can think of it as the dumping grounds between realities. Valley Ford can''t follow us¡ª"


    "Alex?" Claire asked.


    "Yeah?"


    Claire pointed over his shoulder, her pale fast cast in shifting lights from the glowing mist far overhead.


    Alex turned. Then he froze as all the blood drained from his face as he realized the reason why there hadn''t been a Riftwarped monster waiting to greet them upon their arrival in the Mirrorlands.


    Looming in the sky above them were what have been thousands of purple rifts. They were so far that the crackle of energy dancing between them was inscrutable, but Alex''s attention was far more focused on the air in front of them.


    The body of an enormous, giant floated in the air far above them amongst the streamers of mist. Its smooth, glossy skin almost resembled the night sky. Arcs of energy danced across its body whenever the buzzing energy touched it.


    Only portions of it were visible from beneath the clouds, but from what little Alex could make out, the monster must have been the size of a city. It had a single hand extended, reaching through a positively massive portal. Beyond it, Alex could just barely make out Valley Ford.


    Shimmering, deep red letters danced in the air before Alex''s eyes to identify the monster. They needn''t have bothered. He knew exactly what it was.


    Void Goliath (???)


    It technically shouldn''t have been a surprise. Some rational, distant part of Alex''s brain pointed out that he really should have expected this. It wasn''t like things just popped up out of nowhere.


    The Mirrorlands were the pathway between worlds. It only made logical sense for the monster to be here.


    But logic wasn''t exactly the primary thing ruling Alex''s thoughts right now. If it had been, he would have started running. Anyone ¡ª sane or not ¡ª would have. There wasn''t even any challenge to be gleaned from something like this. Trying to go up against the Void Goliath couldn''t even be properly called a fight.


    It could probably fall asleep for a week while he did his absolute best to kill it and he wouldn''t even be able to give it the equivalent of a paper cut. Even enormous wouldn''t have been an accurate word to describe the monster.


    Gargantuan might have come close, but even that felt like an understatement. An existence this size was incomprehensible. Alex was pretty sure that several laws of physics had to have been broken by something this big, but he wasn''t about to take that matter up with the giant.


    "Fuck," Alex breathed.


    Mite pushed himself upright to stare up at the Void Goliath. His eyes were so wide that the whites threatened to swallow his irises entirely. For a second all three of them stared wordlessly into the sky.


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    "You know what?" Mite asked, swallowing heavily. "I think I see what you mean about the cursing at the right time bit. Can we leave now?"


    Alex couldn''t pull his eyes away from the scene before him. He watched, unaware that his lips had pulled slightly apart, as the Goliath''s hand extended through the portal toward Valley Ford.


    That''s the city of a really powerful Outworlder family. It had to have been equipped with a ton of really powerful defenses. I''m sure they were holding back a lot of their strength to avoid pissing off the System or something, but now that their lives are on the line, won''t they use it?


    This could be my best chance to see just how powerful a town can really be.


    He could just barely make out Invictus standing on the walls of the town. An ocean of empowered water swirled around him, brilliant shimmers of blue energy swirling within it like a thunderstorm had been trapped within it.


    Alex could feel the pressure from the intensity of the magic from where he stood ¡ª he just wasn''t sure if that pressure came from the Void Goliath or Valley Ford''s defenses. With the size of the portal connecting the Mirrorlands to 274-50, it could have been either of them.


    Invictus thrust his hands up. All the water above Valley Ford exploded upward in an airborne tsunami. It slammed into the Void Goliath''s hand with a brilliant crash loud enough to echo through even the Mirrorlands.


    Alex''s body instinctively tightened. It sounded like a god had taken a hammer to the earth itself. If he''d been any closer to the explosion, his eardrums probably would have burst on the spot. The immense force behind the crashing water was incredible.


    It''s a good thing Invictus didn''t think we were a real threat. That attack must have cost a ton of energy, but we would have been turned to paste the instant that much magic hit us, defenses or not. Holy shit.


    For a moment, Valley Ford''s water swallowed the Goliath''s arm entirely. It raced up into the portal, pouring through it and scattering into the Mirrorlands in shimmering drops. Alex raised a hand as the water pattered down all around them.


    He squinted through it, waiting for the Goliath to flinch or pull back.


    A hit like that had to have at least hurt¡ª


    The water cleared.


    "Oh," Claire said weakly.


    The Goliath''s arm hadn''t so much as budged from its course. It continued on its ponderous path down toward the city, an inevitable end that could not be denied no matter how hard those beneath it struggled.


    Water roared as Invictus pulled it back to himself. It sprayed through the air around Valley Ford as he flung it forward once more. A shimmering blue dome exploded through the air above the city, burning with energy so bright that it threatened to scald Alex''s eyes from his skull.


    It was a valiant effort.


    It was pointless.


    The Void Goliath''s hand continued on.


    Valley Ford''s defensive dome shattered like sugar glass.


    Alex tensed in preparation for the colission, but he mistimed it. The monster was so huge that its movements were impossible to properly read. Its hand connected with the city a whole two seconds after Alex had mentally prepared for it.


    There was an echoing boom. A deep rumble rolled through the air and the ground of 274-50 bucked as a shockwave raced out from the city.


    It wasn''t the explosive force of a massive explosion or a sudden, immense impact. It was the grinding, ponderous crunch of a trash compactor crushing everything within its jaws to rubble.


    And in the wake of that horrible noise¡­ there was nothing but silence.


    The Goliath flattened Valley Ford in a single blow.


    Alex stared on in slack-jawed disbelief. He''d been certain that the Great Tide would have been able to do something. They should have at least had a way to fight back. To stall the monster''s advance, if only for a little.


    But there hadn''t even been a fight. All of Invictus'' efforts looked more like a childish protest than anything else.


    Alex had lost sight of Invictus in the final moments of the city. There was a good chance he''d managed to dodge out of the way or run, but that didn''t change the fate of the city. It was gone. Wiped from the map completely and utterly.


    Twisting golden letters sliced through the air before Alex''s eyes.


    Title Fragment Acquired.


    Cataclysm: Granted to one whose actions have directly caused the complete and utter destruction of a Town on the Global Leaderboards.


    Your standing on one leaderboard has been updated.


    If there had been any doubt about if any part of Valley Ford had survived, that System message quashed it completely. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "So that''s what happens when your Disruptor gets destroyed and you use power the System doesn''t permit you to," Claire said. She swallowed heavily. "Never let it be said that it doesn''t punish those who fail to abide by its rules. Guess that''s the risk of trying to cheat."


    Alex didn''t even want to think about how many people had just gotten killed. He had no problem with killing to survive and grow stronger ¡ª but there had been innocent survivors in Valley Ford. People who had just been taking up residence in the town. Ones who had nothing to do with the Great Tide.


    He might not have been the one to kill them, but even the System had made it abundantly clear their blood rested on his shoulders. Queasiness built in his stomach. Alex clenched his teeth and pushed it down.


    This had never been his intention. It had been Invictus and the Great Tide who had used a Disruptor to cheat the System and show up on 274-50. He hadn''t been the one who killed them. Innocent lives had been lost, but beating himself up over that would accomplish absolutely nothing.


    He had lives of his own that he planned to save. The people in his own town ¡ª and the ones that would join it in the future. Alex had absolutely no delusions about being a hero. He wasn''t one, but there were still people relying on him.


    I''ll let myself think about this when we aren''t anywhere near that¡­ thing. If it decides it doesn''t like the look of us when it''s done pulling its arm out of that portal, there won''t be a damn thing we can do about it.


    "Come on," Alex said, ripping his gaze from the Goliath. "We need to get back. Now. I don''t know how long we have until the Region Boss wakes up. Every minute counts."


    "Region Boss?" Mite asked, scrambling to his feet and looking from Alex to the Goliath. "You''re trying to fight a Region Boss? You know where one is?"


    "We''ve got a fair bit to fill you in on," Claire said as they set off, all sending glances over their shoulders at the Goliath. The monster was so big that the steps they took barely even seemed to change the distance between them.


    "I really should have argued for more hazard pay," Mite muttered.

 Chapter 167 - 166: Boss

    "You built your town next to a Region Boss'' waking spot?" Mite repeated in a sharp whisper for what must have been the fourth time.


    The three of them ¡ª four if one counted his puppet ¡ª were making their way through the Mirrorlands back in the direction of the town with Claire at the lead. Her directional sense was impressive. Alex wasn''t a complete slouch at it, but he''d have already gotten lost a few times if it hadn''t been for her.


    It had been several hours since they''d left the Void Goliath behind them. The monster hadn''t bothered giving chase. Realistically, it probably hadn''t even registered them. It was so much stronger than they were that they may as well have been ants in its presence. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alex and Claire had taken the time to bring Mite up to speed on what he needed to know about the town and the situation it was in. They hadn''t given away any major secrets that could be turned against them should things go south ¡ª but it wasn''t like Mite was going to have anyone to tell about the Region Boss in the near future.


    When they got back to the town, if the monster hadn''t already woken up, it would soon. Even if Mite had wanted to, there wouldn''t be enough time for him to go and find someone to tell about it.


    They didn''t go into any detail about the full extent of the town''s abilities or its connection to the Mirrorlands, though they did warn him that they had the entire town under the impression that they were Outworlders.


    Alex hadn''t been particularly thrilled to reveal that. He didn''t like leaving opportunities for someone to screw him over if they wanted to ¡ª but Mite had nothing to gain from telling Orchid that he wasn''t from the Starfallen family. It would just get the young engineer killed. And, in the end, trust had to start somewhere.


    If they were going to have him building buildings and working closely with the town, they''d be putting a whole lot more stake in Mite than just some information.


    "You know nobody has killed a Region Boss yet, right?" Mite asked. "I heard some people from the Great Tide family talking about it. They haven''t even found one! I think they were apparently getting close to finding one, but they don''t know where it is. How do you?"


    "I have a very particular set of skills. Skills that¡ª"


    "Don''t quote Taken at me, man. That''s just lame."


    Alex winced. "I kind of thought you were too young to know it. Damn."


    "Too young?" Mite glared at him. "I''m eighteen, man!"


    "You''re eighteen? Holy shit. I thought you were¡­" Alex trailed off, wisely choosing not to continue that sentence. The malice in Mite''s eyes told him more than enough about what would happen if he did.


    It was a bit difficult to tell if Mite was actually 18 and just looked both short and incredibly young, or if he was trying to hide his actual age.


    I suppose it doesn''t really matter in the end. The System isn''t going to be any nicer to someone whether they''re 16 or 18. No reason to treat him any different because he''s a few years younger than I am. All that matters is if he can do what he says he can.


    "Eighteen, then," Alex said. "That movie was kind of old even for me, though."


    "I watched it with my dad," Mite said. "He liked it."


    Wow, I''m really good at hitting sore subjects.


    "Ah," Alex said lamely. "Sorry."


    "Why?" Mite tilted his head to the side. "He''s not dead, man."


    "He isn''t?"


    "No. He was an apocalypse prepper. Had a bunch of shit ready for one. I don''t think I''ve ever seen him happier than the day the System showed up on earth. He''d been waiting for something like this to happen since before I was born."


    "Then¡­" Alex trailed off, unable to word the question right.


    Mite smirked. "He loaded me up with some gear in the weeks leading to the Apocalypse. Then, when it happened, he said some shit about this always happening in his favorite books, that he couldn''t be loaded down with a kid, and fucked off to build a harem."


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    "Sounds like an ass," Claire said.


    "You should have seen his favorite series," Mite grumbled. "He is. Pretty sure he''s doing fine, though. He smoked the first few monsters we ran into. He''s ex-military. I don''t really care, honestly. I don''t really like spending too much time with other people. I prefer working alone ¡ª and he''s been such a wreck since my mom died that maybe this is good for him."


    Abandoning your kid to go build a harem? Yup, definitely a healthy coping mechanism.


    "Right," Alex said slowly. "Well¡­ my condolences or congratulations. Pick which one you prefer."


    Mite let out an amused snort. "What about you? Parents get cooked?"


    Jesus. He''s like¡­ a few years younger than me. Why do I feel like his lingo is a generation out of date? Am I lame? And what''s this blas¨¦ attitude? I mean, it''s probably actually for the best and I don''t disagree with it, but I didn''t expect someone to be this chill about the Apocalypse.


    "Died before it. Several years."


    "Ah. Nice." Mite raised a hand to give Alex a fist bump. "Tragic backstory. Sweet."


    Alex stared at the offered for a moment. Then his lips twitched in amusement and he knocked his knuckles against Mite''s. There were probably quite a number of words that could be used to describe him, but interesting would probably be the most apt until further notice.


    "Maybe it''s time you shared a little more about what you''re capable of," Claire said. "You wouldn''t tell us your exact class before, but I trust you''re capable of creating buildings?"


    "Of course," Mite said, a note of offense entering his tone. "At least, theoretically. Haven''t done it yet. It''s in one of my abilities."


    Very reassuring.


    "And you can defend yourself, at least a little?" Claire asked.


    Mite nodded. "Yeah. Not exactly going to be looking for fights, but I''m not completely helpless. I have a pretty good balance. You aren''t expecting me to fight the Region Boss directly, are you? Because that isn''t happening. I''m nowhere near that strong."


    "Nothing like that," Alex said with a shake of his head. "But some monsters might make it into the town during the fight. It''s¡­ not the most defended location yet."


    Mite''s eyes narrowed and he paused to squint at Alex. "That sounds like a fancy way of saying the town is a strong breeze away from falling down. How thick are the walls?"


    "We don''t have walls." Alex coughed into his fist. "It''s more of a camping ground at the moment, actually."


    "You''re going to try and take on a Region Boss with a camping ground." Mite''s words rang with incredulity. "Are you stupid? Or really strong?"


    "Is there a line somewhere between the two?"


    Mite snickered. "Well, at least it''ll be interesting. I guess there isn''t much of Valley Ford to run back to. Being part of something big is always a risk. That''s what my dad says, but he''s also tanked like five different startups."


    "That''s¡­ not reassuring," Claire said.


    An idle part of Alex''s mind wondered what word startup had translated to her as. Something told him that Dhampirs didn''t have startup companies, but now didn''t feel like the right time to ask.


    Mite shrugged. "It''s chill. It is what it is, you know? To be honest, I was losing my fucking mind in Valley Ford. Nobody would hire me. They just gave all the jobs to their own teams. When I sensed you guys walk in with that thing under Claire''s arm, I practically ca¡ª uh, got super excited. Nobody wants to work with a new engineer when they can nurture their own. You guys are totally screwed, though. You don''t have a choice but to work with me."


    "Is it wise to admit that?" Claire raised an eyebrow. "Admitting you aren''t the optimal choice is a bad bargaining tactic."


    "I''m the only choice," Mite corrected. "Especially if you want to kill this Region Boss before it deep fries your town. We need each other. That seems like a pretty good balance to me. As long as you give me some parts from the strong monsters that die around the town in addition to some money and a place to sleep, I''m happy to stick around."


    That''s a pretty reasonable request. If there''s stuff we can use to upgrade the town, I don''t see why we wouldn''t give it to Mite. He''s basically offering to move in permanently.


    Alex cast a glance in Claire''s direction to see if she could find anything bad with the offer, but she just inclined her head.


    "That seems fine with me," Claire said. "As you''ve observed, we''re in a unique position. Things are going to go really well or really terrible. One of the two. If it''s the former, throwing your lot in with us will be very beneficial. If it doesn''t, well, you''ll be dead. It is what it is, right?"


    Mite grinned. "You know it. I''m in. Obviously. Not like I can''t be in. Nowhere else to go. But while we''re walking, why don''t you tell me more about what it is you want me to get started on? Maybe I can brainstorm before we get there."


    "A way to connect to the Astral Map. Something that replaces a Starstone, the things that let you teleport between towns," Alex said immediately. He nodded to the egg tucked under Claire''s arm. "That''s what this energy source is for."


    "Huh. That''s a difficult opener," Mite said. His eyes glazed over as he walked, presumably reading something in his class information. "I¡­ think that should be possible. Depends how strong that power source is and what else we''ve got to work with. Sounds like a good challenge. Sweet. This will get me a ton of energy."


    "He''s got your attitude," Claire whispered to Alex, hiding a grin. "Just none of the insanity."


    "Good. Then he might survive."


    "I heard that," Mite said.


    "I know," Alex said. "Wasn''t trying to hide it. We''re going to be relying on you. If we can get that teleporter built, we''ll get access to a merchant. It could completely tip the scales in this fight."


    "Noted. Pressure''s on," Mite said, giving Alex a sharp salute. "Don''t worry. I won''t let you down. Keep feeding me expensive materials and I''ll help you kill a god."


    "Let''s stick with the Region Boss for now, shall we?"


    "Got it, boss."

 Chapter 168 - 167: Portal

    The trip through the Mirrorlands back to the campsite went without any major disturbance. Claire handled the majority of the monsters that tried to attack them along the way, dealing with them fairly easily.


    Alex didn''t mind letting her take the energy from all the fights. She was still trying to catch up to him and he''d gotten a whole bunch of extra strength recently ¡ª not to mention there was going to be more than enough power waiting for them to harvest very soon.


    He took the time to observe Mite. The boy was quite interesting. Alex would have expected him to be at least a little on edge from the Mirrorlands. They were unsettling, even in comparison to what the apocalypse had done to Earth.


    The monsters within them were considerably stronger and creepier than anything Alex had seen on the surface ¡ª and yet, Mite barely even seemed to care. He just stood by silently as Claire took the fights. Only after the monsters died did any interest spark in his eyes.


    He''d looted every single monster she''d killed, digging through their guts like a delighted child playing in a sandbox. Mite had harvested everything from claws and teeth to strips of organs and other assorted bits that Alex had no idea as to the origin of.


    Everything had gone right into a spatial ring on Mite''s hand. It looked similar to the one Alex had, which meant it wasn''t going to be able to store any magical artifacts, but evidently the System didn''t see normal body parts as magical.


    Mite''s ring was definitely bigger than Alex''s ¡ª the sheer number of things he''d stuffed into it was ridiculous. If anything, it was a bit surprising that Mite wasn''t shoveling entire monster corpses into the thing.


    He and his puppet just followed Claire around, harvesting pieces from the monsters she killed along their way back to the rift leading to the campsite.


    The three of them eventually arrived at their destination in the thick forest that surrounded the town, both in the Mirrorlands and on 274-50.


    "Right," Alex said as they came to a stop in the trees. "We''re here."


    "Where?" Mite asked.


    "The portal," Alex replied. "We''ll hop through it and the town will be right beside us, assuming it hasn''t been destroyed it. It probably hasn''t. I think we would have seen some form of reflection in the Mirorrlands if a Region Boss had awakened. Probably."


    "You don''t sound particularly confident about that."


    "Anyone who sounds confident about anything to do with the Mirrorlands is probably lying," Alex said. "I don''t know if even the System knows what goes on here. They''re kind of just a trashbin where all the shit without a place to stay falls."


    Strands of Riftwarped energy crackled across Alex''s fingertips and coiled up his arm as he extended his hands, grabbing onto the thin line that marked the closed passage between the Mirrorlands and 274-50.


    Energy hissed as he begun to pull the rift open. His fingers prickled as power coiled along the protective magic barrier covering his arms and the portal steadily grew.


    "Brace yourself," Claire suggested.


    "For what?" Mite asked, glancing around them curiously.


    "Every time a portal gets opened, there''s a small chance that we might have¡ª"


    The portal snapped open fully.


    A glossy black sheen flashed over it before any of them could even think about trying to use it.


    "¡ªcompany," Claire finished. She lowered her stance and raised her katana. "If you''ve got any defensive abilities, I would suggest preparing them."


    The ground before Alex turned pitch black. Bubbles burst from the shadowy pool as Princess rose up from within it, the centipede legs on her back twitching and squirming as they folded into place.


    Ringing glass marked Glint''s arrival as he emerged to stand beside Alex, and Spark rose from his shadow.


    "I really don''t have much," Mite said nervously. He stepped behind his puppet and hunched in an attempt to make himself look smaller. "What''s coming? It''s not another one of those goliath things, is it?"


    "There''s no way we''d get the attention of something that strong," Alex said. His eyes scanned through the air before he turned his attention to the ground ¡ª he wouldn''t put it past the Mirrorlands to have the Riftwarped monster just appear from the ground beneath them. "This is just going to be a bit of cleanup."


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    Something crunched in the forest to their side. Glint''s head snapped toward the source of the noise and Alex''s gaze followed a moment later. A dark mass slithered through the trees, just out of vision. He caught a glimpse of the tip of a tail and a flash of heavy black scales.


    Mite''s features paled and he took a step back. His puppet moved to stay between him and the monster lurking in the shadows of the trees.


    "That looks big," Mite muttered.


    "This one''s yours, Alex," Claire said, stretching her arms over her head and letting out a yawn. "I''ve gotten my fill for the time being. I just want to take a nap and meditate."


    "Glint," Alex said. The fact the snake hadn''t struck yet meant it was probably some sort of ambush predator looking for an opening. And if it needed an opening¡­ it probably wasn''t going to be particularly powerful if they caught it off guard. "Lure it out."


    The Glasmir blurred into motion. He vanished into the trees, his graceful movements barely even making a noise. There were several long seconds of silence.


    Mite swallowed. He opened his mouth ¡ª


    The ringing shriek of glass on metal tore through the silent forest. A huge, shadowed tail cut through the darkness. It slammed into a tree and tore right through it with a splintering crunch.


    A rain of fragmented wood pattered against the ground as a furious hiss echoed out and the tail continued to thrash, tearing through the trees around it like they were made out of paper mache.


    Princess lumbered forward, throwing herself forward and clamping onto the squirming tail. She wrapped her huge hands around it and used her entire body to pin the tail to the ground. Another furious hiss tore through the forest ¡ª and the head of a massive snake blurred free from the darkness. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The monster''s head was more than twice as large as Alex was. It could have swallowed a human whole without blinking. Sleek black scales covered its surface, marred by purplish streaks that ran throughout them.


    It might have been nearly completely invisible in the darkness if not for its eyes, which glowed with the trademark purple hue of Riftwarped energy.


    It slammed into Princess'' shoulder, its large fangs driving deep into her sludgy form, but she didn''t so much as budge from her spot. The centipede arms on her back shot out to wrap around the snake''s head. The tiny hooks along them found purchase in the thin gaps between the snake''s scales.


    With the monster''s form revealed, the System finally granted Alex a look at the Riftwarped monster''s stats.


    Riftwarped Nightscale (Initiate 5)


    "Holy shit," Mite whispered. "What the fuck is that? It''s the size of a car! And what''s with that level? Why is it so strong?"


    That was an exaggeration ¡ª or Mite was used to very small cars.


    "It''s kind of lame," Alex said with a frown. "Only Initiate 5? The Riftwarped Monsters are usually stronger than that. Maybe the Region Boss waking up kind of marked the territory or something, so the good fights aren''t hanging around anymore."


    The Nightscale yanked its head back, tearing away nearly half of Princess'' body in the process. Sludge splattered across the dirt and the huge snake let out a victorious hiss.


    "Lame?" Mite exclaimed. "What are you talking about? It just killed your monster!"


    Alex arched an eyebrow. The remaining half of Princess body bubbled as black fluid slithered along the ground and up her leg, beginning to reform her. She didn''t even try to pull the portions of her body that were still in the snake''s mouth back.


    Her partially reformed form lunged forward, grabbing onto the Nightscale''s upper jaw with one hand. Sludgy tendrils extended from the monster''s mouth as her other hand re-connected to her and clamped down on the monster''s lower jaw.


    The large snake thrashed in her grip as it tried to free itself. Its tail smashed through the trees around it, but Princess wasn''t just standing around in wait to get splattered again. She started to strain, slowly pulling the monster''s jaws farther away from each other.


    Fury lit behind the Nightscale''s purple eyes. It convulsed its entire body, sending its tail whipping through the air for Princess like a wrecking ball. The huge wall of flesh slammed into her, obliterating the middle of her body.


    And, in that moment, Glint and Spark struck as one.


    The Glasmir blurred from the forest. He alighted on the Nightscale''s head and drove both of his bladed claws down, plunging one into each of the monster''s eyes. It let out an agonized scream, opening its mouth wide for the Night Wraith.


    Spark leapt into the monster''s mouth, ripping his arms up from the shadows binding him and pressing up to keep its jaws from closing again. An agonized hiss tore from the snake''s mouth and it writhed in agony.


    It was fruitless. Glint ripped his claws from the monster''s eyes and slid down the side of its head, sliding past Spark to drive his claws straight up into the roof of the snake''s mouth and through its brain.


    The Nighteye jerked. Then its head crashed to the ground as its body fell still. Glint and Spark slipped free from its corpse as Princess'' body reformed.


    Alex shivered as energy poured into him. The snake hadn''t been all that much of a challenge, but it had still been a fairly strong monster and killing it had netted a decent reward.


    "Holy shit," Mite whispered.


    A shimmer passed over the portal as the dark sheen covering it evaporated. The portal crackled in wait for them.


    Alex strode over to the monster and scooped the Soul Flame from the ground, sliding it into a Spatial Mirror before sending a glance back to Mite. "Were you going to harvest anything from this thing?"


    Mite blinked his surprise away. He hurriedly nodded and darted over to the monster alongside his puppet. The two of them proceeded to tear the creature to bits from within, desecrating its corpse as they stripped it of everything interesting.


    Once Mite had finished stuffing his loot into his spatial ring, he turned back to Alex and gave him a nod.


    "Okay. I''m ready. What''s next?"


    "We head through this," Alex replied, nodding to the portal. "I introduce you to everyone ¡ª and then you build us a way to teleport so we can get a merchant and prepare for the biggest fight of our lives. Exciting, right?"


    "To be honest?" Mite asked, looking from Alex to the portal as a tiny grin tugged at one corner of his lips. "Yeah. It is."

 Chapter 169 - 168: Engineer

    The first thing that came out of Mite''s mouth after he''d stepped through the portal alongside Alex and Claire and made the trek over to the campsite was, "wow".


    And, even though Alex had only just come into possession of his town some time ago, he couldn''t help but feel a flicker of pride.


    "This place is a shithole," Mite said.


    Alex''s pride sputtered. The town might not have been much to look at yet. That didn''t matter. Before the apocalypse, the idea of having a house, much less an entire town, had been foreign. He''d gone into the apocalypse with absolutely nothing but a willingness to meet whatever it threw at him.


    A large part of him had loved that. Complete and utter freedom. Nobody that could control him. It was a world reset, in which anyone could accomplish what they wanted so long as they had the skill and strength to take it.


    And Alex still loved that feeling ¡ª but now there was more. Visions loomed at the edges of his thoughts. Ben and the others from Towntown. Aubrey, her body ripped to shreds by the System. A massive hand descending toward Valley Ford like the sky itself was falling.


    The System was not evil nor cold. It simply was. It didn''t care who anyone was or what their desires were. Natural laws existed indifferent to what they wrought. Only those who lived could determine what to make of them.


    Honestly, I''m not sure what I think anymore. The apocalypse is everything I thought it would be¡­ and also everything I didn''t. Am I responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people that didn''t deserve it? It wasn''t my intention to kill them. It was objectively the Great Tide''s fault for trying to cheat and getting punished.


    What am I supposed to feel?


    Alex pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. He wasn''t so sure he had the answer to that question. What he did know was that there were a number of lives that were definitely going to be on his hands if this upcoming fight didn''t go well ¡ª and even if it did.


    He''d never really thought of himself as someone that liked leading teams. Teddy had always taken over managing the group projects they''d been in together. He''d usually been content to just sit back, do the bare minimum, and be done with it.


    But there was a certain feeling that came with standing at the head of the ship. From having the weight of lives and expectations placed squarely on his shoulders. Perhaps a better man would have called that feeling responsibility.


    Alex called it a bigger challenge.


    "The town might not be pretty yet, but you''d be surprised," Alex said. "It''s got a lot of potential. These buildings are pretty damn strong ¡ª and frankly, the whole scuffed aspect is the reason we brought you here."


    "I really hope you aren''t expecting me to build a fortress in a few days," Mite said as the group approached. "Because that''s not happening. I''m not a miracle worker."


    "I don''t think we have a few days," Alex replied. "But no, I''m not. I''m expecting you to build a teleporter. Speaking of which ¡ª the egg is yours."


    Claire held the bundle out.


    Mite''s puppet took it from her hands as a delighted grin crossed the boy''s face. His puppet pulled the blanket covering it back, revealing the glossy silver egg. Faint purple veins pulsed within the metal like they were being pumped by an invisible heart.


    "Whoa," Mite breathed, his eyes sparkling. "This is beautiful."


    "What else do you need?" Claire asked. "We need that teleporter up and running as soon as possible. We do have another building that has to do with teleporting people, by the way. I''m not sure if that could be useful."


    "You do?" Mite lifted his eyes from the egg. "Why do you need two of them?"


    "It''s called a Warp Relay," Alex said. "It''s only short range and duration. For combat scenarios more than proper teleportation. It''s really more like a fast deployment and recall system."


    "Huh. That sounds¡­ really difficult, actually. Way more complex than a normal teleporter, from what I know of them," Mite said. He scratched the side of his chin. "Why do you have that before the real thing?"


    Alex just stared at him.


    "Will it help?" Claire pressed.


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    Mite thought for a moment. Then he scrunched his nose. "Well, the actual building won''t. I can take a look at it, though. Might have some useful things I could use for inspiration. My class is kind of open ended. I don''t just have a ''build a yacht'' skill."


    "Could you modify the building, maybe?" Claire suggested. "Add normal teleportation capabilities in?"


    Mite was shaking his head before she''d finished speaking. "You can''t combine buildings as far as I know. You can upgrade ''em, but my class isn''t at the point where I can do that. Especially not with your buildings."


    "What''s wrong with them? They''re perfectly¡ª"


    "Isn''t them that''s the problem," Mite said with a crooked grin. "It''s my class. I''m not exactly a normal Engineer. I did have that option, but it sounded kind of boring. I went with something more interesting."


    "Maybe you should share exactly what it is you''ve got?" Alex''s eyes narrowed.


    "I''d rather just show you," Mite said, entirely nonplussed. "I''ll check the place out and get started once I''ve got enough information. No point rushing good work along. Measure twice, cut once, you know?"


    Mite set off for the town without giving Alex or Claire a chance to say anything else. The two of them exchanged a glance.


    "He''s¡­ interesting," Claire said.


    "As long as he gets us that teleporter quickly, I don''t care what he is," Alex said. He let himself fall silent for a moment as he listened to his senses. The Region Boss was still waking up ¡ª he could feel its presence growing stronger. It was a bit difficult to tell just how much stronger it would get before it awoke. The monster could be at their door in minutes, or it could have been days. He just had nothing to compare it to. Alex shook his head. "We should definitely meditate and get ourselves and the town ready for the fight. It could be any moment, now."


    "At least it didn''t wake up while we were gone," Claire said with a small laugh. The two of them started toward the town ¡ª a small group of people had already noticed their arrival and were waiting near the edges of a broken cabin in wait of them. Orchid was among them, along with May and Aaron. Claire nodded in the campers'' direction. "We should probably get an update on what things are looking like before we shut ourselves away. Good to know what resources we have."


    "Can''t hurt. Hopefully they''ve kept up training while we were gone." Alex let his gaze focus on May. She didn''t have any equipment to conceal her level, so the System pulled it up within moments.


    May - Snapcaster (Novice 4)


    She''d gone up from Novice 2 to 4 in the time since Alex had last seen her. For a moment, a frown flickered across his face. That wasn''t necessarily bad. The girl was fairly young. Advancing to Novice 4 at her age was probably pretty decent¡­ but she''d had Orchid as a teacher.


    That changed things. There was no way May should have been moving that slowly if Orchid was instructing her. A quick glance in Aaron''s direction told Alex that his level was only one higher at Novice 5.


    There was no way the two of them had just been sitting around. They''d both been motivated and should have been training extensively ¡ª which meant they''d been allocating magical energy to their Mind Palaces far more than their level.


    Orchid caught Alex''s eye. She inclined her head slightly, as if she''d guessed what he''d been thinking. There was a pretty decent chance that she had.


    Well, well. That''s interesting. Putting that much energy into a Mind Palace means that Aaron and May will have weaker damage and fewer abilities, but they''ll be much harder to kill and will recover from more damage. She''s trying to keep them alive rather than optimizing for a victory using expendable pawns.


    Orchid didn''t strike me as the type of person to care that much about mere Nativeworlders¡­ but maybe I was thinking too poorly of her. She''s not half bad at all.


    "You''re back!" May exclaimed as Alex and Claire drew up to their group. "Are you going to kill the Region Boss now? Who''s the small guy that came with you? Is he going to help us? Can he build walls for the city? We really need walls, you know. Monsters keep trying to walk in." Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "One at a time, May," Aaron said, putting a hand on her head and ruffling her hair. There was a weariness in his eyes that spoke of constant work without any chance to recover. It looked like Orchid had been pushing him pretty hard.


    "We''re doing everything we can," Alex said. "The person that came with us is Mite. He''s an Engineer. We''re going to have him build a teleporter so we can get access to an old ally."


    "You actually managed to find one?" Orchid raised her eyebrows. "That''s¡­ impressive. How''d you manage to get your hands on him? Did you steal him from Valley Ford?"


    "That''s one way to put it," Claire said.


    "And you didn''t have trouble?" Orchid raised her eyebrows. "I suppose that''s what I should have expected. The Starfallen family is something else. Going up against the Great Tide with just two people and making it out with one of their Engineers¡­"


    "Well, he wasn''t officially theirs," Alex said. "He was more of a free agent."


    "We don''t actually know his full class yet," Claire admitted. "Mite is a bit odd. He seems competent, though. Just odd."


    "You don''t'' know what his class is? But he''s an Engineer? Are you sure? I had him struck as more of a mage with that thing he''s got shambling along with him."


    "Thing? That''s a puppet," Claire said.


    Orchid turned to look at Mite, who stood a few houses away with his arms crossed in front of his chest, examining the Warp Relay. His puppet stood beside him. Orchid shook her head. "I''m a mage as well, Claire. And that thing is not just a puppet. It''s organic. My family specializes in growth-based magic. I would recognize something like that."


    "Then what do you think it is?" Claire asked.


    "Give me a moment," Orchid said. Her grip on her staff tightened and she squinted at Mite. "He''s got some concealing equipment, but I''m not without ways to see¡­"


    Orchid trailed off.


    "What?" Alex asked.


    "Shit," Orchid breathed. Her features twisted in disgust and she took a step back. "That is vile."


    "The puppet?" Alex blinked. "Why?"


    "It''s still alive. Like some sort of metal-organism hive mind," Orchid said, letting her staff lower as she took a step back. "Mite is no engineer. He''s a necromancer."

 Chapter 170 - 169: Visit

    "What?" Claire exclaimed, with far more disgust than Alex felt appropriate for the situation. "Are you serious?"


    There was genuine distaste in her words. She looked as if she''d taken a bite out of a rancid worm. That, more than anything else, set Alex on edge instantly. He hadn''t felt like being a necromancer was necessarily such a terrible thing.


    After all, dead people were dead. Re-using their corpses was just a little bit of recycling. There was no way Mite was strong enough to be straight up bringing their souls back from the lands beyond. Sure, the job was a little gross, but it really didn''t feel like that big of a deal.


    But Claire''s reaction was real. Or, at least, it seemed real. It was always hard to tell with her.


    Alex sent a sidelong glance in Mite''s direction. He didn''t seem like some horrifying evil presence¡­ but it was hard to imagine many things eliciting such a horrified reaction from Claire. She normally had far too good of a grasp over her emotions for something like that to happen.


    Shit. I want to ask what the hell is wrong with being a necromancer, but with reactions like this from both of them, I''d look completely clueless if I did. That would definitely give me away as not being from the Starfallen family. What a pain in the ass.


    Let''s see. They both think necromancers are something horrible. So if I word things right, I could just sound like some arrogant prick that doesn''t care about other people''s weak, insignificant powers. Maybe I can get some information that way.


    "Necromancy is hardly worth getting that worked up over," Alex said derisively. "Though if Mite isn''t able to do the job he promised, then we''re going to have a problem."


    Mite could be the damn tooth fairy if it meant we got that teleporter. Though, now that I think about it, necromancers aren''t exactly well known for building shit. How is he going to build anything?


    To his surprise, it was Claire that sent him a disgusted look.


    "That''s just gross. Why would we want someone like that in the town? We have standards."


    "Building materials are building materials," Alex said with a one-shouldered shrug. "And we are of limited resources. No reason not to take advantage of the one thing we''re going to have a whole lot of. Corpses."


    "Gross," Claire said. She definitely didn''t seem like she was acting. "I can assure you that we most certainly do not need to do anything like that. No desires could ever get so strong so as to reduce me to such a level."


    Alex stared at her. He glanced to Orchid, but the mage looked just as confused as he did.


    "Uh¡­ desires?" Alex asked. "What are you talking about? This has nothing to do with desires. It''s about protecting the town."


    "It has absolutely nothing to do with protecting a town," Claire said, sending a baffled look at him. "If anything, keeping someone like that out of the town would be the best way to protect it."


    Alex''s brow furrowed. "Claire, what exactly do you think Mite is?"


    "A necromancer, of course."


    "Describe it with a different mix of words."


    She blinked, then thought for a few moments before speaking again. "Someone who does¡­ vile acts to dead bodies."


    Goddamn it. You have to be kidding me. I''m pretty sure Claire isn''t actually thinking about a necromancer, but I can''t exactly take the risk.


    "One moment," Alex said to Orchid. He looped an arm around Claire''s shoulder''s and lowered his voice to a whisper. "I''m going to need you to be a little more explicit with exactly what it is you think a necromancer is. I think we might have a possible mistranslation happening, but I need to know for sure."


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    "A necromancer copulates with dead¡ª"


    "Right," Alex said sharply, unsure if he was relieved or exasperated. If the System was going to offer translation magic, then the least it could do was make sure the magic actually worked properly. "Nope. That''s not a necromancer. Not at all. That''s a necrophiliac."


    "You said the same word twice."


    "Different," Alex said firmly, still in his muted tone. "Necromancers bring the dead to life. Necrophiliacs boink dead bodies."


    Claire tilted her head to the side.


    Alex''s eye twitched. If he hadn''t known better, he would have sworn the System was screwing with him. The confusion in her eyes made it evident his intent had not gotten anywhere near properly translating through. Evidently, it wasn''t completely up to date with modern slang ¡ª or perhaps it just didn''t care.


    "Necromancers raise the dead. Necrophiliacs screw corpses."


    Claire''s cheeks went bright red. "Oh, shit."


    Alex released her shoulders and cleared his throat, adjusting his clothing. May and Aaron peered at him. It was clear from Aaron''s choked expression that he''d also managed to deduce where Claire''s confusion had been.


    Somehow, perhaps by some miracle, Orchid still seemed confused.


    "I didn''t overhear you correctly," Claire said, clearing her throat into a fist. She''d managed to wrestle down the color heating her cheeks in an impressive feat of self-control. But even though she looked nearly normal, Alex could still see the faintest traces of embarrassment lingering on her.


    "I see," Orchid said, not sounding like she saw at all. "In that case¡ª"


    "I don''t see how this is a big deal. As Alex said, so long as Mite is capable of actually creating the buildings we need, then it doesn''t matter what he is," Claire said. "And he said he had an engineer-adjacent class. Were you able to see his exact class?"


    "No," Orchid admitted. "But I was able to see a lot. He''s definitely a necromancer."


    They all fell silent for a few moments to watch Mite. He was walking in circles around the Warp Relay, studying it with features so intent that it was hard to believe he was anything but someone who loved architecture. Alex had never seen someone give that much of a shit about a building before.


    He might be a bit young looking, but Mite definitely fits the bill of someone who builds buildings. He seemed to have a decent understanding of how things worked as well. Why go through all that hassle if the only thing he was after was the egg?


    "Odd," Orchid muttered. "Perhaps I am lacking in my understanding of the class. Maybe my identification was incorrect? I didn''t get the full information. There''s a chance I misunderstood something, but I am certain his class is at least close to that of a necromancer."


    "Well¡­ maybe he''s a necromancer that can build," Claire said. She hesitated for the word on necromancer, only pausing for a moment to make sure she''d said it right before she continued speaking again. "So as long as he didn''t lie to us about being able to help, there isn''t an issue. We just have to make sure nothing starts stinking the town up. His puppet smelled fine enough to me."


    Orchid''s brow furrowed. "Huh. That''s true. I didn''t smell anything. How odd. Necromancers do tend to have a certain¡­ stench to them. Perhaps he has a way to conceal it."


    "I can sniff him," May volunteered.


    "That won''t be necessary," Alex said with a shake of his head. "For now, I think it''s fine to just sit back and observe. We really don''t have the resources to waste kicking someone out just because his class is a bit odd. He''s just studying the Warp Relay right now. If he necromancers a teleporter to life, then that''s fine by me."


    "That¡­ is not typically how necromancers work," Orchid said, but she didn''t press the matter too hard.


    "Alex is right," Claire said. "Orchid, keep an eye on him for now. No point being stupid. He isn''t exactly tied too closely to us right now. Make sure he doesn''t do anything that could screw the town over. In the meantime, I need to meditate. I don''t want to face the Region Boss without spending the energy I''ve been gathering up."


    "Same here," Alex said, though he had an entirely different direction of advancement in mind. Claire was probably going to be pushing her level up to get higher in the Initiate Stage, but he''d gotten some new abilities recently.


    Now, his focus was entirely on reinforcing his Mind Palace even further. Something told him that this upcoming fight was one in which endurance would be vital. He was going to need to be able to tank as much damage as possible and keep going if he wanted to have a fighting chance against a Region Boss considerably more powerful than he was. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I''ll keep an eye out. Just don''t take too long if you can avoid it," Orchid said. Her tone made it abundantly clear that she didn''t trust Mite.


    "We''ll help," May volunteered. "I''m really persuasive. He''ll tell me what he''s doing."


    "Persistent," Aaron corrected. "You''re really persistent."


    His words fell on deaf ears. May was already heading off. Aaron hurried after her, and Orchid followed a few moments later.


    Alex and Claire exchanged a glance.


    "It''ll be fine," Claire said. She didn''t sound too sure of her own words.


    But, in the end, it didn''t matter. There was nothing to do here but wait and watch ¡ª and Alex had some gathered power waiting for him to cash it in. The two of them headed for the lodge so they could find a quiet place to meditate.


    It was time for Alex to pay his Mind Palace a visit.

 Chapter 171 - 170: Deal

    Alex''s soul was much as he''d left it, bar the newly refilled ball of smokey blue energy swirling above his basin. Shimmers of delicate light danced over the surface of the dark lake and illuminated the three pillars rising around him. It caught on the Aspect Gems he''d set into two of the three pillars, making their faceted surfaces dance.


    Situated between two of the pillars, amidst piles of unused brick and scattered building materials, was the doorway that blocked the way to his domain.


    It was as inconspicuous as it had ever been. The plain marble bore no design beyond three lines that ran up the surface of the door and gathered around a clear gem embedded at its center.


    Alex walked across the surface of his soul, watching the ripples his footsteps made slowly fade into the darkness, and begun his ascent up the stairwell leading to the top of the basin.


    He came to a stop at the edge. Undulating snakes of mist swirled in a thick ball before him. His skin tingled as tiny arcs of energy popped and rolled across it like static electricity. Alex turned to look back over the soul below.


    Reflections of even more building materials rippled just beneath the lake, waiting for him to pull them up to its surface. He really had quite a bit to work with, now ¡ª and even less idea what to do with it now than he had before.


    I was never the kid that took a bunch of random Legos and made something out of them. If I''m being honest, I much preferred the minifigures. Sue me. But I don''t have the faintest idea as to what the hell I''m meant to do with all these damn bricks and pieces.


    I''m certainly not delusional enough to think I can just start tossing a castle together and hope it stands strong. I have to get one of those Visualizations that Finley mentioned¡­ though I really don''t want to get locked in on a bad one.


    Maybe he''s got something better stored away. After all the effort we''re going through to pull him over here, he''s going to owe me big time. Could get a pretty good deal or something¡­ but that''s a problem to worry about once I''m done here.


    He had a more pressing matter at hand. Unless he got really, really lucky, this was going to be the last time he got a chance to meditate before the fight with the Region Boss. The way he allocated his resources now had a significant chance of being the difference between success and failure.


    "Let''s see," Alex muttered. "I don''t have any points left over to get skills right now. I cashed all of those in the last time to get Armament Elegy. So if I want to get any sort of new skill, the cheapest one would be upgrading Monster Medley¡­ and it would cost me 4 points."


    That was a steep cost. It was 4 whole levels of energy ¡ª and he wasn''t even sure if he had that much power gathered before him. It got harder to advance with every single passing level. The System was certainly making sure they had to earn every single step they took.


    Given the previous rate I converted energy at, I think I could probably get 3 levels from this. There''s a chance I could get 4¡­ but I wouldn''t bet on it.


    But, honestly?


    That might be fine.


    Monster Medley was an incredible skill for advancing his monsters, and he didn''t know exactly what the next evolution of it would offer, but it was very geared toward long-term power and growth. There was a very good chance it wouldn''t make a significant difference in such a nearby fight.


    "I think the most important thing right now is to make sure I can just keep fighting for as long as possible," Alex mused to himself. If he''d had enough levels to advance Riftwalk or Requiem to the King again, things certainly would have been different.


    But his soul needed to be advanced either way. Completely filling it when he''d been a Novice had given him some huge advantages. There was no reason to believe this would be any different. Improving his soul would make him stronger, faster, and more resilient.


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    Advancing my soul could be the difference between getting one-shot by the Region Boss and managing to hold on by a thread. Sure, that''s a reach, but you never know. I''m quite certain it''s the best move in my current situation.


    Sure, it was going to land him a bunch of bricks and other shit he couldn''t use yet¡­ but that would eventually change, and then he''d be glad to have them.


    Alex sat down on the edge of the basin. He drew in a deep breath, stilling his mind as he extended a hand to brush against the swirling energy. Freezing cold met his fingertips. It raced down his palm and sliced into his veins, but it was nothing he hadn''t felt before.


    The meditation had become oddly natural. It almost felt as if he''d been doing it his entire life ¡ª and there was a sense of peace that came with letting the rest of the world drift away. All that remained was him and the power lying in wait.


    Droplet by droplet, he condensed the mist and sent it raining down into his basin. Alex didn''t know how long the process took, nor did he care to. Someone would wake him up if the Region Boss attacked, and his mind had no room to focus on anything other than the power before him.


    Alex eventually condensed every single drop of power into the waiting basin beneath. He''d managed to fill it just over three quarters of the way, which was absolutely nothing to scoff at considering he hadn''t defeated any particularly powerful enemies since the last time he''d meditated. All this power was just from training and cleaning up monsters in the Mirrorlands that had happened to get in his way.


    He didn''t hesitate to drink every droplet of the condensed magic. The power burned as it slipped through his lips and entered his body, spreading throughout him like a growing frost.


    Ripples passed through the lake beneath the basin. Bricks rose up from beneath the water, piling higher as his soul grew stronger. Alex barely even noticed. His attention was completely on gathering every scrap of power he could get. There would be time to see the fruits of his labor later.


    The basin seemed to drain at an agonizingly slow speed. It had gotten large enough that drinking all the water stored within it, even when it was only three quarters of the way full, was not a simple task.


    Alex''s concentration threatened to waver. He''d never lost focus while absorbing energy, and he had absolutely no desire to start now. Wasting even a scrap of magic felt like an affront. He''d worked for all this power, and he''d be damned if he let it get away right before the finish line.


    The water level of the basin lowered. It sank from half to a quarter, then dwindled still. Alex continued to drink. His body was so cold that he couldn''t even feel his fingers anymore. He could have sworn that his skin was frosting over and icicles were forming on his eyebrows.


    All he could see was the water before him, lowering and lowering and lowering. And that was all that mattered. The numbness of the cold actually helped. It muted out what few distractions remained in his soul, swallowed his vision to a pinpoint, and filled his ears with the thundering pump of blood until nothing else remained. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And the freezing sensation enveloping him evaporated. The pinpricks of pain throughout his veins pulled back. Alex drew in a sharp breath as his body suddenly remembered that it was meant to need air.


    There was no water left in the basin.


    He''d drained every last droplet of it. Newfound power thrummed within Alex. His body was already beginning to adapt to the changes, but the feeling was unmistakable. He was stronger. Faster. He was simply more.


    "What a rush," Alex said, shaking his head as he slowly rose back to his feet. His movements were intentionally slow¡ª the last thing he wanted to do was trip over his own feet and accidentally send himself plunging into his own basin.


    I don''t know if you can kill yourself inside your own soul, but I''m not about to find out.


    Alex took a moment to steady himself and acclimate to the energy thrumming within him. Then he turned to look down the stairs and down upon what the fruits of his labor had netted him.


    He froze.


    "What the fuck?" Alex breathed.


    Rivers of bricks flowed, piled in unruly stacks and in wait of an architect to assign them their places. They were stacked alongside piles of dirt and rolls of grass and other masonry ¡ª though there wasn''t so much as a single tool to work with amongst the litter.


    But Alex wasn''t looking at any of the building materials.


    His eyes were focused on the side of his soul, between two of the pillars and opposite to the plain doorway.


    They were focused on the massive demon sitting cross legged upon the surface of his lake, chin rested on its palm, thick white chains hanging like vines from its enormous body. The demon shifted, raising his hand from his palm as amusement lit behind his catlike eyes.


    "Ah," Berith said. The rattle of his chains echoed through Alex''s soul like distant thunder. "You''ve finished. I was wondering when you''d notice me. It''s been some time since we last traded words. I hope you haven''t forgotten our deal, Alex."

 Chapter 172 - 171: Amuse

    "How are you here?" Alex asked. He didn''t let his eyes drift from Berith as he carefully made his way down the basin staircase. The demon may have helped him when they were in the Mirrorlands, but he had absolutely no delusions about what their relationship was.


    Berith saw him as a curiosity at best¡­ and a tool at worst. From what Alex had understood, it should have been impossible for Berith to be here right now. His soul was nowhere near strong enough.


    "What an odd question." Berith examined the beds of his nails. "You brought me into your soul, Alex. What did you think would happen?"


    "Not that. You know as well as I do what I''m asking," Alex said as he reached the base of the stairs. He stared at Berith, waiting to see if the white chains would drag him back beneath the water, but it didn''t seem like the demon was going anywhere. "You''re supposed to be bound. I most certainly haven''t forgotten our deal, but I also know I''ve seen your chains beneath the water. They weren''t anywhere near close enough to let you out yet."


    "You sound displeased." Berith let his hand lower to rest against the water. Ripples passed through it, rolling throughout Alex''s soul before fading into the darkness. "Could it be you did not plan on carrying out our arrangement?"


    "Are you kidding? Of course I am. But I''m not an idiot. Even if I was capable of breaking those chains right now ¡ª which I am not ¡ª fighting you would be about as clever as flinging myself off a cliff. I want a fight, not to kill myself."


    Berith nodded amiably. "Good, good. You are correct on both counts. A fight right now would hardly be worth my time, and you would have more luck lifting a mountain than you would breaking a single link of these chains."


    "Right." Alex crossed his arms in front of his chest. "So why are you here?"


    "Would you enjoy sitting around in the cramped confines of someone else''s pathetic little soul? There isn''t much to do there, deep in the darkness. I have sat for eons longer than you can even comprehend, Alex. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. It has been far too long since I have witnessed anything worthy of my attention. Would you not seek new sights were you in the same situation?"


    That was a convincing argument. If Alex had so much as a flicker of trust for Berith, he might have believed it.


    "You can''t see much more here than you could down there," Alex pointed out. "In fact, given all the stuff I keep dredging up from the lake, I''d imagine there''s actually less here than there is inside the lake."


    A soft laugh slipped from Berith''s lips. His chains jerked taut as he shifted. For a flicker of a second, anger passed through his eyes. Then his normal demeanor returned as quickly as it had vanished.


    "It is not so much about quantity as it is about quality. You will find that to become increasingly true as you grow stronger. A thousand pathetic stars are nothing in the face of a single sun." sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "A sun is a¡ª"


    Berith levied a withering glare at Alex that killed his sentence before it could finish leaving his lips. Antagonizing an ancient demon that lived inside his soul was not on the top of Alex''s priority list. He didn''t know how much damage Berith could do if suitably motivated and he didn''t want to find out.


    "So you''re here to¡­ sit around?" Alex asked.


    "I am here to observe. Your soul grew enough that a sliver of the sliver could solidify its presence," Berith said. "I am patient¡­ but I must admit that after all these years, that patience wears thin when an opportunity to do anything else arises."


    A sliver of a sliver¡­ so that''s what''s going on. My deal with Berith let him put a tiny piece of himself into me in exchange for giving me the Riftwalk ability. The majority of that fragment is still hidden away, deep in my soul. This is just a small piece of the already small piece¡­


    And I can''t tell the difference.


    Alex swallowed. Of all the emotions that he''d felt since the beginning of the apocalypse, fear had rarely been one of them. But only a fool didn''t know fear ¡ª and he had met no being more worthy of fear than the chained demon.


    There was a chance that Berith was lying, but Alex doubted it. Lies served a purpose. An ant could not tell the difference between a mountain and the stars above it. They were both impossibly large, and Berith was no different.


    And from that fear came a burning wick of excitement. The very same emotion that had propelled Alex through the apocalypse up until this point. He''d only seen the tiniest piece of the universe.


    There was so much more out there. So much power to be claimed. And if there was anything that he''d learned from the world before it had all gone to shit, it was that power compounded. Those who gathered strength would see it come in increasing amounts.


    I may not be able to fight you yet, Berith, but I will. And I will win. You can count on that.


    "Well then," Alex said. "I''d say you could make yourself at home, but I''d really prefer you didn''t. Just¡­ stay over there."


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    Berith chuckled. "It seems you are largely unchanged from our previous meeting. Are you not going to ask for my help? I can see you have made a mess of your soul."


    A mess might be a bit of an understatement.


    There were piles of building materials everywhere. It was like someone had blown up an ancient civilization''s construction site. Some help would have been very, very appreciated ¡ª which was exactly why Alex''s hair stood on end the moment Berith offered it.


    "Hell no," Alex said. "Do I look like an idiot to you?"


    "Are you certain you want me to answer that question?"


    "I''m not asking you for help," Alex said.


    "How arrogant." Berith leaned back. His chains went taut and he draped an arm over one of them, using his bindings like a lounge chair. "Do you really think you are in a position to refuse help? Or are you so bold that you believe yourself to know better than me?"


    "Nope. I just don''t think you''d do shit for free. There are some strings attached, and I''m not turning myself into a puppet."


    Alex pulled Princess'' Soul Mirror out and summoned her with a thought. Sludge bubbled at his feet as she rose up in a mound, the centipede legs expending from her back clawing at the air as her white mask quietly turned to Alex in wait of a command.


    "You imply I am not trustworthy?" Berith asked. He paid Princess absolutely no attention.


    "Yes," Alex replied.


    Berith let out a bark of laughter. "Then you are not a complete fool. Good."


    Alex scrunched his nose. He pulled a Soul Flame free from the Spatial Mirror and fed it to Princess. There was no reason to waste time. He had a fair bit of energy to feed Princess. The stronger she was before this fight, the better. Princess was his best tank. Alex didn''t have enough energy to evolve her quite yet, but he got the feeling that winning the fight against the Region Boss would change that.


    It was a chance to catapult himself and his town even farther ahead of their competition. Nobody had managed to defeat a Region Boss yet on 274-50, which meant the System would reward them well for it. Evolving Princess was only one of the smaller things he could potentially wrest from a victory.


    A chuckle rolled through Alex''s soul as Berith inclined his head ¡ª though the demon''s gaze never once went lower than Alex''s. The demon made absolutely no attempts to hide his thoughts. In Berith''s eyes, they were not equals.


    "I see the desire burning in your eyes. So greedy. Good. Power is torn from existence by those with the will and hunger to wield it," Berith said. The demon flicked a lazy finger. "Though leaving the foundations of your soul so¡­ unkept¡­ is mildly distressing."


    Alex''s eyebrow twitched. He wasn''t sure if Berith was joking or not. It was impossible to tell.


    Is an ancient demon implying that he''s genuinely bothered by the fact that my soul is a giant mess? I mean, I''m not exactly thrilled about it either, but I''m not screwing with shit until I know what I''m doing.


    "I''ll mess with things once I get a Visualization," Alex said, continuing to feed Princess all the normal souls he had within his mirror. "Speaking of which ¡ª and I''m only talking in hypotheticals, mind you, but I wonder if not having a Visualization right now is going to cause me any problems."


    Berith stared at him. "Who do you think you''re fooling? Are you trying to pretend as if that isn''t a question directed at me?"


    "Just pure hypotheticals. No questions here," Alex said with a firm shake of his head. "Just wondering. You know. A Visualization seems really important. I know I need one, but I don''t know if delaying in getting it will be an issue."


    "Do you think this is some schoolyard playground?"


    Alex was more than aware he was being petty ¡ª but Berith was humoring him. The demon wouldn''t have been doing that if he didn''t find some level of amusement in his actions¡­ which very likely meant Alex was skirting closer to danger than he was aware.


    If I ask him directly for help, he''s definitely going to hold it over my head somehow. I can''t be stupid here. Whether Berith answers my question or not, nothing changes in the short term. No point putting myself into debt over something like that."


    "I''m just thinking aloud, here. I''m not trying to destroy my soul before I get a chance to make sure I know what I''m doing."


    "That," Berith said, leaning forward until the chains binding him grew completely taut, "may be the smartest thing you''ve ever said. While we''re in the habit of thinking aloud, I would mention that I found my Visualization''s rewards only made themselves known at the brink between Stages."


    Alex nodded as if that made perfect sense ¡ª which, in all honesty, it did. Everything to do with the Mind Palace seemed to be most important right before advancements in Stage¡­ which meant he had time to work with.


    "I see. Pondering really lightens the chest, doesn''t it?"


    Berith snorted. "Perhaps you''ll be something of a fight after all. Just don''t keep me waiting longer than a few thousand years."


    "I ¡ª wait. A few thousand years?"


    "I am keeping my expectations in check."


    "That''s keeping them in check?" Alex asked, aghast. He paused for a moment, then fed another soul to Princess. He''d never really considered how long he could live¡­ but with the upgrades the System was giving his body, increased longevity hardly seemed like a surprise now that he actually thought about it.


    With every flame Princess ate, her body grew larger. Thin engravings carved themselves into the mask, almost like the opening strokes of some immense tapestry. The centipede legs that composed the arms on her back lengthened, barbs forming along their length as their shape grew more defined.


    You can take anything you want from this world. That''s what the truth of the System. Life, power, happiness, all of it. You just have to be strong enough to claim what you desire.


    Alex fed the last of the monster souls to Princess, his thoughts still drifting. Her body bubbled was she absorbed the final scraps, and Alex took a surprised step back.


    Princess had grown nearly three feet in size. The massive mouth on her stomach had grown as well. A purple, barbed tongue lolled from the within it. Dark lips that stretched in a wide leer were ringed by wide, flat yellowed teeth.


    "Sickening," Berith said. "You have managed to take the filth that reside within the Mirrorlands and somehow make it viler. Well done."


    Alex grinned. His preparations were done. The only thing left to do was head back to the real world and finalize their preparations.


    "Thank you. Now sit tight and watch me kill a Region Boss, yeah?"


    Berith roared with laughter. "I shall. Succeed or perish. It matters not. You will amuse me either way."


    Alex let his Mind Palace drift away.


    But, even as his eyes opened in 274-50, Berith''s fading laughter continued to ring in his ears.

 Chapter 173 - 172: Spree

    Alex rose to his feet, nearly tripping over himself in the process as he suddenly found himself upright far faster than he''d intended to be. He stumbled and caught himself on the wall of the log cabin he sat within.


    Whoops. I should probably wait a moment to make my body can adapt to the changes before I charge headfirst into something.


    He paused for a few seconds, letting his brain re-adjust. There were no screams or other sounds of battle coming from outside, which was a good thing. It meant nothing had gone too wrong yet.


    The room around him was, however, empty. Claire had already finished meditating. Unless she''d suddenly gotten a whole lot faster at it, that probably meant Alex had taken longer than normal. That wasn''t really much of a surprise to him given Berith''s surprise appearance.


    Alex blew out a small sigh and adjusted his shirt. His hands moved as he wanted them to. Control of his body had been returned to him. And so, without further ado, he strode out from the cabin to check on how the rest of the town were doing.


    Campers scurried along the edges of the clearing, reinforcing the shoddy battlements in preparation for the upcoming fight. Jagged spikes of wood jutted up from the ground at angles in rings around the camp, their tips sharpened to what would hopefully be deadly points.


    The fact that there weren''t any monsters already knocking on their non-existent doors was definitely a good thing. There was no reason to tempt fate, though. Alex set off at a brisk pace to find Claire and the others.


    Fortunately, that wasn''t a difficult task. Most everyone he was looking for had already gathered around a large, open space a few dozen feet away from the Warp Relay. A large square roughly the size of an average dining room had been drawn into the dirt.


    Mite and his puppet stood at its center, surrounded by what could only be described as a pile of trash. Teeth, bones, scales, hair ¡ª and just about everything else that could come from a monster ¡ª were all strewn about them.


    If someone had taken a week old trash bin and smashed it to pieces on the ground, it probably would have strongly resembled the scene before Alex. It certainly would have smelled similar. Perhaps it shouldn''t have been a surprise, but corpses pieces did not have a particularly enticing odor.


    Orchid and Claire stood several paces away from the square. The two of them were watching the odd scene through squinted eyes. Neither of them had actually moved to stop anything Mite was doing, but they certainly didn''t seem happy about any of it.


    Rhyss floated alongside them. As usual, his expression was impossible to read. His lone eye observed Mite unblinkingly. Not a single muscle on his body so much as twitched. If Alex hadn''t known better, he might have thought the powerful Advisor was a sculpture frozen in the air.


    "¡­it''ll be fine soon enough," Mite was saying. He crossed his arms in front of his chest. "And this wouldn''t smell half bad if you''d let me get started the moment I was ready. Things only start smelling when you leave them out for a few hours."


    "Perhaps you should have considered the possibility of a delay before you started scattering organs across the ground," Orchid said. "If you are going to be using necromancy within the town, you need to at least inform us of what it is you are doing. You can''t just start slinging magic around. Especially this magic."


    Mite blew out an explosive sigh. "This is why I don''t tell people what I''m doing. I always get the same damn reaction, you know. Everyone''s happy to hire me right up until I actually start doing what they want. Didn''t you ask for a portal? I''m making a portal. What''s the issue?"


    "There isn''t an issue, actually," Orchid said. "Not with the building, at least. It''s with the approval of the building."


    "I ¡ª wait, what?" Mite''s brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"


    "You need approval for the building location from the town owner before you begin creating anything," Rhyss said. "You have been approved to create a building, but the location in which it is made has not yet been approved."


    "You mean you don''t have an issue with the necromancer stuff?" Mite asked, blinking. "It''s just that I''m trying to start it too early?"


    "My personal tastes for necromancy are irrelevant. Alex indicated that you be allowed to work," Orchid said in a stiff tone. "Which is why I did not interfere while you were preparing your work. If I had known you were working with¡­ fresh materials, I would have. Most necromancers properly treat their belongings before erecting something. But, regardless, you are not being prohibited from building anything. You just need Alex''s permission first. Creating a building that smells like rotted cheese in the middle of the town seems like a remarkably poor idea."


    Alex had a pretty good idea of what was going on by the time he came to a stop alongside the group. Claire glanced at him, then gave him a slight nod.


    "Good timing," she said. "Did you hear the gist of things?"


    "Pretty much," Alex confirmed. "And I can''t help but agree. Mite, I really don''t care how you make the building¡­ but I don''t want my town to smell like literal death. People are meant to live here."


    "You''re really more concerned with the location than the¡­ uh, materials?"


    "I don''t really see why we should care," Alex said with a frown. As nitpicky as the situation was, it was actually good to see that Rhyss was keeping an eye on people building things on his town. It set a good precedent. Alex really didn''t want to wake up to find someone had built a house outside of his. "But we really can''t have the town smelling like death. This is seriously rancid."


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    "It only smells because I''ve had the stuff sitting out here for a while. The building won''t have any smell once its finished. It gets purified." Mite hesitated for a moment before clearing his throat. "I would have told you earlier, but I thought you would fire me. And I''m not a Necromancer. I''m a Bioengineer. There''s a difference. The things I make aren''t technically dead. Well, they are, but they aren''t. You know."


    Alex did not.


    He also didn''t particularly care. If Mite could make him his teleporter and it wasn''t going to smell anymore, then the boy could call his class whatever the hell he wanted to.


    "Great," Alex said. "This location should be fine then. I really don''t care about anything other than having a functional portal, and it should be toward the center of town. This is as good a spot as any."


    "Acknowledged," Rhyss said. He inclined his head to Mite. "You are cleared to complete construction."


    "Great," Mite said with a grin. He rubbed his hands together. "You might want to stand back. I''m not used to doing this with an audience."


    "How long will it take?" Alex asked as everyone other than Rhyss backed up several feet.


    Given the absolute mess he''s got here, it''s probably going to be a while. Even with the System backing him up and the existence of magic¡­ I wouldn''t be surprised if it''s a day or more.


    "Oh, Rhyss already let me set everything out. That was the hard part. Can''t accidentally mess up any of the patterns or everything goes to shit. Found that out the hard way a few times." Mite rolled up his sleeves. "This won''t take long at all."


    "Patterns?" Alex repeated, his brow furrowing.


    Mite didn''t respond. He knelt and pressed his hands against the ground, concentration creasing his features. The back of Alex''s neck prickled as the air pressure suddenly popped and changed. A dull hum rose up from the garbage surrounding mite. It begun to tremble as sparks of flitting black energy arced throughout it.


    The strands of magic hissed, racing throughout the monster parts and forming into a buzzing net. It undulated and wavered like seaweed on the ocean floor, snapping with the changing currents.


    Pieces of bone begun to lift into the air.


    Mites hands rose as well. He flicked and plucked at the air like it were the strings of a harp. More materials rose up around him and the energy cut into them, shearing away fragments of bone and flesh away.


    Pieces snapped together like Legos, as if they''d been machined to fit each other perfectly. Individual parts became segments and segments became chunks as parts of a building begun to assemble themselves in real time.


    The twisting strands of black energy sliced through the components around mite with such precision that it should have been impossible. There was a veritable storm of monster flesh around him. Dozens of different altercations and connections were happening simultaneously. Wholly separate actions, some to create, some to destroy.


    Doing all of it at once should have been impossible. The human mind simply couldn''t split itself in that many directions at once.


    It didn''t look like anybody had told Mite that.


    His hands danced through the air like an orchestra conductor, surrounded by a storm of his own making. It wasn''t long before all sight of him was completely lost. Walls formed of bleached bone rose up around the boy and blocked him from sight.


    Arcs of black energy raced over their surface, burning away the outer layers with a magic so intense that not even smoke managed to escape.


    And then it was done.


    Before them rose a dome, approximately eight feet tall and equally as wide in diameter. Its surface was craggy and bumpy from the mixture of scale, bone, and hard material that made it up. The building''s door was one flat sheet of melted bone that almost seemed to ripple like a wavy sea.


    And, possibly most notably of all, no scent remained in the air. It had been completely burned away.


    "Holy shit," Alex said. Claire nodded mutely in agreement, though the motion was so small that he nearly missed it.


    The door swung open soundlessly and Mite stepped out, revealing a plain room behind him. The dome''s floor was made of the same material as the rest of it, and in its center rested a large pillar. Throbbing veins of purple energy ran throughout the pillar, fading as they traveled farther until they were lost in the sea of bone around it.


    Mite swallowed and cleared his throat. "There you go. One building. Teleporter. Not really that pretty or anything. I kind of messed up on some of the treating and cutting. I wanted it to be more spherical. But it''s a teleporter. It works. Right? I still get paid."


    The nervousness in his voice pulled Alex''s eyes away from the building behind him. Mite''s earlier words rung in Alex''s head. This wasn''t the first time he''d made a building in the apocalypse ¡ª but his previous employers clearly hadn''t much liked the results.


    "Mite, I don''t give a shit what you make buildings out of. If anything, recycling is good. No reason to just go wasting monster parts," Alex said through a bark of laughter. "As long as this thing connects to the Astral Map¡ª"


    "It does."


    "Then consider yourself hired. Again. Already kind of did that, but the point still stands."


    "Really?" Mite asked, his eyes lighting up. He caught himself, then coughed into his fist. "Of course. Who wouldn''t appreciate something like this? It''s a great building."


    "Fascinating," Orchid said, studying the teleporter intently. "I''ve¡­ never heard of something like this before. What class do you have?"


    "Oh, now you like me?" Mite squinted at her. "You aren''t in the Org Chart. I don''t answer to you."


    Alex bit back a snort of laughter. That probably wouldn''t have looked too great for his image as a supposed member of the Starfallen Family.


    Though I don''t think we can realistically keep that up much longer. I''m certain Orchid is starting to suspect things already¡­ if she hasn''t already figured them out. Should probably talk to Claire about what to do there. I don''t to want to blow our cover, but there''s a certain point where hiding shit isn''t going to help us anymore. Orchid is pretty stuck with us right now. Might as well try to get more use of her knowledge.


    Alex shook his head. "Don''t start arguments right now. This is great stuff, Mite. You have no idea how useful this is going to be."


    "I was going to ask, actually. Why do you need a teleporter so bad for a fight? For a way to run away?"


    The spatial ring on Alex''s finger felt heavier than it ever had before. There was a small fortune of credits in it just waiting for him to cash them in. He''d saved the Credits ever since the first visit to Valley Ford¡­ and now he could finally cash them in with someone who was about to owe him quite the large favor.


    "No. I didn''t need it so we could run away. More the opposite, actually. We needed this so we can bring somebody here." Alex grinned. "Someone who''s been waiting quite some time."


    It was time to retrieve Finley from Towntown ¡ª and then he was going to go on a shopping spree. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 174 - 173: Cursed

    Alex stepped into the bone and flesh dome that Mite had created, approaching the purple-lined pillar in its center warily. Something that became increasingly apparent the closer he grew was that this building was no mere pile of bones.


    The energy at its center pulsated as if to the beat of some deeply buried heart. It grew brighter and dimmer in an oddly hypnotizing pattern as power flowed out from the center of the pillar until it faded into the rough stone walls above and beneath it.


    A faint thumping noise just barely reached Alex''s ears. It was more of a shift in air pressure than a real noise, the whoosh-thump of distant lungs drawing breath. The building felt¡­ alive.


    "What kind of technique is this?" Alex asked, glancing back at Mite as he came to a stop directly before the pillar. He couldn''t tell if he was unsettled or impressed.


    "It''s my class''s specialty," Mite said with more than a little pride in his voice. "And before you ask, it''s not alive. Not really. It just does a bunch of the stuff that living things do."


    "Doesn''t that beget the question of where life starts?" Orchid asked, tilting her head to the side. "How many living actions does a being have to take for it to be considered alive?"


    "I''d say a soul is probably the biggest bit," Mite replied with the ease of a man who had been asked a similar question more than once. "I''d have liked to add the capacity for intelligent thought to the requirements, but I''ve met a great many people that would make the theory invalid."


    To Alex''s surprise, a hint of a grin pulled at the corner of Orchid''s lips before she banished it in place of her normal expression.


    I suppose it really doesn''t matter right now. Even if Mite needs to feed the damn thing, if it works, that''s all that matters.


    "I''ll be back as soon as I can," Alex said. "There''s a Starstone in Towntown, so I''ll try to connect to that."


    Assuming I get to choose it, that is. Didn''t think of that bit. Really hope it isn''t about to bite me in the ass¡­ but I assume someone would have mentioned something if this whole thing was for naught.


    "Don''t take too long," Claire said. "I don''t think you need two people for the trip, right? I''ll stay here and keep an eye on things just in case the Region Boss decides to roll up before you make your way back."


    "Sounds good," Alex said with a nod. He turned back to the undulating pillar and, without any more delay, pressed a palm against its rough surface.


    A dull rumble passed through the ground beneath his feet. Purple energy snaked out across the walls, revealing previously hidden veins as the entire building came alive. The door ground shut behind Alex with a dull thud that echoed through the enclosed space lit only by the power humming throughout it.


    His hair stood on end as magic filled the air with a loud whine. Alex drew on his own power, just in case. He didn''t think that Mite was going to try to kill him¡­ but it never hurt to be prepared in case someone made a mistake.


    The whine filling the room rose in pitch until it was a shrill shriek. Purple light strobed and thrummed furiously as the ground and walls trembled violently. Then there was a deep, brassy whump. It slammed into Alex''s face like a blast of air, blowing his hair back and nearly sending him staggering a step.


    Letters abruptly snapped into existence before Alex''s eyes, appearing so suddenly that he nearly attacked them out of reflex like some paranoid cat confronted with an offensive cucumber.


    Connection to Astral Map successful.


    [Owner View]


    [Unnamed Town] Warpstone


    Connected Hub Cities:


    None


    Astral Connection [3/3] Available. Utilize? [Y/N]


    "You know, I didn''t really think about it, but this place probably needs a name, doesn''t it?" Alex muttered to himself as he read over the System menu. That could be a problem for another time. He really didn''t want to try and figure out how to convince the System to name his town something while he was stuck in a dome with time breathing down his neck.


    At least it wasn''t hard to tell what he had to do.


    Alex sent a mental affirmation to the System. The golden letters shimmered, then vanished as new ones replaced them.


    Voice Connection Name.


    "Towntown," Alex said. He braced himself, preparing for another wave of protesting bone and flashing energy.


    Instead, the words before him simply vanished. The menu he''d just seen a moment before shimmered to life. It was identical to how it had been the last time aside from a single, small change at its bottom.


    Connected Hub Cities:


    Towntown


    "Wow," Alex said. "Color me surprised. Thought it would be a bigger pain in the ass."


    Then he pressed his hand against Towntown''s name.


    A rush of cold energy poured into his palm. The golden letters in the air before him turned as white as fresh snow. Then the world exploded, a roar of energy swallowing any words or thoughts may have had.


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    Every single one of Alex''s senses shut down. His vision was nothing but an endless plain of white, his hearing a muted roar. He felt static on his tongue and simultaneously picked up on every smell at once. Even his skin couldn''t seem to tell if he was underwater, on fire, or hurtling through the sky.


    It felt like somebody had hit randomize on everything in existence. Alex couldn''t even tell if it was uncomfortable or not. The only word that could have been aptly use to describe the sensation was confusing.


    Then ground slammed into his feet like it had a personal vendetta against him. His heart jumped in his chest in an attempt to vacate his body through the throat and he stumbled, every single sense returning to him all at once.


    Alex stood before a glowing white meteor. It was half-buried in the ground, surrounded by shattered buildings and rubble that he remembered well. The confusion fell away from him in an instant as a grin pulled across his lips.


    He was back in Towntown.


    Without hesitation, Alex drew on his power and summoned Princess. Glint and Spark followed shortly after her. It had been some time since he''d been back here. As much as he hoped that nothing had changed and he''d be fortunate enough to just stumble right into Finley, it was far more likely that he''d have to track the merchant down.


    There wasn''t even any guarantee Finley was still here. The System could have cashed in on his debts and done¡­ something to him. Alex didn''t really want to speculate. All he knew is that this was going to be a pain in the¡ª


    "Well I''ll be slapped ten ways to the moon," a voice exclaimed. Rocks crumbled down as a pile of debris bucked, then shifted. A hand shoved a large sheet of stone away as a very dusty man clambered out from within them, hurriedly brushing himself off. "You actually came back!"


    No way.


    "Finley?" Alex asked.


    It was, of course. There was no mistaking the merchant. It was definitely him.


    "Who else would it be?" Finley exclaimed. He strode over to Alex and stopped a pace away form him. "My curse may be nearing its end, my Nativeworlder friend. I must admit, doubt was beginning to cross my mind. I thought you may have forgotten about me."


    "Definitely didn''t forget," Alex said. "Just¡­ had a very busy few days. But what are you doing here?"


    Finley''s brow furrowed. "What am I doing here? What do you mean? I''ve been waiting for you, of course. Does a business partner abandon their fellow? No. Of course not. And I knew that well. We are partners, you and I. And that girl, should you still be with her. If not, I spit on her name." S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "She''s still with me."


    "As I was saying, a thousand blessings upon you both," Finley said without so much as missing a beat. The words spilled from his mouth at such a speed that it was almost impossible to keep up with them. "Lovely woman, her. Forgot her name. You''ll have to remind me. No matter. You come bearing coin, yes? Let me alleviate you of that burden. I''m certain¡ª"


    "Slow down a second." Alex raised his hands before him. "I''m still caught on something. Were you literally just waiting for me to come back? In a pile of rubble?"


    Finley''s shoulders dropped. He threw his hands up into the air. "What else would you have me do? Nobody knows of my presence here other than you and your ally. I am cursed by the heavens and the System alike. You bore witness to this."


    "Right," Alex said. "The debts. But did you really need to just sit here? What about food? Shelter?"


    "Merchants are protected," Finley said simply. "Such base things do not matter to us at this point in time. For all intents and purposes, I am immortal on this world. Magical energy from my contract sustains me. Right up until it doesn''t. Then I''ll be a dead withered husk. Horrible, yes? Would you like to know how to stop that from happening? It''s simple. Very much so. All you have to do is buy my goods. Surely you''ve got a credit or two to spend. Use the damned things!"


    Alex couldn''t help himself. He let out a bark of laughter.


    "Sorry," Alex said as Finley sent him a withering glare. "I don''t mean to make light of your situation."


    "You are making very much light of it. Were you also cursed, I can assure you that you would not. It is not amusing. Not at all. The System does not take its debts lightly, and I am so deep in its pockets that I am about to fall out of the bottom of its pants."


    There was a note of desperation in Finley''s voice that hadn''t been there when he''d first met Alex. The man''s situation had clearly deteriorated since they''d last spoken.


    The last of Alex''s amusement evaporated. He really didn''t find any joy in Finley''s plight. Even the edge in negotiations this got him felt a bit sour. There was a difference between pulling a fun victory out through verbal sparring and just¡­ taking advantage of someone.


    "Then I''ve got good news for you," Alex said. "I''m indeed here for the purpose of spending credits. I''ve got a number of them that I''d be happy to part with, so long as you''ve got something that can help me out a bit."


    "Trust me, I''ve got things you could never imagine. Riches that would make even Outworlders froth at the mouth. Merchants have access to a great many things that¡ª"


    "Have any Town Tokens?"


    Finley choked. "Of course not. What kind of monster family do you think I''m from? Even the Greats would struggle to smuggle one of those past the System right now. They''d have to get it the normal way or port their whole town ¡ª wait. Why do you know about Tokens?"


    Alex nodded back to the meteor. "I''d fill you back in at mine, if you can go through a Starstone."


    "I can''t afford to. Not yet. I''ll be able to buy that ¡ª wait. At yours?" Finley tilted his head to the side. "Valley Ford?"


    "Oh, no. That''s¡­ uh, gone." Alex cleared his throat. "I meant my town."


    Finely stared at him. A second slipped by.


    "You have a town?"


    "Yes."


    "How?"


    "Found a Town Token."


    They stared at each other for another second.


    Then Finley swallowed.


    "Valley Ford is gone?"


    "Wasn''t entirely my fault."


    "How many credits would you happen to have?" Finley asked, edging toward Alex. It didn''t seem like he cared much about the collapse of Valley Ford at all.


    "Around 80," Alex replied.


    The merchant''s eyes went as wide as saucers.


    "80? You have 80 credits? By the¡ª" Finley caught himself, then cleared his throat. "Well done. That''s a fair sum. A fair sum indeed. Would you happen to be in the need of a dedicated merchant? A town flourishes on trade, you know. Can''t grow without it. And who better to¡ª"


    "Finley. I came all the way back here to find your ass. We can drop the bullshit, I think. You implied you could buy your way back into using the Astral Map, right? How much would I have to spend to let you do that? I''d rather have you around so we don''t have to hop over here every time we have to buy something."


    Finley cleared his throat. "Right. 10 credits, but I''ve got some pressing matters that really need to get paid. If I could get 15, that would solve all the most pressing problems and let me use the Starstone."


    "Great. What can you sell me worth 15 credits? Something good, mind you. I know how valuable they are."


    That was a lie. Alex did not, in fact, know how valuable his credits were. Fortunately for him, Finley did not know that.


    "Depends on what you want," Finley said eagerly. He rubbed his hands together, practically salivating at the question. "What kind of thing are you looking for? I''m sure we can find something that suits you."


    "Well¡­ do you have anything that could kill a Region Boss?"


    Finley''s smile fell away like snow in the summer sun.


    "You''re fighting a Region Boss?"


    "I set my town up right outside the area where one''s waking up, actually. We''re about to get our shit kicked in. Should be fun."


    Finley''s gaze bored into Alex''s skull for a long second. Then his shoulders slumped and he let out a long, slow sigh. "I knew it. I''m cursed."

 Chapter 175 - 174: Inside

    "Chin up, Finley," Alex said, biting back a laugh at the despondent expression on the merchant''s face. It was becoming increasingly apparent that Finley was not an optimist.


    Then again, being a pessimist was probably much easier way of going about life when the System had you bound down and trussed like a roast pig. Alex didn''t know the full extent of the restrictions that were placed on merchants ¡ª but Finley had mentioned he functionally immortal.


    Something told him that also meant Finley wasn''t going to be able to interact with the world any more than a ghost could lift a dumbbell. The System wouldn''t give a boon like that unless it worked both ways. There was a good chance that Finley had the same level of corporealness as a ghost.


    "It is exceedingly difficult to be cheerful about anything when my one and only customer is about to get himself turned inside out," Finley said. "You should spend everything you have now. As quickly as you can. The Credits aren''t going to do you much good when you''re dead."


    "I find your lack of faith disturbing."


    The two of them stared at each other for a moment.


    "What?" Finley asked.


    "Never mind," Alex said through a sigh. He shook his head. "I can''t expect you to be cultured. You aren''t even from Earth."


    "Count that as a good thing," Finley said crossly. "The average un-initiated planet is full of barbarian apes. There''s a reason Outworlders look poorly on the Nativeworlders. The majority of a planet''s natives will be slaughtered during their integration into the Infinium. It is forced evolution. That number will be even higher if the world has natives that see fit to attempt to challenge a Region Boss before they have even acquired a Domain."


    Alex cleared his throat. It seemed he''d struck a nerve. "Can''t get anywhere sitting back and doing nothing. Now, didn''t you want me to fork over some Credits? Show me what you''ve got. The good stuff. We needed to spend at least 15 Credits to get you out of here, right? So let''s start there."


    "I have access to my family''s reserves," Finley said. "For your purposes, they will be more than sufficient¡­ but it would take me a year to list everything off. I should mention that I won''t be able to get you any direct town upgrades without physically being present at your town to see what you''ve got. So, what do you want?"


    "What should I want?" Alex countered. He was pretty sure the System had probably put some level of restriction in over how much advice the merchants could directly give the Nativeworlders¡­ but it didn''t hurt to push the boundaries a little. "I''m looking for the most prudent thing that I can buy. I''m sure you''ve got some thoughts."


    The narrowing of Finley''s eyes told Alex that the merchant was more than aware of what he was trying to do.


    "Nothing is free," Finley said. "You want advice? Buy it."


    Okay. Maybe it isn''t the System that''s going to try to rinse me. Suppose I can''t blame Finley for that. I''d do the same in his position.


    "Fair enough." Alex scratched the back of his neck. "Let''s talk Domains, then. I want to unlock a Partial Domain. You got anything that can help me do that?"


    The merchant''s hands danced through the air as if he were typing on an invisible keyboard. Faint shimmers of light reflected within his eyes from a source that Alex couldn''t see. Finley''s gaze danced through the air, looking right through Alex, before he nodded to himself.


    "Yes, that should work." His eyes refocused. "What specifically are you trying to improve? There are a great many things that go into domains. Some limits will help me narrow down my search."


    "Do you have Aspect Gems? Rare ones?" Alex asked. There was some part of his brain ¡ª perhaps the human part ¡ª that liked rare, shiny things. Nobody wanted a normal gem when they could have a cool, deluxe one instead¡­ even if they did the exact same thing. It was about the spirit of things.


    Unfortunately, Finley was already shaking his head by the time Alex had finished speaking. "Aspect Gems are probably one of the most highly coveted recourses in the Infinium. That goes doubly so for any newly initiated planets. They''re literally potential made manifest. I''ve got a few, but I can honestly say none of them are rare."


    Alex pursed his lips. "Scratch that, then. I''m not looking for anything average. Especially not when it can significantly impact my growth. Let''s see¡­ hm. What about an instruction manual or something? I''m fed up with doing everything in the dark. If I could learn a bit more about Domains, I think it would go a really long way. Do you have something like that?"


    Finley grinned. "That''s a good one. Yes, I have what you seek, and to a great degree of variation. And I have something far better than mere manuals. How do you feel about gambling?"


    Now that was one way to get his attention.


    "I''ve been known to partake," Alex said slowly. "Are we talking some gatcha bullshit? Because I''ve wasted more than enough money on those things to know just how rolling the dice tends to play out."


    The merchant splayed his hands out. The air between them shimmered as a dozen blue crystal gems swirled into existence amidst a shower of sparks. They were translucent and rough like clusters of quartz. Each of the gems had a faint mote of light floating within its depths. Some of the lights were so weak that Alex could barely even make them out, while a few were bright enough to shine like lanterns.


    "Memory Crystals," Finley said, a note of eagerness in his voice. "A fragment of a soul crystalized into a focused memory. They aren''t actually all that uncommon. Whenever someone''s soul takes enough damage, a few of these are occasionally to be left behind."


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    Alex squinted at the stones. "They''ve got memories in them? Like someone''s whole life?"


    Finley let out a burst of laughter and shook his head. "Definitely not. That would be beyond powerful. A Memory Crystal that had the memories of someone''s entire life would probably be thousands of Credits ¡ª though that would depend on who they were. No, these contain a few seconds to a few minutes. A fragment of a memory at most¡­ but certain memory fragments are very useful."


    Realization washed over Alex and his eyes widened. "You''ve got memories of people activating their Domains for the first time?"


    "Among other things," Finley said. He cleared his throat and waggled a hand back and forth in the air. "It''s worth noting that Memory Crystals are notoriously hard to examine without breaking them. They''re one-time use and divining exactly what they contain is extraordinarily difficult. It''s easy to tell if they''re from someone powerful ¡ª the light within them shows that. It''s slightly harder to tell the general topic they cover¡­ and it''s damn near impossible to know to just what extent the memory delves."


    And just like that, Alex knew exactly what Finley had meant when he''d asked about gambling. The corners of his lips pulled up.


    "So you know these have something to do with Domains, but not if they''re actually going to be useful or if they''ll be a complete waste," Alex concluded.


    Finley nodded. "Precisely. The choice is up to you. The weaker crystals, I''ll let go for 1 Credit. The stronger ones, 3."


    "And how do they work?"


    "Shatter one to release the memory. Ensure you are not together with anyone when it happens. The remains of the soul will enter anyone in the immediate area and soak into their body until they are spent. If someone else is near you, they may get portions of the memory instead of you. You will not share."


    "I see." Alex scratched at his chin. Gambling probably wasn''t the smartest move¡­


    But he''d be damned if it didn''t sound a little fun. He''d promised himself that he was going to enjoy the Apocalypse. Spending a little bit of coin to potentially buy himself something really good was a justifiable risk.


    "Let''s set some of those aside," Alex said. "I don''t want to buy them until I know how many coins I can waste. Do you also have a manual about Domains just in case the Memory Crystals end up sucking?"


    "One Credit. It''ll be basic. I wouldn''t recommend it if any of the Crystals have what you need¡­ but if you''re truly unlucky, it will work."


    "Perfect," Alex said. "There are two other main things I want¡­ unless you sell buildings?"


    "I am a merchant, not a miracle worker. It is not impossible for me to get supplies, should you know what you need, but entire buildings? No."


    "Figured. I''ll let Mite figure out that bit then. You have any chemical weapons?"


    Finley stared at him. "What?"


    "What about bombs?"


    "Are you a terrorist?"


    "My answer to that depends on if you identify as a Region Boss."


    "I do not," Finley said, pinching the bridge of his nose and letting out a sigh. "Though I must admit that would make things considerably easier. The System heavily taxes any powerful weapon sales. There is little challenge posed by porting in an immeasurably powerful artifact to simply delete your opponents from existence."


    "Figured," Alex said. "Didn''t hurt to ask, though. In that case¡­ let''s talk Visualizations."


    Finley''s eyes lit up. "A wise purchase. Though they are not cheap, I have a number of¡ª"


    Alex raised a hand. "I don''t want any Visualization you can sell."


    "What?" Finley blinked in confusion. "They''re perfectly workable, I assure you."


    "I''m sure they are. But if you''re selling it, then it isn''t going to be too rare. You made it clear enough you couldn''t sell the best ones when we last spoke. No, I don''t want to buy one off you. I want a way to get one. You mentioned that powerful monsters could have a Visualization, right?"


    Realization lit in Finley''s eyes. A wide grin stretched across his features. "Yes. I see where you''re going with this. You want a way to capture a Visualization from a monster."


    "Is it possible?"


    "Difficult. Difficult, but possible, yes. You would need a physical connection to an entity with a sufficiently powerful Visualization ¡ª but it must be given freely. It is the main way that powerful bloodlines pass down their Visualizations. It''s possible for an outsider to get one, but if you want it from a sufficiently powerful entity, you would have to bargain."


    Alex nodded thoughtfully. "What kind of connection are we talking about?"


    "Any part of their body. The smaller it is, the more difficult. Heart blood would be the most efficient and painless way, but even a hair would work. The key is that it must be gifted. A Visualization cannot be stolen."


    Alex''s head tilted to the side. Then a slow smile started to pull at the corners of his lips. An idea was starting to form in his mind. An idea he quite liked. "I see. What if the connection is pretty weak? Like, for example, a random drop of blood that was gifted some time ago?"


    "It would be difficult. Very difficult¡­ but possible. It has been done. A connection is a connection."


    "That''s perfect," Alex said. "Give me something that can do that."


    Finley''s grin grew larger than Alex''s. "40 credits."


    Alex nearly choked on his own saliva. "40 Credits? Holy shit! That''s half of what I''ve got! No wonder you got happy when I mentioned it." S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Visualizations are incredibly powerful. Materials that can properly contain one for long enough for you to learn it are not cheap or easy to get. I can assure you that I am not attempting to scam you. I need your Credits as badly as you need my items."


    Gah. Fuck it. If this works out, then it''ll be worth it. I really am a bit of a gambler, though. Aaron would be proud of me.


    "Fine. Give me that," Alex said.


    "What manner of connection will it be for? I have a few scroll variations that work better depending on what type of connection you have. Will it be blood? Hair? A limb?"


    "Blood," Alex said.


    Finley nodded. He waved a hand and all the Memory Crystals floating in the air before him floated to the side. In their place, a silver tube tipped with black caps on either side materialized between his hands.


    "This is what you seek," Finley said. "Once you have your ingredient, open this scroll and press your hand against it while focusing on the connection."


    "Perfect. Let''s just buy that now," Alex said.


    Finley beamed at him. "With pleasure. Simply shake my hand and allow my ring to draw the Credits from yours."


    Alex took the merchant''s hand. The moment their palms touched, there was a faint prickle against his skin. He felt the spatial ring on his finger warm. Then Finley nodded and released him. The tube floated over to arrive before Alex.


    "Thanks," Alex said, grabbing his purchase. It was heavier than he''d expected. A part of him noted that it would probably make a pretty good club if he ever decided he wanted to repurpose it.


    "Would you like a ritual dagger with it?" Finley asked. "They''re commonly used whilst extracting blood for things like this. A surprising number of things need blood."


    "No, I think it''ll be okay," Alex said. "I won''t need it."


    "Are you sure? It can make it easier to extract blood from powerful beings so long as they''re willing. It may be wise."


    "I''ll be fine," Alex replied. His grin expanded. There was a certain drop of blood that he''d gotten some time ago ¡ª and he had no reason to believe it wouldn''t work for this. "I''ve got the blood I need."


    After all, it''s already inside me.

 Chapter 176 - 175: Strats

    "You''re using your own blood?" Finley asked, squinting at Alex like he was an idiot. "That won''t work. You need a Visualization in your bloodline to activate the scroll. Unless you''re descended from some ancient civilization and lying about being a Nativeworlder, that isn''t happening."


    Alex just shrugged. "Don''t worry about it. I''ve got a plan."


    I can''t exactly say it out loud. Berith might be listening to me, but I refuse to believe he can straight up hear my thoughts. If he can, my plan is already screwed.


    "I see," Finley said. He cleared his throat. "I should mention I have more of those scrolls. For when you need another one."


    "Your faith in me is astounding," Alex said dryly. "I''ve got 40 Credits left to work with. I want to save some of them for the Memory Stones. Maybe 10 or 15. So I''ve got somewhere around 20 to 25 that I''d like to spend now. No point holding onto anything before the Region Boss. Do you have something that can heal injuries or recover energy? Health and Mana Potion type shit?"


    Finley stared at him for a moment. Then he shrugged. "Yes. I have regenerative potions and pills. The energy-restoring ones really aren''t particularly useful. The low Stage ones are almost entirely ineffective ¡ª and your body would melt from the inside out if you used a higher stage one."


    "Pills?" Alex blinked. "What, are people going around popping drugs?"


    "Pills don''t shatter when you drop them," Finley said dryly. He waved his hand and a metal tin around the size of a large phone appeared in the air before him. "Let''s see glass do that. The potions are cheaper, of course. Just don''t spill one while you''re drinking it."


    "On second thought, the pills sound great. How much do they heal and what do they cost?"


    "Ten pills. 5 Credits. They''ll heal just about any normal wound over the course of a few seconds, but the pills will strain your energy." Finley paused for a moment, then amended, "Physical energy, not magical. You''ll feel tired. Use too many of them in a short period of time and you''ll eventually just collapse. And, needless to say, they don''t cure death."


    "Noted," Alex said. Something like that actually sounded incredible. "Will they regenerate limbs?"


    "Depends if you''ve got the limb to stick back on. If it''s eaten, no. They can re-attach limbs, though."


    "Perfect. I''ll take 20," Alex said. "That''s 10 credits, right?"


    Finley grinned and nodded. The two of them clasped hands once more, and Alex''s ring heated as more Credits were removed from it. Finley flicked the box of pills over to him.


    Alex snatched it from the air and slipped it into a pocket. He had 30 Credits left to play around with. Even with 15 saved for buying Memory Crystals, another 15 could go quite a ways. His foot tapped against the ground in thought.


    Let''s see. I need to focus on the immediate future. Things that will help us defeat the Region Boss. What would give me the biggest chance of doing that?


    "Question," Alex said after a few more seconds of thought. "Can a connection be broken? After it''s established, that is."


    "Yes." Finley narrowed his eyes. "You''re getting near the end of information I should be giving out for free, but I''m not too shy to admit that you''ve saved my ass, so I''ll give it to you for free. Any part of your body is permanently yours ¡ª even if someone else has it. You can intentionally burn it away if you spend enough energy."


    That could be a problem. I really hope Berith isn''t paying attention right now. I don''t know how much vision of the outside world he''s got.


    "Even after a Visualization is made?"


    Finley stared at Alex. There was clear warning in his eyes when he answered. "Once a Visualization is established, it cannot be taken away. It is yours. But that does not mean there will not be other consequences."


    "So I''d just have to form it quickly," Alex concluded. He dug through his thoughts for a moment. He needed more. There had to be something he could get that would really tip the scales of the upcoming fight. Every Credit was quite useful, so 15 of them could go quite a long way.


    His head tilted to the side as an idea struck him. "Say, how long does it take to view a Memory Crystal?"


    "It depends on the Crystal. Time flows faster within your mind than outside of it," Finley replied with a shrug. "Lower quality Crystals tend to let more time pass while they''re being viewed."


    Alex chewed his lip for a second. "Do you have any Crystals with¡­ uh, shows? I''d imagine someone would have tried intentionally splitting a memory to sell off at some point."


    Finley blinked in confusion, then inclined his head. "¡­yes? They are fairly common among the elite of families. But such things are largely useless. They will not teach you anything meaningful."


    "What about particularly long ones?" Alex paused for a moment. Then he cleared his throat. "Like¡­ romance ones."


    Finley sent him a flat look. "I have a lot of Memory Crystals. You''re going to have to be much more specific than that."


    "The romance ones that don''t really seem to have an end. Ever. You know what I''m talking about, even if you don''t want to admit it," Alex said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Two oddly hot yet entirely devoid in personality guys and a girl that couldn''t make a choice between them to save her life. That kind."


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    "You''re about to fight a Region Boss. This is what you want?" Finley asked. "You''re serious? Do you have nothing but rocks rattling around in that skull of yours?"


    "Look, do you have it or not? My preferences are none of your concern."


    Finley let out a heavy, weary sigh. "Yes. Yes, I have them. What do you think? If there''s one thing that''s a constant in the entire universe, it''s that. What kind of¡ª"


    "Long," Alex said.


    Finley stared at him.


    "Long," Alex repeated. "Really, really long. I''m really trying to get the best bang for my buck here, you know. Especially if it only works once."


    "Yes, I go the idea." Finley''s gaze bore into Alex''s. He waved a hand through the air and a single, large Memory Crystal shimmered to life before him. The light within it was not particularly bright. "Keep in mind that Crystals with larger memories are also considerably more expensive. Not stronger. Just more expensive."


    "I don''t need the judgement," Alex said crossly. "How much is it?"


    "Ten Credits," Finley said. His voice made it abundantly clear that he did not think much of Alex''s shopping habits. "For something that, I remind you, will not improve your combat abilities in any manner whatsoever. It will, however, be long. And immeasurably infuriating."


    Ouch. 10 Credits for this shit? This better work. If it doesn''t, I might end up killing myself before the Region Boss even gets a chance to take a bite out of me.


    "Perfect," Alex said. "And you just use it by breaking it?"


    "Yes," Finley said through another sigh.


    "And how long do you think this will last? How long would I have in the real world as well? Is it going to end up using like a whole hour or anything crazy like that?"


    "You have an entire Town depending on you. A Region Boss breathing down your neck. And you are concerned about this?"


    "Just answer the question," Alex said. "You''re a terrible merchant, you know. You''re supposed to want to sell things to me."


    "I would be considerably happier doing it if I had more customers!" Finley snapped. "Damnation. No, the memory will not last an hour in the external world. Perhaps five minutes at most. It will be longer for you, though. I trust that is sufficient?"


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    Alex grinned. "Perfectly."


    He extended his hand.


    Finley stared at it like he was being offered a rotting fish. Then, reluctantly, he reached out and shook. Alex''s hand heated as more Credits left his spatial ring and entered the merchant''s.


    He extended his hand, gingerly taking the Memory Crystal from Finley. Then he squinted at it for a moment. He couldn''t put it into his own ring. The Crystal was magic. It could explode.


    "Err¡­ do you have a spatial ring that can hold magic items? I need to put this somewhere."


    "At least you aren''t going to use the damn thing in front of me," Finley said flatly. "5 Credits. It''ll be the same size as your current one but stabilized so magical items can remain within it. Just don''t put anything too powerful in or it might eventually break."


    "Perfect," Alex said with a grin. "That leaves me with 15 Credits, too. Let me get the ring as well as four of the big domain-related Memory Crystals and three of the small ones."


    Finley shook his head, muttering something under his breath as he extended his hand one final time. Alex took it and the two of them shook. His ring heated, then cooled as the last of his Credits were siphoned away.


    A pitch black ring shimmered to life before Finley. It was joined by a small hill of Memory Crystals as the rest of his purchases floated over to him.


    Alex plucked the ring from the air and slipped it onto a finger.


    Stabilized Lesser Spatial Ring (Rare)


    Bonded Effect: The Lesser Spatial Ring contains a 3 x 3 x 3 foot cube of extradimensional space folded within it. Inanimate objects can be stored in this space. Magical items are stabilized, though sufficiently powerful ones can erode the ring until it becomes destabilized.


    "Perfect. How do I send the Memory Crystals into¡­" Alex started. No sooner than the thought passed through his head did every single one of the Memory Crystals before him flit into the ring. He blinked. "Wow. That was easy. Nice."


    He sent the metal tube into the ring with another thought.


    Finley just shook his head again. "Well¡­ I can''t complain too much. That was a lot of Credits. Enough to pay off my most pressing debit. I trust you''ve got at least something of a plan to deal with the Region Boss? I''m going to need you to spend a whole lot more Credits in the future, so getting yourself killed now would be incredibly problematic."


    "I''ll do my best not to disappoint too hard," Alex said with a chuckle. He held a hand out and summoned the Visualization Scroll with a thought before vanishing it again. The ring really was quite easy to use.


    Finley ran a hand through his hair. "Let''s just get it on with. I hate this place. Lead the way back to this town of yours. I will follow."


    Alex grinned. "One moment. I''ve got to do something in my soul first. Keep an eye on me, would you?"


    The command was more for his monsters, who still stood flank around them, than it was for Finley.


    Nonetheless, the merchant''s eye twitched.


    "You''re going to do it now?"


    Man, he really does think the worst of me. I''m hurt.


    "Don''t worry," Alex said with a grin as he lowered himself into a seated position and braced ''his arms against his legs. "You said it shouldn''t take too long."


    "You''re hopeless," Finley said. "And I am cursed. How are you the one I have to rely on?"


    Alex didn''t bother gracing that with a response. He was already sinking into his Mind Palace. The faster he did this, the less chances there would be for something to go wrong.


    Darkness stretched out around him as the lake that was his soul appeared beneath his feet. His basin still rose in its center, no power remaining to harvest within it. Three pillars loomed around him, two of them flanking the gate to his Domain.


    And, between the other two, was Berith. The chained demon lounged against the massive white restraints, boredom evident in his posture.


    Alex ran his thumb over the new Spatial Ring. It was still there¡­ and he could feel the faint magic within it. The ring would work in his soul just as well as it would outside it.


    "There is nothing for you to do here," Berith said. "Why are you here? Have you come to bargain?" S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hm. Doesn''t seem like he saw my conversation with Finley. Maybe he''s limited to certain things or has to be intentionally watching. Either that or he''s faking it. Either way¡­ doesn''t matter.


    "No," Alex replied. He approached Berith until he was a dozen paces away from the demon. Alex took extra care to make absolutely sure he was well outside of striking range. He really wasn''t going to want to be disturbed once he got things started. "I know what the cost of that will be. Not interested."


    Berith snorted. "Then leave. I am bored."


    "Don''t worry," Alex said with a grin. "I''ll take care of that for you."


    He extended a hand. And, with a thought, he activated the Spatial Ring on his hand. A Memory Crystal materialized in his hand. A large one that promised a particularly extended, pleasurable experience.


    An experience that he strongly hoped would be long enough for his purposes.


    "What are you doing?" Berith asked, his eyes narrowing.


    It''s a damn good thing he can''t dodge.


    Alex reared back.


    Then he threw the crystal at Berith with all his might.

 Chapter 177 - 176: Yoink

    The Memory Crystal sailed through the air. Berith''s eyes widened, but the huge demon was chained to the surface of the lake. What little motion he could take was not nearly enough to let him get out of the path of the shimmering gem flying toward him.


    Alex and Berith both watched as the crystal shattered against the demon''s shoulder with a ringing crack. A wave of sparkling blue energy exploded out from it. The magic swirled around Berith in a cyan storm before flowing straight into the demon''s skin.


    Magic shimmered within Berith''s eyes. He stiffened, the chains hanging from his limbs and body going slack.


    And that was enough for Alex.


    His hand shot out and the Visualization-capturing scroll he''d bought from Finley materialized within it. Alex hurriedly ripped the top cap off the tube containing the scroll. He turned it upside down and shook it until a rolled up piece of parchment slid out and into his hand.


    Alex tossed the tube to the side and crouched, unfurling the paper on a pile of discarded building materials littering the ground before him. This was far from the best working space. It was, however, considerably better than trying to roll a scroll out on the black water covering the base of his Mind Palace.


    The scroll was covered with scrawling script that Alex couldn''t understand. It had been written in a concentric pattern, flowing letters spiraling outward all the way up until the edges of the parchment. Nearly every single piece of open space had something written on it. The only part that had been spared was the very center of the scroll, where a circle around the size of a small watermelon had been left completely blank.


    Even if Finley hadn''t told Alex what he had to do, it wouldn''t have been to hard to guess. The blank space may as well have been screaming touch me!


    Alex''s eyes flicked back up to Berith. The demon still stared sightlessly ahead. His eyes shimmered with faint specks of blue light that drifted through his molten pupils like falling ash. According to Finley, Berith would be held there for at least a few minutes.


    Then again, I''m sure there''s a way to break out of that shit sooner rather than later. I can''t waste any time. I have to make my Visualization before he wakes up. The drop of blood he gave to me so I could unlock Riftwalk should still be in me somewhere. I just hope it''s enough.


    Alex shoved his hand against the scroll. Its surface was rougher than he''d expected. It prickled against the skin of his palm like it was covered with blades of infinitesimally tiny hair.


    A moment slipped by.


    Shit. I really hope the drop of Berith''s blood is actually still in me. I''m pretty sure it wouldn''t just vanish. Is it so diluted by now that it doesn''t matter? That wouldn''t make sense. Berith is so powerful. I''d imagine that his blood has similar strength and wouldn''t fade so easily. really overplayed my hand if I¡ª


    Hold on. Why is the paper so damn itchy?


    In the time it took Alex to process that his now was practically on fire as if he''d shoved it into a fire ant nest, the prickling sensation had intensified twice over.


    A shimmer of energy slithered through the words nearest Alex''s palm. It crawled outward, accelerating, as it passed from word to the next and left them glowing in its wake. The relief he felt at seeing the scroll do something was immediately swallowed by a brilliant flash of light biting into his eyes.


    Alex was forced to turn his head away and squint as the intensity of the light pouring from the scroll grew stronger at an alarming speed. Warmth beat against his palm as if the scroll was trying to melt itself. Buzzing energy filled the air around him and his hair stood on end.


    Yes! It''s working! Give me that Visualization, Berith! Actually, how do I know if it¡ª


    The ground fell out from beneath Alex.


    He floated in the air for an instant, staring down at the glowing scroll pressed against his palm as its light tried to needle his eyes out. Beyond the scroll was nothing but a pitch black hole, ten feet in radius and centered directly below him.


    Huh. Wasn''t expecting that.


    Then he plummeted into the darkness.


    Smolders of burning parchment twisted through the air around Alex as he fell, their edges blackening and burning away like dying fireflies in a rain around him. His Mind Palace quickly disappeared into the distance.


    It wasn''t long until all the light that remained was from the faint, dying embers of the parchment ¡ª not that it was particularly useful. There was nothing here but darkness. Alex couldn''t even tell if he was falling or floating anymore. He had no frame of reference beyond himself.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Well," Alex said, drawing the word out. His word didn''t even echo. It just vanished into the shadowy sea surrounding him like they had never been spoken. "That was a little unexpected."


    I take it this is basically taking me to a deeper level of my mind, like the double-meditation I have to do when I''m condensing energy. Don''t think this is anything to be concerned over. Finley wouldn''t sell his only customer a trapped scroll. Can merchants even lie about the stuff they sell?


    Alex forced the thoughts from his head. There was no time to waste. The scroll had pretty clearly activated, which meant he had to figure out how to finish forming his Visualization before Berith woke up from his doubtlessly exhilarating experience in the Memory Stone.


    He tried to turn in a circle. It was hard to tell if it worked. The last lights from the burnt scraps of the scroll were fading rapidly, and it wasn''t like there was much to actually look at other than the darkness.


    Alex''s jaw clenched.


    Where''s the damn Visualization? Come on. Come out. I barely even know what I''m looking for, but I know it''s here somewhere.


    ***


    Berith''s eye twitched.


    Countless years of boredom. Of sitting around atop his prison in wait for something to happen and grant him a chance of freedom ¡ª and not even all of those years could have managed to get him the patience to deal with this.


    The memory defiling his mind was uniquely infuriating. Whoever had not only decided to trap this into a Memory Crystal and but then also took a look at it and decided it was worth selling was worthy of an agonizing death.


    "Just choose the black haired one," Berith snarled, pounding a fist against his palm. "Stop wasting time worrying about the blonde, woman. He''s clearly just trying to use you to increase his status. The black haired boy has clearly been interested in pursuing you since you were children. How is this even a debate? Could you be any more indecisive if you tried?"


    His words were, of course, wasted. Memory Crystals couldn''t be interacted with. They could only be experienced. Push too hard trying to peer out of their bounds and they shattered. Berith could have done it with a thought.


    A Memory Crystal this weak was nowhere near powerful enough to even try to contain him. It was like trying to trap a giant in a cage made of straw.


    Berith heaved a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers. Then he, as he''d already done around a few hundred times in the last few minutes, stretched his arms over his head.


    Not partially.


    Fully.


    Berith was unchained. The heavy white bindings that had enveloped him for so long that he could barely even remember the sensation of being free were finally gone.


    They could not follow him into a memory. And, for that reason alone, the memory remained. He couldn''t remember the last time he had been able to move his entire form without the grinding restraints pulling his limbs to a halt.


    The back of his mind prickled. He could feel a foreign presence trying to worm its way in and take a bite out of his power.


    A flicker of amusement prickled at Berith''s insides. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alex was certainly interesting. It wasn''t hard to tell what the boy was doing. Using a Memory Stone as a distraction while he rooted around, trying to slip away with more than what was his to take¡­ it wasn''t a bad idea.


    That greed is good. It will take him far in freeing me. But if he thinks he''s going to get my Visualization, the boy is sorely mistaken. He is unworthy of such power. I had to rebel against the very heavens to steal this power.


    But this is good. I will allow the boy to witness the immensity of my Visualization. Then I will rip it from him.


    A smile stretched across Berith''s face. Once Alex knew just how much power the Visualization promised, he would have no choice but to bargain for it in preparation for fighting the Region Boss. And that would be the end.


    The cost will be great. Enough to get him fully under my thumb. Having an Incarnation beholden to my will shall make everything considerably easier.


    Berith did nothing to quash the tendril of magic as it finished connecting to his Mind Palace. Forming a Visualization was not instantaneous. Alex would need enough time to bear witness to just how powerful it really was before Berith took it back.


    He waited a second, a finger tapping against his thigh as a sneer pulled across his lips. Enough time should have passed by now. There was no need to be cruel and taunt Alex with what was not yet his.


    Berith extended his senses toward the tendril.


    His mind enveloped the tiny sliver of his Visualization gingerly. If anything, he had to be careful. Pulling too hard could accidentally snap Alex''s soul like a bowstring. That would have been most unfortunate.


    Berith gave the sliver a slight yank.


    A twang rang through his mind.


    The Visualization didn''t move.


    In fact, it didn''t so much as twitch. It was like trying to yank on a mountain. Confusion flickered through Berith. He extended more of his energy toward the lone tendril, enveloping it and the stolen piece of power completely.


    "Persistent little shit, aren''t you?" Berith asked.


    He gave the fragment of his Visualization another tug, this one sharper than the last.


    It didn''t budge in his direction.


    Instead, almost as if to mock him, it started to drag away from him.


    "What?" Confusion bubbled up within Berith. Alex was a mortal. An Initiate Stage mortal. There should have been absolutely no way the pull of his soul was this strong. It was like he was trying to pull something out of the center of a black hole.


    Some manner of item he hid from me? Impossible. I would have felt an artifact that powerful.


    Berith yanked on his Visualization again to no avail. It continued on its path away from his soul, slowly starting to accelerate. The confusion he felt exploded in magnitude.


    He pulled once more, but it did nothing to stop the fragment''s path.


    It passed the boundaries of Berith''s Mind Palace.


    "What is this?" Berith demanded, equal parts baffled and awed. "How is his soul so damn dense?"


    Then, with a faint pop, the fragment vanished.


    It had been stolen.

 Chapter 178 - 177: Stronger

    Alex''s chest throbbed.


    There was what could only be described as a cramp in his heart. It was like a portion of his chest around it was trying to squeeze into itself. The feeling wasn''t exactly painful, but it was far from comfortable. Its intensity grew stronger with every passing second.


    Finley said something about heart blood. Is this what happens when you connect with it? If it is, where the hell is the Visualization? There''s no way its invisible or something, right?


    Alex had to admit it would have been particularly ironic if a Visualization was invisible. That felt like it defeated the entire purpose of the word. Any amusement he had was quickly swallowed by the deepening lump in his heart.


    His teeth gritted as the unease started to shift into pain. This wasn''t right. Some irrational part of his brain suggested trying to dig away through his flesh until he reached the antagonistic lump and ripped it out.


    Did Berith manage to do something? Shit. Every second that goes by lowers the chances I manage to pull this off. If Berith snaps out of his before I''m done, all the Credits I spent to try and yoink his Visualization are going to go up in flames.


    "What the hell is going on?" Alex hissed. His lungs throbbed with the effort of trying to draw breath. It felt like even the air within them was being pulled into the growing mass in his heart. "And whatever it is, could it please speed up?"


    Color abruptly exploded through the darkness surrounding him. There was a pop in his chest like the pressure had suddenly equalized. Alex drew in a sharp, surprised breath as he felt his insides stop twisting and return to normal.


    Solid ground slammed into his feet as a scene painted itself into being in wide, sweeping brushstrokes. Grey bricks bloomed around Alex. They were old and weathered, illuminated by flickering orange light cast by torches on the walls of the room forming around him.


    Vines twisted through the cracks in the stone. Feelers rose off them, tiny tendrils swaying in the air like little strands of hair. They swayed as if caught in a wind felt only by them ¡ª there certainly wasn''t any actual wind in the room. It was as still and dead as the grave.


    And rising in the very center of the room was a stone pillar. It ran from the floor to the ceiling, but the very center of it had had a large chunk taken out of it, leaving the top and bottom halves separated. The ends of the pillar halves were jagged and sharp, but there were no traces of the piece that had once made them whole.


    Floating in its place was a cube.


    It hung suspended in the air, rotating in a lazy spiral around a fixed axis at its core. The strange cube pitch black, so dark that the very light around it seemed to bend inward toward its center. The very air around the cube was stretched and warped, as if the cube had a gravitational pull so immense that nothing could pass by it uncontested.


    Of course, it couldn''t have had such a powerful gravitational pull. If it had, Alex was pretty sure he would have been turned to spaghetti from his proximity to it. He didn''t feel himself even getting pulled toward the cube¡­ but that wasn''t to say it had no presence at all.


    While it was completely soundless, there was something more within the cube. It was not a sensation that any of the five senses could detect. But, if humans really did possess a sixth, then Alex suspected it would have been this.


    The cube had a sense of authority. The cube seemed to demand that the world acknowledged its presence. Gazing upon it was like looking on a planet that had been crushed down to a single point.


    It wasn''t about its size or shape or any physical characteristic that the odd object possessed. The sensation came from the cube''s very being. Its mere existence asserted itself upon the world with such insistence that Alex couldn''t help but feel his eyes drawn back to it whenever he tried to glance anywhere else.


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    His eyes dried. For several long seconds, Alex could do absolutely nothing but stare at the cube before him. He didn''t breathe a word. For that matter, he barely even breathed. He didn''t dare to.


    All he could do was stare.


    This was power.


    Not the power of some king trying to force believe people of his rule. Not the power of a warrior brandishing his blade or even a mage calling down the heavens to prove that his mastery over the forces of the universe was so great that none could stand in her path.


    This was real power. The power of absolute authority. Undeniable and unflinching.


    Alex had no idea where the thoughts came from, but some deep part of him, far below his psyche, so core to his very being that it felt like they came from the soul itself, knew this to be true.


    He couldn''t have denied the thoughts if he''d wanted to. They were like natural laws scrawling themselves out before him. They simply were. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What are you?" Alex breathed. His words felt loud in the completely still room. He felt like they should have echoed, but the cube swallowed even that. They were foreign. The cube did not allow for their presence within its room, and so they simply ceased to be.


    This can''t be Berith''s Visualization, can it? It doesn''t feel like him at all. It feels¡­ I don''t know. Different. I don''t even know if I dare admit this, but it feels more intense than Berith. Perhaps its because he''s sealed? Is this why he was sealed?


    The words sounded wrong to Alex''s internal ear. No matter how he looked at it, this presence didn''t remind him of Berith at all. The demon''s presence was completely different to that of the cube. They couldn''t have been more different.


    A shimmer of green light crackled over the surface of the cube.


    It didn''t respond to his question with words, but there was an unmistakable shift within its presence. Alex''s question had been heard.


    And it seemed it would be answered. Color bloomed across the cube like oil spilling across the surface of the ocean.


    An image bloomed upon its surface, diffracted and trapped by the cube''s razor-sharp edges. Then another followed after, so fast that the first barely even had a moment to register in Alex''s mind. They came one after the other at such a speed that he may as well have been watching a movie.


    And then the visions were no longer within the cube. They were everywhere around Alex. But he couldn''t just see them. He could feel them.


    His eyes went wide as heat slammed into him in a wall. Roaring flames surrounded him, rising up to steal from the heavens themselves.


    Then the vision changed. Twisting horns of some ancient monstrosity loomed in the sky skewering the stars themselves and casting shadows longer than mountains.


    The vision changed.


    An ocean of blood. It stretched around him in every direction, seemingly swallowing the very horizons. Waves the size of tsunamis crashed and bore down upon shores of bleached white bone with a thunderous roar. The smell of blood filled Alex''s nostrils as its taste coated his throat.


    And then Alex stood in the room once more. His heart slammed in his chest and cold sweat prickled against his back. His clothes were soaked through. For a moment, he thought it was blood, but it was only sweat.


    What the hell is this? How long was I in those visions? What''s going on?


    The cube didn''t offer any response. It didn''t need to. All those visions, the things he had seen¡­ those were like Berith. He could feel tiny fragments of that power within the way the demon carried himself.


    It was like Berith was the reflection of the visions cast upon a rippling lake. The energy within those visions had been the aura of a destroyer that Alex had expected to find ¡ª and for the first time, it struck him just how powerful Berith truly must have been.


    If this is Berith''s presence¡­ is he holding it back? Or are those chains binding it down?


    But the question passed through Alex''s mind before it could receive an answer. His eyes couldn''t tear themselves away from the cube floating before him as a new thought rose to take the place of the old one.


    The presence before him now ¡ª not that of the destroyer, but of the cube itself ¡ª was most certainly not from Berith.


    And Alex hadn''t missed the implications of what the cube had shown him. Berith''s power, everything that made his visualization up, had been trapped within the cube. And now it was gone.


    All that remained was the pitch black cube floating before him.


    It was trying to send him a message.


    Perhaps Visualizations were context based. What was powerful for one person wouldn''t fit as well for another. Alex didn''t know. He barely even knew what a Visualization actually was, much less how they worked.


    But he knew one thing for certain. If he understood what was going on correctly, then compared to whatever Berith''s Visualization was¡­


    The cube was stronger.

 Chapter 179 - 178: Distant lights

    Alex wasn''t sure how long he spent staring at the cube. He couldn''t take his eyes off it. Perhaps they, too, had been swallowed by the immense gravitational pull that it seemed to put out.


    But he couldn''t just sit around forever. Eventually, he had to act. Alex had no idea how long he had to finalize his Visualization before his time ran out. If he was left with nothing after all the Credits he spent on buying scrolls and tools from Finley, he was going to be pissed.


    "But what do I do?" Alex murmured.


    The cube didn''t offer up a response. It seemed that this decision was going to fall entirely on his shoulders. Not that he even knew what the decision was. If he could just press a button and accept the Visualization, he would.


    Like, what, am I just going to turn around and go, ''nah. I''m actually good. Don''t want the Visualization anymore. It was too scary.'' Obviously I''m going to say yes. But how? Or do I already have the Visualization? Shit. Maybe I should have asked Finley how to finish getting the Visualization after I used his scroll.


    Alex stood silently for another moment. The cube didn''t seem like it was in any rush to make him do anything. It just floated there before him, waiting. Or perhaps it was just floating. There was a good chance it wasn''t waiting at all. It may have simply been.


    "Oh, screw it," Alex said. He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. There were no hints. The cube wasn''t going to give him any answers.


    In situations like this, there was only one course of action that one could ever take.


    When in doubt¡­ full send it.


    Alex strode forward. He half expected to find himself collapsing in as the authority emanating from the cube crushed him into a pancake ¡ª but nothing happened. It did nothing to slow his advance, and so Alex made no move to stop.


    He passed right through the warped light surrounding the cube and stuck a hand out.


    Then he poked the cube.


    The world collapsed.


    With not so much as a whoosh of air, the air rent and crumpled like paper; mossy brick folded in on itself. Every scrap of the room around Alex shredded apart and swirled into the center of the cube in a flash.


    Then there was nothing but space.


    It was space without color. Not dark nor light, not bright nor shadowed. It was simply empty nothingness, a world devoid of anything but Alex and the pitch black cube. The two of them floated in that seemingly endless void, frozen in place.


    Then Alex''s heartbeat thumped in his ears like the crash of falling thunder. It pounded against his skull and passed through his whole body, raising the hair on his skin with electric energy.


    He was hot. Then cold. Then ¡ª


    The world was whole once more. It had happened so fast that it actually took Alex a moment to realize what had happened. The empty void had been replaced by dark, rippling water. It surface of a lake, but not just any lake.


    One he knew well.


    Alex was back in his Mindspace. White marble pillars loomed overhead and his basin sat in the very center, its huge sloping walls rising over him. The gate to his domain remained exactly where it had been ¡ª but not all was the same.


    Holy shit. What the fuck?


    Alex stared up, his neck craned back and lips parting in disbelief.


    The sky had changed.


    A sea of stars shone overhead in a beautiful, purple-red sky. The vast majority of the stars were dim and dark, but even from a glance, it was apparent that they were no random scattering.


    There was an order to their position ¡ª or perhaps there were multiple. Alex couldn''t quite tell which one it was. He could only make out enough to tell that there was something¡­ and his attention was more focused on a single star situated at the very center of his soul, staring down at him like the eye of some dead god.


    Unlike all the other stars, this one bore no light. It wasn''t even dim. As a matter of fact, it was the exact opposite. There was absolutely nothing around it. The glow from the faint stars around it was stolen and twisted into the star''s center wherein it vanished into a point of pitch black. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And, even though the star was so far in the sky that it was impossible to tell what had taken residence at its very core, there wasn''t so much as a question in Alex''s mind as to what it was. He already knew.


    The pitch-black void in the very center of the sky above his soul was the cube that he had seen in his vision.


    Alex swallowed. He couldn''t pull his eyes away from the beautiful scene painted overhead. The purple haze in the sky was reminiscent of the smoke that churned through the sky of the Mirrorlands, but at the same time, it couldn''t have been more different.


    The Mirrorlands sky was angry and thick and hazy, like the smog from some magical factory. Everything cast in its light was angry and harsh. In sharp contrast, the sky of his soul was more like a gentle and welcoming glow.


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    He''d never really been someone who had stood around in museums to appreciate art. The idea had always sounded a little boring to him. Alex had simply preferred actually doing things. He might not have been a particularly intellectual man. Then again, he''d never claimed to be. He much preferred the simple things in life.


    But this¡­ looking at the sky above him, at the countless shapes that seemed to fade away from view the moment he tried to focus on any of them, it was different. He''d never seen anything like it.


    It was a thousand different paintings in one. And more than that ¡ª he could tell from just a glance that the shape they made in the sky would be different depending on where he stood. The sheer variations that the view before him promised, even before showing a single one, were incredible.


    A scene like this felt like it shouldn''t have even been possible.


    If a museum had somehow managed to capture it and condense it into a single painting, he had no doubt that he would have spent hours upon hours simply standing and staring in awe in an attempt to imprint every last bit of it into his mind.


    It''s¡­ beautiful. How can something like this exist in life? Honestly, if heaven had a sky, something tells me that this is what it would look like. It almost feels like I went and stole this from the house of a¡ª


    "You," Berith said, the demon''s voice carving through the stunned silence gripping Alex in a tight hand, "are a wily little thief. There have been a great many things I have witnessed in my time. But never ¡ª never ¡ª has someone been so bold as to waste my time with a porno."


    And just like that, Alex''s mind snapped back to the present.


    Whoops.


    "It was not a porno," Alex said defensively. "It was a love story."


    "You can''t call it a love story if they never admit the fact that they''re in love!" Berith exclaimed. A rumbling crash rolled through Alex''s soul as the demon''s white chains slammed taut. Berith''s features narrowed. "But the two of us have more important topics to discuss than the poor choices of both you and the idiot who couldn''t make the easiest choice in the world."


    "Yeah. That was kind of ¡ª wait. Who''s the idiot?"


    Berith stared at Alex.


    Alex blinked. "You¡­ you mean the main character of the romcom? You actually watched it?"


    "Are you unaware of the purpose of a Memory Crystal? Or are you a bigger idiot than she was?"


    Holy shit. I can''t believe he actually watched it. Surely a demon as strong as he was could have shut his eyes or forcibly ended the effect of the Memory Crystal, right? I refuse to believe it actually permanently traps you like that. If it did, Finley would have been charging way more for them. They''d be the strongest weapon in the world.


    Then again¡­ maybe using them inside your own mind is stronger? That could be possible. If that''s the case, this could be really good. Doesn''t it mean I''ve got a way to functionally fight back against Berith? He''s currently stuck in here, after all.


    "Can you blame me?" Alex asked, shrugging at the demon. "You weren''t going to give me your Visualization the normal way, and I need every advantage I can get against the Region Boss. I took things into my own hands."


    "If nothing else, I respect your sheer idiotic boldness," Berith said. His eyes glistened like two molten coals within his skull. "You stole from me. And worse than that. You wasted my time with brainrotting garbage."


    "Now that''s just rude. A lot of people love that kind of stuff." Alex scratched at his chin and found his eyes drifting up to the sky once more. "Say, you don''t mind talking out loud about how you use your Visualization, do you? I''m still not really sure how this thing works."


    "You think I would willingly help you after this?" Berith let out a snort. "No. Bargain with me. Then I will give you what you ask."


    "Someone''s a sore loser."


    "You are asking me to put effort into being your teacher. Me. Your teacher. I would ask if you understood how ridiculous such a request is, but I am certain you would not," Berith said dryly. "I will give you nothing for free, boy. Do not forget what we are. The day I spill your lifeblood will be nothing more than a mild amusement. I caution you against making me look forward to it too much."


    "I''m hardly asking for that much," Alex said. "It would be a bummer if I got myself killed before we got around to the whole fighting bit in the first place anyway, wouldn''t it? And I''m not really asking for much. I''m just sure even someone like you still has to use their Visualization. It''s not like there''s a limit to power, right? Or is there some max level you hit and then just can''t progress past?"


    Berith''s lips curled into a smile. "There is no limit to anything so long as you have the power to take it. The usage of a Visualization is unique. It is not so easy for me to tell you how to use it ¡ª especially when the only one who can see the exact details of your Visualization is you. Even though you stole it from me, it would take a great deal of effort for me to comprehend it."


    Alex opened his mouth, but Berith wasn''t done talking. The demon spoke right over him before he could say another word.


    "And you almost certainly will get yourself killed before we fight," Berith said, his chains rattling as he leaned back against them. "This is nothing more than a flicker of passing fancy to me. My faith in you is something akin to what it would be for a rat with a blade strapped to its back."


    "Is the rat at least from New York?"


    "Humor will do nothing to change my mind. And besides, it hardly matters. My words will fall on deaf ears."


    Yeah, yeah. Got it. He''s not helping. Really, he already helped all I needed him to. This Visualization is definitely strong. So even if Berith won''t say how the Visualization works, I''m sure Finley will be happy to with enough convincing. And, if not him, then Orchid.


    And more importantly, Alex was pretty sure of one more thing.


    Berith hadn''t looked up at the stars once. Perhaps it was merely because the demon didn''t care¡­ but he''d been stuck in the same spot in the Mirrorlands for who-knew how long. By Berith''s own admission, he was bored.


    A change of scenery should have been welcome. Especially one as beautiful as the one in the sky above. Berith hadn''t so much as reacted to it.


    He can''t see my Visualization at all, can he? Does he not want to admit it? Just what the hell does a Visualization really do?


    Questions bounced around in Alex''s skull like rubber balls¡­ but Berith had made it more than clear that he wasn''t getting any answers here.


    Alex let his gaze drift back up to the beautiful sky above him. The urge to sit down and stare until the secrets written within the stars revealed themselves to him was nearly overwhelming.


    In fact, it was overwhelming.


    The world seemed to flutter in and out of existence around Alex. There was something in the stars. He could just barely see it, hiding at the corners of his vision and in the darkness behind the light.


    Alex''s conversation with Berith faded into the back of his mind as the world fell away. His gaze bore into the beautiful sky above and his attention tunneled in on it entirely.


    Distant laughter rumbled up from Berith''s chest.


    "Visualizations have a way of testing those who dare behold them. They do not lend their power to just any fool. Of course, it should be a simple matter to bend that power to your will," Berith said. His smile grew wider. "That is, of course, so long as you haven''t bitten off more than you can chew."


    Alex didn''t hear him. His ears had gone deaf; his eyes saw nothing but the infinite sea of stars above him. Something hid within those distant lights¡­ and Alex was determined to find out what it was.

 Chapter 180 - 179: Star

    Alex found himself sitting before he''d even realized it. Any awareness of his own body had already faded into the background. Right now, the only thing he could pay any attention to was the beautiful sea of stars above him.


    A deep ache gripped his heart like a clenching fist. It was an emotion that came from far deeper within Alex than almost any other he''d had before. The beauty was almost unbearable. For a scene such as this to exist in the world had to be proof that Earth really had seen nothing yet.


    No creation made by mortal hands had ever come so close to perfection ¡ª and the stars in the purple sky weren''t even a finished painting. They had still yet to be lit. What Alex currently found himself gazing upon was nothing more than an unfinished product.


    What made the pain more unbearable still was not just the beauty of what he saw.


    It was the distance.


    Alex reached up toward the stars, covering one of them with his hand as his fingers closed as if to grasp it.


    All that beauty. So much that it would probably take a thousand years to study every single inch of it¡­ and it was out of reach. He''d never been one to covet before, but these emotions were unlike anything he''d ever felt.


    They came from somewhere so deep within him that Alex wasn''t even sure they were his own. It didn''t matter. Such was their intensity that he could not even take bearing on where the feelings came.


    His hand dropped back down to his side. It hit the lake with a splash, sending tiny droplets of dark water flying through the air. He didn''t even notice them. Alex''s eyes were pinned to the sky above.


    All he knew was that something about the starry sky didn''t sit right at all. It was beautiful beyond belief¡­


    But it would be even more beautiful if it were his.


    Alex''s hand lifted of its own volition once more. The stars, in all their majesty, were too far away. They belonged down here. Together with him. Just like everything else he wanted. And why wouldn''t they?


    There was no reason why he couldn''t just¡­ reach out. Reach out and pluck them from the sky like grapes on the vine.


    Why should I be forced to sit here and do nothing but watch when I could simply claim what I desire? This world is my own. Everything within it belongs to me. Those stars are mine.


    Alex stared in silence. For how long, he didn''t know. His mind wasn''t working the way it normally did. It wouldn''t have been inaccurate to say a haze covered his every thought ¡ª but that wouldn''t have been accurate either.


    He''d never felt more clearheaded. It was like the desert sun had slammed down on any fog attempting to reside within his mind, blasting it all away and leaving him with nothing but the sheer intensity of its molten light.


    The clarity was so much that it was almost overwhelming. The only questions that could arise in his thoughts had already been answered. It was as if the world spelled itself out for him. There was no more curiosity. No confusion or distracting desires.


    Only absolute, unflinching understanding. Only the knowledge of a fact that was so true that it could only have been a natural law.


    He was the center of the universe.


    A smile started to cross over Alex''s lips. This was what it must have felt to reach enlightenment. His mind was at peace. There was nothing to distract him. Nothing that could stray him from his course. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Everything was so easy.


    I don''t even have to reach out. Why waste effort exerting myself? The stars will come to me. They are mine. As such, they will obey their master. There is no reason for me to reach out. All I have to do is wait until the stars make their way to down me on the ground. Wouldn''t that be so much easier?


    The smile froze on Alex''s lips.


    That¡­ sounds kind of boring.


    The thought rose, unbidden, and dinked off his mind like a pebble tossed at a castle wall.


    Confusion dragged its fingers through Alex''s expression.


    He had no need for such thoughts. It had no purpose in his mind. Boring did not matter. Who cared how power came, so long as it sill came? All he had to do was sit here. Sit here and do nothing, and the world would bend itself to his will on its own. He had no reason to exert himself.


    Wait. That sounds fucking awful. I don''t want that at all.


    Alex blinked, then shook his head. His expression twitched.


    "What the hell is happening?" Alex whispered.


    And the castle walls came crumbling down. The peace that had enveloped his mind shattered like sugar glass as the world snapped back to the way it should have been. The very center of Alex''s stomach tightened as if it had suddenly grown a thousand times heavier.


    He barely even noticed. His eyes were wide in awe.


    In the distant sky above him was the form of a man.


    His rippling cloak was made up from the stars itself. Swathes of purple light outlined his features and illuminated his face. It was impossible to make out any of his features, but power radiated from his mere image like it was a miniature sun.


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    They were too far for any communication to possibly ever happen. There must have been lightyears of distance between them¡­ but, despite that, Alex couldn''t shake the feeling that the man was looking straight at him.


    The strain of keeping his eyes open grew to be too much. He finally blinked ¡ª and by the time his eyes opened again, the man stood before him.


    Alex''s breath caught in his chest as he jerked to his feet, nearly tripping over himself. The man''s features were no more visible now than they had been before. His translucent form had simply plucked itself from the sky and made itself present directly in front of him.


    "You rejected me. Why?" the man said. His voice came even though there were no lips on his starry face to move. In comparison with the rest of his body, it was surprisingly average. Alex couldn''t have placed it among a crowd if his life had depended on it. It just sounded like a man. For some reason, that set him even more on edge.


    "This is yours?" Alex asked, glancing up at the stars. "How did I get your blood?"


    "Your question does not have an answer. I do not own anything. I just am. Why did you reject me?"


    "Because sitting around and doing nothing while the worked for me sounded lame," Alex replied. "Sure, it''s cool at the start. But who wants to just sit there while everything happens? I want to do stuff."


    "Do you comprehend the magnitude of the power you reject? The ability to do nothing but sit as your enemies crumple around you? You could be a god."


    "What, that was my Visualization or something?" Alex''s brow furrowed. "I''ll be honest, I can''t really afford to go around saying no to magic right now. But I don''t really like the idea of being stuck sitting around while the world fights itself for me. Sounds lame. Also, anybody that shows up promising to make you a god is probably a liar. I wouldn''t mind borrowing the power for¡­ say, as long as it takes to kill a Region Boss, though."


    The man wasn''t amused. He didn''t seem annoyed either. He simply was. "Make your choice. A Visualization does not often give immediate power. Either sit back down back down and accept a master ¡ª study under the heavens until you might reach their heights ¡ª or turn your back on this power forevermore."


    Alex squinted at the man for a moment. He really, really hated the idea of turning back after all he''d done to get the Visualization. But the only thing worse than no progress was negative progress. Getting stuck trying to embody some lame shit that he had no interest in¡­


    Fuck it. I''ll just run it back. I know this isn''t Berith''s Visualization. Worst comes to worst, I''ll find another way to get that one. Besides, the idea of having to accept a master just seems lame. I don''t want to get bossed around and told to cook eggs for five years before I learn anything. I take shit at my own speed.


    "I''m good," Alex said. "Not interested."


    The starry man stood in silence for a moment. Then the shimmering lights that outlined his mouth curled up into a smile.


    "Good. You will do."


    "I ¡ª what?"


    "Nobody that bends to the will of the heavens is worthy of walking my path to power, even if you were the one that birthed me."


    Pretty sure I''d remember being pregnant, actually. The hell is he on about?


    "Right," Alex said, drawing the word out as he squinted at the strange being before him. "You¡­ were bluffing, then? The whole meditation and do nothing shit isn''t actually what my Visualization does?"


    "Follow your instincts," the man replied. "Though you might have to find them, first. It seems they are buried, but enough remains to give you the leverage you need. This power can never go to one who willingly bends the knee. You must be arrogant beyond belief. A fool in the eyes of all but your own. Only through such means can you truly begin to comprehend the power of this path."


    "You''re telling me your secret technique is to be an asshole?"


    The starry man smirked. "I am not telling you anything. I do not even know anything to tell. This is merely a conversation within your own mind as the Visualization you formed tested your mettle. Ironic, is it not? The creation testing its master."


    Alex squinted. "I passed, then?"


    "You survived," the man corrected. He waved up to the sky above. "Should you have accepted my offer, all this would have ceased to exist. But it remains. Now we will see if you can harness your mind enough to turn what could be into what is."


    "Could anyone not speak in semi-riddles for once in my life?" Alex demanded. "I mean, I get what you''re saying, but you could have gotten it across just as well by saying, ''I''m a representation of the Visualization you created used to speak with you and judge your mettle. You did good enough, but I''m done testing you now so my purpose is over. Good luck, hope you kick some ass.'' Would that be so hard?"


    The starry man smirked. "Perhaps you should become a Visualization''s representation yourself. It seems you know what you''re talking about. Then allow me to speak in a language you would appreciate more: an example. It is the only one you will get. Then my purpose will cease, and all that remains will be you."


    The starry man turned to look up at the stars. He extended a hand toward it, his fingers splaying like he was trying to mush them across the sky itself.


    Alex''s gaze followed that of the man.


    A distant flash illuminated the stars as one of the dim motes of light suddenly ignited with energy. It shimmered with such intensity that it threatened to sear itself into Alex''s eyes, and the star showed no signs of stopping. It quickly reached the intensity of the sun itself, bathing Alex''s entire soul with molten white light.


    How goddamn bright is that ¡ª


    Wait.


    Holy shit. It''s not getting brighter. It''s getting closer.


    The star tore away from the heavens and plummeted down toward them, a burning meteor streaking down directly in their direction. Pressure built in Alex''s ears, bearing down on him like the foot of a giant.


    Alex slammed down to his knees. The breath was crushed from his lungs and his body trembled with exertion as he fought to keep from getting pressed completely prone.


    The starry man didn''t so much as flinch. His hand remained raised to the sky, even as the pressure magnified and the meteor grew closer still. The rumble of its approach filled Alex''s ears with the intensity of a stampeding horde of elephants.


    Ripples and waves splashed across the surface of the lake, slamming into his body and threatening to pull him under. And still, the man beside Alex remained unflinching. Nothing could shake his focus. To him, it was like nothing existed but the sky and the star falling toward him.


    Then the man blew out a breath.


    The stars that made up his eyes went pitch black. Every scrap of light around them bent inward, swallowed by the two twin voids that had appeared on his face.


    His hand clenched.


    The meteor snuffed out.


    Its pressure evaporated entirely, disappearing as if it had never been there in the first place. Alex drew in a sharp breath, shoving himself back to his feet as the man turned look back at him.


    The starry man smiled. His fingers unfurled one by one, revealing a single mote of energy shimmering upon his palm.


    "Take what you desire. So long as you are powerful to pluck the stars from the heavens themselves, they will belong to you," the man said. "And¡­ one last tip from a Visualization that never lived to a man who might be about to stop."


    To stop? What?


    "Huh?"


    The starry man pointed up to the sky. "Don''t fumble the catch."


    Alex''s gaze followed the man''s finger. Then the blood drained from his face.


    Oh, shit.


    One more star was plummeting from the sky ¡ª and this one was headed straight toward him.

 Chapter 181 - 180: Practice

    "Whoa, hold up!" Alex exclaimed, staring up in horror and awe alike as the star plummeted from the heavens on a direct collision course with him. He felt like a child that had just accidentally knocked his mother''s expensive dish off its spot in a cabinet and could do nothing but watch as it tumbled through the air in slow motion on its path to the ground. "I didn''t try to do that! I''m not ready! I need to practice first!"


    "This is practice," the starry man replied. "I suggest you learn quickly."


    "Nobody practices by catching a fucking shooting star before it obliterates their soul!" Alex paused. Maybe he was overthinking things. Surely a Visualization wasn''t powerful enough to just straight up kill him after it had already accepted him and he''d passed its test. Maybe this was just a test run. "Wait. I''m overreacting. Of course. This is just a test run or something, right? What happens if the star actually hits me?" S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No, I would say your reaction was largely apt," the starry man replied. "What do you think would happen if your soul gets hit by a falling star? I would imagine it wouldn''t be particularly comfortable, but I have no experience in the matter. I was only created a short while ago. What normally happens when an object is hit by an enormous meteor moving at incredible speeds?"


    Goddamn it. I don''t think he''s screwing around. What the hell kind of Visualization did I get? I thought these were just supposed to be a way to build your Mind Palace! Stopping stars that strange men pull from the sky is no basis for creating a castle.


    Alex shoved his thoughts to the side. His heart was already pounding as adrenaline pumped through his body. Wasting time whining wasn''t about to change anything. He had ¡ª from the looks of things and how fast the light was intensifying ¡ª about a minute before the star was upon him.


    "What do I do?" Alex asked. He shifted from foot to foot, his gaze darting between the rapidly brightening star and the starry man. "How do I grab it? Preferably before it obliterates the both of us?"


    "That''s for you to decide. "I am not here to teach you. How would you pluck a star from the sky?"


    "If I knew how to do it, do you really think I''d be wasting time asking?"


    "If you do not, then I would suggest that you spend time thinking on how one would pluck a star from the sky than asking about it. It was only a short time ago that you asserted your desire to accomplish tasks on your own. Has that changed? Why do you ask me to do your job for you?"


    Alex paused. Then his eyes narrowed and he turned back up to look at the brightening mote of light approaching them. "You know, it''s a bit different when you yank a bloody star down right on top of my head."


    The starry man didn''t say anything, and Alex didn''t waste a second more on him. He didn''t bother approaching Berith either. The Demon was still there, at the corner of his soul, but Alex had no doubt that asking for any help from him was going to come at a cost far greater than he had any desire to pay.


    And if he was honest¡­ Alex didn''t actually want the help. The initial panic that had slammed into him had gone up like a piece of magician''s flash paper, igniting and burning away within moments.


    All that remained now was the challenge before him. It was like everything else in the System. There was always a way forward. No task was completely impossible. He''d gotten this Visualization because the power, somewhere deep within him, was there.


    Perhaps it came from Berith. Perhaps it came from something else entirely. Alex didn''t know how it had come to be or what the origins of this Visualization were. Perhaps, if he were successful, some of those answers would be found.


    But he didn''t care about the answers right now. There was only one thing left on the forefront of Alex''s mind, and it was how one would go about plucking a star from the sky. The starry man had been very specific with his words.


    He didn''t say how ''can'' you pluck a star. He said how ''would''. A Visualization is something you picture, right? It''s all a mental thing. Like a meditation technique. This is all in my mind¡­ which means it has to follow my rules.


    "That has to be it," Alex said to himself, dropping down onto his backside and crossing his legs beneath him as he stared up at the star above him. "I don''t have to figure out how someone would literally grab a star from the sky. I''ve just got to determine how I would do it. This is some fancy monk technique, isn''t it? Using a stressful situation to compress your thoughts and force you to push ahead. That seems profound."


    The starry man did not respond. Alex barely even cared. It didn''t matter what the man did anymore. He was just a silent observer. The only one interacting with the star was Alex.


    Plucking it from the air does seem pretty cool. No point not giving it a shot.


    Alex extended a hand toward the sky, covering the shining mote of energy with his palm. He did his best to visualize his being extending outward and wrapping around the star ¡ª that felt like it the type of mental exercise this scenario was meant to encourage.


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    He drew in a deep breath and blew it out slowly, drawing on the practice he''d had meditating in recent days to calm himself. Panic didn''t help. Emotion didn''t help. The only thing he needed here was intent.


    His eyes closed.


    This is my mind. My soul¡­ And things work the way I decide they do.


    Then, one by one, Alex closed his fingers.


    He felt a grin pulling a cross his lips as a sense of satisfaction washed over him.


    Alex let his hand lower. His eyes opened as he looked down at his palm.


    It was empty.


    Goddamn it.


    He glanced up to the sky, where the star was still hurtling down toward him just as fast as it had always been. It was even closer now ¡ª as falling objects falling above one''s head to be ¡ª and the light was so bright that it forced him to squint.


    "Mm. No, I don''t think that was it," the starry man said with a thoughtful shake of his head. "Maybe you should try it again."


    Oh, go pound sand.


    Alex gritted his teeth and dug through his thoughts. He''d already figured out why his attempt had failed. As cool as the idea of literally plucking a star out of the sky was, his mind just didn''t work like that. Things still generally made sense in accordance to the System''s rules. This was no exception.


    He didn''t have any ability that let him literally yank stars from the sky. If he''d had some form of telepathy or control over his soul''s shape, then it would have been a whole other thing. But he didn''t. And without it, he couldn''t actually visualize himself just invisibly stopping the falling star.


    It has to be something physical. When I''m stronger, I know for a fact I can picture myself just yanking things out of the sky like chips from a bag of cereal. But that power and who I am right now aren''t aligned.


    A Visualization. The clue has to be there, in the name. I need to be able to picture what I want. And if I want to visualize some kind of power, then it has to be something I can actually see or observe.


    Something that makes sense. If it makes sense, I can imagine it. But what can I use to grab the star? Certainly not my own hands. Even if I wanted to, they aren''t big enough. I need to use something else. Glint? Spark? Princess?


    None of his monsters worked. They weren''t truly part of him. Alex''s summons were allies, integral parts of his fighting techniques and valued members of his team¡­ but not him. And this was about him.


    Berith was equally as useless. The demon wasn''t even a part of his team. If anything, he was an enemy¡­ though there was one thing that Alex could probably use him for. It wasn''t like Berith could dodge anything. If the worst came to the worst, he could always use the demon to take cover behind. Something told him Berith would probably survive getting hit by a falling star.


    Now that would be a funny Visualization. Screw some fancy monk shit. My special technique will be holding someone in front of me and letting them take the hit in my stead.


    Alex snorted in amusement at his own joke.


    "You find something funny?" the starry man asked.


    "Shut up," Alex replied, his words turning strained. Pressure from the plummeting star was bearing down on him even harder now, fighting to force him beneath the rippling water of his lake. "I''m doing important thinking right now."


    "Important enough to be laughing at it?"


    "Don''t turn your nose up at a good snicker. It always helps get the ducks in a row." Alex''s eyes darted around his soul. Waves were lapping all around him now, crashing against his basin and rolling over the scattered building materials littering the ground in huge heaps.


    What do I have to work with? What can I ¡ª


    Wait.


    Alex stared at a pile of rubble. The star was so close now that he could feel the heat from it radiating against his back, but even that couldn''t stop the grin from splitting his lips. He had his idea.


    There was no time to think of anything else. It was this or bust.


    "You''re part of my soul, so time to pay rent and do something instead of sitting around and making everything look like trash," Alex snarled. With a roar, he thrust both of his hands into the air.


    Instead of willing the star to vanish from the sky, he willed his very being upward. It was more than his hands that rose. It was his very soul, rising up from the lake around him with the roar of a crashing waves.


    Debris and material was swept away as the ripples of water emanating from around Alex magnified a hundredfold. They were mere ripples no longer. His soul was like a stormy night at sea. Furious waves that towered higher than his basin slammed against his soul, shaking it to its very foundations.


    None of the tremors reached Alex. He stood in the roaring sea, as still and indifferent as the sky above. Above, the star drew closer still. It was only mere seconds away now. Fortunately, Alex didn''t need any more than one.


    The thundering waves swirled together around him before exploding upward. Bricks flowed through the wave, slamming into place to form into the shape of a massive hand. The stone and marble coated the dark water like skin to form a protective barrier.


    A shadow passed over Alex. The fingers of the massive hand unfurled. It reached up toward the burning star plummeting down toward him.


    Despite everything, he braced himself.


    The star slammed into the palm of the hand. A resounding explosion tore through his Mind Palace like a bomb had gone off. An enormous shockwave followed after it, tearing through the air with a visible white trail and slamming Alex down to his back as tremors rolled through the very foundations of his soul.


    Power drove into Alex''s heart like a railroad spike. The sky shuddered. And, even as his vision darkened and sputtered, his eyes squinted up at the fading vision above him.


    The massive hand still stood. Its fingers had clenched around a brilliant mote of burning white light. Energy radiated out from within it to wash over his body in gentle, almost comforting waves. They soaked into him like water into a sponge.


    He''d caught the star.


    Something about his body felt¡­ strange. Not wrong, but different. He didn''t know how, but the star was changing him. Evidently, Visualizations were a whole lot more than just a way to meditate.


    Heh. Who would have thought?


    A smile crossed Alex''s lips.


    Then the world went black.

 Chapter 182 - 181: Awoken

    Alex''s eyes fluttered. A clammy chill pressed against his cheek, not quite cold enough to be uncomfortable but sufficient to pull him from what felt like it had been an incredible rest. Sensation slowly returned to his body as the tips of his fingers and toes tingled.


    The world around him came into focus. Around him stretched a familiar lake. It was calm and dark, a still mirror reflecting the shimmering heavens above and broken only by the presence of the marble rising from beneath it.


    That and the assorted building materials scattered across its beautiful surface like trash. Alex''s nose scrunched and he blinked heavily. He pressed a hand against the surface of the lake and pushed himself upright.


    "The hell?" Alex muttered as he wiped the sleep from his eyes. It felt like he''d just woken up from a year-long nap. Every single part of him felt.. different. Refreshed. Every single old ache and pain that had lingered within him had evaporated, leaving behind nothing more than a memory. Even his mind felt like the cobwebs had been brushed away from it so it could be born anew.


    Then his eyes caught on something new.


    His soul was not the same as he had left it.


    Rising up behind his marble basin was an enormous hand. Memories flooded back into his mind in a flash. This was very same hand that had blocked the plummeting star. It remained behind the basin, its fingers curled around the area that unprocessed misty energy would gather to wait for Alex to process it.


    There were no traces of the water that made up Alex''s soul within the inside of the arm anymore. The hand was now made purely of marble. The individual bricks that made it up had merged together into the smooth, seamless beauty of a sculpture made by a master craftsman. And, glistening upon its palm, was a single mote of starlight.


    But that wasn''t all. Something about the hand felt¡­ odd. Like it was more than a mere part of his Mind Palace. Alex''s brow furrowed. The sensation was so odd that his mind couldn''t even properly process it.


    It was almost as if he could feel the stone hand within his mind.


    No. That isn''t it. It''s not just the hand.


    He could feel the stars in the sky ¡ª and the pitch black cube that twisted in the centerpiece of its purple canvas. He could feel the pillars that rose around his soul. The gate to his domain, the materials scattered across his lake, the ones that had still yet to rise from beneath it.


    He could feel his whole Mind Palace. He''d always known it was connected to his body. It was a part of him, after all. But this was different. It wasn''t just an awareness of the Mind Palace''s presence.


    This felt more like another limb.


    "Whoa," Alex said. His brow furrowed. "What is this? What happened?"


    "You actually managed it," Berith said from behind him. And, for the first time, there was genuine awe in the demon''s voice.


    Alex spun toward Berith. He couldn''t keep a question from spilling forth from his mouth. "Managed what? What did I do?"


    "You managed to fully form your Visualization," Berith said. The heavy white chains that bound the demon rattled as he shook his head. "I can''t see it ¡ª but I can see that marble hand. It is proof. You have begun to shape your Mind Palace. Can you feel it?"


    "Yes," Alex said. "What does it mean?"


    For a moment, it almost seemed that Berith would answer. Then he let out a rumbling laugh. "I don''t think so, little thief. You''ve gotten more than enough out of me today. I think it will be far more enjoyable to watch you try to figure this out yourself. It won''t be hard, I can promise you that. The most difficult part of Visualizations is not using them. It is surviving them."


    "Well that isn''t ominous at all," Alex muttered, casting a glance back at the marble hand rising over his basin.


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    Berith snorted. "I''ll give you a free piece of advice, but only because you''re about to ruin something I''ve been looking forward to for some time. Forming a Visualization as strong as the one you just created takes time and energy. A lot of it."


    Alex''s brow furrowed. "How is that¡ª"


    Then his eyes went wide.


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    How long have I been in my soul?


    "Shit!" Alex exclaimed.


    He threw himself free of his Mind Palace with a panicked thought. Berith''s echoing laughter followed him all the way back to the outer world.


    Alex''s eyes snapped open as he drew in a sharp breath. He sat near piles of rubble, across the ground from Finley. The merchant had his chin supported in the palm of a hand and his elbow against his knee. He drummed his fingers against his chin, eyes staring off into space.


    His monsters still stood around them, studiously standing watch to make sure nobody tried anything while Alex was passed out.


    "How long?" Alex barked out, scrambling to his feet.


    Finley''s chin slipped from his palm as he nearly tripped over himself ¡ª a rather impressive feat to accomplish whilst sitting down. He scrambled to his feet and brushed the dust off his pants.


    "A few hours," Finley replied. "Six, maybe?"


    Shit. That''s way too long. I wasn''t planning on spending so much here!


    "We have to go back," Alex said, striding past Finley toward the Starstone. "The region boss might have attacked already! Damn it. I didn''t think it would take so long!"


    "It normally doesn''t. What did you do?" Finley asked as he hurried to catch up with Alex. "Forming a Visualization generally isn''t a very long process. It''s a passing of a gift. What did you do?"


    "Doesn''t matter right now," Alex replied as he called his monsters back into their Spatial Mirrors.


    The Starstone was already connected to his town, so returning wasn''t going to be an issue. But with the amount of time that had passed¡­ there was a chance that the Region Boss had already attacked.


    Trepidation flooded Alex as he reached out to the glowing white meteor and pressed a palm against it. The Starstone had been connected to his own town by the Astral Map, so the return trip was already arranged so long as something still stood to return to.


    Cold, wet energy flowed against Alex''s palm like he''d plunged it into a river. Prickly energy pierced into his veins and traveled up toward his chest as the air before him lit up with white light.


    Letters sliced into it in broad, sweeping strokes.


    Towntown Starstone


    Connected Hub Cities:


    Mirrorwane


    Alex winced. Valley Ford was gone from the list. That confirmed the city had been destroyed¡­ but Mirrorwane was new. He''d never actually set out to give his town a proper name, but it seemed that someone ¡ª or the System itself ¡ª had made one for him.


    There was no doubt that it was his town. There weren''t any others that would have had a connection to Towntown. All things considered, Mirrorwane was a pretty badass name. And, more importantly, it meant that his town still stood.


    Alex let out a relieved sigh. That didn''t slow his pounding heart by so much as a beat. He shot a look back to Finley. Even if the town still stood, that didn''t mean it wasn''t under attack. They had to get back.


    "We''re leaving," Alex said sharply. "Ready?"


    Finley gave him a hurried nod. "Yes. Not like I have anything else to¡ª"


    The rest of his sentence was lost in a flash of light and energy as Alex grabbed him by the wrist and activated the Starstone. Roaring magic swallowed the both of them.


    When it faded, they were gone. Towntown was empty.


    ***


    The ground drove up into Alex''s feet and tried to knock his heart up from his throat. He stumbled forward, a faint pop reverberating to his right as Finley materialized beside him. It only took a single glance for Alex to verify that they had returned to his town. It had a rather unique look, after all. There weren''t many places with a mixture of impressive looking buildings surrounded by crumbling cabins in forest clearings.


    Alex let out a relieved breath. "We made it on¡ª"


    An explosion ripped through the air. Alex staggered as the shockwave from its blast tore through the town like the roar of a dragon. Fire coiled through the sky in the all-too-near distance.


    The explosion was not alone. Several more followed after it, and among them was the ringing crack of lightning and clang of metal. The smell of ash and blood drifted into Alex''s nostrils all too late. It was joined by an intense prickling sensation like a hive of ants had been released directly on the back of his neck.


    Oh, shit.


    A buzzing crackle twisted the air before Alex. Rhyss popped into existence before him, the Keeper''s one-eyed face as impassive as always.


    "We are under attack," Rhyss said. His voice was impressively calm for the situation. "Claire has taken emergency measures and is attempting to stall for time, but full control of the town remains with its owner. I would suggest acting before Mirrorwane is destroyed."


    "I''m cursed," Finley said.


    More thunderous roars tore through the air in the distance. Alex''s eyes snapped in their direction. And, even though Rhyss had yet to provide any more information, he didn''t need it. His senses were already telling him everything he needed to know.


    The Region Boss had awoken.

 Chapter 183 - 182: Point

    "Let''s go! Finley, you stay here. Defend the town if you can. Stay out of the way if you can''t. Rhyss, get moving," Alex yelled. "Take me toward the worst of the battle! And what can I do to help defend? Is my Town Ability ready?"


    Rhyss floated in the direction of the explosions, which almost would have been comedic if it wasn''t for the situation. There was something deeply amusing about someone floating at any speed faster than a slow walk.


    Alex''s heart accelerated in his chest like a revving engine that pumped his body full of adrenaline as he sprinted after Rhyss. He could feel the Region Boss'' presence bearing down against his mind. His Ascending Forerunner Title really was quite useful, but it was going to start getting annoying if it didn''t stop soon.


    "You have access to two of them. The Mists of Vil''Kazer are always prepared, though they will come at a cost of the town''s energy reserves," Rhyss said. "Labyrinth is an ability that should be left to charge for longer durations. It will provide some benefit, but not to the full extent of its potential."


    The two of them broke past the wooden fortifications surrounding the town ¡ª and Alex skidded to a stop as his eyes went wide. Campers ran around their makeshift defenses, desperately fighting back against a tiny sea of monsters.


    Snakes squirmed through the trees. Some were just that, while others had sprouted arms to bear roughshod weaponry and walked on two legs. Magic danced between the two sides, crashing into the ground with thunderous explosions and sending plumes of dirt sailing into the darkening sky.


    Flashes of purple magic split through the air as the campers abruptly vanished and new ones appeared in their place. It seemed that the Warp Relay was doing its job.


    Orchid stood near the front of their minuscule forces, her staff braced against the ground as she sent waves of magma roaring up from beneath the ground and crashing down upon their advancing enemies.


    But Alex''s eyes only lingered on the scene around him for a flicker of a second before they were drawn to the horizon above ¡ª and there they stuck. His lips parted in awe as, for a moment, he found himself unable to do anything but stare.


    Flying above just above forest was an enormous, eight-headed hydra. The monster''s body was covered in rough, jagged black scales and its wings were leathery like those of a bat. Each of its heads was full of teeth far too large for its mouth, forcing them to remain permanently open in a rictus sneer.


    Its body was easily the size of an Olympic swimming pool and had a wingspan of twice that. Flashing lights lit like birthing stars around it, only to detonate in thunderous explosions mere moments later. It was like the hydra was a giant, flying firebomb.


    The monster''s massive legs dragged through the trees as it flew, heads twisting and biting at the air in an attempt to take down a blurred figure weaving in and out of them. The figure was Claire ¡ª and the air above the huge hydra shimmered with red light as the System, somewhat pointlessly, identified it to Alex.


    [Region Boss] Gorgonaga (Adept 4)


    "Holy shit," Alex breathed. "That''s a fucking hydra. And an Adept 4? Rhyss, how do I activate the town abilities? Both of them."


    "Typically, you need to be present at your Town Core for the first ability activation. An Advisor can also activate your Town Abilities with verbal permission. Would you like to activate them now?"


    "Yes!" Alex snapped. "We''re going to need everything we can get! Loose the hounds! And whatever the hell other things are living in the Labyrinth. I''m sure we''ve got at least a few rats down there too."


    Rhyss'' hands danced through the air as if he were playing some invisible string instrument. The hair on the back of Alex''s neck stood on end as static electricity abruptly made itself known. It intensified to such a degree that he could practically taste it on his tongue.


    Then there was a crackling pop. Power rolled out from Rhyss. The matted grass at their feet abruptly stood on end. Each individual blade separated and trembled as a deep thrum rose from beneath the ground at a pitch that made Alex''s bones feel like they were vibrating.


    Plumes of mist coiled up from the earth. All around the town, thick white clouds pulled themselves free from their dirt prison. They poured out over Mirrorwane and the surrounding battlefield in a thick, all-consuming smog.


    The mist prickled against Alex''s skin and stung his lunges as he inhaled. It bore the slight smell of citrus and thick herbage. Something about it hung heavy in his lungs. If the ability hadn''t specifically said the mist wouldn''t negatively affect residents of the town until they had prolonged exposure to it, Alex would have taken off at a dead sprint.


    All the light bearing down on the town was snuffed out as the heavy white clouds swallowed it up. The world was cast into dancing shadows, broken only by the booming roar of magic and sounds of battle.


    Why do I feel like I just released a chemical weapon?


    Deep, shuddering crunches echoed through the muted air. They came from the ground around Alex, but it was impossible to tell from exactly where. He didn''t have time to wonder. There was no way he was going to sit around and do nothing while everyone else fought for their lives.


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    Even if the battle had somehow been going so well that Alex wasn''t needed ¡ª which it wasn''t ¡ª it would have taken a small army to keep him from missing out on all the fun.


    "I''m going to go help Claire fight the Region Boss," Alex said, sending several rapid commands to his summons. The air around him shimmered and the clouds flowed back as his monsters dragged themselves into existence to stand by his side. Alex sent a final glance at Rhyss, who was just close enough to avoid being obscured by the thick mist. "Find me if I''m needed or if there''s a major change in the flow of battle."


    "I will continue to observe," Rhyss said.


    Alex nodded. Then he spun on his heel and sprinted off. His monsters ran alongside him, Glint and Spark taking up the lead while Princess'' thundering steps marked her at his back. Even though seeing the sky was completely impossible through the white mist, Alex had a whole other sense to lead him.


    All he had to do was follow the explosions tearing through the sky.


    Shadows danced in the mist all around him as he ran. Glint darted to the side, vanishing for a moment. The pained hiss of a snake near Alex came to an abrupt halt. The monster''s head slammed down at his feet as he suddenly found himself standing beside Aaron.


    The boy''s eyes were wide in a mixture of shock and fear, and he held a sword in shaking hands.


    "Thank god. You''re here. Appreciate the help," Aaron said through ragged breaths. He shook himself off and gave Alex a nod. "Gotta go find May. Good luck!"


    Then he was gone, sprinting back into the mist before Alex could say anything else. That was just fine with him. He took back off running, ignoring the trickle of energy that entered him from the monster Glint had just killed.


    He dodged past the trees, following in Spark''s footsteps to avoid running headlong into a monster or a large piece of unforgiving foliage. The ground seemed to blur beneath Alex as he accelerated, moving faster than he''d ever thought possible.


    Alex burst free of the mist. It was sudden, so fast that he nearly tripped over himself in surprise. He skidded to a stop. There were half a dozen surprised-looking snake monsters of varying levels and shapes around him.


    And, in the sky overhead, was the Region Boss. One of the monster''s legs dangled just a few dozen feet away from Alex in the air. A tree crunched as the monster''s leg slammed into it, snapping its top half clean off.


    Alex didn''t wait around for the monsters to get over their surprise. He burst into motion ¡ª straight at a tree.


    The snakes finally remembered who they were supposed to be fighting and lurched to stop him.


    Princess had other plans. She bowled straight into the monsters, driving her massive fists into them like she was a middle-aged mom on Black Friday and they were nothing but toddlers that had dared stray into her path.


    Snakes went flying, their hisses coming to abrupt, sharp stops as they slammed into trees with enough force to shatter their backs.


    Alex didn''t so much as slow. He reached the tree he''d been charging at and launched himself straight up. Bark whizzed past his face as wind bit at his eyes. And, for one glorious instant, Alex was flying.


    What is this power? I feel incredible! Like nothing can¡ª


    He slammed head first into a large branch.


    The branch snapped with a loud crack and pain lanced into Alex''s skull. He let out a slew of curses and his hand shot out, snagging onto the stump of the branch before he could fall back to the ground.


    Right. Not immortal. Not unstoppable. Just stronger. This Visualization stuff is seriously crazy. I feel like I could bench press a car.


    Alex dragged himself up to the top of the tree. His eyes fixed on the Region Boss'' leg. It was just under twenty feet away ¡ª a frankly ridiculous jump for even an incredibly athletic human. Six feet was hard enough with a running start, and he was standing stock still. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A grin split his lips. Then, with a delighted laugh, Alex launched himself off the tree.


    He slammed into the Gorganaga''s leg, digging his fingers into the rough black scales covering the monster''s body. The monster barely even seemed to notice Alex as he clambered up its side, dragging himself up until he''d reached its back.


    Explosions tore through the air all around Alex, each one threatening to burst his eardrums. It was like he''d walked right into the center of a firework show.


    All eight of the Gorganaga''s heads were still completely focused on trying to bite Claire, who was doing an admirable job of weaving its necks into nots. She couldn''t last forever, though. She needed backup.


    Alex cracked his neck. With a thought, he banished all of his monsters and summoned them back to his side. It would only take a few moments before ¡ª


    A glowing light lit right in front of his face.


    Oh, shit.


    Alex flung himself away, falling prone on the Gorganaga''s back.


    It wasn''t going to be enough. He''d seen how large the other explosions had been. At the very least, the force of the detonation would send him flying¡­ but there was no time to do anything but dig his hands into the monster''s scales to brace himself.


    The air flashed. A brilliant explosion tore through the space where he''d been standing mere moments before with a deafening whoom. Heat slammed into Alex in a wave of pressurized force.


    He clung to the monster''s body with every single scrap of energy he could. No matter what happened, Alex would not let go. He was staying right here.


    And then the wall of flame hit him.


    Something deep within his chest shuddered. It was like an enormous millstone had ponderously turned itself over within him. He didn''t have time to pay the sensation any attention. All he could do was brace himself for the¡­


    ¡­where''s the pain?


    Coils of fire twisted around Alex, swirling around him in an odd, almost orbit-like pattern. They sputtered and died, failing to so much as brush across his skin.


    Huh?


    The explosion had definitely been close enough to hit him. Even if he hadn''t been dead center, the edges of the blast should have caught Alex within it. But, for some reason, he hadn''t even been grazed by the magic.


    Alex grinned. There was no point looking a gift horse in the mouth. He had something else to look in the mouth of.


    Namely, one of the Gorganaga''s heads. A long neck twisted so the hideous, bulbous head perched upon its end could stare straight at Alex with baleful eyes. Green saliva dripped from its misshapen fangs as the monster''s huge mouth opened wide and it let out a furious scream of challenge.


    The air around Alex rippled. Glass shattered. Glint emerged onto the Gorganaga''s back, followed shortly afterward by Princess and Spark. Another one of the hydra''s heads turned toward Alex as the Region Boss realized he may have posed a little bit more of a threat than it had initially thought.


    Alex grinned.


    Then he raised a hand, pointing a finger at his opponent''s heads.


    His monsters charged.

 Chapter 184 - 183: Fry

    Princess bowled straight into the first of the Gorganaga''s heads, flinging the entire weight of her body into its long neck. The monster''s bulbous head snapped to the side like a sunflower in the wind as she swung in her best Tarzan impression in an attempt to decapitate the hydra in a single go.


    The sharp, crooked fangs of the hydra vanished in a blur as its head was abruptly pulled down. Alex suppressed a wince as there was a sharp crack that likely came from somewhere within the Gorganaga''s spindly neck.


    Well. That was easier than I¡ª


    The neck swung back up. Princess had slid all the way down to the monster''s head and clung to it, wrapping her sludgy body around the monster''s skull and attempting trying to crush it within her grip.


    It was clear the gorgon wouldn''t be torn apart so easily. The huge monster''s body was a lot sturdier than Alex had been expecting if even such thin parts of it could withstand Princess'' weight. Its other heads darted forward, snapping at Princess and biting away large chunks of her body.


    The sludge covering Princess rippled as she continuously regenerated under the hail of strikes. If every single one of the monster''s heads had turned to focus on her, there was a good chance they''d have been able to overwhelm her regenerative properties.


    But the Gorganaga had more than just one issue. Claire still darted through the air before it, periodically landing on the trees beneath them before launching herself back up into the air to slash at the hydra''s heads like an annoying mosquito.


    Spark and Glint were also upon it as well, drawing the attention of two heads on their own. No matter how tough the Hydra''s scales were, leaving Glint unchecked was a fast way to get deforested.


    The Hydra couldn''t afford to focus completely on Princess. It only had a few heads to spare. And no matter how hideous looking they were, those heads couldn''t eat nearly as fast as Princess could regenerate.


    Alex wasn''t the only one to realize that.


    A high pitched whine filled the air, cutting through the constant boom of explosions echoing out all around the Gorganaga. It started off so quiet that Alex could barely even register it. But, within moments, it was so loud that he couldn''t have ignored it if he wanted to.


    Where the hell is that sound coming¡ª


    Princess''s body bulged. Sludge bubbled for a brief instant like a pot just about to boil over.


    Then she exploded.


    A roaring wave of fire exploded out from her, sending black sludge splattering through the air in a thick rain. Alex felt her die instantly as her mask shattered into hundreds of tiny fragments. There wasn''t going to be any regenerating from that.


    The Gorganaga''s head, now free from Princess'' grasp, turned to send its baleful glare at Alex. Coils of smoke twisted up from its thin lips and danced between its malformed teeth. The monster let out a clicking noise and its jaws parted.


    The back of his scalp prickled as a high-pitched whine filled the air once more. A glowing red mote lit at the back of the monster''s throat, intensifying in unison with the whine. Alex''s eyes widened.


    Oh, shit.


    He grabbed for his magic and thrust his hands forward, casting Funhouse before diving to the side. Reality shattered before the air where he''d been. Purple crackles of Riftwarped energy danced through the fragments like electric arcs.


    The loud whine reached its peak. The back of the Hydra''s throat erupted in a crimson wave. A beam of molten flame streaked out from the Hydra''s head like a laser and drove straight into the warped area.


    It reflected like sunlight bouncing off a mirror and streaked down into the forest below them, obliterating several trees with a thunderous boom. A number of snake monsters were caught in the explosion, killed before they could even try to dodge.


    Alex stumbled back to his feet, already feeling Princess'' energy flowing into his body as he rose. He didn''t let himself dally. There was no room to save any power against an enemy like this.


    I can''t sit back while my monsters fight. Not for this fight. We need to throw everything we''ve got at the Gorganaga.


    He sent his awareness deep within himself to draw on the pool of Qi that rested within his core. Alex had never tried empowering this ability with Qi before, but he had a pretty good guess as to what it was going to do.


    Alex activated Armament Elegy.


    Sludge poured down his arm. It bubbled and twisted around his fingers as waves of it layered into the form of a massive sword. Teeth bubbled up from within it, forming into a maw near the hilt, as pointed centipede legs crawled free along its edge.


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    Unlike the normal sword that Armament Elegy created from Princess, this one was nearly as tall as Alex. Thick strands of sludge remained connected all over Alex''s arm, binding the huge weapon to his body like a symbiote. Riftwarped Qi pulsed and crackled within the blade, running to and from his body as if it were blood.


    Alex hoisted the huge blade. He wouldn''t have said that it was light ¡ª the weapon clearly had an immense mass to it. Moving it around normally would have been nearly impossible ¡ª but the sword almost seemed to be helping him. It was as if it had some form of bio-mechanical servo within it that predicted his movements and aided in them.


    "That''s what I''m talking about," Alex said with a grin. "Focus one head! Go!"


    A high pitched whine filled the air, slicing through the booming explosions rolling through the air all around them. Alex charged forward with a delighted laugh, dragging the huge blade through the Hydra Gorgon''s back behind him.


    The sword roared to life as it bit into the monster''s scales. The centipede legs rumbled like the blades of a chainsaw and cut a furrow into the Hydra Gorgon. Even though it couldn''t quite cut through the Region Boss''s immense defenses, it certainly made Alex''s point.


    Two more of the heads turned toward him ¡ª and, in doing so, relieved some of the pressure on Glint and Spark. The two of them charged as one. They both sprinted toward the head that was looking at Alex, dodging past the other heads as they attempted to cut them off.


    Alex prepared to fling himself out of the way as the whine reached its peak and crimson light lit in the back of one of the gorgon''s throats. Princess'' healing factor wasn''t going to do anything if his body got splattered in a split second.


    But, before he could, a blur slammed into the monster''s neck. The Gorgon had stopped paying attention to Claire ¡ª and she hadn''t let the slight go unpunished. Its neck snapped to the side, sending the hydra''s head hurtling like one of the tetherballs chained to a pole in some schoolyards.


    The beam of concentrated fire screamed out from the monster''s mouth haphazardly. It carved through the ground to leave a path of flame and destruction in its wake.


    Claire tumbled across the monster''s back before launching back to her feet, driving her sword down into the scales on its back to keep herself from skidding off it. Black veins carved down her arms and reached up her neck to pump power through her body.


    She didn''t waste any words on Alex. The two of them just charged.


    Two more brilliant whines filled the air as the Hydra Gorgon turned more attention toward them. At the same time, one head swept out across the monster''s body like a giant jump rope.


    Glint leapt over it, but Spark wasn''t quite so fortunate. He was launched like a baseball and sent hurtling through the sky in a black blur.


    But, an instant later, he snapped back into his previous spot, where he''d managed to deposit his shadow a moment before he''d been struck. He and Glint both dove at the head as it rose, grabbing onto it and tearing into the Region Boss with all their might.


    The Gorganaga let out a scream of fury. Its other heads turned to the monsters attacking it ¡ª including one of the ones that had been charging up a fire beam. That left only one still pointed in their direction.


    "I got it!" Claire yelled, breaking away and charging toward the head with the brightening mote of light in the back of its neck. She flung herself at the monster in a dark blur, slamming into its neck and knocking its aim off target.


    A molten beam carved through the air harmlessly above them ¡ª and then Alex was upon his own target.


    He reared back and swung his chainsword with a roar. The blade slammed into the Gorganaga''s neck with enough force to send a shudder down Alex''s arm. Scale screeched as the hooked centipede legs dug into it, hungrily searching for the meat beneath.


    The Hydra swung one of its heads at Alex like a bat. A very fast, tooth-filled bat. He dropped to the ground, letting the monster''s head hurtle harmlessly overhead. The abrupt whine above Alex''s told him things hadn''t gone exactly to plan.


    He rolled to the side, only to find the monster staring straight down at him, its throat a molten red. The Gorganaga had stopped every ounce of momentum in its head to stare straight down at Alex in what felt like it should have been a herculean feat of strength.


    Alex threw himself out of the way an instant before the beam of fire exploded from the monster''s mouth. It slammed into the monster''s scales ¡ª and bounced clean off to vanish into the clouds above.


    "No way. It has magic-reflecting scales? Seriously?" Alex staggered back to his feet, raising his sword before him an instant before a head slammed straight into him. Even with all the power his Visualization had imbued his body with, the blow launched him straight into the air.


    The world spun around Alex as he tumbled through the air. It was impossible to tell which direction the ground and the sky were ¡ª but one of them was rapidly getting closer than the other.


    Sharp branches snapped against his back as he crashed through them. Alex slammed to a halt against the trunk of a tree, snapping it with a loud crack, and then fell another dozen feet to the ground, the breath knocked completely from his lungs.


    He groaned into the dirt. He''d definitely broken more than a few bones. Magic flowed through his body as Princess'' powers pulled him back together ¡ª and it was joined by another flow of power moments later.


    Spark had died.


    Glint''s energy flowed into Alex a moment later.


    Alex gritted his teeth. He forced himself to his feet and craned his neck back to look up at the Gorganaga. Despite their best attempts thus far, the monster had barely even been scratched.


    Explosions continued to roll through the air above them, swallowing the sounds of the desperate fight the campers were putting up within the mist around the town.


    This really is something else. Guess that''s an Adept 4 Region Boss for you.


    One of the monster''s heads whipped at Claire as she tried to jump at it. It batted her clean from the sky. She streaked down to slam into the ground a few dozen feet from Alex in a sickening crash. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And, worse, another whine was filling the air. This one was louder than the last. Not because it was stronger, but because there were multiple, all overlaid over the other. The Gorganaga''s heads all turned ¡ª not toward them, but toward the direction of the mist covering Mirrorwane.


    The blood drained from Alex''s face as he realized what the Region Boss was doing.


    Oh, shit. It''s going to try to fry my town.

 Chapter 185 - 184: Opportunity

    Thoughts spun through Alex''s head at a mile a minute. The loud whine building within all eight of the Gorganaga''s heads was nearly at its peak. And, when it reached, it would fire eight massive fire beams right in the direction of his town.


    Even with the mist surrounding it, there was a good chance that some of the attacks would connect with its target ¡ª and it wasn''t like the Region Boss was going to stop after one attack. It would just keep raining hellfire down until nothing of Mirrorwane remained.


    I can''t let it get that attack off. But what the hell can I do?


    All of his monsters had already fallen. Alex could call them back, but in the time it would take him to get back up to the flying hydra, the attacks would have gone off already. He couldn''t get close enough to use Funhouse either.


    And, even if he could, the spell wouldn''t be a perfect defense. He wouldn''t be able to control the exact spot of the fractured reality area the beams entered into. There was just no way for him to completely block all eight of the attacks. Some of them could end up still hitting his town.


    "Claire!" Alex yelled as he started running in the direction of the Hydra. He couldn''t wait to think while standing around. A solution would have to come to him while he was already moving. "Can you do anything?"


    "No," Claire yelled back. It was a minor miracle that she''d actually managed to stand back up. She didn''t have Princess'' healing factor boosting her, but she still managed to fall in beside Alex in a dead sprint. "I haven''t been able to drink any of its blood yet. Until then, I''ve got nothing. The damn thing''s defenses are ridiculous."


    Alex''s teeth clenched. He craned his neck up to look at the gathering light at the monster''s heads. It was growing brighter every passing moment. There had to be something he could do. Some way he could stop the Region Boss.


    Come on. Think! Could Princess block it? No. She got blown to pieces from one beam, let alone eight. Glint? No. He and Spark would just get obliterated. Shit! What do I do?


    The whine in the air grew to a shrill shriek.


    A deep, chilling weight drove down on Alex''s shoulders as realization finally settled in.


    He was strong. Stronger than he had any right to be. In a normal fight, he could punch so far above his weight class that it was ridiculous. But Alex did not have a single ability that would let him stop a Region Boss'' attacks.


    There wasn''t a single thing he could do. There wasn''t even enough time for him to get in the way of the magic and try to use a Qi-empowered Funhouse to try and divert some of the spells. There just wasn''t enough time. If he''d been stronger, if he''d been faster, then perhaps things would have been different.


    But even with the immense boost that his Visualization had given him, Alex could do nothing. Despite all the preparations, despite all the training and tricks they''d pulled to get this far, he didn''t have a single ability that would let him stop the Region Boss from unleashing hell upon Mirrorwane.


    Alex''s legs pumped harder as he desperately pushed himself to move faster, to try and beat time itself in a race. It wasn''t even just his town that was at risk. It was everyone within the mist.


    All the other campers, fighting for their lives to protect his town. May. Aaron. Abby. Even Orchid. Every single one of them were counting on him to win this fight. They had been counting on him alone to protect them.


    And he couldn''t.


    The whine reached a peak.


    Then it went silent. The world hung still, molten energy pouring free of the Gorganaga''s heads as fire sparked within its throats.


    "No," Alex whispered.


    And then Orchid burst free from within the mist.


    Coils of it clung to her back and swirled around her arms like hands trying to pull her back into its grasp, but they could do nothing to keep the end of her staff from driving down into the ground like a stake.


    The air around Orchid warped in a thick heat haze. Her staff trembled in the ground before her as her hands split apart, her fingers trembling with exertion. Her hair whipped around her head as power infused the very air around her.


    Eight shrill roars cut through the air. Beams of fire carved out from the Gorganaga''s head and streaked directly toward the mist before town on a path that would take them right over Orchid''s head.


    Orchid''s hands clapped together.


    "Partial Soul Manifestation," Orchid snarled. "Emberlord''s Descent."


    The ground beneath Orchid exploded.


    Plumes of lava roared up around her with a thunderous crash, twisting up like rivers defying the laws of the heavens. The rivers of magma slammed into each other with the roaring crunch of stone on stone to form into the shape of an enormous hand. It was easily the size of a two-story building, and the heat radiating off it was so intense that the grass a dozen feet away from it caught aflame.


    Alex''s mouth dropped open, even as his feet continued to propel him forward. It seemed that he and Claire hadn''t been the only ones that had gotten stronger.


    Yes!


    The huge hand swept forward to move into the paths of the Gorganaga''s magic. Each beam of fire, every one of them an immensely powerful attack on their own, crashed into the massive arm looming above Orchid.


    And each one sputtered harmlessly, their heat nothing in the face of the bubbling lava.


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    Orchid staggered. She grabbed onto her staff, sweat trickling down her face in rivers as she fought to keep herself from falling. The arm drooped above her, its shape losing cohesion. Rivers of lava poured away from it, splashing to the ground around Orchid and rapidly beginning to cool.


    Loud hissing cut through the air like a nest of squirming snakes. The hair on the back of Alex''s neck stood on end. Something was wrong. His senses were screaming a warning to him, but he didn''t even know what it was about.


    It took Alex''s stunned senses a moment to realize what the hissing was coming from.


    The Gorganaga''s heads were laughing.


    And it took Alex a moment longer to realize what the other thing he''d subconsciously picked up on was. The explosions that had been going off all around the Region Boss had finally come to a stop.


    Save for the sounds of muted battle within the mist, the crackle of flame around them, and the Region Boss'' hissing laughter, the forest was silent.


    "You dare manifest your pathetic soul before me?" The huge monster''s voice was eightfold. It was the hiss of a snake and the roar of a dragon, male and female, ragged and smooth all at once. Even its mere tone grated against Alex''s ears like a physical blow.


    The Gorganaga''s wings snapped in. It dropped from the sky like a massive meteor to plummet down atop a dozen trees, shattering them like dry kindling beneath its weight. The impact from its landing bucked the ground beneath Alex''s feet, sending him stumbling. He and Claire both skidded to a stop.


    All eight of the Gorganaga''s heads turned to stare straight at Orchid, the hissing laughter still slipping free of many of them as the others continued to speak.


    "You arrogant little child," the Gorganaga said through its laughter. "You can barely even hold your manifestation together."


    Orchid''s grip tightened on her staff and she straightened back to her full height. Even though the grip of exhaustion was clear in her posture, her eyes didn''t so much as show a flicker of fear.


    "So says the creature that fell to the System. You have already died once," Orchid spat. "You''re in no position to brag. How far have you fallen from what you once were? You''re nothing but a lamb to the slaughter. A very big, ugly lamb."


    If she''d been trying to piss the Gorganaga off, it didn''t work. The monster just let out another round of hissing laughter.


    "I have earned another chance through merit of my power," the Gorganaga said. "A chance that you will not get, Outworlder. You are nothing but a pathetic invader. The System allows your existence only for purpose of challenge ¡ª and the Nativeworlders are not the only ones who can grow by crushing you beneath their heel."


    The air around the Region Boss trembled. An uneasy air rolled over Alex as something deep within him reacted to the shift in pressure. It was almost like recognition. He didn''t have any time to question it.


    The Gorganaga was an Adept ranked monster, and a Region Boss at that. Given its derision at Orchid''s display of power, it wasn''t hard for Alex to guess what the hydra was about to do.


    "Claire," Alex hissed.


    "Yeah," Claire said grimly. "I know. If I could just get a drop of blood from it, I think we might have a chance. I haven''t been able to use the full extent of my abilities."


    "We''ll have to get close," Alex warned, drawing on the power left within him. He still had a fair amount to work with ¡ª not to mention his remaining Qi. Adept ranked or not, this fight was far from over.


    "Don''t have a choice," Claire replied.


    Alex nodded.


    Orchid''s arrival had reminded him of something. He''d nearly forgotten that he wasn''t fighting this thing alone. He and Claire had allies that stood by their side. They didn''t all have to be able to do everything. Nobody could fill every single role all on their own.


    They just had to each do what they did best.


    A smile split Alex''s lips. When it came to him, he knew exactly what it was that he was the best at. His hand tightened around the hilt of the chainsword still attached to his arm. The Riftwarped Qi within it trembled in response.


    "Then get ready and stay out of sight," Alex said. He cracked his neck, then lowered his stance. "I''m getting you that opening."


    "I''ll be there," Claire promised. She slipped back into the scorched forest, trying to keep herself out of attention as much as possible. It wasn''t the most effective camouflage, but it would have to do.


    Alex drew in a deep breath and let it out in a sharp huff. He felt the adrenaline thundering through his veins like the handshake of an old friend.


    Waves of pressure rolled off Gorganaga as its heads lifted into the air in a posture of ancient, primal pride. Its words cut through the air like the crash of an avalanche as it spoke, demanding silence of all who witnessed it. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Soul Manifestation¡ª"


    "Hey, asshole!" Alex yelled.


    And, such was the Region Boss'' incredulity, it turned all eight of its heads straight toward him in surprise.


    "I thought you had already died," the Region Boss said. "How are you alive? Resilient little bug."


    "Yeah? And what do you think could have killed me? You hit like a pissed off ball of cotton." Alex dropped into a charge. Each step propelled him across the ground faster than the last as he sprinted straight for the Region Boss. "And you call that shit a Soul Manifestation? What a joke!"


    The Gorganaga''s heads all swung toward him, sending the gazes of sixteen eyes boring into his skull like molten blades. The mere pressure of the monster''s attention was enough to make Alex''s heart shudder in his chest.


    Not just in fear, but in hysteric excitement.


    "Arrogant little fool. Allow me to demonstrate a real Soul Manifestation for you," the Gorganaga rumbled.


    "No. Allow me." Alex called back. The chainsword on his arm roared to life as Riftwarped Qi poured out of it, trailing behind him in a crackling purple streak. "Soul Manifestation¡­"


    A flicker of caution passed through the Region Boss'' eyes. It was very rare that something charged something a thousand times more powerful than it without some manner of plan. To do such a thing would be the actions of a complete and utter fool. An aggressor had to have some manner in which they saw themselves coming out ahead.


    And so, for a moment, the Gorganaga observed Alex to ensure it was not caught off guard by the little bug that should have been killed in a single strike. It prepared for a Soul Manifestation.


    A manifestation that never came.


    "¡­just kidding!" Alex cackled.


    He bounded into the air, feeling the wind whip past his hair for one brief, glorious moment before he slammed right into one of the Gorganaga''s heads. Alex drove his whirring chainsword into the monster''s face with a roar.


    The buzzing weapon tore through the monster''s scales, Riftwarped Qi slicing deep. Scales shattered and Alex felt his weapon take purchase in something softer. He didn''t have any time to celebrate his victory.


    His stomach lurched as he suddenly found himself hurtling through the air. The world streaked past him in a blur. By the time he''d realized the Gorganaga had whipped him off its head, he''d slammed into the trunk of a huge tree.


    Alex''s back broke with a loud snap. Pain arced through his body and he let out a ragged wheezing cough. All feeling in the lower half of his body evaporated instantly. He was paralyzed. Princess'' magic squirmed to repair the severe damage, but until it was done, Alex couldn''t do anything but watch.


    "Pathetic. You do not even deserve to witness my Soul Manifestation," the Gorganaga snarled. A small river of blood trickled down the side of one of its heads as a low whine filled the air and a mote of energy lit within its throat.


    Alex smiled back at it. He was fine not moving for a little while. His eyes traced the blood as it traveled down the side of the hydra''s face and dripped to the ground ¡ª and they traced the blurred form that shot out from the treeline, heading straight for the Region Boss.


    He''d gotten Claire her opportunity.


    Time to see what her class is really capable of.

 Chapter 186 - 185: That Look

    The gray streak that was Claire slammed into the bleeding Gorgonaga''s neck and sent its head cracking through the air like a whip. It collided with another one of the monster''s heads with a loud, meaty clonk that would have been a whole lot funnier if they hadn''t been in such a tenuous position.


    Alex could do nothing but watch as the Region Boss thrashed furiously. Claire clung to it. She''d managed to get a good grip with her hands, but her legs sailed back and forth in the air in the pattern of a whipping flag.


    He was getting dizzy just watching it. The lower half of his body was still completely numb. While that did mean that the pain from having a broken back was considerably less bothersome, it came with a somewhat problematic side-effect of being unable to move. He couldn''t even twitch his fingers.


    It wouldn''t be long before his body patched itself up, but in a fight like this, every single second mattered. He couldn''t just sit around and do nothing while Claire fought ¡ª but right now, that was his only option.


    The Gorgonaga finally managed to shake Claire free of itself. She flew back through the air, righting herself with a swoop of the black wings before launching herself back into the air. She shot past the heads of the Region Boss to land on its back, disappearing from Alex''s view for moments.


    Alex desperately tried to force himself to move, but his body was completely unresponsive. All the magical energy he possessed had already been drained by Princess'' magic keeping him alive. There was nothing more to spend yet.


    The distant sound of battle rung in his ears, growing ever closer. Everyone was holding their own. Mirrorwane hadn''t fallen yet¡­ but it wasn''t going to matter if they couldn''t find a way to take the Region Boss out.


    I need to help Claire. Even if she''s got something that we can use to take the Gorgonaga down, she won''t be enough to do it on her own. This thing is too powerful, and it hasn''t even used its Domain yet.


    I need to move.


    Alex gritted his teeth. He could do that, at least. Every scrap of energy he had went into trying to rise again. He could have sworn that there was a faint tingling, buzzing sensation in his extremities, but that might have just been his mind making things up to placate him.


    The Gorgonaga abruptly bucked its back legs into the air like it was a massive, scaly horse. Claire flew up into the air, her arms windmilling in surprise ¡ª and one of the Region Boss''s huge wings snapped up to catch her in the stomach with the force of a speeding car.


    She managed to cross her arms before herself a moment before the blow connected. Claire rocketed back, crashing through the trees and vanishing into the forest to vanish into the mist surrounding the town.


    Shit.


    This is bad. Really bad. I need to get the healing pills Finley got me, but I can''t move my goddamn arms at all. Could this be any worse?


    A wet huff rolled against Alex''s ear.


    His blood stilled. He couldn''t even turn his head. His gaze shifted to the furthermost corners of his eyes.


    Standing directly beside him, sickly saliva dripping from its mangy jaws, was a rabid-looking wolf monster. Large chunks of its fur and flesh were missing. The monster''s eyes were wild and ravenous and it panted as if it had just run a marathon. A purple tongue lolled from between its pitted teeth.


    Rotted Chompling (Novice 9)


    Goddamn it. You have to be kidding me.


    "Shoo," Alex hissed.


    One of his fingers twitched.


    That was a good thing. Control was returning to his body. It wouldn''t be too long before he could move again.


    Unfortunately, soon was not going to be very helpful. The mangy wolf monster took another step closer to Alex, its panting growing heavier as its eyes bore into his. It looked hungry. Very hungry.


    There was a crunch from the forest behind him. Alex couldn''t turn to see what it was, but a blur of green shot out and slammed into the wolf. It let out a yelp that was swallowed by the sounds of a violent scuffle behind him.


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    Worst of all, Alex couldn''t so much as turn in its direction. All he could do was sit there and wait. The fight didn''t last long. It was only a few more seconds before a pained whimper rang out and the wolf''s panting was silenced.


    Relief washed over Alex.


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    Sticks and leaves crunched to Alex''s side. A long, slender body slithered into his field of view, and all the relief he''d felt died on the spot. It was a massive snake. The monster was Initiate 4 and its scales cracked and shattered. One of its eyes had been carved out and it was on its last legs ¡ª and it was staring straight at him.


    Beaten half to death or not, the snake wasn''t going to have any issue eating him when he couldn''t so much as budge. Alex tried to force himself to move again, but it was pointless. His body was still functionally immobile. All he could do was twitch a finger.


    You have to be kidding me.


    The snake reared back. Its jaws yawned open as it let out a loud hiss, tongue flicking out to taste the air as it prepared to bite at Alex''s neck.


    A dark form dropped from the air, landing directly on the monster''s skull. Its mouth slammed shut, biting its own tongue off at the base in the process, and the snake''s head crunched as it was driven straight into the ground by a metallic foot.


    Standing upon the snake''s corpse was a metal puppet. A very familiar one. A relieved laugh slipped from Alex''s lips as yet another being emerged from within the forest and into Alex''s view.


    "You don''t look so good," Mite said, his gaze locked on the huge Region Boss looming in the all-too-near distance. "And neither does the state of the fight so far."


    All eight of the Gorgonaga''s heads had turned back toward Mirrorwane and the thick mist pouring from it. Low whines filled the air as it begun to charge its magic once more. Power gathered in the Region Boss'' throats ¡ª and Claire streaked back out from the forest to slam into the wound on the monster''s neck once again.


    She latched onto it, clinging on for dear life, but the Region Boss was done with her antics. One of its heads snapped down and bit down on her shoulder, ripping her free and sending her crashing into the forest at the monster''s feet.


    "I hope you''ve got something up your sleeve, because Claire is getting her shit kicked in," Mite said. "And, full honesty, I''m making a run for it if you don''t. We can''t beat that thing if you guys can''t."


    Alex sent his thoughts to the ring on his finger. The metal box bearing his healing pills materialized in his numb fingers and proceeded to slip straight free and fall to the forest floor beside them. His gaze flicked down to it.


    "Healing pills," Alex hissed. "Get them. My back is broken. I can''t move."


    Mite crouched beside Alex and grabbed the box. He popped it open and pulled a pill out ¡ª and from the trees behind him, another snake monster emerged. This one was pretty much a normal snake. It was also, unfortunately, about ten feet long.


    "Behind you!" Alex called out.


    Mite didn''t even turn. His puppet lurched into motion as the snake struck at his back. The puppet slammed its metal arm straight into the snake''s mouth, letting the monster bite down on it harmlessly before bringing its other hand down on the back of the snake''s head.


    It struck twice more before the snake''s skull caved in and it fell still. Mite didn''t flinch. He practically shoved the pill right into Alex''s mouth.


    And fortunately for Alex, he hadn''t lost the ability to swallow.


    As soon as the pill entered his body, a wave of warmth passed over Alex. It was like he''d emerged from an air conditioned room into a hot summer day on a beach. The feeling wasn''t entirely unpleasant, but it hit him with near-physical force.


    Loud cracks echoed through his body as bones fixed themselves. There was a sharp flash of pain ¡ª and then nothing. The wounds were gone. A wave of exhaustion gripped Alex by the shoulders, but he shoved it back.


    "Thanks for the save," Alex said, forcing himself to his feet and taking the box of pills back from Mite. "I didn''t know you could fight. Any other tricks you''ve got in store?"


    "No. And fighting isn''t my specialty. Not because I can''t, but because I haven''t built enough weapons for myself. Maybe if I had more materials¡­"


    "Noted." Alex squinted up at the Gorgonaga, digging through his mind in search of some way they could turn the fight in their favor. He knew Claire was capable of more than what she''d managed.


    She must be trying to get as much blood as possible from the Gorgonaga before she uses whatever ability she''s getting ready. We have to help her.


    "So¡­ are we done?" Mite asked. "Or is there more fuel in the tank?"


    "We''re alive, aren''t we?" Alex asked.


    "We have different definitions of what can be used as fuel."


    "We''re not done. Not yet," Alex said. His fingers tightened into fists at his sides. He had no more magic to work with after the damage he''d taken, but that didn''t mean he was useless. He''d injured the Region Boss before. It didn''t know what he was capable of.


    Claire has to have something pretty big planned if she''s going for this much blood. We need to help¡­ and I think I know just how we can do it.


    "What''s that look on your face?" Mite asked. "I don''t like it."


    Alex pulled two more pills out of the box and shoved them into Mite''s hand. "You''re going to need these."


    "Do I get hazard pay?"


    "You get whatever the hell you want if we win this. Within reason, that is," Alex said, breaking into a run toward the Region Boss. He had to move fast. Claire had been taking a serious beating trying to hold the Gorgonaga off on her own.


    Mite sprinted after him along with his puppet. "Great! What are we doing?"


    Even with the exhaustion clinging to Alex''s back like a lead cloak, adrenaline powered through his veins and forced his body into full speed. A thrill danced at the back of his mind as his lips split into an excited grin. "Becoming a distraction."

 Chapter 187 - 186: Cooked

    "Hey!" Alex yelled, skidding to a stop in a newly created clearing in the forest. Trees littered the ground all around him from where the Gorgonaga had landed. The huge Region Boss was only a short ways away from him, its eight heads all turned toward the forest where it had just launched Claire.


    The moment Alex spoke, the monster''s gaze snapped in his direction. A head turned toward him as surprise passed through its reptilian features in an almost human manner.


    "What are you?" the monster demanded. "A cockroach?"


    "You know what cockroaches are?" Alex asked, tilting his head to the side. More heads turned in his direction. The back of his neck prickled at the attention and it took everything he had to remain standing still. "Or is that a translation? For that matter, where are you even from?"


    There was a big difference between attacking a powerful monster and just standing perfectly still right in front of it, perfectly positioned to be in blasting range. It was practically asking to get sent to the next life.


    "Do I look like a System Guide to you?" the Gorgonaga let out a hissing laugh. A massive leg drove down into the ground as it turned toward him. The monster''s wings crunched through trees like they were made out of paper, ripping them free from their roots and sending them toppling down to the dirt with thunderous crashes. "You should have fled when you have the chance. This is getting personal."


    "I''m honored. A Region Boss has taken notice of me. I just wish it was one that could actually do anything cool," Alex said. "I mean, seriously. I would have been a lot happier about this if we hadn''t fought already. A Region Boss that can''t even kill a measly Initiate is pretty pathetic, don''t you think? And you haven''t hit me with a single one of your fire attacks yet. Are you scared you''ll miss?"


    A low hum filled the air as magic ignited within one of the Gorgonaga''s heads. The others all stared at Alex, trying to force him to his knees with their sheer gaze alone. It took everything Alex had to keep from running.


    There was a certain thrill that came with flipping death off. Standing directly in the Region Boss'' line of sight and doing absolutely nothing about the attack charging up right in front of his face was insane¡­


    But Alex would be damned if it didn''t make him feel alive.


    At least, it would right up until it made him feel dead.


    "I have never seen a creature so determined to die in all my life," the hydra said. There might have even been a note of confusion in its voice. Alex took some pride in that. He''d managed to completely baffle a Region Boss. There had to be some kind of achievement for that.


    "Your life must have been pretty short, then," Alex said. "You ever hear of a hamster? Because I swear I''ve never met one that died normally. Little badasses, really. Just keep them away from microwaves."


    The hum of magic from the Region Boss'' mouth reached its peak. Alex''s hand shot up to his mouth.


    Then a scream split the air.


    A beam of concentrated molten fire carved through the sky and slammed right into Alex''s chest. It carved a dinner-plate sized hole straight through his body and melted into the ground behind him.


    The attack was so fast that his body barely even had time to register the pain. There was a flash of fire, the smell of burnt hair and meat, and then a stunned ringing in his ears.


    Alex swayed.


    A huffing laugh slipped from the Region Boss'' head as it swung back to join the others in searching for Claire. It clearly planned to deal with her properly before getting back to the previously scheduled destruction of Mirrorwane.


    Darkness pulled at the edges of Alex''s vision.


    And warmth met it. A wave of heat enveloped his body. It was followed by a wall of exhaustion that drove into his now-reforming lungs like a hammer blow. He staggered as flesh bubbled and twisted back into its proper place.


    Alex drew in a ragged breath, bracing his hands against his knees as air rushed into his new lungs. The healing pill had worked ¡ª but the exhaustion that came with it was no light weariness. It felt like he hadn''t gotten a blink of sleep in days. The only thing that kept him standing was the adrenaline thrumming in his veins like an electric song.


    "Really?" Alex called out, palming another healing pill. "You''re making me start to feel bad for you. Are you sure you''re the Region Boss? Maybe the System gave you a pity hire?"


    All eight of the Gorgonaga''s heads spun back to Alex.


    "What are you?" the monster demanded. "An Anomaly? An Incarnation? Or have you managed to get some odd class reserved entirely for masochists? How are you still alive?"


    "You just hit like a pansy," Alex said. He certainly had the Region Boss'' attention.


    Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Claire creeping out of the woods. Her wounds were all completely healed ¡ª it seemed that Mite had managed to find her and deliver the healing pill. Alex didn''t even try to keep the grin from his lips. The Region Boss wasn''t going to understand its real purpose anyway.


    "Is that so?" the Region boss let out hissing laughter from each of its heads. All of them were entirely focused on Alex, now. "Then I will face you like a true opponent. We shall see just how much damage you can take. Perhaps this will be a good way for me to test just how much power the System allowed me to retain from the Mirrorlands."


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    Wait. The Mirrorlands?


    The Gorgonaga''s heads reared back. Waves of pressure exploded out from the monster with enough force to nearly send Alex crashing to the ground. Bands of pressure tightened around Alex''s lungs and threatened to choke him on the spot.


    Alex had no more time to wonder about the revelation that had just been dropped on his shoulders. He was about to get fried.


    Shit. I was worried it would do this¡­ but I need to keep its attention on me. This is a challenge to its pride. If I try to dodge, the Region Boss very well might just send this attack toward Mirrorwane.


    And if it does¡­ we''re done for. I don''t need to know what its Soul Manifestation does to know it''ll blow us to kingdom come.


    But I can''t let myself get hit either. Somehow, I don''t think my healing pills are going to rebuild me if my entire body gets obliterated, though. I have to dodge at the last second.


    Claire was still moving into position. She was right next to the Region Boss now, her wings primed to launch herself into the air. Her fingers twitched at her sides in wait.


    Alex had no clue what it was she was waiting for, but all he could do was trust that she had something prepared. And, even if she didn''t, there wasn''t exactly time for him to change his own plans.


    "Soul Manifestation," the Gorgonaga intoned. All eight pairs of its eyes focused solely on Alex, bringing the weight of the world crashing down along with them. "Primal Hydra''s Thunder."


    The air around the Region Boss shuddered. Coils of golden-red lightning slithered into being to twist up its legs and arc off its wings as if the entire thing had transformed into a giant tesla coil. The furious energy carved across the ground all around the monster, turning everything it touched to glassy stone.


    Alex''s hair rose to stand on its end. Despite everything, he felt his face pale slightly. It was like the full might of a storm had been concentrated entirely on the Gorgonaga. This was a full Soul Manifestation.


    While he could tell it was nowhere near as powerful as the Soul Manifestation of Zeal, the old man from the Empty Court he''d met in the Mirrorlands some time ago, the sheer power pouring off the monster was breathtaking ¡ª figuratively and literally.


    "Holy shit," Alex breathed.


    He brought a healing pill to his mouth in preparation, but he instinctively knew that it would do nothing. The pills weren''t going to bring him back from the grave. He sent his senses inward to see if he could wrestle any magic up, but he was still functionally empty.


    The hydra''s lips twisted into sneers.


    And, in that moment, Claire exploded into motion. Her wings snapped down as she launched herself from the ground to streak toward the still-weeping wound that Alex had made on the Region Boss'' neck.


    She slammed into it, her veins going pitch black as she wrapped herself around the monster''s neck and bit down on the exposed flesh. The magic crackling through the air around the Region Boss scored into her body like molten blades.


    A crackle of lightning sliced one of her wings clean in half. Another one drove into her shoulder, carving a huge chunk out of her body and blackening the skin around it in a flash. Deadly electricity ripped across Claire in waves as the Gorgonaga''s Soul Manifestation ate her alive.


    But, even as the damage appeared in Claire''s body, it worked to knit itself shut. Flesh bubbled back from scorched wounds, only to be struck and destroyed once more. It was a battle unfolding across Claire''s body ¡ª and she was losing. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mite must have given her the second healing pill. It couldn''t hold the might of a Soul Manifestation back, but it could buy her a few moments within its domain. And Claire used those moments to the fullest.


    She drank greedily, gulping down mouthful after mouthful of the monster''s blood.


    The hydra let out a furious snarl. One of its heads shot down to bite down on her midsection, but Claire''s wing snapped out into its path. Instead of biting her clean in half, the hydra''s mouth closed on her wing. It snapped its head to the side, ripping Claire''s wing clean off her shoulder and tearing the Dhampir away from its neck.


    She tumbled through the air and hit the ground with a grunt. Claire rolled before skidding to a stop against a tree not too far away from Alex. Smoke coiled from her scorched body as she laid still.


    Then she slowly pushed herself up. Her limbs trembled with exhaustion from every movement. The wounds covering her had stopped healing ¡ª the pill had clearly reached the limits of its ability.


    Claire lifted her hands before her. And, despite the weakness forcing itself to be acknowledged in her form, her eyes held only defiance within them. Then they closed. Claire let out a slow breath.


    Her form stilled.


    "For Initiates, you put up a good fight," the Gorgonaga said through its hissing laughter. "I will remember you. If you had fought me when you were stronger, then perhaps you would have had a chance. Your magic is far too weak to inflict any true injuries on me."


    Its mouths yawned open and the furious lightning crackling around the monster poured into them. Power gathered within its heads like miniature storms, filling the air with a thunderous roar as more and more power gathered within its body.


    This magic made the Gorgonaga''s previous attacks feel like candles in the face of a forest fire. Fire swirled to mix with the lightning, forming into twisting balls of destructive magic within each of the Region Boss''s mouths.


    Might be a bit hard to dodge this one.


    Alex grinned. That certainly wasn''t going to stop him from trying. He''d be damned if he gave up now. Until the fight was well and truly done, he would never give in. That took all the fun out of it.


    "Come on!" Alex yelled, pounding a fist against his chest as he pulled a handful of healing pills out from his carton. He was probably going to need more than one for this. There was no guarantee they would even work together, but he couldn''t exactly ask Finley right now. "Let''s see if you can actually manage to put me down. A bigger stick doesn''t mean you know how to swing it!"


    Sixteen eyes bored into Alex. He certainly had the Gorgonaga''s attention.


    The thunderous roar of mixing magic finally reached a crescendo. Pressure from the magic battered Alex''s eyes and blew his hair back like he was staring down the end of the world itself.


    Then Claire''s eyes snapped back open, and they were as black as the darkest night.


    Her hand clenched into a fist.


    "You have no voice," Claire said.


    The hydra paid her no mind. It released the magic gathered within its heads, letting it pour free in a wave of sheer destructive force ¡ª


    Black threads snapped into existence around the hydra''s lips. It wove through them like stitching to bind all eight of the Region Boss'' mouths shut in a split second.


    For a flicker of a second, surprise passed through the monster''s eyes, but the magic was already unleashed. The magic didn''t care for its caster. Only that it had been cast. Trapped within the Gorgonaga''s heads or not, it still had to go somewhere.


    And somewhere it went.


    A brilliant explosion tore through the air. Ruddy red light swallowed Alex''s vision. A wave of heat buffeted his hair back and sent him falling to his backside.


    Roaring fire and lightning swallowed the spot where the region boss had been moments before, leaving behind nothing but the smell of cooking flesh.

 Chapter 188 - 187: Certain

    The pressure from the explosion drove into Alex''s lungs to replace his breath. Intense heat seared his eyebrows and burgundy orange painted across the sky before him, crackling arcs of lightning tearing through the roiling flames in an angry roar. They swallowed the form of the Region Boss entirely, leaving behind only the shadow of the monster''s body within the fire.


    Heat prickled against the inside of his mouth and dried his tongue nearly instantly. For nearly a second, he could do nothing but watch in awe. Small pattering thuds rained down all around them as smoldering scales pelted down into the ground.


    "Holy shit," Alex breathed. "What the fuck, Claire? That was incredible!"


    Claire staggered. She dropped to one knee beside Alex, dragging in deep, desperate breaths. The black thorns tattooed onto her skin had made themselves known once more. They wound up her collar, reaching for her neck like the grasping hands of the undead.


    The strain in Claire''s features made it clear that she was nearly pushed to her limit. She''d revealed more than her Trial wanted her to ¡ª but the tattoos had stopped their advance. Even though she wasn''t meant to reveal information about her class to anyone, she''d been fighting for her life. She hadn''t exactly had the option to hold back against the Region Boss and the Trial had acknowledged that.


    Somewhere in the back of Alex''s mind, several dots connected. He was starting to piece together what her class''s purpose was. Back during the fight against the members of the Great Families, she''d somehow blinded one of the men.


    And now, against the Region Boss, she''d bound its mouths shut. There was a pretty clear pattern emerging. It was a pattern that fit just about everything Alex knew about Claire and her modus operandi as well.


    He was pretty damn sure that her class took away senses.


    Forcibly.


    It was like information manipulation had been made into a physical weapon. And, given how good Claire was at controlling the narrative, that fit her perfectly. It was like a class perfected for someone who had spent their entire life playing the game of Court.


    Alex was dimly aware that these thoughts were probably the result of shock. The explosion had been so violent and sudden that his ears were still ringing from it. His eyes stung from dust and debris, and fire was somehow still roaring in the air before him.


    How much fucking magic did that thing have in its Soul Manifestation?


    If the Gorgonaga had actually managed to unleash the power it was gathering¡­ Mirrorwane would have been gone. They all would have been. This was the true might of a mid-ranked Adept creature. It was nearly incomprehensible.


    Brittle leaves crunched as Mite stepped out from the trees, holding a hand out before his face and squinting at the flames. His puppet walked alongside him, pose mirroring its masters.


    "Holy shit," Mite said. "That was sweet! But you ruined the body! What the hell? How am I supposed to loot anything now? It''s all deep fried? Like a stray rat in a KFC! I mean, come on! What''s the point of winning if we can''t make anything from the corpse?"


    "I''m sorry. I didn''t realize you were going to handle it yourself," Claire said through clenched teeth. The thorns wrapping her neck had already started to recede, but their retreat was slow. The tattoos left angry red marks in their wake as if they''d been physically choking her.


    Mite coughed into his fist. The sound was nearly completely swallowed by the crackle of the flames in the center of the clearing. The engineer glanced back to the still-burning monster, the firelight illuminating his features like he was standing a bit too close to an upturned flashlight. "I guess you did a pretty good job."


    A smile started to tug at the corners of Alex''s lips.


    It froze before it could make it very far.


    They''d just killed an enormously powerful monster. The strongest enemy they''d ever faced in a proper fight, and a Region Boss at that. This should have been one of the most massive payouts of energy that he''d ever gotten for winning a fight.


    And yet, he hadn''t received so much as a scrap of power.


    Oh, shit.


    Alex forced himself back to his feet. Exhaustion clawed at his muscles in attempt to bring him back down to the ground, but he forced it back. He couldn''t rest. Not yet. "The fight isn''t done. The Region Boss is still alive."


    And within the flames, the shadow of the Region Boss shifted. The flames faltered, then split like a parting sea as the huge form of the Gorgonaga emerged from within them. Alex''s breath caught in his chest as his eyes went wide.


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    Alive it may have been, but uninjured was an entirely different question.


    Five of the monsters eight heads hung like limp noodles at its side, their heads either completely destroyed and weeping blood or merely badly damaged. Jaws hung from bloodied fragments of muscle exposed to the air and scales were cracked and strewn everywhere.


    The other three of the monster''s heads weren''t in much better shape. One of them was completely missing its lower jaw, while the other two were so badly charred and blackened from the explosion that they were barely recognizable.


    Bones jutted out from within the monster''s necks at odd angles, piercing through its own scales to let blood course from its body in rivers. The fact that the Gorgonaga could even move in such a state was a testament to its power.


    Oddly enough, the back half of the monster was almost entirely uninjured. A few of its scales had been blackened and scorched, but for the most part, its back half was nearly entirely untouched.


    Heavy, labored breathing came from the three mostly-whole heads still attached to the Gorgonaga''s necks. Its eyes, blackened and melted to the point that many of them had to be largely blind, smoldered with immense hatred.


    Its gaze ¡ª or what was left of it ¡ª locked onto Alex, Claire, and Mite. The monster didn''t say a word. The time for talk had long since passed. Lightning popped and crackled across its body, but the stitching that Claire had used against the monster had clearly taught it not to try another breath attack.


    The Gorgonaga charged.


    It was not a fast monster. Each step the huge creature took shook the earth beneath it with the hydra''s immense weight. The thing was practically a flying tank, and creatures like that weren''t built to move fast.


    That wasn''t going to matter. The weariness binding Alex reached all the way down to his bones. He could tell that Claire was little better. They just didn''t have the strength or speed to get out of the way in time.


    Alex gritted his teeth.


    Screw it. If I jump up and stick my hand down one of the bastard''s throats, maybe I can deal the last little bit of damage to finish this thing off. I''ll be damned if I die with my back turned.


    Based on the way Claire lowered her stance, similar thoughts were passing through her own head.


    Mite had a different idea.


    "Help!" Mite screamed, spinning on his heel and sprinting in the opposite direction as fast as his legs could carry him.


    Mite''s puppet, however, remained solidly by them. Either he''d forgotten to call it after him or he''d left it behind to try and sway the fight in their favor.


    Alex would have laughed if he had the time ¡ª but he didn''t.


    The Gorgonaga was upon them.


    He tensed his weary muscles as he prepared to launch himself forward in one last attack. His chest was tight and his arms stiff. The air around him felt like it had dropped a dozen degrees.


    This was ¡ª


    Wait.


    The air had gotten colder.


    A loud crackle ripped past the side of his head as a wave of ice rolled over the ground and exploded in a wave before him and Claire. It slammed into the Region Boss with a deafening crash.


    If the Gorgonaga had been in its prime, it probably would have barreled straight through the ice like nothing was there. But the monster was far from its strongest state. It slammed to a halt, its many necks whipping against the ice with enough force to crack it.


    The Region Boss staggered back.


    Orchid dragged herself out from the trees one ponderous step at a time. She leaned heavily on her staff, using it like a cane to keep herself from falling flat on her face, but determination creased her features in iron lines.


    "The others have the village protected," Orchid said through gritted teeth. "I came to help."


    Alex grinned despite the weariness clinging to his body. "Good timing."


    "I was waiting," Orchid replied. "Once the last three of its heads go down, that thing is toast. Can''t fight without a brain. We just have to finish this."


    The Gorgonaga drove a massive leg through the wall of ice Orchid had erected. The ice shattered and it lurched forward, heads snapping down for them ¡ª S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A crackle screamed through the air.


    Not from the Gorgonaga, but from the air behind them.


    A thin streak of lightning split the sky and drove into one of the Gorgonaga''s injured heads. Without the scales to protect it from magic, the monster was unprotected. It let out a hiss that was borne more of surprise than pain. The magic hadn''t been anywhere near strong enough to do significant damage, but it had gotten the monster''s attention.


    "I got it!" May yelled from the trees.


    There was a hiss from beside her, followed by a heavy thump as a large snake monster dropped from where it had been in hiding, its skull caved in.


    Aaron emerged beside her, rolling a coin along his knuckles. His features were pale with stress, but he held another stone in his other hand and gripped it like it were a hand grenade.


    Looks like we''ve got a little backup.


    Alex and Claire exchanged a glance. Then they both turned back to the Region Boss. Blood dripped from the monster''s ravaged faces. The hatred in its eyes was so intense that it was practically palpable.


    I don''t think anyone left in this fight has the energy for more than one more blow.


    Let''s see who''s still standing at the end, then.


    "What are you waiting for?" Alex beckoned the Gorgonaga forward, his lips splitting into a grin. "Are you scared, hydra? Of a bunch of weak little Initiates? Scared of dying? Surely not."


    The Region Boss let out a raspy, snarling roar. Blood sprayed from its wounded jaws and splattered across the ground. But, in spite of that, something flickered through its eyes ¡ª and Alex didn''t miss it.


    It was scared.


    Probably not of him. Not of Claire, nor any of them as an individual. But the concept of dying¡­ that scared it. Despite all of its arrogance, all the power it could bring to bear, for that flicker of a second, the monster felt fear.


    And Alex did not.


    The hydra charged with a hissing roar.


    Alex and Claire did the same. But, even with the exhaustion dragging Alex''s limbs down and his exhausted magic reserves, he knew one thing for certain.


    They had already won.

 Chapter 189 - Sick

    Hey all, posting this in every novel. Sorry for lack of notification yesterday, I caught a nasty fever. I''m taking 2 days off, so no posts for any novel yesterday (obviously) or today. I will try to write again tomorrow. Unsure how that will go, but I''m recovering so I plan to be back Friday at the latest.


    Thanks for your patience and understanding!


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Until the next chapter,


    Actus


    P.S.


    This chapter isn''t long enough to be posted so now it''s time for me to reveal something of vital importance. Listen closely. The password to receive the next chapter for free is¡­


    *cliffhanger*


    (yea I know this isn''t a cliffhanger I''m filling space so I can post the damn chapter. Don''t post me on Reddit saying stupid web serial author doesn''t know what a cliff is or I''ll be hiding in your walls the next morning¡­ unless I die. Tune back in on Friday to see if I''m alive!


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 Chapter 190 - 188: A fight

    The Gorgonaga''s heads snapped out toward Alex and Claire. They probably weren''t even capable of biting anymore at this point ¡ª too much of them had been destroyed by Claire''s destructive counterattack.


    But that really didn''t matter much. Just being clubbed by one of the hydra''s massive craniums would be enough to pulverize all the bones in a human''s chest. And, at this point in the fight, nobody had the magical energy left to tank a hit like that.


    The next good blow that landed would be the last.


    That went for all of them.


    Alex launched himself into the air, drawing on all the strength his legs could muster. The jump could only be described as marginally better than pathetic. But in a fight that shouldn''t have taken place at any location other than a retirement home, pathetic was just enough.


    He cleared the Gorganaga''s bloodied head by mere centimeters. His hands reared back. He reached for the few meagre scraps of magic that he had managed to recover in the past few harried moments. There was so little that he couldn''t even think about trying anything fancy.


    Activating any of his actual abilities was entirely out of the question. So was trying to summon back any of his monsters or using Encore. But there was one tried and trusty ability that used nearly no magical energy, and it was just the one Alex needed right now.


    A snikt sliced through the air as a razor-sharp blade of glass courtesy of the power Glint had imparted Alex with upon his death burst from his palm. The blade was barely any longer than a dagger, but it would be enough.


    Alex came down on the Gorgonaga''s still-outstretched neck. The monster''s charred, blackened scales were surprisingly slippery. His feet slipped out from under him as it yanked its head back.


    The world flashed by Alex in a blur of colors. He twisted as he fell, his gaze managing to locate his target even as he plummeted face-first toward the ground. And, with a roar, Alex drove his hand toward it.


    There was a wet thump. A moment of resistance sent a jerk traveling up his arm and into his elbow ¡ª and then he felt something give way with a pop. Liquid splattered across his palm. His hand jerked forward until the base of his palm was driven directly against the seeping remains of the Hydra''s eye.


    The monster let out an agonized scream as the blade of glass drove into one of its brains. Its body thrashed hard enough to send Alex flying back. He hit the ground with a pained grunt and skidded several feet before slamming into the stump of a charred tree. The air was knocked from his lungs in a pained wheeze.


    Out of the corner of his eyes, Alex saw black claws jut out from Claire''s fingertips as she drove her own hand toward one of the hydra''s heads.


    Attacks as telegraphed as this never would have worked while the Region Boss had even some of its wits remaining to it. But the explosion had done immense damage to the monster. Its surviving heads had to have had severe concussions.


    And, possibly worse than that, it was scared.


    The grip of fear may as well have been the claws of the Morrigan herself. That fear made it sluggish. Afraid to act in the way it should have and trade blow for blow with Claire, exchanging the hit she landed for one of its own.


    Instead, it lurched back, trying to protect one of its two remaining heads. And that was a fatal error. Claire''s claws slammed into its burnt scales. They dug onto the grooves caused by the explosion and she drove her other arm up in a second strike.


    The Gorgonaga realized its mistake too late. It thrashed to try and throw Claire free, but her hand was already upon its target. Her claws drove clean through its eye and into the unprotected meat beneath.


    She dropped to the ground as the seventh of the Region Boss''s heads dropped to the ground a heavy thud. Only a single one of the once-proud monster''s necks still had any strength in it. The rest were limp and worthless on the ground around it like dead straw.


    But the Region Boss was not yet dead.


    Its final head let out a furious snarl. It lurched forward toward Claire, broken jaw hanging askew as it went to devour her even as the hydra itself sat within the jaws of death.


    Claire tried to scramble back, but she couldn''t move fast enough. Her limbs slipped on the blood slicked ground; she fell to her back with a grunt.


    A loud crack split the air and a tiny bolt of lightning snapped into the Gorgonaga''s head. It flinched back with a hiss of fury. A second bolt of lighting followed it, joined by a third a few moments later.


    Each one sent the Region Boss flinching back. Not one of the spells actually left any lasting damage to the monster. They couldn''t have done much more than sting slightly, but even taking a flicker of damage from magic must have been completely foreign to the vile creature.


    Fury washed over the monster''s as it realized who had attacked it again.


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    Standing valiantly near the trees was none other than May. The little Snapcaster stood boldly in the face of a monster dozens of times more powerful than her. She, someone whose magic was nothing more than a pathetic mimicry of the Gorgonaga''s, dared attack it.


    And it had worked.


    A literal child had managed to give it pause.


    Alex''s lips twitched in amusement as he forced himself back to his feet.


    He staggered forward, forcing one foot in front of the other. Slowly, steadily, he accelerated. Every movement he made felt like it was like moving the world, but he would not be stopped. He couldn''t afford to be. Not while the fight still continued. Until either he or the Gorgonaga laid dead, there could be no stopping.


    Claire pulled herself up as well, pressing an arm against her knee as her trembling legs pushed her back up.


    Alex''s feet beat against the ground as his stumbling walk turned into a jog, and then that turned into a run. Each step he took came faster than the last.


    The Gorgonaga snarled ¡ª and another crack of weak lightening drove right into its mouth. It flinched back once more. Then it reared back to bring a foot crashing down on Claire''s body.


    Mite''s puppet dashed forward. It flung itself at the Region Boss, slamming into the hydra''s leg with enough force to knock the huge appendage just enough to the side to miss Claire.


    The puppet exploded from the impact, sending fragments of metal flying across the ground in a clanking rain. Fury was so evident in the Gorgonaga''s eyes that they burned like the pits of hell themselves.


    Its badly damaged jaws yawned open. Power crackled within them. The Region Boss had given up any hope of surviving the fight alive. There was only one thing left within its eyes.


    Vengeance.


    Claire tried to scramble back, but there was nowhere for her to run. She was too close to the monster and too weak to attempt dodging. Lightning roared within the monster''s mouth. And, as Alex ran with everything that he had left and the crackle of lightning reached a crescendo, one harrowing thought struck him with complete certainty.


    He wasn''t going to make it in time.


    The magic would hit Claire before he could do anything about it. It would kill her ¡ª and quite possibly him as well, if he were close enough to the explosion, and there was nothing he could do about it.


    Alex reached out. He felt like his entire body were trapped in a block of jell-o, unable to do anything but watch as the end descended upon them all. His fingers grasped at the air, digging for the faintest shred of hope to cling onto.


    He was only moments away, just mere inches away from the monster''s head and the deadly magic swirling within. Alex leapt into the air. If he was just a little closer¡ª


    The lightning tore free from the Gorgonaga''s mouth with a thunderous boom.


    And something gave way before him.


    For a flicker of an instant, he could have sworn that the world was painted black like a starry sky¡­ and the bolt of lightning before him looked an awful lot like a rather stretched out star.


    Alex strained.


    The air around him wavered. An immense wave of pressure roared in his ears. But the pressure it didn''t push outward.


    It pulled in.


    And the bolt of deadly magic, already midway through the air, jerked to the side. It averted courses like a horse whose reins had been yanked back, twisting to shoot right toward him.


    The lightning screamed past Alex''s ear, whistled around his shoulders, and was well back on its way toward his side when it suddenly remembered that it was meant to fly in a straight line. It rocketed off, streaking through the air to slam into a tree at the side of the clearing with a deafening boom.


    Surprise exploded through the Gorgonaga''s eyes as it begun to turn toward Alex. But there was no more time for surprise. Not for it ¡ª and not for Alex.


    After all, Alex was already in the air.


    He let out a wordless scream as he plunged down, driving his bare fist into one of the hydra''s two remaining eyes. The wet orb burst beneath his fist, but he wasn''t done. Alex''s other arm shot out and drove into the monster''s other eye, ripping it free from its socket in a spray of blood and bodily fluids.


    The Region Boss thrashed, sending him hurtling straight back to the ground. There wasn''t even any air left in his lungs to knock free. He couldn''t even twitch anymore. All he could do was stare up at the blinded monster as its head snapped back and forth in the air.


    Blood sprayed from the two new wounds. It splattered over the ground and across Alex''s face. Then its head lifted into the air directly above him, neck trembling as if reaching for the heavens.


    Alex tried to roll to the side. His body wouldn''t respond. Claire was just a short distance from him, but she was equally as drained. She remained frozen on her knees, unable to rise any higher.


    The Gorgonaga''s head fell.


    And then Orchid was standing above him, her staff braced like a lance. Aaron stood beside her, arms braced, and beside him was Abby. The Gorgonaga''s skull drove down on all three of them ¡ª and there it came to a stop. For a moment, they held the Region Boss''s head in place, fighting against its weight.


    Then the three of them threw the monster''s head to the side. It crashed to the marshy ground with a final thud, its empty, sightless eye socket just inches away from Alex''s head. There was no more life within it.


    It was dead.


    Alex''s lips twitched as Orchid crouched beside him. Mite ran over to join them. He yelled something, but the words didn''t reach Alex''s ears. The world was fuzzy and distant ¡ª but not nearly enough for him to miss the immense wave of energy that slammed into his chest like a surge of electricity.


    Alex drew in a sharp, stunned breath as the dimming of the world was temporarily halted. Then it returned at double the intensity, nearly swallowing his vision in an instant. He was dimly aware of Mite grabbing the ring from his finger and summoning the box of healing pills from within it. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Orchid''s mouth was moving. She really shouldn''t have bothered. No sound reached his ears.


    Alex''s lips twitched again.


    "Now that," Alex breathed, the words falling from his numbing lips muted to even his own ears, "was one hell of a fight."


    A shimmer of light danced before him. It squirmed past the darkness lurking at the edges of his vision to twist into words that glistened before his eyes like the final spark of a dying star.


    Global Announcement for Planet 274-50


    The first Region Boss kill on Planet 274-50 has been claimed by Ash of Mirrorwane in Subsector 735.


    Alex''s lips twitched into a smile.


    Then the world went black. He slipped into a deep, peaceful oblivion, the knowledge of the rewards waiting for him heralding him into unconsciousness.

 Chapter 191 - 189: Orchid

    Alex awoke to golden letters buzzing above his eyes like angry flies. The corners of his eyes were crusted shut and his mouth hung slightly askew as if he''d been snoring. There was a persistent, dry prickle at the back of his throat and his neck was at a slight angle, supported by something neither hard nor soft.


    He blinked. Fuzz tickled his mind and swallowed his first thoughts. The light from the letters shimmering above him pierced into his skull like an angry glare. He blinked again, then squinted up at them in confusion as they slowly came into focus.


    Title Fragment Acquired.


    Spawncamper: Granted to one who claimed a world''s first kill on a Region Boss before it can finish harnessing its army.


    [1] Mythic Boon and [5] Legendary Boons has been earned. They may be spent at your Town Core.


    Alex rubbed his eyes. Then he bolted upright, a sharp breath shooting in through his lips as his memories came crashing back.


    He sat in the shade of a log hut, a bed of moss and old blankets surrounding him like a bird''s nest. His heart pounded in his chest as he remained there, frozen, for several seconds.


    The Region Boss was dead.


    They''d won ¡ª and he''d already gotten quite a haul from its death. 5 Legendary Boons was already nothing to laugh at, and he''d gotten a whole extra Mythic Boon as well. That wasn''t even to mention the title or any of the monster parts they could harvest from the Gorgonaga.


    A slipped out of his lips. It came all the way down from his chest as he doubled over, his laughter intensifying.


    I''m fucking rich! Hell yeah.


    He only managed to get a hold of himself several seconds later. All the aches and pains that had been plaguing his body had vanished in the wake of his sleep. He didn''t know how long it had been since he''d passed out, but it had clearly been enough to fully recover from the ordeal.


    Alex rose to his feet. Then he paused. Something odd had happened during the fight with the Gorgonaga. He could have sworn he''d seen his Visualization for a brief moment. Magic had, for lack of a better word, bent around him.


    What the hell was all of that? I thought Visualizations were only for making your mind palace stronger? Do they have other abilities as well? I''ll need to ask Finley.


    He brushed the dirt and moss off his backside, then slipped out into the surrounding camp. Stopping the Region Boss didn''t necessarily mean everything else had been saved. There was still a small chance that the monster''s troops had wiped everything out while he''d been unconscious. Sure, that chance was small, but he wasn''t going to get his hopes up too early.


    It only took one moment after emerging for Alex to confirm that was not the case. His town still stood all around him. The buildings were largely undamaged from what he could tell, though one cabin had been split clean in two by what must have been one of the Gorgonaga''s attacks.


    Sunlight bore down from above, enveloping the forest in its embrace. The destruction from the fight was now nothing but a memory that had been carved and painted across the ground in blood.


    A streak of scorched dirt devoid of any foliage about the width of a human arm span ran all the way up and through the house, leaving its two haves leaning in opposite directions in wait for a strong wind to blow them over.


    Alex wasn''t the only one awake. Campers moved from building to building as they ferried damaged materials and broken stakes away from the center of the camp. There were¡­ definitely less of them than Alex remembered.


    That brought a sharp pause to his celebrations.


    How many people died? Did Claire survive? What about Aaron and May? Orchid? Mite? Abby? Hell, what happened to Finley? Surely the monsters didn''t figure out a way to take him out, right?


    A ripple passed through the air to Alex''s right. He glanced in its direction just as Rhyss materialized beside him without so much as a noise. The Advisor had the same calm indifference that he always seemed to bear upon his face, and his lone eye bore into Alex like a spotlight.


    "Welcome back," Rhyss said.


    "Rhyss," Alex said, a slight note of relief entering his body. It was good to know the Administrator hadn''t died. "It''s good to see you. Give me an update. How many dead? Anyone¡ª"


    Anyone I cared about?


    Alex cut himself off. His stomach turned. Maybe it wasn''t wrong to wonder if his friends had died¡­ but that was a step too far. Too many had already died. He still hadn''t forgotten Valley Ford.


    There were thousands of people dead because of him. Perhaps he hadn''t been the one to deal the killing blow, but if there was an afterlife, then his name was written as cause of death for every single one of them.


    Alex didn''t regret his decisions. The Outworlders had started this fight. People should have been working together to fight against the monsters, not each other. But that just wasn''t the case. He wasn''t delusional enough to think he could change the way the world worked.


    If he was stronger, perhaps that could be different. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    No. Not if.


    When.


    I''ll eventually be strong enough to protect the people that don''t want to be in this Apocalypse. We need them. No society can live with only warriors. But I''m not that strong yet. And until I am, I have to be ruthless to protect the people that do depend on me. That''s the responsibility I''ve taken on, and I won''t let my perspective get warped by the System.


    "Three deaths," Rhyss said, indifferent to Alex''s thoughts. "None of whom number among the list of those you have shown significant interest in."


    A spike of relief shot into Alex. It was followed by a wave of shame.


    "I didn''t ask that."


    "It was going to be your next question."


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    It was.


    Alex wasn''t sure how he felt about Rhyss knowing that. He certainly wasn''t happy that people had died. His fists balled at his sides. There was no blaming anyone for these deaths. The Outworlders hadn''t killed these people.


    He hadn''t killed them either. Even as Alex''s stomach twisted, he knew that to be true. Everyone at the camp had chosen to be there. To fight for their lives. These deaths hadn''t been worthless. They had been lives to save what all of them fought for.


    "Three deaths was a small number to pay for a fight as uneven as this," Rhyss said. "By all means, this victory should have been nearly impossible for a group of your Stages."


    "What were their names?" Alex asked.


    "Jake. Morgan. Serena. All of them were warriors that fought within the mist. Jake was killed moving a non-combatant out of the way of a monster''s blow. Morgan and Serena went down together in an explosion created by the Region Boss. There were five other serious injuries. None remain in critical condition. Claire used the healing pills in your ring."


    Alex drew in a breath and let out slowly. He savored the taste of the morning air as he let it out. He ¡ª the town ¡ª still stood. Not just because of his efforts, but because of all of them. Every single Camper who had fought had earned this day.


    Jake. I remember him. He was close to my age. Kind of mouthy during training.


    Now he''s dead.


    The other two¡­ I don''t remember who they were, but I won''t forget their names.


    Jake. Morgan. Serena.


    Alex gave himself one more moment. Then he nodded. "Thank you, Rhyss. Other damages?"


    "Some damage to housing. All monsters from the Labyrinth were killed and it is now regenerating power once more. The Region Boss went down yesterday, and you have slept until the morning."


    Alex nodded once more. All things considered, they really had come out well. "And the body?"


    Rhyss pointed to the side.


    Alex turned to follow his Advisor''s finger. Poking over the treetops and the tips of the houses was a large, black-scaled bump. It was hard to believe he''d even managed to miss it the first time around.


    "Mite is dismantling it. It is not on town property, so I could not interfere."


    "That''s fine. It''ll probably start rotting if someone doesn''t do something," Alex said as he started in the direction of the dead Region Boss. "I ¡ª wait. If the monster was on town property, does that mean you would have been able to interfere with Mite?"


    "Yes."


    "Could you interfere with other people as well?"


    "I am not a combatant. Any influence I have is contained entirely to those who believe themselves to be citizens of your town, so long as you have accepted them."


    Ah. There goes that idea.


    "Noted," Alex said as they headed toward the Gorgonaga at a brisk pace. "Anything else I should be aware of?"


    "Not with regard to the town."


    Another question was starting to build on Alex''s lips when he stepped out from the line of houses and got his first look at the hydra''s corpse. Or, more specifically, at the air in front of it.


    His eyes went wide.


    Floating above the monster''s skull ¡ª which was now notably missing its eyes and all its teeth ¡ªwas a huge Soul Flame. It was an obsidian black and almost glasslike in texture. The flame flickered and danced in a mesmerizing pattern before him, drawing his attention invariably to it.


    [Region Boss] Mid Grade Adept (Gorgonaga)


    "Whoa," Alex breathed.


    The Soul Flame of a Region Boss. That was going to be good, no matter what he used it for. The fact it was still here was a blessing. Alex didn''t know where it would have gone¡­ but he wasn''t about to complain.


    He strode forward, moving as if the Soul Flame was about to vanish, and pulled a Spatial Mirror from the box at his side. Alex grabbed the massive flame with his other hand, letting out a grunt as freezing cold energy drove into his palm. He hoisted it into the air and pressed it into the surface of the mirror.


    For a moment, the flame resisted. Alex pushed harder. The edges of the Soul Flame trembled. Then, with a final crackle of disapproval, it popped into his mirror.


    "Is something wrong?" Rhyss asked, examining Alex curiously.


    Can he not see the Soul Flames? I guess I''m the only one that can now that I think about it. Huh. Interesting.


    "No," Alex replied as he returned his Spatial Mirror to his side. The Soul Flame marked yet another reward they''d gotten from the Region Boss. He''d gotten the monster''s body, the energy from killing it, a Title Fragment, and Boons thus far.


    Even if this is the extent of things¡­ we''ve certainly gotten quite the reward for this fight. I remember how much energy I got from killing that thing, and it was a lot. The System certainly isn''t holding back on us.


    Something squirmed at the Region Boss'' side. Alex stiffened, his hand shooting down to his deck in preparation for a fight.


    Mite popped out from one of the Region Boss''s legs, a delighted grin on his face. He spotted Alex and raised a hand in greeting.


    "Yo! You''re awake! Have you seen this thing? It''s got so much shit! It''s awesome! I''m rich!"


    "We''re rich," Alex corrected. "That isn''t all for you. We''ll discuss distribution of the parts later. Some of it will go toward improving the town. Some of it will go to you ¡ª and some of it will go toward everyone that helped us fight. If they want to donate their bits to you, that''s up to them."


    Mite''s grin faltered. Then he let out a huff and nodded. "Fair enough. This ain''t it, by the way. There''s more than just the body."


    There weren''t many sentences Alex liked hearing more than that.


    "Where?"


    "Here," Claire said.


    Alex spun. He hadn''t even heard her coming.


    "Claire! You''re okay?"


    "Okay enough," Claire replied with a small smile. The angry red marks from her Trial were still on her neck, though they had faded significantly. "How much has Rhyss told you?"


    "The gist of it," Alex said. "What''s the other reward Mite mentioned?"


    "Rewards," Claire corrected. She reached into her pocket. Her hand came back out and turned over, her fingers unfurling to reveal a napkin. And, nestled within the center of the napkin, was a single white gemstone.


    Alex''s eyes widened as words shimmered into the air above it.


    Aspect Gem [Mirror Aspect]


    "An aspect gem," Alex breathed. "But what was the Gorgonaga doing with this? It didn''t have¡­"


    And then a frown pulled at his lips. The Gorgonaga had mentioned the Mirrorlands during their fight. It hadn''t displayed any mirror-based powers, but if this gem had dropped from it, the monster must have had them.


    Did it not get strong enough to unlock them? How odd.


    "Yeah," Claire said. She held the gem out. "I had much of the same thoughts. I figure this suits you better than anyone else though."


    Alex swallowed. The third and final Aspect Gem he needed to begin creating his Domain. There was no point being humble. He reached out and took the gem from her. The moment it touched his skin, it vanished with a pop.


    "Thank you," Alex said. "The other reward?"


    "A Visualization," Claire replied. "Mite''s got it for now. I''m letting him hold everything so I don''t have to deal with it. He''s smart enough to run off with it. He wouldn''t get far."


    A Visualization? Oh shit. That''s pretty damn good. Anything from the Gorgonaga is going to be strong. But I''ve already got one. Who would use this? Claire, maybe? Hmm. We''ll have to see.


    Mite''s face paled a shade. "I wouldn''t run! You guys are my ticket to the big league. I''m mooching off you for the rest of your lives. Which may or not be very long, but still."


    "That is not the best way to suck up to someone," Alex informed Mite.


    "Sorry."


    Alex just shook his head. "It''s fine. Where are the others?"


    "With Orchid," Claire replied. "She''s got them clearing up the town and re-constructing barricades. Said it was the best use of time until you woke up. There''s no promise other monsters won''t attack us while we recover."


    "That''s true," Alex said with a nod. "I suppose we should meet up with them. I think we all need to have a talk about the future of the town from here."


    "That would be best," Claire agreed. Her hand fell on Alex''s shoulder. "But there''s one thing you should know first."


    "Hm?" Alex blinked. "What is it?"


    "It''s Orchid," Claire replied. Her eyes darkened. "She knows that we aren''t from the Starfallen Family."

 Chapter 192 - 190 & Announcement!

    "Shit," Alex said. He''d known it was only a matter of time before Orchid figured out they were pulling wool over her eyes, but he''d really been hoping their excuse would hold out a bit longer.


    Having her realize who they really were now of all times was not a good thing ¡ª especially when the town was in such a vulnerable state. They needed time to get their footing out from under them, not to mention finding out how to permanently re-stabilize the town before it blew up.


    If Orchid turned on them now¡­ they''d be in a bad spot.


    "She hasn''t turned on us," Claire said. "Not yet. I don''t know what she''s going to do."


    "Really?" Alex blinked. He wasn''t sure if he was more surprised that Claire didn''t have a good read on Orchid or that Orchid hadn''t already ditched them.


    "She''s no slouch. Her family clearly trained her well," Claire said. "And things have been a bit busy. To be honest, there really isn''t anywhere for Orchid to go right now. Even though she knows we aren''t Starfallen, that doesn''t change the fact that she''s hated just as much as we are right about now. All three of us were involved in stealing the Town Token, after all. She''s stuck in our ship. Only an idiot would sink it while they were still onboard."


    "Noted." Alex blew out a breath. "Meaning we don''t know if she''s planning something or not. We''ll have to talk with her and figure out how things stand. In the end, I think we kind of had to spill the beans sooner or later anyway. We couldn''t have kept this up forever." S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yeah." Claire nodded. She brushed some strands of stray hair away from her face. "I would have preferred it on my terms, but she figured things out shortly after the Region Boss went down."


    "How''d you even find out?" Alex asked.


    Claire''s eyes narrowed. "She told me."


    "She told you?"


    "It''s an interesting play," Claire said, chewing her lower lip. "Probably meant to force our hands and see how much information we''re willing to give her. To be honest, I think it''s a good sign. She wants to stick around. If she didn''t, she wouldn''t have said anything. It would have delayed me finding out she knew for a while longer."


    For a while? That means Claire is pretty certain she still would have figured out Orchid knew regardless of what she''d said. I got a glimpse of what her class can do in battle¡­ but to be honest, if her abilities are really all based around information control, it seems like she''s far better suited to situations like this than fighting.


    How much is she really capable of?


    Alex shook his head. "Well, I''ll keep it in mind. Let''s go meet with the others, shall we?"


    "I''ll stay here," Mite said. He nodded to the monster''s body. "More stuff to loot. And, I''ll be honest, I don''t care about the drama things. Come find me when you''ve decided how much of the monster''s body you aren''t planning on wasting."


    Something told Alex that Mite''s idea of wasting the monster was giving its parts to anyone but the Bioengineer.


    Mite might be the one best suited to put the parts to use, but I can''t just give nothing to everyone who participated in the fight. That''s not how you keep town morale high ¡ª and there''s no town if you don''t have any people.


    Alex repressed a sigh. He didn''t fancy what was coming next at all. He did fancy what was coming after it. Namely, there was a hell of a lot of power waiting for him to cash it in. His next meditation was going to be fun. Between the Title Fragments he could combine, the third gem for his gate, and all the power from the Region Boss, Alex was pretty sure he was going to be a whole lot stronger by the time he finished.


    But that was later, and this was now.


    He had some campers to speak with and, if things really went poorly, a speech to give.


    ***


    It didn''t take long to find Orchid and round up the campers. Within a few minutes, everyone had gathered in the center of town, in front of the Town Hall. Alex could feel Orchid''s gaze boring into him the whole time, but she didn''t say a single word.


    She just watched.


    And that was fine with him. They could speak with her once the rest of the town had been addressed. He let his gaze drift over everyone. Many of the faces were familiar, but some he still didn''t properly recognize.


    Older folks that had probably been hiding within the town when the fight had started. Some of the people that had gone with him into the Mirrorlands to train. Aaron and May and Abby.


    But even though he couldn''t see the missing faces from the crowd, he could still feel their weight. Not a single person spoke. Abby''s group of Outworlders stood alongside the humans in shared silence. They all watched Alex, and it struck him that they were waiting.


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    They were waiting for him to say something.


    And he didn''t know what to say.


    Shit. I''m not a general. What the hell am I supposed to say right now? Hurray, guys, we won? That doesn''t seem like it''s going to carry the gravitas I want. People are dead. But I can''t just go moping about either. That''ll ruin morale.


    Goddamn, this is a lot harder than I thought. Are there any good speeches from movies I''ve ¡ª wait, no. Half of them have seen the movies too. Damn.


    He could feel Claire''s gaze boring into the side of his face. She would have been a far better choice for this, but he was the town leader. Their bullshit had set him up to be the leader, and he didn''t have the faintest idea of what he was doing.


    The weight of the silence started to bear down on Alex like an anvil.


    Shit, shit, shit. I can''t just stay quiet forever. I need to say something. But what do I¡ª


    "Just speak," Claire whispered, her voice so low that only Alex could hear her.


    And so he said the first thing that came to mind.


    "I am not a general," Alex said, his voice echoing through the quiet forest. "And to be totally honest, I don''t want to be here right now."


    The eyes of the Campers felt like they were trying to bind him like chains, but he couldn''t stop now. Alex kept talking.


    "I just want to fight against the monsters that invaded our world. If I had my way, someone else would be standing here and talking to you," Alex said. He took a small breath, then continued. "If I had my way, the three people that died in defense of Mirrorwane would be standing here while I sat in the crowd. Jake, Morgan, Serena. They would be telling you stories of how they took down the first Region Boss that awoke on this world. But I can''t always have my way. They''re dead, but they did not die for nothing. They died so we could stand here. So that we could continue."


    Alex paused for another breath. He didn''t even dare stop now. If he did, the words might have dried up an died in his throat. This was an attention he was entirely unused to. Alex was pretty sure he was more nervous now than he had been for any fight since the Apocalypse had started. He just pressed on.


    "I won''t lie to you. I did not know them well. I don''t know most of you well. I came here to build a town, but the only thing I built were buildings," Alex said. "When I look before me, I do not see people that were strangers a week ago. I do not see campers. I see the town that we fought for. Not just in the buildings, but in your faces. A town is nothing without its people, and we paid in blood to stand here today."


    Alex didn''t dare wonder if his words were being well received or not. At this point, it was too late to change any of them anyway. All he could do was continue barging ahead.


    "We will not forget the people that died here yesterday," Alex said. "Jake. Morgan. Serena. Their names will be remembered. That, I can promise. They will be mourned. But today is not one of sorrow. We paid a cost, but before me is the town that stood against a Region Boss. The first Region Boss. We fought like hell. And we won. Outworlder, human, it doesn''t matter. Should you want to be, every single one of you are all people of Mirrorwane."


    There was a long pause.


    Did I overdo it? I barely even remember what I said. Shit. What do I ¡ª


    May pumped a fist in the air. "Fuck yeah!"


    "May!" Aaron hissed.


    One of the demons snorted. Then a human started to chuckle.


    Within moments, the entire camp was laughing.


    Some of the weight in the air lifted off their shoulders. Not all of it. The fight was too fresh. For many people in Mirrorwane, this had been the first time they''d been in a true large fight. That might not have been true for the Outworlders, but Alex was willing to bet absolutely nobody had ever been in a fight with stakes like this one had. Too many of their thoughts were still caught in the explosions that had bathed the forest.


    "There''s one more thing," Alex called as the laughter died down. "If you haven''t noticed, Gorgonaga is dead."


    "Yeah. The System sent out an announcement about it," Abby said. "I don''t think there''s anyone who doesn''t know."


    "Right," Alex said with a nod. "And killing a monster like that comes with rewards. Every single person in this town contributed to killing the Gorgonaga, so I only see fit to distribute what we got from it to everyone as well."


    "Is that really true?" an older man with a graying beard and bushy eyebrows asked. "I didn''t even see the bastard until after the fight was done. Don''t think I deserve anything. I''d rather the rewards go to the people that actually fought it."


    "Wrong," Alex said. "I dealt the killing blow. Claire and Orchid did significant amounts of damage to it and protected the town. But had there not been people fighting the smaller monsters, if there weren''t people operating the Warp Relay, then more people would have died. The town may have fallen. We might not have won. Just because you weren''t part of the direct fight does not mean you should get nothing from it."


    This isn''t entirely out of the kindness of my heart. I need everyone in Mirrorwane way stronger¡­ and giving people gifts makes them stick around. They need to really feel like part of a community. I don''t want my people getting poached when they do inevitably get more powerful.


    "Did it even have enough to share among all of us?" one of the humans asked. "What was it, a pinata?"


    Alex snorted at the mental picture of loot exploding out from the dead hydra''s corpse and showering down like candy. "Depends. There were two main things it dropped. An Aspect Gem and a Visualization. The monster''s body is also very valuable. You''ll probably be able to sell components of it for good money or make some good equipment from it. For the sake of transparency, I took the Aspect Gem. It fit me too well."


    "Give the amount you, Claire, and Orchid did during the fight, I think it''s fair if you take more," Abby said with a shrug. "I wouldn''t have even known you had it if you didn''t tell us."


    Claire looted it before the others got there, huh?


    Alex didn''t look in her direction. He already knew that he wouldn''t see anything in her features. She hadn''t told anybody about the gem in case he''d decided not to mention it. He just needed to get distribution handled so he could get around to what he was really looking forward to ¡ª meditating and cashing in all the rewards he''d just earned.


    "That may be the case, but I don''t see any reason to lie right now," Alex said. The more open he was now, the better foundations it would build with the town in the long run. "So that leaves us with the Visualization, which is definitely going to be pretty damn powerful, and all the bits from the monster body. So let''s talk loot, shall we?"

 Chapter 193 - 191: Speech

    "Honestly, I think you should just keep the monster. You know what to do with it more than I do," the old human man within the crowd said to Alex, running a hand through his graying beard in thought. "What would I even do with it? Where would I sell it? Valley Ford?"


    Alex resisted the urge to cough into his fist. He didn''t think anybody was going to be selling to Valley Ford in quite some time.


    There were a few people nodding along with the man. Alex did note that none of the people nodding were the Outworlders. They all knew just how valuable loot from a monster this powerful was. None of them wanted to give it up¡­ but it also didn''t look like they''d say anything if Alex decided to keep it for himself.


    The urge was there. Alex couldn''t deny that it existed. Claiming every single bit of the monster¡­ the thing was probably worth hundreds of credits. Maybe even thousands. He still wasn''t exactly sure as to what the scale of credits was, but he knew the Gorgonaga was expensive. It was a Region Boss. Pieces from that weren''t going to sell for peanuts.


    Two options laid before him. His town wasn''t that big. There were less than two dozen people here, and less than half of them were combatants. A lot of people would have taken everything they could.


    But if he took everything now, the benefits the rest of his town gained would be minimal. They''d get stronger, but not as much as they could have. And then when the next monster came ¡ª and he knew it would ¡ª more of them would die.


    Even if they won the fight, the town would be weaker. And in the next fight, or perhaps the one after that, they would lose. Alex had already gotten enormous benefits from killing the Gorgonaga. Taking literally everything was just the act of a greedy hoarder unknowingly slitting his own throat with the jeweled knife he''d found.


    The town might not be big, but that''s a good thing. I have resources that almost nobody else does. Access to the Mirrorlands and the ability to send everyone in the town right there by swapping locations with the Mirrorlands version of the town.


    Everyone here is loyal. They''re basically offering me a ridiculous amount of money purely because they don''t know what to do with it. They''ve fought together. They trust each other, and for some godforsaken reason, they trust me. If I help these people catch up and grow stronger¡­


    I could have an entire town of monsters. Why would I throw that away for just a little bit of extra money now?


    "There''s no need to worry about where to sell anything," Alex said. "I''ve dealt with that issue. I''d like to introduce you all to my merchant friend, Finley."


    He paused for a moment. Then the corners of his lips tugged down. He cast his gaze around the town. There was no sign of Finley anywhere. He certainly wasn''t in the crowd. A few moments of silence dragged by as everyone looked at each other, then back at Alex.


    There''s no way he died, is there? Is he actually that unlucky? I thought he was kind of immune to taking damage because of his merchant status!


    Alex cleared his throat.


    "My friend, Finley!" He raised his voice this time, letting it echo through the forest clearing.


    A pile of rubble a few cabins away shifted. There was a crunch as a wood beam jerked out of the way and a soot-covered head popped out from beneath it, eyes darting around wildly. Then, limb by limb, Finley extracted himself from within his hiding spot.


    The merchant cleared his throat and brushed himself off as he strode toward them. The dust and grime covering him slipped away like a cloak to fall to the ground as he walked. His clothes straightened themselves out and the wrinkles within them vanished. The man''s hair slicked itself back and a confident grin crossed his features. By the time he''d arrived by Alex''s side, he looked every bit the part of a salesman that worked in a high-end car dealership.


    "My apologies," Finley said, dropping into a half-bow. "I was taking a nap. I ¡ª uh, did the Region Boss decide to call the attack off?"


    Alex stared at him. "No. We won."


    Finley stared back. "You won? After buying smu¡ª"


    "Yes," Alex snapped, cutting Finley off before his purchases could be aired out like dirty laundry. "We won."


    "How? That''s impossible. You should be a smoking husk. This little town had no chance of winning!" Finley said in awe. He glanced back at the crowd, then cleared his throat. "I mean, congratulations. I always knew you had it in you. And it seems you''ve chosen me as your merchant. I can''t believe it. But there''s only one word to describe this. I''m¡­ lucky."


    Finley cringed as he said the last word. He glanced up at the sky as if waiting for a bolt of lightning to fall from the heavens themselves. No such thing happened. He remained there, un-smote. The merchant cleared his throat. Then he adjusted his lapel and turned back to the crowd with a flourish as if they hadn''t just seen everything he''d just done.


    "Well, allow me be the first to congratulate you," Finley said with a glowing smile. "My name is Finley, of House Starlight. Not to be confused with House Starfallen. The similarity in our names is entirely an unfortunate coincidence. It seems you are all in need of an outlet to sell your hard-earned spoils of war. I would be honored to be of assistance¡ª"


    The air beside them popped as Rhyss snapped into being.


    "And I will ensure all prices are appropriately regulated according to Infinium standards," Rhyss finished.


    The smile on Finley''s face drooped.


    "Of course," Finley said. "And¡ª"


    "We will also endeavor to set up an Auction House connection for any of our more valuable items," Rhyss continued. "But that may take some time to create, so I would suggest that all citizens of Mirrorwane hold onto any excessively valuable materials."


    Finley glared at Rhyss. "I would be happy to assist with that."


    "I suspect such an act would be appreciated. A sponsorship to connect to the Auction Houses is always of immense use."


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Finley froze. One of his eyes twitched. Then he adjusted his collar. "Of course. I would be pleased to offer one as a token of goodwill in exchange for a small cut of the proceeds."


    "Of course." Rhyss smiled. "Please, continue. I would not wish to obstruct operations that help the town."


    The blood in Alex''s veins prickled. Rhyss didn''t smile. Something told him Finley had just gotten pushed into agreeing to something pretty important.


    I don''t even know what the hell just happened, but getting an Advisor was definitely the right move. Mythic boons are fucking sweet.


    Finley cleared his throat. "As I was saying, I''ll happily buy any parts and materials off you. There''s always a market for them. The rarer and stronger, the better. I can assure you all that components from a Region Boss are in very high demand. Especially this early on."


    "Will demand lower later?" Claire asked.


    Finley waggled a hand back and forth in the air. "Somewhat. For something like this? No. Region Bosses are incredibly valuable. They''ll drop a bit as more die and the world grows. Initial growth periods for a newly Initialized world are explosive."


    "And there''s one more thing to take note of," Alex said, stepping back into the conversation. "You don''t have to sell your components. Investing them in yourself is also a viable option. In addition to Finley, I''ve also brought one more person to the town. Mite is a Bioengineer. We saw him make the Teleporter, but that isn''t all he can do. If you want to invest your parts in him in exchange for getting some gear, then that''s also an option."


    "What kind of gear?" one of the Outworlders asked.


    "Honestly, no clue," Alex admitted. "Talk to him about it. I''m just giving you options ¡ª and a reason to use this opportunity for yourself. I think the town should take a portion of the resources and give them to Mite. He can put them to use making buildings. But everyone should take some for themselves as well. God knows there''s enough."


    People started to nod. Alex had more than made his point, which meant there was no point pushing the matter further. There was just one more task to accomplish before he could retreat to the Town Hall and meditate.


    He raised a hand to get everyone''s attention.


    "Before we get caught up in the details, there''s one more thing we have to decide," Alex called. "The Visualization. Mite currently has it."


    "What exactly is a Visualization?" one of the humans, a man with short blonde hair, asked.


    Alex nearly slapped himself in the forehead. He hadn''t known what a Visualization was just a short while ago. There was no reason the people here would have known better. "They''re basically ways to make your Mind Palace a lot more powerful. I think. I''m honestly not fully clear on the matter myself."


    "If that''s he case, don''t you want it?" Abby asked. "You did kill the Gorgonaga, after all."


    "No. I don''t need it," Alex said. "And I already took the Aspect Gem."


    "What about Claire?" Aaron suggested. "She was fighting it the longest. I think it''s only fair."


    "I also don''t need it," Claire said.


    Alex blinked. He glanced at her.


    Shit. She already has a Visualization. When did that happen? I swear she said she didn''t know much about them. I don''t think she was lying¡­ so it must have been recent. I don''t think she killed any super powerful monsters when I wasn''t watching, which means it has to have been willingly given.


    Realization struck him.


    Rin.


    The old Dhampir. She''d died and said she passed something along to Claire. The System must have recognized that as a bloodline. It was the only thing Alex could think of, but now wasn''t the time to address it further.


    If Claire said she didn''t need the Visualization, then she didn''t need it.


    His gaze slowly drifted to Orchid. She was probably next in line. But Alex had no idea how things stood with her right now. If she was going to betray them or defect back to her family¡­ there was no way he''d waste the Visualization on her.


    Shit. What do I do? It''ll be clear something is up if I don''t offer it to her, and Orchid really was very useful during the fight.


    "I don''t need it," Orchid said before Alex could determine what his next line would be. Her words were measured and even, and he could feel her gaze boring into his skull as he spoke.


    A flicker of surprise passed through him. Alex smothered it before anything could show on his face. For whatever reason, Orchid was giving him an out. That was rather odd. He knew her family was in trouble. That''s why she''d wanted the Town Token. A Visualization would have been expensive, so passing up on it was a strange choice. She could have sold it.


    We need to figure out what it is she''s gunning for. Preferably after I get a chance to meditate. But if Orchid doesn''t want this¡­


    A thought struck Alex. The corners of his lips pulled up into a smile. The Visualization definitely wouldn''t fit Mite, who was the only other immediate candidate in Alex''s list. Mite was a builder, not a destroyer.


    But Alex knew someone that the Visualization just might work for.


    "Then I think I know who I''d like to give this to. During the fight against the Region Boss, one person in particular saved our asses," Alex said. "May grabbed the attention Gorgonaga all by herself. She stopped it from killing Claire and very likely taking me out afterward."


    "Whoa," Aaron said, his eyes widening. "You want to give May the Visualization?"


    "I do," Alex said. "Kids are better at adapting to things than pretty much anyone else, and she earned this."


    "I''m not a kid," May protested. "I''m fourteen."


    Older than I thought, actually. I figured she was twelve or thirteen.


    "Does anyone have issue with that?" Alex asked. "Speak now or forever hold your peace."


    Aaron glanced at May. "Do you want this? It could be dangerous. Actually, it definitely is. It''s the System."


    "Everything is dangerous," May said, setting her jaw. She glanced over at Orchid. "And Orchid will help me. Right?"


    The older woman hesitated for a moment. Then she nodded. "Yes. I will carry out my duties."


    "Then I want it. If I can have it, I want to get stronger," May said. She looked back at Alex and swallowed as her hands balled into fists at her sides. "I attacked the Gorgonaga, but my magic didn''t do anything. I want to be like Clare. And you. I''m too weak right now."


    Nobody else said anything. Alex nodded.


    I wonder if this breaks some sort of convention. A Visualization definitely counts as a weapon of war. Arming a teen with it feels a bit¡­ well, better not to think about it. The world is different now. Better to give her a weapon than to have her die because she couldn''t defend herself.


    "The Visualization is yours, then," Alex said with a nod. "For future fights, I''ll look into setting up a reward system based on contribution. For now¡­ I think we''ve got some rebuilding and preparations to take care of. Everyone, make sure to speak to Mite to get your rewards. And as for me¡­ I''ll be back in four hours."


    The town split up as everyone strode away to handle the tasks they''d been working on. Tension released Alex''s back from its vice grip as he let out a relieved breath.


    I didn''t completely butcher the speech. Thank god. That was terrifying.


    Claire''s hand landed on Alex''s shoulder. "Well done. For your first speech, that wasn''t half bad. You definitely could have put some more drive into some things and been a bit more confident with some of your words, but you''ll get there."


    "Thanks. I''m just glad I didn''t fall flat on my face. I''ll take a fight over a speech any day." Alex let out a tense laugh. Then he shook his head and blew out a breath to steady himself. His heart was somehow still racing. "Can you keep an eye on Orchid? I''m going to¡ª"


    "Yeah. I''ve got it. She didn''t do anything while you were knocked out. I doubt she''ll suddenly try now. Just don''t take too long."


    "Oh, don''t worry. I won''t."


    Alex turned on his heel and strode toward the Town Hall. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was finally time to cash in the rewards he''d earned from the fight ¡ª and he was greatly looking forward to seeing what happened once he slotted the final Aspect Gem and unlocked the gate within his Mind Space.

 Chapter 194 - 192: Star

    Alex wasted no time once he got to the Town Hall. He quickly summoned all three of his monsters, gave them orders to keep guard over him while he meditated, and then sank straight into his Mind Palace.


    A familiar dark lake stretched out toward the horizon. The marble components of his Mind Palace rose all around Alex, a massive ball of churning blue mist twisting above his basin and casting its light dancing across his soul to illuminate the building materials scattered across and beneath the lake''s surface.


    The hand that he''d formed to snatch the star falling from the sky still rose above the basin, its marble fingers wrapped around the churning ball of mist.


    Distant stars dotted the sky to shimmer down upon him. Within those stars rested the pitch black vortex that Alex knew to house the odd cube that had appeared when he''d first made his Visualization.


    Between two of the massive marble pillars rested the sealed gate. The plain marble sat there as always, the only adornment upon it being the trio of lines that ran up from the bottom of the door to form three circles around a clear gemstone situated in the center of the door at eye level.


    And resting in the water without leaving so much a ripple in its wake was the final Aspect Gem Alex needed. The white gemstone sat there innocently, as if unaware as to just how significant it was. It would have been easy to mistake it for just a small fragment of particularly shiny marble had Alex not known what it truly was.


    He strode over to the gemstone and scooped it up, ignoring the words that glistened to life above it as he snuck a glance in Berith''s direction. The demon had yet to do anything. He just sat in his corner of Alex''s soul, unspeaking. It was hard to tell if Berith was even paying attention to him right now.


    Maybe that''s for the best. I did kind of just rob and force him to watch an excessively long rom-com. Keeping a little space right now is probably a good idea.


    Alex''s fingers tightened around his third and final Aspect Gem. He approached the only one of the marble pillars in his soul that didn''t yet have a gem slotted into it, then paused. There was still a positively ridiculous amount of magical energy waiting to be harvested. The size of the mist orb was so big that Alex was pretty sure it was close to filling his basin twice over.


    Should I use that first? Or will unlocking my domain also need energy somehow? I''m not sure. Now that I think about it, improving the foundation of my Mind Palace before I go messing with the gems is probably smarter. The gate to Soul Manifestation came up from the lake. That means the strength of my soul determines how powerful it is.


    Alex tucked the gem into his pocket and walked over to the large basin in the center of his soul. He ascended the stairs until he stood at its top, then lowered to sit with his feet hanging over the edge and into the basin.


    He was nearly confident he had enough energy to level all the way up to Adept tier at this point¡­ but that wouldn''t do much for the strength of his soul. He couldn''t risk advancing without making sure his Mind Palace couldn''t get any stronger, either.


    Let''s see. It''s been a long time since I last actually looked at my full status.


    Alex summoned it forth with a thought.


    Alex Vaya [Human]


    Class: Evoker [Mirrorlands]


    Stage: Initiate 4


    Active Titles[4/5]:


    Unbound Mirrorlander


    Unmaker


    Ascending Forerunner


    Anomaly


    Inactive Titles:


    Soul Manifestation:


    [Spatial Mirrors] (Initiate 1)


    Auxiliary Skills:


    [Requiem to the King] (Novice 8)


    [Monster Medley] (Novice 4)


    [Riftwalk] (Novice 8)


    Titles:


    Ascending Forerunner: Attune with the fluctuations of power on your plane caused by the awakening of powerful monsters. While this Title is equipped, you will be able to sense the location of monsters at the rank of [Region Boss] or higher as they awaken.


    Unbound Mirrorlander: Slip past the limits of your Mirrorlander Class, improving its core skill while this Title is equipped.


    Unmaker: Granted to those who rid the system of an Anomaly. While this title is equipped, slaying anomalies saves a portion of their power inertly within your soul. At the next milestone, consume this power to permanently improve an Auxiliary Skill. [1/2 Anomalies slain].


    Anomaly (FORBIDDEN): You were successfully marked as an Anomaly by the System. This Title cannot be removed.


    Title Fragments:


    Top Ranker: Granted to those who placed among the top 10 spots of a leaderboard in a Trial.


    Lone: Granted to those who clear a dungeon at their rank entirely on their own.


    Cataclysm: Granted to one whose actions have directly caused the complete and utter destruction of a Town on the Global Leaderboards.


    Spawncamper: Granted to one who claimed a world''s first kill on a Region Boss before it can finish harnessing its army.


    Abilities:


    [Spatial Mirrors] (Initiate 1) ¨C Spatial Mirrors contain the Evoker''s bonded creatures. They can only contain bonded creatures that originate from the Mirrorlands. The creatures stored within Spatial Mirrors can be summoned at will. Upon death, the creature''s energy will return to the Spatial Mirror until it recovers.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Available Spatial Mirrors: 3


    Domain Energy [Illusory]: Riftwarped Qi sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Requiem to the King] (Novice 8) ¨C Even in death, all must serve. When a bonded creature is slain in battle, a portion of their energy and abilities will empower their summoner. This effect will remain until the bonded creature reforms in their Spatial Mirror.


    [Monster Medley] (Novice 4) ¡ª Combine an existing monster with the energy gathered in your Spatial Mirrors. The results of this combination are variable and depend on the quality of the monster and energy as well as their synergy.


    [Riftwalk] (Novice 8) ¡ª Gain limited control over the Rifts that connect the Mirrorlands and the rest of the Infinitum.


    Soul Energy Units: 0


    Alex took a moment after he finished reading through everything. It had taken longer than he cared to admit. The most important information was that his next skill upgrade would come in 4 levels and would be for Monster Medley.


    He hadn''t advanced the ability in some time now, having focused on his other two powers for the more combat-related advancements they gave him. Bringing Medley up to their level would be a good move, but 4 levels of energy was quite a bit.


    I think the best move is to push my soul until it can''t go any farther. If I max the Mind Palace out for this level, then I''m all set to advance to Adept whenever I want to. It''ll also mean my Soul Manifestation will be as strong as it can be ¡ª and if I''ve got any power left over, that can go into my levels.


    Alex nodded to himself. He dismissed his status from the air before him and then let out a slow breath to center himself and bring his focus to bear.


    He extended his senses to the enormous ball of energy he''d gathered from the fight against the Region Boss.


    Then he got to work.


    It didn''t take long for Alex to determine that his earlier estimations of the power held within the mist were true. By the time he''d drained around half of the ball of mist, the water within his basin had already risen past his legs and was nearly at its edge.


    He''d never tried stopping meditating while there was still energy left to condense into energy-filled rain. There was a very tiny chance the excess power in the mist could just¡­ evaporate if he didn''t finish condensing it.


    That might not have been a very likely possibility, but Alex wouldn''t put it past the System. Unfortunately, he didn''t have a choice. His Basin was about to start spilling out into the lake below.


    Alex reluctantly let himself slip from within the meditation.


    He squinted up at the swirling ball of mist above him. Fortunately, his fears proved to be unfounded. It made no move to do anything but continue dancing through the air in wait of his call.


    Relieved, Alex sent his thoughts down to the brilliant blue water below. A tendril of it swirled up to rise before him like a snake. Alex steeled himself. There was a hell of a lot of energy waiting for him to absorb¡­ and he wasn''t about to waste a single drop of it.


    He blew out a short breath. Then he willed the tendril forward, drinking the power from within it. Icy energy tore down his throat and pierced into his chest. It wormed through his veins until his entire body felt like it had been tossed into a freezing river.


    The world shuddered. Alex nearly lost his focus in surprise as he felt the ground suddenly drop out from beneath him. He barely managed to keep himself from glancing around in a panic and instead focused his full attention of keeping a hold of the stream of chilly magic.


    And then the shuddering stopped. It took Alex a moment longer to realize that it hadn''t been the world that had shaken.


    It had been him.


    He floated in the air above his basin. Swirling motes of gentle blue mist danced around him and a faint glow enveloped his entire body. All around him curled the fingers of the marble hand that he had used to catch a star from the sky.


    And, above him, between the stone fingers, he could see something changing.


    The stars that twinkled in the sky above no longer felt so much like stars. They felt far more like eyes. Thousands upon thousands of eyes, all bearing down into Alex''s back like daggers seeking blood.


    An immense pressure drove into him from every single direction. It threatened to squeeze his eyeballs from their sockets and choke the air from his lungs. His bones trembled and his teeth chattered. A rivulet of blood rolled down from one of his nostrils to drip across his lips.


    What the hell is this? This never happened when I was drinking the magic in before!


    Alex''s hands clenched as he resisted the pressure with all he had. There was no doubt in his mind that, if he let up for even a second, he would be splattered like a bug. This wasn''t some kind of test. It was real.


    The sky felt like it was trying to stamp down on his shoulders and drive him into the ground below.


    It must be my Visualization. You think I''ll get flattened like this? You''ve got another thing coming.


    He fought back even harder. Alex wasn''t even sure what it was he was fighting back with ¡ª but the pressure started to relent. Magic flowed through his body like a raging river, but he was barely even aware of it anymore.


    All that mattered was resisting the force coming down from the heavens.


    Loud cracks echoed out all around him. They rang against Alex''s ears like bombs going off through his soul, but he paid them no mind. His eyes saw only the stars that dared try to stamp him out like some kind of insect.


    Come on. Send another star down toward me. I''ll catch it again. I will not be crushed like this. If you want to stop me, then come down here and do it again.


    But no more stars fell.


    The pressure bearing down on Alex slowly started to relent. Something cold pressed against his backside, and he suddenly realized that the fingers of the marble hand no longer surrounded him. He sat at the edge of his basin once more.


    Sweat dripped from his forehead and soaked his back. Every breath came from his chest in a ragged gasp, and his limbs felt like jelly. He had no idea how much time had passed while he''d been in the air, but it felt like he''d just completed a triathlon.


    Holy shit. What the hell was that?


    Alex swallowed between breaths. He wiped his mouth with a shaking hand and slowly rose to his feet.


    Then he froze.


    His soul had changed.


    "Whoa," he breathed, exhaustion momentarily forgotten.


    A lattice of white marble hands, each easily as large as him, rose all around the edges of the marble basin. They interwove with each other as they reached up toward the heavens, trying to tear down the offending stars within it on their own.


    Many of the building materials that had littered the lake of his Mind Palace had been consumed in the creation of the new part of his soul, but many more now lurked beneath the water.


    Each of the hands looked identical to their massive counterpart that still loomed above the basin, its fingers wrapped around the swirling ball of blue mist.


    Alex swallowed again. Something about the sculpture set him on edge. It was like walking into the tomb of some ancient evil. Awe and unease danced hand in hand, as if screaming a song of warning into his ears.


    But this power did not belong to another.


    It was his.


    Alex could feel it. His fingers clenched into a fist, then relaxed again.


    Something was different. His body felt denser. Like it was more¡­ him. He wasn''t sure how else to describe it. A conviction so strong that it had taken physical form.


    He rubbed his fingers together. Then he looked back up at the ball of mist. The corners of his lips twitched up into a smile.


    Alex sat back down at the edge of his basin and got back to meditating.


    Some time later, he had condensed every single droplet of the mist back into water within his basin. He''d nearly filled it a second time by the time he''d run out of rain. Alex let himself pause for a moment as he looked out over the results of his work in satisfaction.


    There were still more materials in the lake. Perhaps it would have been safer to distribute the rest of his energy into levels and make sure not to overdo it.


    But the stars had just challenged him, and he''d be damned if he was going to back down from that.


    I already feel so much stronger. Let''s see just how far I can get.


    Alex stared up at the shimmering sky. He drew in a deep breath. A tendril of magical water twisted up from the lake.


    Then he reached up toward the heavens. His fingers clenching around one of the stars is if he could grasp it from where he sat¡­


    And the star blinked out from its spot in the sky.


    Pressure drove down into his shoulders as a distant roar marked the star plummeting straight toward him.


    The marble hand looming over him trembled. Its fingers clenched into a fist, then opened once more as the huge statue begun to twist. Freezing magic poured into Alex. He was lifted into the air once more.


    He passed through the statue''s fingers as they turned skyward, then lowered back down to find himself sitting in the very center of the huge, upturned palm. Its fingers rose all around him as if grasping an invisible ball.


    Alex smiled.


    It was time to catch a star.

 Chapter 195 - 193: Long time

    Alex''s hair snapped around his eyes and ice gripped at his chest. Magical energy poured into him from the frigid water coiling up from the basin beneath him. It slithered across the palm of the massive marble hand he sat in to flow into his mouth and pour into his soul.


    There was still dried blood on the top of his lip from where his nose had bled from his previous inadvertent activation of his Visualization.


    The very air around him trembled from the pressure driving down into his shoulders. Creaks and groans echoed out from the statue beneath Alex, threatening to shatter it entirely. By all logic, the sheer force from the approaching star should have been enough to drive him straight down through the statue and into the basin waiting beneath. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But it didn''t.


    Perhaps it was just his imagination, but Alex could have sworn that he could withstand the pressure marginally better than he had been able to the previous time. The weight on his shoulders was just a little bit less; the force constricting his lungs just a little bit weaker.


    Alex extended his hand up toward the brightening star that was well on its way toward him. The rumble of its approach did nothing to strike any fear into his heart. The only thing he could feel was the ice of the magic shooting through his veins and the thump of his heart as adrenaline spiked it into overdrive.


    It didn''t look like he was going to get the assistance of a giant marble hand to help him grab the star this time around. He was all on his own.


    And that was just fine with him. He''d grabbed a star before. The Visualization had all but told him that this was entirely a mental game. Ripping the stars from the sky required nothing more than the complete and absolute belief that it could be done.


    Alex had done it once.


    He could do it again.


    More and more pressure tried to crush Alex as the star approached him. But, the closer it got, the more he refused to back down. His fingers trembled as he fought to clench his hand into a fist around the rapidly approaching ball of light.


    Even though his palm blotted the center of the star out, energy spilled from the sides of his hand and between his fingers. It was so bright that Alex could feel his skin prickling like he''d stood out in the desert in a particularly sunny day.


    The harder he tried to close his hand, the harder it seemed to become.


    Cracks started to form in the marble beneath Alex. Every breath came harder than the last. Even the heightened strength his body had been filled with from the magic he''d absorbed could only take him so far.


    The star was getting closer. It would not be denied so easily.


    Alex''s jaw clenched. He forced himself to push out the breath that had been sitting in his lungs and draw in another one. Panic tried to squeeze its way into his mind, but he crushed it out. There was still time.


    This was not impossible. He had done it before¡­ but this star was definitely stronger than the previous one. If the first star had come down with this much might, Alex was pretty sure that it would have killed him on the ¡ª


    No. I don''t care. It doesn''t matter. I will not be distracted.


    His heart thundered in his ears like a war drum. Alex couldn''t see anything but the brilliant glow of the star bearing down on him now. It spilled out around his hand, leaving only the shadow of his fingers in its wake.


    The star was nearly upon him. Alex couldn''t see anything but the screaming white light, but he could feel the heavenly''s body approach as it ground closer and closer to his body. Even keeping his hand held aloft was practically an impossible task ¡ª and yet, Alex refused to let it fall.


    Alex pushed back with everything he had. He drew the resources of his body to the absolute limit ¡ª and then he drew even harder. There would be more. There had to be. He would accept no other option.


    And there was more. He didn''t know where it came from, and he didn''t care. Alex latched onto the scrap of power and drank it in like a starving man scarfing down a freshly cooked meal.


    His fingers twitched.


    The star grew closer.


    "Come on!" Alex roared.


    He wasn''t sure if he was talking to himself or the star. Perhaps they were one and the same. Alex wasn''t sure. He didn''t care. Only a single desire remained within his mind. A single goal. It washed everything else away, the waves of a mighty ocean swallowing the ships of thought that dared sail upon it.


    Grab the star.


    Alex''s eyes involuntarily closed from the intensity of the light searing into him. But even through his eyelids, the sheer heat and light pouring out of the star assulted his vision just the same. There was no escaping it.


    It doesn''t matter. I don''t need to see.


    I just need to grab the star.


    His fingers twitched again.


    The ground shuddered beneath him. Cracking marble echoed through his ears. The star was practically crushing his soul from its presence alone. Somehow, the very ground beneath him was shattering while his own body had managed to hold itself in one piece. It was a minor miracle that he hadn''t already been flattened into a pancake.


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    And then there was no more liberty for even thoughts. The star brought everything it had to bear down on Alex. Every last mote of breath was constricted from his lungs. Sharp marble dug into his backside as the ground cracked even further beneath him. His bones squeaked like a wrung dishcloth.


    And through it all, his arm remained pointed to the heavens, palm out to the star, fingers splayed as if to grasp it like a baseball.


    It was the one piece of protest he had left. The only fight he could muster. In the end, he hadn''t been able to simply visualize himself plucking the star from the sky. It was too much. Such a feat was the act of a god. And, no matter what Alex wanted himself to be able to believe, he couldn''t do it.


    The star was there. He was here.


    And so he''d had to let the star come to him.


    A searing pain drove into his palm with an intensity the likes of which he''d never felt before. It came with the force of a thousand hammer blows straight to his outstretched limb.


    Every bone in in his arm snapped and shattered nigh-instantly. There was only a moment to process the pain.


    But that moment was enough.


    For the briefest flicker of a second, Alex held a star in his hand.


    And if he could grasp it¡­


    His fingers clenched.


    The bones in them were pulverized to little more than debris, the skin fried and charred. But this was his soul. It belonged to him. If he said that his hand was going to close, then it would close. And if a star had conveniently delivered itself to his grasp ¡ª


    It was his.


    Alex''s eyes opened. There was no more agonizing light. His arm wasn''t broken, despite the searing memory of the pain that was imprinted into his mind like a hot brand. It had been. He knew that for a fact. But the star''s influence had vanished along with it.


    All that remained was Alex. He''d risen to his feet at some point and stood, arm outstretched to the sky, fingers clenched into a tight fist. He had caught the star. Tremors raced through his body as he fought to catch his breath, the thrill of the adrenaline coursing through him threatening to spill over into hysteria.


    The fingers of his free hand were clenched so tightly that his nails had dug into the bed of his palm to the point where it bled. Amusingly enough, the only injury that he had retained from the ordeal.


    Alex slowly unfurled the fingers of both hands. Nestled within his right palm was a glowing white mote. The moment his hand was fully open, the mote floated free to fall upon the upturned palm he stood on. It landed beside the first star Alex had caught, glistening alongside its fellow like two diamonds embedded into the marble.


    Only then did Alex finally manage to take stock of his own situation. The feeling of denseness he''d gotten the previous time he''d activated his Visualization had magnified.


    "Whoa," Alex muttered. He turned a hand over, trying to figure out just what it was that had changed. "I feel¡­ heavy."


    He cringed almost instantly afterward.


    Glad nobody else was here for that. It sounds like I went to town in a burger joint, not got stronger.


    Alex wiped the sweat and blood from his face. He cast a glance up at the starry sky that blinked innocently above, then turned and made his way over to the edge of the marble palm. There he paused, his eyes going wide.


    I''m a hell of a lot higher than I remember being.


    The stone hand he stood on had nearly doubled in size. It now dwarfed his basin completely, rising far above as if to shield it. But that wasn''t all. Details had appeared in the hand. Details so intricate that they may as well have been real.


    Now that he was looking for it, he could practically make out the veins within the marble. There might have even been a print upon the pads of its fingers. The base of the statue had changed as well.


    Dozens upon dozens of carved marble hands wound up the length of the arm he stood on. They stopped just below the wrist to open themselves like blooming flowers, each one reaching toward the sky above.


    It was equal parts eerie and beautiful.


    When I thought of a Mind Palace, this really isn''t what I saw myself building. But hey, I''ll take it. I think my Visualization just has a thing for hands. I won''t judge. They''re cool.


    But his Visualization had done more than that. One more glance over the edge of the palm revealed that the gate between two of the pillars had changed as well. It had lifted just slightly above the surface of the lake, and a small stairwell leading up to the stone door had appeared from under the water.


    The designs upon the door itself had also grown more intricate. While it still only bore three lines, each of the lines had been carved in a flowing, wavelike pattern rather than a mere straight line.


    And that wasn''t all. The lake was crystal clear, and Alex could see no more building materials below its waters.


    For that matter, he couldn''t see any of them at all. A smile crawled over his lips. If there was absolutely nothing left to build with and nothing beneath the surface of the lake, then his Mind Palace had absorbed every single scrap of power that it could for the Initiate Stage.


    Alex''s smile faltered as he realized that his basin was now completely empty. He''d gotten a huge amount of power from the fight with the region Boss. The fact that his soul had drained it entirely was ridiculous.


    Just how much energy can my soul take? I mean, I''m glad I filled it to the brim, but holy shit. There''s no way most people are spending this much to advance their Mind Palaces. I could have definitely reached well into the Adept Stage with the amount of power I just spent.


    But if I spent the power¡­ doesn''t that mean I''ll be able to punch well above my weight class? It''s not like the magic was wasted. I''m just not barging ahead and leaving behind potential strength.


    That was, of course, assuming he was actually getting stronger.


    A strange urge gripped Alex. Before he knew what he was doing, he took several strides forward.


    And then he leapt right off the edge of the palm and straight into the open air. The surface of the lake was easily twenty or thirty feet below him.


    Whether it was his soul or not ¡ª Alex could not fly.


    He dropped, the wind whipping against his hair as a delighted laugh peeled from his mouth. Something about the fall felt slower than normal. But, slower or not, he didn''t have all that far to fall.


    Alex hit the lake feet-first with a thud. Ripples of water washed out from the impact.


    An impact that he barely even felt. It was like he''d hopped a foot rather than twenty. A landing like that should have basically crippled him on the spot, even with the enhancements the System had given him.


    This was new.


    Oh, yeah. I''m definitely growing stronger¡­ and my Visualization has to have something to do with whatever bent the magic the Gorgonaga sent at me. What else is it capable of?


    That was something he''d have a whole lot of time to find out, and he planned to enjoy the hell out of the process. In the meantime, he was nowhere near done in his Mind Palace. Now that it was maxed out on capacity for the Initiate Stage, the rest of the energy he got would be going into advancing his level.


    And it also meant one more thing.


    Alex reached into his pocket and pulled the white Aspect Gem out.


    This had been a long time coming.

 Chapter 196 - 194: The Memory Crystal

    Alex braced himself as he slotted the final Mirror Aspect Gem into its spot in his pillars. The gemstone slid into place with a quiet click, moving until its edges were perfectly flush with the smooth marble around it.


    And that was that. It was strikingly¡­ plain. Just another part of his soul that now sat in the proper place. He stood there for another moment in wait for something to happen, but nothing did. His soul was quiet and still.


    Not even Berith was making any complaints or wise remarks. The demon just sat in his corner, observing Alex silently. That somehow only put him even more on edge. After nearly getting his entire soul flattened by his own Visualization, anything just happening felt very wrong.


    Like the calm before the storm.


    Alex slowly let his hand lower. He squinted at the gem for a moment, then prodded it again to make sure it was actually properly in place. The gem didn''t so much as budge. It certainly seemed locked in.


    "Huh," Alex said. He didn''t feel particularly different, but it was a little hard to tell at the moment. The latest advancements he''d made to his Mind Palace were so extensive that it would probably be quite some time before he was fully used to them. It couldn''t be a simple matter for his body to go through such immense changes at the drop of a hat.


    I mean, there''s no way I could have shrugged a twenty-foot fall off even recently. That''s practically superhuman levels of resilience. But I really thought slotting my final Aspect Gem would end up being some huge change that was impossible to miss.


    Alex glanced over to the gate waiting between two of the pillars. There was really only one logical guess he could come up with. Slotting the Aspect Gems into place wasn''t enough. He had to open the gate.


    "Well, I was planning on doing that anyway," Alex said. He cracked his knuckles as he walked over to stand before the gate. It now stood slightly taller than it had before due to the small staircase that had arisen from beneath the lake to lead up to the closed door.


    But there was one more change. The three lines that rose up from near the center of the marble door were illuminated with faint energy. Each line shimmered with the color of one of his three Aspect Gems. There was a pitch black, a sickly green, and a gentle silverish-white.


    At least that confirms that the gate is definitely for my domain, and the Aspect Gems are connected to it. It''s good to know that for a fact. It would have been really ironic if I pushed this damn thing open and somehow transformed myself into a monster or some ridiculous crap.


    Alex examined the surface of the door. As badly as he wanted to just shove it open, that wasn''t happening. Not yet. He''d spent a fair amount of Credits buying Memory Crystals with information on Domains and how to use them.


    If there''s even the slightest chance of them being useful, I should test them out before I go opening anything. Really, if I''d been smarter, I would have used them before I slotted the third Aspect Gem in. I really have to make sure my actions don''t rush too far ahead of my head.


    It would be simple enough to use the Memory Crystals inside his Mind Palace. He''d already confirmed that worked when he''d beaned Berith with one. Alex ran a finger along the Spatial Ring on his hand.


    There were four large crystals and three small ones. He didn''t know exactly how long it would take to go through them all, but it probably couldn''t be too long. Berith had been hit by the longest one Finley had and it had only bound the demon down for a short while.


    No time like the present to get started.


    Alex summoned the first of the large Memory Crystals to his hand with a thought. He reigned his focus in. He had absolutely no idea what to expect, but there would only be one shot at this. The crystals broke after they were used. Any information he saw had to be memorized perfectly.


    "Right," Alex whispered. "Let''s do this."


    He shattered the crystal. And, in an instant, the world changed.


    ***


    Alex was no longer Alex.


    He was Vizzel, Arbiter of the Black Spear''s 4th Legion and, should all go according to his plans, sole survivor of what would soon be known as the Slaughter of Stillfoot Pass.


    Corpses littered the ground around Vizzel. Their blood painted his clothes and the rock at his feet, soaking into the dirt and turning it to a thick slurry. At either side of him rose the walls of towering mountains.


    They trapped the thick stench of blood from the recent battle in with him and the few unfortunate souls who still drew breath. This fight had not been a clean one. Few of them ever were.


    In the past ten minutes, Vizzel had watched five thousand men die ¡ª and that had been before they''d reached Stillfoot Pass. The Imperator''s Army was far craftier than Vizzel had expected, and his men had paid for it in lives.


    Vizzel''s ears still rang from the magical explosions that had been rigged for their arrival. He could still taste the blood of his men in his mouth. Still feel their breath on the back of his neck.


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    More of them still had died upon reaching the pass. Savage magic had rained down on their number and torn their dwindling numbers to pieces ¡ª and only then, while they reeled from their losses and struggled to save their wounded, had the Imperator''s Army struck.


    The cowards had come down on them from above. Poured into the pass from both angles and torn every last one of Vizzel''s men to shreds.


    And now only he remained. The lives of Vizzel''s men hung around his neck like a Starmetal collar. The weight was so immense that it threatened to drive his legs straight through the ground and plunge him into the center of the earth.


    He had not been a sufficiently talented general. He had not seen through the enemy''s tricks. Vizzel had thought the Imperator''s Army to be routed, thought that his ten year-long duty had finally ended, but it had merely been a trap.


    That failure had killed his men as surely as the magic that had torn their bodies to bits.


    All around Vizzel, the Imperator''s men emerged. Warriors and mages and their healers slipped out from behind their cover and grouped up to surround him. They gathered their magic in wait, but they were cowards.


    None dared make the first move.


    Vizzel stood alone upon a graveyard of corpses. The 4th Legion had been reduced to nothing more than a single man. But that one man was The Arbiter of the 4th Legion. They had left him for last.


    And that was their greatest mistake.


    There were no men left from the 4th Legion beyond him, and that meant there was no reason for him to worry about collateral damage.


    "Soul Manifestation," Vizzel snarled, his voice echoing through the valley like rolling thunder. He lifted his hands into the air like a conductor. Blood arced through the air in slow motion, splattering from where it had been trapped between his palms. "The Red Sage''s Requiem."


    Fear exploded across the faces of those unfortunate enough to be close to him. Perhaps they had thought that Vizzel no longer had the energy to fight. It didn''t matter. None of them would be thinking much at all in a short while.


    A few of the fools closest to Vizzel tried to run.


    But it was far too late for that.


    Something deep within Vizzel shifted. There was a soft click, audible to his ears alone. The gate to his domain ground open. And then, within his soul, power bloomed. But it was more than just power.


    It was freedom. It was control. It was the knowledge that, within the grasp of his domain, Vizzel was absolute. That complete domination could be undone only by the domain of someone more powerful than him.


    Unfortunately for the soldiers of the Imperator, not a single one of them filled those qualifications.


    An ocean of sheer magical power exploded from within him. His soul imprinted itself upon the world. And in that moment, every single rule ¡ª every single law that governed the way the universe operated in the area around Vizzel ¡ª was torn from its throne.


    A new law imposed itself upon the world. It was the law of Vizzel''s domain. A command that superseded every other force and left no room for argument. Some of the Imperator''s forces attempted to call upon their own domains and unleash their Soul Manifestations.


    Vizzel''s domain swept theirs away like they were dry leaves in a winter storm. The time to resist had long since passed. There was only one thing that he would allow anyone who still drew breath within Stillfoot Pass to do.


    Die.


    His Domain asserted itself over the world. It expanded to fill the entire valley, flooding through the cracks and reaching into the crevices between the rocks until the entire mountain pass was under his rule.


    Vizzel''s hands clapped together with a booming crack.


    And every single being that dared hold life within their hearts, from the ones standing directly before Vizzel to their wiser yet equally doomed comrades already running for the exit, exploded into a fine, bloody mist.


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    ***


    Alex''s eyes snapped open as he found himself midway through a sharp breath. His heart pounded in his chest and it took him several moments to realize that he was no longer Vizzel. He had absolutely no idea how long had passed since the crystal had activated.


    The vision had been so real.


    Holy shit. How powerful was that guy? He must have been way up there in the Stages. There''s no way he was anywhere near my power level. What ridiculous level of strength lets you just instantly kill thousands of people in the blink of an eye? How far do I have to go before I can fight back against someone like that, much less defeat them?


    Alex swallowed. It was starting to make sense why the System had heavily restricted the abilities of the Outworlders. If people as strong as Vizzel could have rolled up to 274-50, they''d have conquered the planet entirely within minutes.


    He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and fought to catch his breath again. Vizzel''s emotions were still twisting through the back of his mind, dragging their fingers through his thoughts as they drained away.


    I was thinking I''d get a memory of someone opening their gate for the first time, but this was just as useful.


    He''d learned a few very important things from the vision.


    First, domains were practically laws. They changed the fundamental way the world worked within them. From Vizzel''s thoughts, it seemed that a stronger domain would overwrite a weaker one.


    Second, domains had limits. Their one rule might have been absolute, but Vizzel hadn''t used his domain until his entire legion had been destroyed. There was only one good reason for someone to hold back a weapon like that.


    He couldn''t control it.


    If Alex was right¡­ Vizzel''s domain killed everything within it without discrimination. Enemies, allies, all the same. It was just a command of death. That was a terrifying ability¡­ but it was also one with a severe drawback. Even a single ally near Vizzel would render him far weaker.


    I''d be willing to bet that every Domain has a similar weakness. The System is nothing if not fair. It wouldn''t make sense for someone to just have absolute, unshakable power. There''s always a way to win any fight. You just have to find it.


    And there was one final thing that the vision had shown Alex.


    It was the feeling of activating the gate within his soul and freeing the power behind it. That sensation was seared into his mind like it had been branded by an iron. The urge to have that very same power gripped him.


    But Alex still had three large crystals and three small ones remaining. There was still information to be gleaned. He extended a hand and the second of the four large crystals he''d purchased from Finley materialized within it.


    Alex set his jaw and readied himself.


    Then he broke the crystal.

 Chapter 197 - 195: Wake up

    The world changed around Alex once more. A wave of sky blue crashed down from above, driving down onto his shoulders and washing him away like a leaf adrift in whitewater rapids.


    He didn''t even have time to register the air being knocked from his lungs. His surroundings had rebuilt himself once again. For the second time that day, Alex was no more. He was nothing but a dim consciousness observing the memories of another.


    Alex ¡ª Pygil, the new thoughts corrected, interjecting the name of the body whose memories he was currently sifting through, stood on a beautiful field of flowers. Colors from the rainbow danced in the grass around him to the tune of an invisible breeze.


    And there were other colors, too. Ones that Alex couldn''t even begin to try and describe beyond the fact that they were not colors that could fit upon the spectrum of light visible to the human eye. They were painted with the flowers across the field in broad, sweeping strokes.


    The field wasn''t all too different from the kind of garden that one might have seen when visiting their grandmother''s house. There was no impressive foliage or monstrous power hidden within the plants around Pygil. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They were just flowers.


    And yet they were beautiful.


    But Alex couldn''t bring himself to focus on the field or even absorb the surroundings to figure out what it was that this Memory Crystal was going to show him.


    Thoughts jerked across his mind like the raking talons of a claw. They bumped into his consciousness violently, sending coursing rivers of electrical energy arcing through his entire body. His head spun as he tried to orient himself properly.


    This was different than it had been the last time. There was no seamless merge into the new world; the new mind that his consciousness now temporarily resided in almost seemed to reject him. He couldn''t properly make all of the foreign thoughts rolling against his head. They were there, like waves lapping at the distant shores of a beach.


    A few of them managed to slip through and brush across his mind. But the rest were beyond his reach, swallowed by a thunderous ringing in his ears and a painful throb in his chest. Alex would have thrown up had his thoughts possessed any control over the physical form it had temporarily taken up residence in. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong.


    And then there was the blood.


    There wasn''t so much as a droplet of it on the ground. He was surrounded by a beautiful field that should have smelled of roses and the inviting, sweet fragrant call of flowers.


    But the only scent that reached his nostrils was the acrid, metallic smell of blood and the rot of death. Its thick stench burned in Alex''s nostrils with such intensity that it would have brought water to his eyes had the eyes he looked through been his own.


    Alex''s thoughts were suddenly yanked away from him. There was a sharp pop, and then he found his sense of self evaporating. He didn''t even get a chance to be surprised. Shock could not exist without something to actually bear it, and there was no more Alex.


    Until the Memory Crystal ran its course, there was only Pygil.


    And the only emotion that Pygil felt right now was disgust.


    Sitting before him was a man in plain, unadorned clothes. The man was clean shaven and bore nothing of worth upon his body. He sat with legs crossed and fingers splayed out through the grass behind him. There wasn''t so much a single thought on the man''s face.


    He may as well have been completely empty in the head. A spear could probably pass in through one ear and out the other without finding so much as an instant of resistance in the man''s brain.


    "This is how I find you?" Pygil asked, his hands clenching into fists. "Fifty years. For fifty years, you led me on a wild goose chase. I have been chasing you for half of a century. And when you finally stop running like a coward, you cannot even be bothered to sit straight and greet me?"


    The other man didn''t reply for several long seconds. His eyes, closed in apparent euphoria from the delicate sunlight illuminating his features in a halo, didn''t even flutter. It was like he couldn''t even hear Pygil.


    Pygil''s jaw tightened in fury. He was being ignored. The man sitting before him was more than capable of hearing his words. It would have been impossible for him not to realize that someone of Pygil''s strength was coming.


    You think you can disrespect me? After everything you''ve done? After everything I''ve gone through to make it here?


    "Quinn, you arrogant bastard," Pygil snarled. "Get up! Stand. Stand and fight! If you don''t get to your feet, then I''ll lift you by the hair and put you down like the dog you are."


    I will not let him steal this from me. He will not ruin the death that I have worked so hard to earn. The agony of training for years on end. Of tearing my body asunder over and over again in the pursuit of power.


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    All so I could kill the bastard who sits before me, unwilling to even opening his eyes in my presence. What am I? Nothing but a worm to him? Is that what he means to imply? That I am not even worthy of so much as a glance?


    Quinn''s peaceful expression didn''t so much as twitch. If Pygil didn''t know better, he really might have thought the man was deaf. But even if Quinn''s ears had magically stopped functioning, there was no chance in all the hells that his senses were this dull.


    You don''t reach this stage of power and make as many enemies as Quinn has without having more awareness than a dead hamster. He''s looking down on me.


    White-hot anger seared through Pygil. He had seen cities fall. He had carved his way through so many monsters that their names had long since faded into his mind. Kingdoms would have given every scrap of wealth in their coffers to borrow his powers for a mere day.


    And Quinn couldn''t be bothered to look into the eyes of his killer.


    "You will not ruin this for me," Pygil snarled. "I take no pleasure in this, but I will not allow you to take the coward''s way out. Even if I have to flay every nerve from your body, you will fight!"


    Pygil''s senses plunged deep into himself. He found the immense reserves of power that lurked deep within his soul. His will flowed into the mighty gate at his very core ¡ª and he willed it open.


    "Soul Manifestation," Pygil snarled, his fingers clawing into the air before him as he pulled it apart like shreds of ratty cloth. Trails of swirling silver-gray mist trailed after his fingers as power poured form him and into the world, bending it to his will. "Necropolis of the Ashen King."


    The wind rustling through the grass went still.


    A chill took the world in its grip as a gray hue swallowed the meadow around Pygil. Motes of ash twisted into being, borne from nothing but sheer power, falling like snow. The warm light from the sun was gone.


    All that remained was pallid, empty gray.


    The world was still and silent. It obeyed a new set of rules, now. Rules that would not tolerate disobedience. Rules that would not tolerate Quinn.


    Pygil clenched a fist. He drew on his soul, and he felt the very world respond. Reality warped as he imposed his will upon it, forcing it to bend to his will.


    Swirls of ash twisted around Pygil''s arm. They wound between his fingers to form into the rough hilt. More and more ash gathered around him until an entire blade hung by his side, its tip digging into the ground.


    The weapon was of average size. There was nothing remarkable about its appearance, and its blade was worn rough and ragged as if it had gone for thousands of years without being sharpened.


    And, through the endless gray pallor that now ruled the world, the scent of blood grew stronger still. Pygil would have thought that he''d have grown used to it by now. But, for some reason, the cloying smell still made his nostrils twitch.


    I will not kill him immediately. An arm should be suitable. Forget fighting him. It was never worth my time. A coward like this does not deserve a warrior''s death. He needs to be put down. Yes. I will carve him to pieces. And, only when he begs for release and screams until his voice is long gone, will I grant it to him.


    Pygil took a step forward. Falling motes of ash twisted around him, parting to make way. A single mote fell from the sky to land on the ground near his feet.


    The grass flattened. A wet crunch rang out as a several-foot wide indent formed in a split second. The sheer Qi within every single mote of ash surrounding him was enough to flatten a boulder instantly. It would only take Pygil a single thought to will them toward Quinn, crushing the man to death before he even realized what happened.


    Pygil couldn''t keep a savage grin from forming across his lips. This was the power he had cultivated over the past years. Indomitable, unstoppable power.


    Quinn''s eyes opened.


    "That is a distasteful weapon," Quinn said.


    Pygil smiled.


    "And now the great warrior opens his eyes," Pygil mocked. "It''s too late, Quinn. I gave you an opportunity to die like a man. Like a warrior. I would have given you peace. A worthy death. But now? I will piss on your corpse and leave you in an open grave."


    "Have we met?" Quinn asked. "I don''t believe I recall your face."


    Pygil fought the urge to let his eye twitch. Quinn was trying to anger him. To make him lose concentration and let control of his domain slip. But that would not happen. While Quinn had wasted his years away, Pygil had trained. He had prepared.


    And now Quinn would pay the price for his arrogance.


    "For years I have hunted you," Pygil rasped, stalking forward as the ash continued to swirl around him. He didn''t let any of it touch Quinn. It was too early. He wanted to see the man suffer for what he had done. "You thought you would deny me the honor of killing you with my own hands? You will take nothing from me. Not anymore. You may be mighty, but your power is nothing in the face of a god."


    Quinn tilted his head to the side. For a moment, he seemed to consider speaking.


    A cruel sneer crossed Pygil''s lips. He lifted his sword. The time for talk. There was only one thing he wanted to hear right now, and it was screaming¡ª


    Something wet splattered across Pygil''s chest.


    He blinked, then looked down ¡ª but down was up and up was down. The sky spun overhead, only to be replaced by the ground and then the sky once more.


    His head hit the ground with a muted thud. Pygil looked up to the sky, lips parted, and found his vision blocked by the now headless body swaying above him. Blood coursed down his neck in rivers, soaking into his clothes and pooling at his feet.


    A shadow passed overhead. Quinn reached out, pushing Pygil''s body back with a single finger. It pitched to the ground, landing with a thud that never reached Pygil''s ears. Then the man crouched, his indifferent gaze boring into Pygil''s skull. Motes of ash gathered on his shoulders, but he didn''t even seem to notice.


    "I was going to explain that there''s far more to power than a mere domain," Quinn said. "But then I realized I couldn''t be bothered."


    For a brief instant, his gaze met into Pygil''s. But he wasn''t looking into the dying man''s eyes. He was looking past them. Quinn''s head tilted ever so slightly to the side.


    Then he stepped over the head.


    The world went black.


    And, with a snap, Alex found himself back in his own body. His hand shot to his chest, where his heart hammered furiously within. Cold sweat prickled against his back. And even though he was back in the safety of his own Mind Palace, the hand of death stull lingered at his throat.


    What the fuck was that?


    It had only been a Memory Crystal. Nothing more than event that had long since passed. But, for some reason, Alex couldn''t shake the feeling that Quinn had been staring straight at him.

 Chapter 198 - 196: Domain

    Alex''s heart continued to pound in his chest for nearly a minute after the last remnants of the vision shown to him by the Memory Crystal faded away. He could feel see Quinn''s gaze boring into his skull like the man was standing right beside him.


    He almost expected the man to pop into existence right beside him within his Mind Palace just like Meiderly had. But, as the seconds dragged by and his heartbeat slowed, no such thing occurred.


    Alex was alone.


    Well, as alone as I''m ever going to be. Berith is still in here. He might not be saying anything but forgetting that he''s around would be a grave mistake. Berith is far too dangerous to ignore.


    But pulling his thoughts from what he''d just seen was difficult. He didn''t even know what Quinn had done. Pygil had clearly had an incredibly powerful domain. Alex wasn''t sure if it was quite as strong as the one he''d seen in his previous Memory Crystal, but it had felt powerful.


    Not that it had mattered. Quinn had killed Pygil instantly. Nobody could even call what he had seen a fight. It was more of an execution. Even though Pygil had had every single advantage, he''d been cut down instantly.


    And it didn''t look like Quinn used a Soul Manifestation or anything like that either. He just¡­ what, instantly killed him? How is that possible? How is that even fair? It didn''t seem like there was even a way to fight back.


    There''s no way the System would give somebody an instant-death ability, right?


    Alex refused to believe that it would. Something that powerful would break everything. There could be people who were strong and people who were far stronger still, but there was no way such a thing as an ability that guaranteed instant death could exist.


    Which means he just outclassed Pygil by such an enormous degree that, from Pygil''s perspective, he got killed instantly.


    Quinn had also left Pygil''s dying form a single throwaway line. It might not have mattered much to Pygil, but to Alex, it was liquid gold.


    He said there was more to fighting than a mere domain. I wish he would have explained more, but there''s more than enough to learn from that one line alone.


    Quinn had unintentionally made absolutely sure that Alex would never forget one thing. Domains might have been immensely powerful. For someone like him, who had only taken his first step along the path to power, they seemed like the very heavens themselves.


    But they were far from the top. A domain did not make someone a god. Even someone with the most powerful domain Alex had ever seen could still be taken down in the blink of an instant.


    That''s the lesson that Pygil didn''t get a chance to learn. It doesn''t matter how powerful you are. The moment you start thinking you can''t be defeated and you''re at the pinnacle of power¡­ someone else will roll up and remind you where you really stand in the universe.


    Determination etched itself into Alex''s mind.


    In other words, if you''re going to go all in and be cocky about something, you better have a damn good contingency plan.


    Alex let his senses brush across the ring on his finger that stored his other Memory Crystals. Each memory he''d seen so far had been immensely useful. He''d definitely gotten his money''s worth ¡ª and there were still more to go through.


    With any luck, at least one of them will be someone actually opening the gate to the domain for the first time so I can get a hint of what''s coming.


    With that in mind, he summoned forth the next crystal and, without a moment of hesitation, crushed it.


    ***


    Alex did not get what he was hoping for.


    Looking back at it, perhaps he''d just been hoping for a bit too much. People lived pretty long lives. That was clearly doubly true for after the System arrived. Only the gods knew how old Berith was, and even Pygil had clearly been much, much older than he''d appeared.


    And a long life meant there were a hell of a lot of moments someone had to pick from when making a Memory Crystal that had something to do with a domain.


    Of all the other Memory Crystals Alex looked through, not one of them had anything to do with the creation of a domain. Almost every single one of them was the middle of one fight or another. And while Alex wouldn''t have said the crystals were useless ¡ª they definitely gave him a good understanding of the feeling that came with using a partial domain ¡ª they weren''t exactly what he''d been hoping for.


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    There was no fixing that. It wasn''t like Alex could complain. He was far more prepared to unlock his domain than the vast majority of the other Native Worlders ever would be. Few of them would have been able to draw a small fortune on Memory Crystals to give them an understanding as to just what domains were capable of.


    And, at this point, Alex had a pretty good idea.


    The first Memory Crystal had been the most enlightening for that part. Domains were impressing the power of your Soul Manifestation onto an area around you and turning it into a natural law just like any other.


    Other domains could affect just how strong that law was. The stronger domain would overwrite the weaker one, though to exactly what degree Alex wasn''t yet sure. On top of that, he hadn''t forgotten Quinn''s lesson.


    Right then. I think I''m out of prep I can try to do. There''s no point pushing this off any longer. I don''t plan to be meditating forever. I think it''s just about time to open the gate and unlock my partial domain ¡ª and after that I''ve got some good Title Fragments sitting around that I should combine.


    But Alex was in no rush to get distracted by titles. At the moment, his interest was solely on the doorway that would unlock his partial domain. He was finally ready to open it. Alex took a moment to gather himself before rising to his feet from the spot where he''d been sitting to use the Memory Crystals.


    He made his way over to the closed gate between two of the massive marble pillars in his soul. Faint light glowed within the lines running up the door''s center to gather around the gem embedded within it.


    Alex let his palms rest upon the marble surface. All he felt was stone. Cold, dead stone. But there was power beyond it. He knew there was. He''d been in the memories of enough people who had called on similar power to know what it would feel like to feel flowing through his very being.


    But he''d only watched the others. The power had been theirs, and Alex nothing more than a silent passenger. Now things were different. The power beyond this door did not belong to another. It was his.


    And it was waiting for him.


    Alex drew in a deep breath. He might have known what would come after his domain was created, but he didn''t know what would happen when he opened the door. It could have been a Trial. It could have been a clone of himself that he''d have to fight in order to earn the powers. have been anything.


    He didn''t know. And if Alex was totally honest, he didn''t mind that all too much. If he knew every single challenge that life had waiting for him, it would have taken all the fun out of it.


    There was only one way to find out what laid ahead.


    Alex pushed the door open.


    He''d fully expected the door to fight him. To grind open with the ponderous gait of a lackadaisical giant going for a stroll. But the door did no such thing. It swung smoothly inward without so much as a creak of protest.


    And beyond it laid an ocean of power ¡ª of Qi.


    Coils of molten red and royal purple mist twisted together in a horizon so great that he couldn''t even begin to make out where it started or ended. Arcs of furious magenta lightning rumbled through the impossibly huge space. Alex recognized the feeling of the energy instantly. It was his Rifwarped Qi, but more of it than he''d ever seen.


    Throughout the magical ocean floated huge, fragmented mirror shards. They hung suspended in the air as if frozen in time. It was just like the many destroyed buildings that littered the world of the Mirrorlands.


    A flash of green caught Alex''s eye. He squinted, peering deeper into the world beyond his gate.


    What was that?


    And then he saw it.


    Buried deep within the storm and surrounded by the mirror fragments floated an obsidian throne. Veins of green emerald twisted throughout the black stone, glistening with molten energy. Arcs of lightning tore away from the jutting spines covering its back, scoring through the air like a roaring orchestra.


    It wasn''t hard for him to tell what the game here was. There might as well have been a glaring neon sign flashing above the floating chair.


    I''ve got to sit on the throne, huh?


    Alex inched into the doorway.


    Energy prickled against Alex''s skin like static. The closer he got to entering the gate, the stronger it became. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There was no clear path to the throne, but there were enough floating fragments of glass to pave the way. They were large enough to jump from one to the other. He was pretty sure he could make it over so long as he was careful.


    Alex didn''t know what would happen if he missed a jump, but knowing the System, he had a pretty good guess that he wouldn''t like it.


    But one more thing held his attention. He didn''t miss a particular parallel that stuck out to him like a sore thumb.


    The ocean is made from my Riftwarped Qi.


    Mirror Aspect Gem, mirror fragments.


    Ruler Aspect Gem, throne.


    Then there''s the Nightmare Aspect Gem¡­ so where''s the nightmare?


    And from the corner of Alex''s eye, he saw something shift. His gaze snapped down into the twisting strands of smoke, but only fast enough to see a shadow vanishing into the furious storm.


    A grin tugged at the corners of his lips.


    Ah. There we go.


    There was something within the smoke and mirrors ¡ª and Alex didn''t miss the joke there. He cracked his neck and shook his limbs off. It looked like he was going to have to race to reach the throne and prove his worth before the storm and whatever lurked within it stopped him.


    He tested his weight on a piece of glass floating before him. The glass bobbed slightly, but it held. It would support his weight.


    Well then. That settles it.


    "Sounds fun," Alex said. "Let''s do this, shall we?"


    And with that, he stepped into the sea of energy. The door slammed shut behind him with a resounding bang, but Alex didn''t care. He was already moving.


    His domain was waiting for him.